Dear family and friends,
I am staying here in my current area for Christmas: the Redwood YSA ward in the Santa Rosa South area. I'm excited! But sadly, my companion, Sister De Rurange (Karen and Andy: Day-Roo-Rawnge with the "g" making the sound as in "orange") is being transferred to Vallejo.
Transfers are Wednesday, and my new companion will be Sister Zenger (Zay-nger with the "g" making the sound as in "girl"). Cool fact about Sister Zenger: she trained the companion I had in the MTC, Sister Shurtleff. So I'm excited! I'm also sad, because I love Sister De Rurange so much and we have such a fun time together, but I'm sure Sister Zenger will be awesome as well:)
WE HAD A BAPTISM!!!! It was a quirky, odd little baptism, but it did happen, and it was awesome, and we felt the Spirit, and Anthony MacIntyre was confirmed a member of the Church yesterday during Sacrament Meeting!
I sent the account to President Alba, so I'll just paste that here: it would take too long to explain it again haha. It was quite the crazy ordeal. But we experienced a HUGE miracle this weekend:
What a week! Anthony got baptized and confirmed Saturday and Sunday! It was a miracle that it even happened. I'll tell you the crazy story.
Anthony originally told his mom he was going to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Larter-Day Saints and she said to him, "If you do, you're out on the streets" (He's 21, going to school, and living with his Filipino, Catholic mom, but trying to get a job so he can save up to move out). Because of his mom's stand, his living situation, and his struggle to overcome an addiction, we had to push his baptism back from October 23rd to November 19th, then he pushed it back to December 7th to give his mom time to cool off.
Around mid-November, he told us that he wanted to be baptized December 7th because it's Pearl Harbor Day, and wanted to be baptized on that "Day of Infamy" to make it even more special. We agreed, and by mid-November he had, in his own words, "nuked my addiction out of my life." :) But then he told us his mom thinks he didn't go through with the original baptism and wasn't planning on being baptized, so he wanted to keep it secret to "keep a roof over my head."
We felt weird about it, but continued meeting with him and he was just SO ready to be baptized. This past Friday came and all was well - the program was set, our ward mission leader had everything under control for conducting, many people were invited, Anthony's LDS cousin and her family were coming up from Livermore to support him...and then at about 7:30 Anthony texted us and said his mom wanted to take him to Vallejo tomorrow morning to do laundry and visit family. He hadn't told her he was being baptized, and was scared to because she said she'd kick him out. We told him to suggest to his mom to do it in the afternoon, that he already had plans. But it still felt weird.
We dropped by our bishop's house to pick up a white shirt and pants for Anthony to wear to his baptism and church the coming weeks, and Anthony continued to text us and tell us he wasn't sure if he could have his baptism the next morning at 10. Finally, Bishop Pierce, after we explained the situation to him, gave Anthony a call. He told him something along these lines, "Anthony, don't hide this from your mom. She will find out eventually, if not tomorrow then a week or a month or a year down the road, and then your relationship will be even more strained - she will also feel like the Church has been deceitful and baptized her son behind her back and won't ever feel open to the Gospel and the sweetness it holds. This is the trial of your faith. Tell your mother your choice to get baptized, and why you're choosing to be baptized into this Church. I promise that everything will be alright."
Anthony's mom was asleep, so he couldn't tell her until that morning. He told us he'd call or text at 8 and confirm whether or not he was going to be baptized. We prayed hard for him to have courage and demonstrate his faith in Heavenly Father. We texted a few others who were involved in helping him get to the point he was at to pray for him as well. And I just felt such a peace come over me - that whatever happened, whether he decided to be baptized or postpone because of his mother, he would be just fine. And that all was well.
So we planned for the night, wrote in our journals, and went to bed just like normal with peace in our hearts. That night, I had a dream that we went through with the baptism, and that Anthony's mom was there and happy for him :)
The next morning, he texted us at 8:10ish and said something to the effect of, "I told her. She's not happy, but she said that if this is what I feel to be right, that I can be baptized. I have to be back around noon to help her with chores around the house, though." I read that and felt so happy and at peace and excited! I sank to my knees and said thank you to Heavenly Father for softening his mother's heart. It was yet another witness to me that Heavenly Father is real, that this truly is the way back to Him - the way that His Son, even Jesus Christ, showed us - that God will not forsake you, but that if you have faith and trust in Him and demonstrate that courage and trust and faith, He will always pull through. Anthony's mom didn't threaten to kick him out. He still has a roof over his head. It is just plain proof that "ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:6).
And thus the baptism commenced! It was such a wonderful baptism, President Alba. His mom wasn't there, sadly, but his family from Livermore was. The Spirit was so strong, and Anthony was so excited and happy to be washed clean. It was a quirky baptism, that's for sure. Our ward mission leader woke up late so we had to have the assistant ward mission leader conduct before our ward mission leader showed up with programs in tow. The actual program didn't exactly follow the order it was supposed to on the written program because he showed up late and we only had a rough outline of the program we gave to him to type up. The power ended up going out in the Yulupa building and down the street, so it was dimly lit. Crazy thing that happened during the missionary moment: Elders Williams and Snow were giving the missionary moment while Anthony and the member in our ward who baptized him, Lucas, were changing. Elder Williams asked a member of the Bishopric in our ward, Bro. Stockton, to quote the First Vision. Bro. Stockton quoted, "I saw a pillar of light..." And just as he said "light" the electricity came back on!! It was so cool and odd and added even more quirk to the baptism.
But mainly, the Spirit was there, the talks were powerful, Sis. Finley sang the most beautiful rendition of "Come Unto Jesus" that I've ever heard, and Anthony was baptized. When he came out of the water, he was just so happy - grinning from ear to ear! And yesterday after he was confirmed a member and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, he just looked so happy! He sat down next to us and told us, "I'm officially a member now!" And he was so excited to renew his baptismal covenant in Sacrament Meeting.
So it has been a journey - and a crazy, semi-stressful one at that - but life is a journey. And it is also a crazy, semi-stressful one. But it is so worth it. This life truly is for us to have joy. And we receive joy the most when we make and keep covenants with God and live life in the bounds The Lord has set.
I have such a strong and ever-growing testimony that this truly is Jesus Christ's church back on the Earth - the same one He established when He was here, and the same Gospel established when Adam and Eve were on the Earth. I know I'm out here to bring God's children back. I am working hard, and seeing the fruits of my labor. I want everyone to be able to partake of the fruit of the tree and taste the sweetness that God's love brings (Alma 11).
Life is good. I love being alive, and especially during this Christmas season. I'm so excited to serve with Sis. Zinger this coming transfer, as well. I can't wait to work with her :) But I'm also so grateful for Sis. De Rurange. She was just the person I needed for my first 12 weeks in the field.
Anthony originally told his mom he was going to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Larter-Day Saints and she said to him, "If you do, you're out on the streets" (He's 21, going to school, and living with his Filipino, Catholic mom, but trying to get a job so he can save up to move out). Because of his mom's stand, his living situation, and his struggle to overcome an addiction, we had to push his baptism back from October 23rd to November 19th, then he pushed it back to December 7th to give his mom time to cool off.
Around mid-November, he told us that he wanted to be baptized December 7th because it's Pearl Harbor Day, and wanted to be baptized on that "Day of Infamy" to make it even more special. We agreed, and by mid-November he had, in his own words, "nuked my addiction out of my life." :) But then he told us his mom thinks he didn't go through with the original baptism and wasn't planning on being baptized, so he wanted to keep it secret to "keep a roof over my head."
We felt weird about it, but continued meeting with him and he was just SO ready to be baptized. This past Friday came and all was well - the program was set, our ward mission leader had everything under control for conducting, many people were invited, Anthony's LDS cousin and her family were coming up from Livermore to support him...and then at about 7:30 Anthony texted us and said his mom wanted to take him to Vallejo tomorrow morning to do laundry and visit family. He hadn't told her he was being baptized, and was scared to because she said she'd kick him out. We told him to suggest to his mom to do it in the afternoon, that he already had plans. But it still felt weird.
We dropped by our bishop's house to pick up a white shirt and pants for Anthony to wear to his baptism and church the coming weeks, and Anthony continued to text us and tell us he wasn't sure if he could have his baptism the next morning at 10. Finally, Bishop Pierce, after we explained the situation to him, gave Anthony a call. He told him something along these lines, "Anthony, don't hide this from your mom. She will find out eventually, if not tomorrow then a week or a month or a year down the road, and then your relationship will be even more strained - she will also feel like the Church has been deceitful and baptized her son behind her back and won't ever feel open to the Gospel and the sweetness it holds. This is the trial of your faith. Tell your mother your choice to get baptized, and why you're choosing to be baptized into this Church. I promise that everything will be alright."
Anthony's mom was asleep, so he couldn't tell her until that morning. He told us he'd call or text at 8 and confirm whether or not he was going to be baptized. We prayed hard for him to have courage and demonstrate his faith in Heavenly Father. We texted a few others who were involved in helping him get to the point he was at to pray for him as well. And I just felt such a peace come over me - that whatever happened, whether he decided to be baptized or postpone because of his mother, he would be just fine. And that all was well.
So we planned for the night, wrote in our journals, and went to bed just like normal with peace in our hearts. That night, I had a dream that we went through with the baptism, and that Anthony's mom was there and happy for him :)
The next morning, he texted us at 8:10ish and said something to the effect of, "I told her. She's not happy, but she said that if this is what I feel to be right, that I can be baptized. I have to be back around noon to help her with chores around the house, though." I read that and felt so happy and at peace and excited! I sank to my knees and said thank you to Heavenly Father for softening his mother's heart. It was yet another witness to me that Heavenly Father is real, that this truly is the way back to Him - the way that His Son, even Jesus Christ, showed us - that God will not forsake you, but that if you have faith and trust in Him and demonstrate that courage and trust and faith, He will always pull through. Anthony's mom didn't threaten to kick him out. He still has a roof over his head. It is just plain proof that "ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:6).
And thus the baptism commenced! It was such a wonderful baptism, President Alba. His mom wasn't there, sadly, but his family from Livermore was. The Spirit was so strong, and Anthony was so excited and happy to be washed clean. It was a quirky baptism, that's for sure. Our ward mission leader woke up late so we had to have the assistant ward mission leader conduct before our ward mission leader showed up with programs in tow. The actual program didn't exactly follow the order it was supposed to on the written program because he showed up late and we only had a rough outline of the program we gave to him to type up. The power ended up going out in the Yulupa building and down the street, so it was dimly lit. Crazy thing that happened during the missionary moment: Elders Williams and Snow were giving the missionary moment while Anthony and the member in our ward who baptized him, Lucas, were changing. Elder Williams asked a member of the Bishopric in our ward, Bro. Stockton, to quote the First Vision. Bro. Stockton quoted, "I saw a pillar of light..." And just as he said "light" the electricity came back on!! It was so cool and odd and added even more quirk to the baptism.
But mainly, the Spirit was there, the talks were powerful, Sis. Finley sang the most beautiful rendition of "Come Unto Jesus" that I've ever heard, and Anthony was baptized. When he came out of the water, he was just so happy - grinning from ear to ear! And yesterday after he was confirmed a member and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, he just looked so happy! He sat down next to us and told us, "I'm officially a member now!" And he was so excited to renew his baptismal covenant in Sacrament Meeting.
So it has been a journey - and a crazy, semi-stressful one at that - but life is a journey. And it is also a crazy, semi-stressful one. But it is so worth it. This life truly is for us to have joy. And we receive joy the most when we make and keep covenants with God and live life in the bounds The Lord has set.
I have such a strong and ever-growing testimony that this truly is Jesus Christ's church back on the Earth - the same one He established when He was here, and the same Gospel established when Adam and Eve were on the Earth. I know I'm out here to bring God's children back. I am working hard, and seeing the fruits of my labor. I want everyone to be able to partake of the fruit of the tree and taste the sweetness that God's love brings (Alma 11).
Life is good. I love being alive, and especially during this Christmas season. I'm so excited to serve with Sis. Zinger this coming transfer, as well. I can't wait to work with her :) But I'm also so grateful for Sis. De Rurange. She was just the person I needed for my first 12 weeks in the field.
There's the account of that crazy, wonderful, amazing baptism. Anthony's entered the gate:) He's on his way. I have picture to send, too! Finally. Sorry - it's a struggle, but I finally have them.
Sorry for not many details on the rest of my week, but the highlight was definitely this weekend when Anthony got baptized, so it's all good. One more highlight: the Foley family came to this beautiful nativity festival yesterday night and walked through with us! There are over 300 nativities from all over the world there, and they were SO gorgeous and the Spirit was there very strongly. Natalie and her girls who came, Amanda and Lizzie, really enjoyed it:)
I love you all, make good choices and remember that "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (D&C 18:10).
Invitation I would like to extend to everyone this Christmas season: do an act of service every day until Christmas, and see how many miracles unfold.
With love,
Sister Nikole Decker
P.S. Read 1 Nephi 8 and then compare it to 1 Nephi 11. Wonderful chapters! Also, Luke 2 - the story of Christ's birth.
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