We had some baptisms this weekend and I am sure you are dying to hear the details so i will share them with you.
The first two were cute little girls, J and J. Their aunt brings them to church with her and it came to our attention one day that they weren't baptized so we jumped on that opportunity. We went to see their mom on Sunday night and she wasn't so hot on the idea of them getting baptized so soon but we used our charm and told her there is no time like the present to do what is right. A couple days later she called and said she thought it probably was a good idea so we got them dunked on Saturday night.
The next one was a Hispanic guy named C (who hardly speaks any English at all). My comp has been working with him since even before I got here. We dropped him a couple times but couldn't even completely cut the strings so we just kind of left him on the back burner. He said he wanted to come to church and do what was right but he never would come. He randomly showed up to our weeknight bible study class and a guy in the ward who speaks Spanish had a good talking to with him about how he needed to do what his Heavenly Father wanted him to do. They he came to our family home evening and jokingly Elder Bishop said "C, when you getting baptized?" And he said "Saturday" so Saturday it was.
The next two were a mom and daughter duo, M and F. We planned for the baptism to be on the 13th but we were talking to her on her porch on Wednesday night when I got this overwhelming sense of urgency about the baptism. I told them the spirit told me that they needed to be baptized ASAP. The spirit must have told them the same thing because they agreed.
The baptism on Saturday was intense. The elders had a husband and wife (the wife prayed them to her door, that happens to them a lot) get baptized as well so there were 7 total that night. President Newman even came up for such an occasion. I don't know how it happened either but the ward came out in tons to support them. We counted 91 people there. and somehow the refreshments multiplied themselves cause there were a ton left over. It was a good night.
The next day a cute little 9 year old named E got baptized by his dad. We have been trying to get that one done for a long time but the dad works out of town a lot. The mom and dad are converts as well. The dad used to be a Mennonite (sp?) Sunday school/fill in preacher when the missionaries knocked on his door in Michigan. He said that for the last month that he was teaching there he taught out of the Book of Mormon and no one seemed to notice. I thought that was a pretty sweet story.
We had the pee scared out of us this week. It was about one in the morning and we were sleeping as good missionaries should be doing at such an hour when the doorbell rang. I said "sister Carstens, did you hear that?" She said no. I figured it was probably the neighbors (we live in a duplex and the neighbors are boys our age that are kind of crazy sometimes) I could hear them talking next door out on their patio so i figured it must have been them. Then i heard pounding on the door. Sister Carstens didn't seem to hear it so i went about trying to go back to sleep when the door bell rang again. We both jumped out of bed not quite knowing what to do. I got my senses together and was going to open the door. Right as i reached for the door handle it started to move like someone was trying to open it. I freaked out, grabbed the phone and called the elders serving in Kingsland with us. Elder Osborn picked up the phone and as quiet as I could so the scary monsters outside wouldn't hear said "there is someone trying to get into our house" he said "are you kidding me?" then I said "no you idiot, would I call at one in the morning if I was kidding?" because lets be honest, I wouldn't wake up just to kid someone. So he said "grab the baseball bat and if they don't go away we can be there in three minutes." So I got the baseball bat (it is always so handy the things that are lying around in places that boys have recently lived) and was ready to swing away when Sister Carstens said that a car drove away so they were probably gone. We got back in bed with the baseball bat and tried not to cry. The next morning our doorbell rang again and who was it but the zone leaders standing there. Some stupid elders that live about 30 miles south of us wouldn't answer their phone the night before so the zone leaders from 30 miles north of us had to go check on them to make sure they weren't dead. And along the way they thought it would be funny to stop and see/scare us. Lovely, I know. I nearly kicked them where it counts and then laughed about their pain. But I restrained myself. Then on Saturday after our baptism we went to see some people and then went home. I was putting the jumpsuits and towels in the wash when i hear this horrible monster noise and then Sister Carstens bloody nightmare/slasher movie scream. The only thing that I can think is my companion is dead. So I go into the study where she was and who is in their laughing their heads off but Stupid Elder Bishop and Elder Osborn. Oh man, you better believe they got it. What is with these 19 year old boys these days?
Today we went to the zoo. It was kind of fun. I got to see a real live alligator in Florida for the first time. Some moms in the ward have annual passes that are good to take a guest too so they took me and Sister Carstens. It was a girls day which was fun.
That is basically about it for the week. We have just been working hard on getting those people baptized. Remember who you are and what you stand for and don't forget to read and pray.
The first two were cute little girls, J and J. Their aunt brings them to church with her and it came to our attention one day that they weren't baptized so we jumped on that opportunity. We went to see their mom on Sunday night and she wasn't so hot on the idea of them getting baptized so soon but we used our charm and told her there is no time like the present to do what is right. A couple days later she called and said she thought it probably was a good idea so we got them dunked on Saturday night.
The next one was a Hispanic guy named C (who hardly speaks any English at all). My comp has been working with him since even before I got here. We dropped him a couple times but couldn't even completely cut the strings so we just kind of left him on the back burner. He said he wanted to come to church and do what was right but he never would come. He randomly showed up to our weeknight bible study class and a guy in the ward who speaks Spanish had a good talking to with him about how he needed to do what his Heavenly Father wanted him to do. They he came to our family home evening and jokingly Elder Bishop said "C, when you getting baptized?" And he said "Saturday" so Saturday it was.
The next two were a mom and daughter duo, M and F. We planned for the baptism to be on the 13th but we were talking to her on her porch on Wednesday night when I got this overwhelming sense of urgency about the baptism. I told them the spirit told me that they needed to be baptized ASAP. The spirit must have told them the same thing because they agreed.
The baptism on Saturday was intense. The elders had a husband and wife (the wife prayed them to her door, that happens to them a lot) get baptized as well so there were 7 total that night. President Newman even came up for such an occasion. I don't know how it happened either but the ward came out in tons to support them. We counted 91 people there. and somehow the refreshments multiplied themselves cause there were a ton left over. It was a good night.
The next day a cute little 9 year old named E got baptized by his dad. We have been trying to get that one done for a long time but the dad works out of town a lot. The mom and dad are converts as well. The dad used to be a Mennonite (sp?) Sunday school/fill in preacher when the missionaries knocked on his door in Michigan. He said that for the last month that he was teaching there he taught out of the Book of Mormon and no one seemed to notice. I thought that was a pretty sweet story.
We had the pee scared out of us this week. It was about one in the morning and we were sleeping as good missionaries should be doing at such an hour when the doorbell rang. I said "sister Carstens, did you hear that?" She said no. I figured it was probably the neighbors (we live in a duplex and the neighbors are boys our age that are kind of crazy sometimes) I could hear them talking next door out on their patio so i figured it must have been them. Then i heard pounding on the door. Sister Carstens didn't seem to hear it so i went about trying to go back to sleep when the door bell rang again. We both jumped out of bed not quite knowing what to do. I got my senses together and was going to open the door. Right as i reached for the door handle it started to move like someone was trying to open it. I freaked out, grabbed the phone and called the elders serving in Kingsland with us. Elder Osborn picked up the phone and as quiet as I could so the scary monsters outside wouldn't hear said "there is someone trying to get into our house" he said "are you kidding me?" then I said "no you idiot, would I call at one in the morning if I was kidding?" because lets be honest, I wouldn't wake up just to kid someone. So he said "grab the baseball bat and if they don't go away we can be there in three minutes." So I got the baseball bat (it is always so handy the things that are lying around in places that boys have recently lived) and was ready to swing away when Sister Carstens said that a car drove away so they were probably gone. We got back in bed with the baseball bat and tried not to cry. The next morning our doorbell rang again and who was it but the zone leaders standing there. Some stupid elders that live about 30 miles south of us wouldn't answer their phone the night before so the zone leaders from 30 miles north of us had to go check on them to make sure they weren't dead. And along the way they thought it would be funny to stop and see/scare us. Lovely, I know. I nearly kicked them where it counts and then laughed about their pain. But I restrained myself. Then on Saturday after our baptism we went to see some people and then went home. I was putting the jumpsuits and towels in the wash when i hear this horrible monster noise and then Sister Carstens bloody nightmare/slasher movie scream. The only thing that I can think is my companion is dead. So I go into the study where she was and who is in their laughing their heads off but Stupid Elder Bishop and Elder Osborn. Oh man, you better believe they got it. What is with these 19 year old boys these days?
Today we went to the zoo. It was kind of fun. I got to see a real live alligator in Florida for the first time. Some moms in the ward have annual passes that are good to take a guest too so they took me and Sister Carstens. It was a girls day which was fun.
That is basically about it for the week. We have just been working hard on getting those people baptized. Remember who you are and what you stand for and don't forget to read and pray.
3 comments:
Jess, Is this good enough? Love, Catherine
Sister Jay, You are a baptizin' FOOL!! I looove reading about your success and how many people are receiving the gospel. I have a letter in process! I miss you and love you oh so very much friend.
ps I'm glad there were no creepers at your door. That was one scary story!
Keep up the good work! We are just plugging along here -- we have no bathroom so we have resorted to living in and out of hotels and borrowing Emma's shower. I hope its done soon! We love you - Rachel and Family
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