Monday, April 23

We had a baptism (British spelling) this last week! Bill was baptised and what a great day it was (also very stressful). Bill lost his leg to polio as a child and has an artificial leg. Well, that leg isn't waterproof naturally and so it had to come off. We couldn't really practice the baptism with him in advance with his one leg so as everyone looked on we had to have Bill enter the font and we could only pray for the best. He was struggling immensely as they tried to figure out the best way to perform it and I was so worried he was going to be miserable and embarassed. Also, his nonmember wife, June, was there and I thought she would think we were torturing him. In general everything that could go wrong did go wrong and I was so worried that he was
going to regret his decision.

As I talked to Brother Worthington after the baptism, however, he told me that once Bill came out of the water and the doors were closed, he just sat on the steps of the font in absolute awe and wonder and kept saying, "That was amazing." He really is an incredible man and such a sweetheart. June, his wife, who is wants absolute nothing to do with the church currently, has said for weeks that she wouldn't come to the Sunday service to see Bill receive the Holy Ghost, but after the baptism she asked me what time it would be happening and the next day we saw her seated in Sacrament meeting! It was so great! President Preston came to the baptism and apparently he said it was one of the most emotional baptisms he had eer been to.  It was good!

I received a call from the missionaries in Liverpool yesterday informing me that my investigator, Mary, is being baptised this coming Saturday. I immediately called President and asked for permission to go and he said he would be disappointed in me if I didn't go! So I am very excited about that as well!

It has been an interesting week. Sister Spencer finally took off her boot on her foot. So she is doing well and progressively getting better.

We helped with a service project on Saturday. It was set up by the ward to paint the toys at a local park. We arrived and there were maybe 8 people there helping. Two little boys who had come to the park to play volunteered to help paint (they were more of a hinderance than a help as we followed behind them repainting) but it was great of them to have that desire to help. They couldn't have been older than 11. They were nice.

Oh, one last random note. In Liverpool, apparently whenever there is something worth celebrating they have made a tradition to have a "giant's parade." they build these huge marionette/mechanical dolls that wander around the city for a few weeks.... weird? yes. So over in Liverpool right now there is a 100 foot tall man in scuba gear searching for his neice who is a 50 foot little girl with her dog who is just taller than the traffic lights. google it. it's wierd, yet intriguing....