Linda's Baptism
Today was the baptism of Miss Linda McArthur. She has been taught off and on by missionaries for 10 years. I had 3 or 4 brief interactions with her in the first 3 months of my mission. Then right before Sister Denning got her Linda said she wanted us to start coming every week. Well, Sister Denning and I went on Tuesday, June 18 (Sister Denning's first time meeting her) and both felt prompted to ask Linda if she wanted to be baptized so we did. She gave us a resounding, "Yes!"
And let me say this woman worked hard to get there. She has COMPLETELY turned her life around. The baptism was very small and intimate. There were 13 people there altogether. Jason and Jason baptized /confirmed her. What we had to do was put a chair in the water for her to sit on and then she lay down when she was ready. Jason Pratt baptized her while Jason Graves held her oxygen in the water. I could feel that Linda was really anxious. When we went to help her finish getting ready that morning she said, "Sisters, satan is working on me. But I am not letting him stop me!'
Then immediately after she came out of the water she said, "Guess what everyone? I didn't die! I did it!" She was filled with so much happiness. As we were helping her get ready for her confirmation she said, "I feel so good! I want to do it again!" It was wonderful to see Miss Linda's testimony grow the week prior to her baptism. She gained such a testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church on the earth today.
I had expected to meet and teach quite a few young people on my mission. I did not realize they I would have interactions with men and women in their 50's-80's; men and women who after a lifetime of searching for the truth find it. This gospel makes sense!
Yesterday we also went to the Day's house for dinner and taught the Restoration for the first time to their family friend Norman, the second time to Tony, and the fourth time for Amanda. It is so incredible to see Amanda's testimony growing stronger and stronger each time i see her. By the end Norman said he felt that this conversation was meant to happen and wanted to ask about it but didn't know how. Tony told us that he's been praying to know if all of this is true and things have been beginning to click more and more. Amanda was commenting and sharing her testimony throughout. She is beginning to recognize the Spirit more and more. The Spirit was strong. Both Norman and Tony accepted thier own copy of the Book of Mormon and the invitation to pray about it. They then invited us to come over again tomorrow for dinner and a lesson. We feel that we need to invite Norman to be baptized tomorrow, perhaps Tony as well. It is pretty incredible how Amanda's decision to be baptized is affecting so any more people than herself.
And let me say this woman worked hard to get there. She has COMPLETELY turned her life around. The baptism was very small and intimate. There were 13 people there altogether. Jason and Jason baptized /confirmed her. What we had to do was put a chair in the water for her to sit on and then she lay down when she was ready. Jason Pratt baptized her while Jason Graves held her oxygen in the water. I could feel that Linda was really anxious. When we went to help her finish getting ready that morning she said, "Sisters, satan is working on me. But I am not letting him stop me!'
Then immediately after she came out of the water she said, "Guess what everyone? I didn't die! I did it!" She was filled with so much happiness. As we were helping her get ready for her confirmation she said, "I feel so good! I want to do it again!" It was wonderful to see Miss Linda's testimony grow the week prior to her baptism. She gained such a testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church on the earth today.
I had expected to meet and teach quite a few young people on my mission. I did not realize they I would have interactions with men and women in their 50's-80's; men and women who after a lifetime of searching for the truth find it. This gospel makes sense!
Yesterday we also went to the Day's house for dinner and taught the Restoration for the first time to their family friend Norman, the second time to Tony, and the fourth time for Amanda. It is so incredible to see Amanda's testimony growing stronger and stronger each time i see her. By the end Norman said he felt that this conversation was meant to happen and wanted to ask about it but didn't know how. Tony told us that he's been praying to know if all of this is true and things have been beginning to click more and more. Amanda was commenting and sharing her testimony throughout. She is beginning to recognize the Spirit more and more. The Spirit was strong. Both Norman and Tony accepted thier own copy of the Book of Mormon and the invitation to pray about it. They then invited us to come over again tomorrow for dinner and a lesson. We feel that we need to invite Norman to be baptized tomorrow, perhaps Tony as well. It is pretty incredible how Amanda's decision to be baptized is affecting so any more people than herself.
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