So this week was the week of a major snowstorm. That was fun. I don't know if I've ever been told to stay inside due to weather, besides tornadoes, that is. But this blizzard we were told to, all of tuesday. Yeah, that was boring. I did, however, get stir crazy at one point and we went in t-shirts and shorts (NO WORRIES! I was wearing my wool socks.) to "The Country's Best Yogurt" or "TCBY" which is just down the alleyway from us. It was closed. Jerks. The next few days were spent walking through winter wonderlands (not as romantic as the song makes it sound...especially when I'm stuck with a guy all the time....) and trying to see people or else testing the Corolla's capability on snow. It passed; or, in other words, we're not dead.
But even more important than gaining a few extra feet - in snow, not height - I was privileged to finally baptize Dena this Saturday! We got there a little early to make sure I was ready, which really wasn't the case anyway, since I had forgotten a change of underwear, towel, and white shirt, only really remembering to bring my baptismal clothes and camera. Anyway, when we arrived, we got the fantastic news that she had, in fact, had her car repoed. She just walked out the door to come to the baptism and sure enough, there was no car waiting for her. So she had to get a ride. Just another in Satan's long line of things he's thrown at her trying to keep her from baptism. Thankfully she was able to finally prevail and entered the hot (I'm also full of thanks for that one) waters of baptism. As I said the baptismal prayer, a feeling washed over me that I felt to be a few things: one, the Spirit for how incredible this experience was; two, a feeling of thankfulness for finally reaching this point with Dena; and, of course, nervousness. As this feeling hit, I was forced to pause for a brief second and soke it all in. And keep myself from crying. Then I finished the prayer and completely submerged her, narrowly missing the side of the tank. It could have been worse though: it could have been a hole in the ice.
Well, that's about all I have for you this week. Work with our main investigator is going along alright, but as always, the hardest part of missionary work in my book is seeing those we teach feel the power and enormity of not only our words but the Spirit and yet try to escape it. I'm still learning to rejoice in others' agency.
Love you all.
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
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