Javier’s testimony

This is Javier!

Javier was baptized on Sunday, June 29, 2025.

The sisters found him on the train!

I wanted to share his testimony in his words, just days after his baptism. (I will share the original text he wrote and have google translate it afterward.) It is an amazing testimony from a brand new member!

Keep reading to the bottom for Hermana Stoddard and Hermana Moore’s (referred to as Stoner and Amor) finding testimony.

“Queridos hermanos y hermanas,

Hoy, al estar aquí ante ustedes, siento una profunda gratitud y una paz que no había conocido antes. Este es un día que marcará mi alma para siempre: el día en que me uno, por medio del bautismo, al evangelio restaurado de Jesucristo. No es simplemente una ceremonia: es un nuevo nacimiento. Una nueva luz ha encendido mi vida.

Quiero comenzar expresando mi más sincero y profundo agradecimiento a todos los que han caminado conmigo en este proceso. En especial, doy gracias a las hermanas de esta comunidad por su ternura, su ejemplo y su amor constante. A la hermana Stoner, que con paciencia sembró en mí semillas de fe. A la hermana Amor, que con su nombre ya predica el mensaje del Salvador, y que con cada palabra y gesto me ayudó a comprender el valor de la compasión. A Elvia, por su firmeza espiritual, y a José Luis, por su apoyo y su ejemplo varonil en Cristo.

Ustedes no solo me han acompañado, me han mostrado el rostro de Jesucristo en sus acciones. Gracias a ustedes he podido abrir mi corazón y reconocer que, aunque el mundo me ha llevado por caminos oscuros, el Señor nunca me abandonó.

Mi vida, como muchos de ustedes saben, no ha sido fácil. He transitado senderos de lucha, de búsqueda, de caídas y levantamientos. He tenido momentos de debilidad, de adicciones, de confusión. Pero hoy comprendo que todo ese recorrido no fue en vano, porque me ha traído hasta aquí. El Padre Celestial me ha llamado, y yo he respondido. Y al igual que Alma el Joven, he sentido ese cambio profundo, ese "cambio en mi corazón" que no puedo negar.

Como dice el Libro de Mormón:

⁠"¿He experimentado este gran cambio en vuestros corazones? ¿Habéis sentido cantar al alma el canto del amor redentor? ¿Podéis sentir esto ahora?"

(Alma 5:26)

Sí, hermanos. Hoy mi alma canta. Canta con gozo, con humildad, con esperanza. Porque sé que el Señor Jesucristo vive, y que Su Iglesia es verdadera. Sé que José Smith fue un profeta escogido por Dios, y que hoy tenemos guía viva a través del profeta actual. Sé que las Escrituras son verdaderas y que el Espíritu Santo es real y me acompaña.

He sido testigo de un milagro, el milagro del arrepentimiento, del perdón y de la gracia. Y ese milagro soy yo.

A partir de hoy quiero caminar con firmeza en el sendero del Evangelio. Quiero ser instrumento en las manos del Señor para servir, para testificar, para amar como Él nos ama. Quiero ser luz para otros como ustedes lo han sido para mí.

Gracias por aceptarme, por orar por mí, por creer en mí incluso cuando yo mismo había dejado de hacerlo.

Hoy empiezo una nueva vida, y lo hago con ustedes como mi familia eterna.

En el nombre de Jesucristo,

Amén.”

Translation…(just google translate-no changes)

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today, as I stand before you, I feel a profound gratitude and a peace I had never known before. This is a day that will mark my soul forever: the day I join, through baptism, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not simply a ceremony: it is a new birth. A new light has been kindled in my life.

I want to begin by expressing my most sincere and profound gratitude to all who have walked with me in this process. In particular, I thank the sisters of this community for their tenderness, their example, and their constant love. To Sister Stoner, who patiently planted seeds of faith in me. To Sister Amor, whose name already preaches the message of the Savior, and who with every word and gesture helped me understand the value of compassion. To Elvia, for her spiritual steadfastness, and to José Luis, for his support and his manly example in Christ.

You have not only accompanied me, you have shown me the face of Jesus Christ in your actions. Thanks to you, I have been able to open my heart and recognize that, although the world has led me down dark paths, the Lord has never abandoned me.

My life, as many of you know, has not been easy. I have walked paths of struggle, searching, falling and rising. I have had moments of weakness, addiction, and confusion. But today I understand that all this journey was not in vain, because it has brought me here. Heavenly Father has called me, and I have responded. And like Alma the Younger, I have felt that profound change, that "change in my heart" that I cannot deny.

As the Book of Mormon says:

"Have I experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Have you felt your soul sing the song of redeeming love? Can you feel this now?"

(Alma 5:26)

Yes, brothers and sisters. Today my soul sings. It sings with joy, with humility, with hope. For I know that the Lord Jesus Christ lives, and that His Church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet chosen by God, and that today we have living guidance through the prophet today. I know the scriptures are true and that the Holy Spirit is real and is with me.

I have witnessed a miracle, the miracle of repentance, forgiveness, and grace. And that miracle is me.

From today on, I want to walk firmly on the path of the Gospel. I want to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to serve, to testify, to love as He loves us. I want to be a light to others as you have been to me.

Thank you for accepting me, for praying for me, for believing in me even when I myself had stopped believing in me.

Today I begin a new life, and I do so with you as my eternal family.

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen.

I know this is long, but for those still reading… It is worth it…

The hermanas who found Javier wrote their finding story:

“One day we were coming back from a long day of street contacting with no success. It was so hot and we were basically melting from the heat. The train was so crowded and we only had about three stops to travel back home. After one stop, two seats opened up next to us and we decided to sit down even though we only had two stops, which was pretty weird for us. Sitting across from us was Javier. We started talking and he told us how confused he was in the world. We explained who we were: that we were missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ. He seemed very skeptical of us, but we started to explain some of our beliefs and talked about The Book of Mormon. We even pulled it out and showed him the pictures in the front of Lehi and his family. The conversation ended rapidly after that because we had already come to our stop, but we asked if he wanted a copy of the book and he said yes, so we got his contact information and went on our way.

We passed his contact to the missionaries who lived in his area. A couple of days later, our mission president called us and told us that we would be moving the next day to start a new branch in another area. That Sunday we went to church in our new area and as we were shaking hands with people before church, we saw a familiar face walk through the doors: Javier. The next day, the other hermanas told us that he actually lived in our new area. We met with him and talked several times about our encounter in the train and how it was inspired by God. The following week, while attending a baptism, Javier asked us if he could be baptized that following Sunday before he moved to Germany. We were so shocked we didn't have the words to respond to him. That week we helped him overcome some challenges so he could be baptized. Watching him bear his testimony was such an incredible spirit-filled experience. We continue to be in contact with him because he doesn't know german, and we are still teaching him. The change that we've seen in him is incredible. We continue to talk about that day in the train and the miracle that it was. That it was the right place, right time, and right person.

We both have such a strong testimony that God is guiding His work and we feel so honered to be witnesses to all of it.”