Another Email - 4/28/09

Good news first: BAPTISM HAPPENED!!!!

So we have weekly district meetings, and this week the district leaders decided that we'd do a quick division, send someone to my area to help us get wet, so to speak. And I have to say, we were thirsty, too, haha.

But anyway, I was off in the District Leader's area for a day, and I then, when I should have gone to the Zone Leader..s area while they were in mine, we received a phone call from the Assistants-to-the-President. "There is only one companionship in the Mineiro Triangle (Minas Gerais) that hasn't baptized. It's Elder Barney's." So the decision came down from on high to send I and the other Zone Leader to Tibery also.

But first I had an interview with the APs. "Elder Barney, do you want to be the only missionary in the state this month who didn't baptize?" "No, of course not." "Elder Barney, do you want our Zone to be number one this month?" "Yes, of course I do" "Do you realize, then, that in the entire mission, you are the missionary who has the best knowledge about your area? Elder Eliason is in Rio Verde, and he's been there a month. Your info is current and complete. Go, baptize, and sin no more."

So we did. There is this young man, João Paulo, a 9 year-old son of some inactive members. I'd tried a few times to get his dad to baptize him, but well, there must be something else tangled in that situation. So we went, sat with this family, filled out the forms, and left them to be signed. The next day we called, the papers were signed, and the font was filling.

And that was my week. We have another 9 year old ready to baptize, but she lives in a pretty bad part of town. But she's completely ready to be baptized Sunday. Her mom and mom's boyfriend, well, just from the phrase you can tell they'll be a little longer in the going.

But all is well here for me. Say hi to Jackie, Rachel, and Wendy for me. And tell Jackie I said "Parabens!" which is portuguese for "Congrats!" about the babie. We have a recent convert here who had a daughter last month, so things are pretty neat here.

Just need to get this ward excited.