All right I know you all want to hear about the Baptisms so Ill just get right in to it!
They
were PERFECT! 1 year of tracting, oyming, teaching, resolving concerns,
dropping investigators, working with members, improving, trials,
struggles, pains, sufferings, disappointment, fear, discouragement, and
just outright will power, and they day has finally come were I was able
to baptize in the.... OCEAN! AHH YEAHH! Everything just went perfectly!
It was a beautiful day, no wind, no people at the beach, and no problems
that morning, even rode on top of Jeepny! I can't explain just how
perfect everything was and how prepared our investigators were. We
baptized three investigators, and 1 child of record (Oscar, Cathrine,
Jessica, and darlyn) The only way I could describe how i felt that day
was that I felt as light as a feather the whole day, so peaceful and
calm. There was no worries, no stress, no frustrations, just peace! That
was all the day before (Friday) that was a very stressful day because
of Jessica haha....
Jessica
didn't go to church the week before her baptism and in our mission we
have a standard that investigators must go to church 4 weeks
consectativley before they are baptized and that was her 4th week! So
after discussing the matter with mission leaders, they felt that we
should postpone her baptism but Elder Bituen and I felt that she was
still ready and her reason for not going to church was Semi-legit
haha..and the problem was that she had worked monday-friday, and we
wouldn't be able to talk to her until Saturday morning the day of her
baptism! ugh... So after many prayers and pondering for me personally I
really felt Jessica was ready to be baptized and that this wouldn't
happened again. So we chastised her pretty bad Saturday morning just to
help her understand that this cannot happen, and that she need to repent
and of course gave her love and encouragement after (President Peterson
style). She took it really well and understood, she said she is so
grateful that we continued her baptism! I felt that if we postponed it
should would of gave up because of other opportunities pulling at her.
Her conversion story is pretty sweet, I don't have time to share it
right now but someone remind me and i will share it in a different
e-mail. Then she did something that almost gave me a heart attack! She
was late to church and she showed up right before the confirmations!
PHew! I was going to blow! hahah...
Anyways the
members were extremely supportive with our baptisms and we had a good turn
out with even our investigators bring their families to see their
baptisms which is awesome and they all got along great with the members,
and we hope to see Cathrine's family baptized, and also part of oscar's
family. We have a family Home evening with them today and the branch
president pretty much invited the whole branch hahah so its going to be
pretty crazy tonight! What a wonderful experience, and what a blessing in
my life! I was blown away how much of a difference it makes when people
receive the Holy Ghost in their lives. Yesterday we taught Cathrine and
Oscar and their understand just went through the roof! They had so many
comments, and so many things to share that they learned at church, and
they just pick up on the smaller deeper doctrines of the lessons which
is awesome, and they just constantly tell how they can feel the presence
of the Holy ghost in their lives, and just how happy they are and how
they want to work with us, and help others to feel the same thing!
PERFECT!! they both want to to serve missions! they have friends in the
Branch and they hang out and have scripture study together! PERFECT! and
we are slowly fading off in the background! PERFECT! haha that needs to
happen so that they stay active. AHH i just can't believe and have
never seen or heard of such conversion from anyone! And it was all by
the hand of god and the power of the Holy ghost!
Thank you all for you prayers, for our investigators and their well being, it has truly blessed their lives!
So
it was a pretty good day! At the beginning of the day I even forgot it
was my birthday! haha I was just to focused making sure everything was
good! But the branch all wished me a happy birthday, and I just had
dinner at a members house with our recent converts, didn't do much, just
got to get back to work! ;)
Well
thats about all the time i have, so thanks again, and thanks for those
who have reported back to me about the challenge I gave last week about
the Atonement I love reading your insights, and sorry if it takes me a
while to get back you, but I try my best to make sure to send a reply in
all of your e-mails! patience is a heavenly virtue!
Love you all!
Elder Kikel
-on the Lord's errand-
San Pablo Philippines Mission 
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| coming out of the Ocean |
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| Cathrine and Oscar, ha i wasn't ready for this picture! |
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| Sister Jessica |
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| Us on top of the Jeepny |
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