1 March 2010
Dear Family:
The most exciting thing that happened this week was the baptism of Aaron!
I think I have written about him before. His wife and two kids, MaKayla (15), and Bubba (13) are all active and have been looking forward to his day for years. Our teaching record shows that Aaron has been taught by missionaries off and on for three years. He finally overcame what was holding him up. We started teaching him on the 19th of November--that was Elder Walker's second day in St. Anthony and, I believe, his first teaching appointment to a nonmember.
It has been a long struggle, but he finally got there. When he showed up for his baptismal interview, he seemed a little scared. But when he came out of the interview with the zone leader, he was all smiles and talking, in contrast to the straight-faced, quiet man a few minutes before.
It was like "Field of Dreams":
If you baptize Aaron, they will come.
We asked him if we could invite a few people to his baptism, and he said that would be alright, although he wanted it to be a small thing. So we invited just six people, three of whom are in the bishopric.
So the day of his baptism finally came: 27 February 2010. Aaron and his friend who was going to baptize him arrived and went in to change their clothes. We had 53 chairs set up. But people just kept coming and coming. We didn't think--at least I didn't think--50 chairs would be filled up. And I figured it would be just his brothers-in-law and their families. But it was kind of like the movie "Field of Dreams": "If you baptize Aaron, they will come." We had to set up more and more chairs. Then people had to stand. That little Primary room was packed, filled with at least 75 people!
It was a very, very spiritual baptism. Many people were emotional, including Aaron and his fellow cowboys. I hope they can make it to the temple in a year. It brings me such joy to see someone like Aaron make those covenants with God. A man like Aaron makes it all worth it. It is a testament to the divinity of this work. How could anyone deny the change and the power by which it was wrought, that took place in Aaron's heart and behavior? I know I can't.
Love,
Elder Call
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