Week 11 October 24, 2016

10/23

Today could have been the highlight of my mission. I'm trying to figure out what could beat today and I don't know how anything could. Steven got baptized today.  We found out on Wednesday that it was going to be today so since then we've been calling everyone from the ward to play some part in his baptism.  We couldn't get a hold of anyone the first couple of days... we were so worried that we thought we might have to scrub it or that Elder Phillips and I would have to do give all the talks. That would have been really sad because it wouldn't be all that special. That's ok if we had to, because we would do it but it wouldn't be really special for Steven, and we wanted the ward to support him so that he'll keep on coming. One by one we were finding each person to do their part and it was really cool, because after we explained that we needed them to participate in Stevens baptism they were excited to help. A lot of people in the ward really love Steven because he shared his testimony in sacrament meeting.  This morning when we showed up to ward council they asked us if there was a baptism today and we said yes and they asked who's it was and we said Stevens and they got all pumped. We got a couple of them to participate too. (We didn't even have everybody ready the morning of the baptism...) During sacrament meeting we had the counselors announce it so everyone knew about it. During that time we finished getting all the people we needed. Everyone was willing to help when they found out it was for Steven. This was his third time he was at church. I don't understand how he's gotten the ward to love him so much but he did. Also during sacrament meeting he talked with us and said he didn't know who would be coming to his baptism.   He doesn't have a lot of friends and his girlfriends parents wouldn't let her come. He didn't think his family would come. Stevens a cool kid I don't understand it.   After sacrament Stevens Mom was gonna come and pick him up to go get breakfast but she was still kinda far away so we decided to print out a program and give it to her to kinda nudge her to his baptism today.  We still didn't know who was going to baptize him so Elder Phillips asked and Steven asked me to do it.  I love Steven!  I'm coming to visit him after my mission and he could even go on his mission.. I could go through the temple with him while I'm on my mission! 

After we got everything ready and we were waiting for Steven and everyone else to arrive he texted us and said he found a ride and was on his way. Elder Phillips and I got excited because usually we have to do that. We thought maybe his Mom had brought him you know. We walked outside and his whole family was with him and they were really dressed up. I was so happy.  I think they all got off work somehow to show up and support Steven. I didn't think any of them were really that supportive because they would never talk to us before and they weren't planning on coming. The fact they showed up was one thing but that they dressed up and looked really nice made it even more supportive in a way.  After he introduced us to the rest of his family we went inside and we took him to the dressing room and he said that all at once his family dropped what they were doing. We had all of the cool leaders that get along with the missionaries and the ones that get along with Steven really well to speak at his baptism. So many people ended up coming that we had to get more chairs from other room and it almost beat how many people show up to sacrament meeting... no joke.

When the time came for me to lead him to the font he asked if he could say something and I told him for sure and sat back down and he went up to the podium and bore his testimony. The spirit was so strong. He shared how his brother showed him the Book of Mormon then left and he was really sad because he didn't think he was gonna see it again. Then we showed up within the week. He said how we are his friends and not only that, but that we were his savior too. He said that we were a great example of "I am my brothers keeper" and that was what my talk was on last Sunday. He knew that would make me cry so he said it. But that was really dope. He made the whole room cry. The spirit was so strong. After that I lead him to the font and baptized him. We went back to the dressing room and and changed. Elder Phillips was there and it was cool to kinda have a one on one talk with him after he got baptized. He was no longer an investigator he was my best friend. I'd say he was my friend while he was still an investigator but now we just seem so close. Does that make sense? 

When everything was all done his mom came up to us and thanked us. That was a new experience.  I told her that it was a privilege that we were the ones to get to know Steven. The ward and everyone talked with him and he went around the room and thanked everyone for coming. We found out that his sisters are interested in the gospel now so we'll be going by their house a lot more now. We said goodbye and he was the last one to leave.  We cleaned up and went back out and started proselytizing again.