There is Sunshine in My Soul Today

Saturday we witnessed our first baptism since we arrived in Tralee.  Sister A (we try to keep some anonimity about our investigators in our blogs for their privacy) had been meeting with the missionaries for several months.  There was some stubbornness  on her part to give up cigarettes and come to church.  But she, the Elders, and us stuck with it and finally her heart softened and the Spirit was able to do His work.  We have worked along with he Elders since we arrived, sitting in on lessons and picking her up for lessons and Church.  Sis Walker has been able to develop a rapport and a friendship with A that will last forever. We have truly grown to love her!

 The Elders had set a baptismal date for a few months back, but A would not be pushed into anything before she was ready.  Finally, she selected Dec 11 to be THE day.  When she set the date it was several weeks out, and we all worried that things would come up to get in the way, and they did.  But all was finally resolved and last week everything was set and ready to go...and then the Elders got their moves call.  We already knew that E Hoppe was going home this week, but we thought we'd have E Atkinson for another 6 weeks since he is going home in Jan.  Turns out, he was getting moved too.  In fact, they had to leave Sat afternoon so E Hoppe could make his way all the way to Edinburgh by bus and ferry.  So the baptism had to happen Sat morning, in Limerick.  We did offer to let A be baptized in the ocean since it's right here on the edge of Tralee, but she declined. Something about it being December...

We had trouble finding a baptismal jumpsuit for her, so we cobbled some white clothing together and she was ready to go.  We invited Sis R and her daughters, A and R, to come with us since A has spent the last several months going to Sis R's house for dinner, FHE and games, so they have gotten close. Sis R and girls rode with us and A and her friend T took the Elders in their car.

A was nervous, but excited and ready to finally get baptized.  I know in this picture she looks like she is going to her execution, but she actually was very happy and excited.

One very happy group, tho' it's hard to tell from A's expression!

A asked E Atkinson to perform the baptism. This was a blessing for E Atkinson because, while he has had other investigators be baptized, he has never performed the actual baptism himself.  It was nice that he could do this for A and just before he left.

Just as we were entering the locker room to go through to the font, E Atkinson stops A and asks her full name for the ordinance. A has a difficult last name to pronounce and it needed to be practiced a few times to get it right.  "Seriously," she said, "you are asking my name only now??? Seriously?!"
We knew that he would slaughter it. and he did.  But she only had to be immersed once, so we'll call that a success!

After the baptism, she came into the locker room and stopped dead, holding the towel to her face and said, "WOW...I feel so different!  I feel lighter.  And sooo happy!"

After the baptism, a much happier A------

She was so happy after the ordinance was performed and was bubbly and excited.  

We went across the street for a celebratory lunch and to enjoy each other's company.

Our little celebration!

After our final lunch, it was time to take the Elders to the bus station and make our final farewells.  We will miss these fine young men who have worked so hard and blessed so many people.  They had a lot of stuff to wrangle onto the bus, but they were on their own from this point.

A was confirmed the next day in Sacrament meeting by our Branch President, who gave a beautiful blessing along with the bestowing of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  Before the meeting she told me she was still so happy-she couldn't stop smiling and nothing could seem to make her angry, including T, her friend.   After the meeting she told me that while the Pres was pronouncing the blessing on her head she got this burning feeling all down her.  "What is that?' she asked. I told her it was the Spirit, that sometimes manifests itself as a burning feeling in one's heart.  She loved that she could feel the Spirit so strongly.

She is fully a member now, and in fact, has already been given the assignment to teach RS next Sunday.  She is very excited about teaching and feels that she has been well prepared with the necessary knowledge to do a decent job.  Unfortunately, we will not be in there to hear how she does, because we will be in Primary.

T has been in on all of this from the beginning. In fact, he didn't want to take the lessons, but he pushed A like crazy to take them and stick with it when things got tough.  Now, however, he is fully on board and taking the lessons and has set a baptismal date for Jan 21.  He insists that E Atkinson will perform the baptism, even if he has to go where E Atkinson is for him to do it.  It has been amazing to watch a man so rough and ungodly and full of darkness begin to believe in and accept that the Atonement is here for one as unworthy as he feels.  He is changing before our eyes from a natural man to a Son of God and it is amazing and miraculous to watch!  There will be a full blog on T in the coming weeks.

Missionary work is AWESOME!  We are so enjoying our time in Tralee and working with all the wonderful people we have the privilege of sharing the Gospel with.  And we are getting an added blessing: the Elders have been replaced with Sisters!  We will now get to watch some awesome young women set this town on fire for the Gospel!  I'm a Mormon, yes I am! We know it, we live it, we LOVE it!

HASTE YE BACK!