Week 86. Kat's Baptism

 Hey, everyone this week was a blast, here are the highlights:

Destiny - She's been a member for a year and a half now but isn't always available to come to activities or church. So we had a zoom lesson with her, found out she was on break from work and invited her to come. She came that night to institute and church on Sunday. It was super cool, that the moment she could, she came. 

Funniest moment of the week - in a meeting Lusk was telling this story about his sister having something signed by Lin Manuel or whatever, and the quiet kid goes: oh that's cool... that's the lamest claim to fame I've ever heard. He wasn't being mean or anything, just factual and it was so funny. I laughed so hard. 

Kayla - had a really great discussion on the temple. It's become a bit funny because I bring it up every time we see her. Not to push her, but to show her how important it really is. She still has her concern but we're talking about it. 

Cookies - Lusk's last time doing cookies, and our first time doing it in a long while. It's finally sunny again and we can do cookies. It was great as always and super cool. Heidi came up and talked to us about trying to grow her faith, we told her that's exactly what we help people with. So hopefully she'll reach out to us

Bro Kolo - a Tongan member in a different ward that took us out to dinner with the other missionaries because Lusk uses to serve in that area. Tool us to a Chinese place and ordered a ton of food. It was so good! And hilarious because he was surprised with how much I ate. 

Brother Kahoo - definitely spelled the name wrong but he's another member in the same ward as Kolo, except he's a New Zealander. He coached Rugby all his life and now holds games for the youth. So I played 2 hand touch Rugby for the first time and despite slipping all over the wet field, won. It was pretty awesome. 

Kat's Baptism! - the moment we've all been waiting for. This last week has definitely been up and down with opposition from her parents. We saw her everyday and talked. She had some low days and some high days. It was really awesome when we could see her testimony shine despite her fear. 

The night before was especially hard but I knew, and she told us that she was going through with it. I was just scared she wouldn't be able to feel the hope and happiness and joy that comes from the Spirit and Baptism. Afterwards she told me this: that as she was getting ready for the baptism and putting things in her bag, with each thing she did she just kept feeling happier and felt peace that this was the right path. So much so that she walked through the front doors and yelled Let's Go!

The room was packed, the water was steamy, first mission story ever where the water was a bit too hot and fogged the glass and mirror so you couldn't really see anything. It was awesome. She was so happy and you could see her light shining. 

Honestly one of the best baptisms ever. 

Then I had one of the greatest honors/blessings of confirming upon her the Holy Ghost. It was great. 

Spiritual thought - I don't think I can get more spiritual than a baptism but the next day I read this verse and it just made me think of this whole week

Mosiah 4:11

And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls....

I was able to watch someone come to know God more closely as they followed Christ's example. I saw His love help her through trial and strife. And I watched as she got baptized, her sins washed away, and witnessed the incredible joy she felt because of it. 

That was a Testament to me that God knows what we are going through. He knows what we need, He will deliver. And that the bigger the opposition, the greater the joy. 

I love you all