A Conversion Story (Part XIV)
(Coming in late? Start from the beginning!)
The rest of the way home from the shore, Keith and I discussed what we wanted to do about this whole Church thing. Turns out we both knew we needed (and wanted) to be baptized, so the decision was pretty easy to make. On Saturday, we bought a box of cookies for the missionaries, who showed up for the scheduled appointment at 5:00. (They, of course, only ate one or two apiece, probably being concerned about their weight; if it had been elders, there wouldn’t have been any left.)
After we said our hellos and everything, they asked Keith to say the opening prayer. He did so, and at the end—picture this: the missionaries sitting on the love seat, Keith and I sitting on the couch perpendicular to it—we looked up and to our right and asked them, in unison, “So when can we be baptized?”
Sister Fairbanks, as I think I’ve mentioned, was fairly new in the mission, so this was a shock to her. I believe her response was something to the effect of, “Um, uh, buh, huh?” Sister Johanson, being a little more seasoned—but still totally unprepared for what had just happened—responded, “Well, um, Jeff and Keith, um, will you follow the example of the Savior by being baptized on September 14?”
I looked at Keith, and he looked at me. We each knew what the other was thinking, but I found the words to say it: “Actually, we were kind of hoping to get it done before school starts. Is there any way we could do it on the 31st?”
The missionaries were floored yet again.
Tune in next time for Part XV!
“And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38).
The rest of the way home from the shore, Keith and I discussed what we wanted to do about this whole Church thing. Turns out we both knew we needed (and wanted) to be baptized, so the decision was pretty easy to make. On Saturday, we bought a box of cookies for the missionaries, who showed up for the scheduled appointment at 5:00. (They, of course, only ate one or two apiece, probably being concerned about their weight; if it had been elders, there wouldn’t have been any left.)
After we said our hellos and everything, they asked Keith to say the opening prayer. He did so, and at the end—picture this: the missionaries sitting on the love seat, Keith and I sitting on the couch perpendicular to it—we looked up and to our right and asked them, in unison, “So when can we be baptized?”
Sister Fairbanks, as I think I’ve mentioned, was fairly new in the mission, so this was a shock to her. I believe her response was something to the effect of, “Um, uh, buh, huh?” Sister Johanson, being a little more seasoned—but still totally unprepared for what had just happened—responded, “Well, um, Jeff and Keith, um, will you follow the example of the Savior by being baptized on September 14?”
I looked at Keith, and he looked at me. We each knew what the other was thinking, but I found the words to say it: “Actually, we were kind of hoping to get it done before school starts. Is there any way we could do it on the 31st?”
The missionaries were floored yet again.
Tune in next time for Part XV!
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