Elders, ...Just Relax and Feel the Spirit - Week 104. Serving in Sarrat

Hey guys, got lots to tell you about this week - mostly about the baptism yesterday! We spent most of the week preparing for it. President told us that we had better make sure every baptism is very well attended and also well planned. We made invitations and handed them out to over 40 people - most of which were families. We made sure that the branch mission leader chose speakers and set up the program. We made sure that the room was all set up. Then on the day of the baptism we went there in the morning to clean with our branch president. He's really hard working and a good guy. We made sure there was a picture of Christ, flowers and a nice table cloth.

Then there was the font. In Sarrat, it's a little concrete font behind the meeting house. There are two big trees that hang over it and continuously drop leaves into it so we had to go get our bed sheets and put them over the font to keep it clean. Sarrat is in the middle of a huge drought so now that it's the dry season, there is often no water at all. So we spent all day Saturday filling up the font and got no work in! But the point is, we got it filled.

At 5:30pm, people started showing up. We planned it so that the members would come a bit earlier than those being baptized so that when they get there, they are already welcomed by the presence of dozens of members. So we told the members that it would be at 5:30pm when we knew L would only get there at 6 or 6:30pm as he was coming from work (which he got from the church's Employment Resource Centre!) So most of the members showed up at 6. We also had two investigators there - E, a young man and M, a young woman. They had never met before but are the same age and at the same place in the lessons. We are hoping they will be the next baptisms in Sarrat. They hit it off and it turns out that they shared things they learned from our lessons with each other and talked about whether or not they are ready to be baptized, which is way cool.

Then we found out L went to get paid that night and would be later than we already expected. He showed up a little after 7pm! Just before he showed up, the other person getting baptized had just left to go look for him!

We figured we would take pictures once all those involved were dressed in their whites. It was like herding blind sheep. We said, "Okay everyone, we are going to take some pictures here." Then someone disagreed and they started arguing about where would be a better place to take pictures. Trying to get everyone outside to get pictures done was so hard. We would get some people out and then go to get others and then the ones that were out would go back in. To add to all the chaos, there was some random dog in the church just roaming around and it was one of those mangy ones that has some sort of skin disease. After a while, we finally got everyone out and did the pictures but as soon as one was taken they would scatter and start to head back inside before we had taken all the pictures.

It was late when the service started. The microphone wasn't working so it was hard to hear the speakers. The hymns chosen were way obscure and no one really sang. The kids were running around wildly, yelling and splashing each other at the font. We were really frustrated and felt like giving up as we had done so much to make the service as perfect as possible and it was tanking. Then President B texted us and said, "Elders relax. Just be happy they are being baptized. Just feel the spirit". So we sat back and tried to feel the spirit.

The baptism itself went perfectly. The investigators were really interested. That's when it all came together and we really felt the spirit. It really hit me how amazing it was. We had only just met M four weeks ago and now she was really getting baptized and among the most prepared people I have ever seen. Then the microphone started working just in time for President B to welcome the new members - it was perfect.

As soon as the service ended, one of the sweet relief society women who feeds us often, got up right away and walked to the front row and, with a huge smile on her face, shook the hand of each new member and congratulated them. All the other members followed after that. We were so proud and it made all the problems from before melt away - even the random dog.

Our investigators had a great time too and one asked, "When can we have our next lesson?" Great experience. We taught L the day after and he said that he has never felt happier than he is now and never expected he would ever feel this happy.

We went back and taught that guy who wanted to give us the Book of Mormon back. We taught the most flawless lesson on the apostasy of all time and there was just no room for doubt when we were done. We let the scriptures do the talking. At one point he said, "If God still speaks today, then you are telling me the Bible is not complete." We just said "yes". He got it. Then he said, "Okay, I would like to read the Book of Mormon." He was way cool after that.

Anyway, that was my week. It was sweet. Thanks for your emails guys. I love hearing from you - can't believe I will see you so soon. I love you all. Have a great week!
Elder Dustan