Beautiful baptisms!

Last week we were able to attend 3 different convert baptisms.  Our schedule usually doesn't allow that to happen, but it just worked out and each one was so touching.  We were able to see a mother and her 11 year old son be baptized, Xinia & Kale Ketilson, then we saw Eulalie Akambu be baptized by her husband (talk about special!), and then Sally Deng, also be baptized.  I wish everyone could have witnessed them and have been able to hear them share their thoughts at the end.  Sally was just weeping with happiness--she said she felt so loved!  I also came to know of the importance of the members of the ward in each one of these instances.  The members really 'ministered' to each one of these sweet women, in many different ways;  always making them feel included and loved, and it made such a difference.  For every convert there is a spiritual conversion, where they have to have felt the spirit strong enough in their heart bearing testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel for them to go forward with faith and want to be baptized.  Yet there is also a social conversion--where they truly feel adopted into a ward family, and loved and accepted.  This is so important as they are making crucial changes in their lives after having been baptized.  It is such a sweet thing to see how members fill this role, and love them, and help them along.  We each need to be aware of what more we can do for those who are investigating the church..we can give them the love they need as they are also seeking for the spirit to touch their lives.
On Friday we held our New Trainer's meeting for the missionaries that will be training our new missionaries arriving on Wednesday.  It was a great meeting and these trainers are going to be awesome!  We know they have been called by the Lord to this assignment at this time--and they will do a great job.
Sunday  morning we drove to Fort MacLeod to participate in the Stake Conference there with Elder K. David Scott of the Seventy.  We had more snow the night before and the roads weren't very good, but we made it in time!  It was a nice conference, and they had a beautiful Primary children's choir, which sounded like little angels.  We made it back safely to Calgary that afternoon to meet with our assistants to discuss the transfer this week.  We are excited to welcome 10 new missionaries on Wednesday!  And sad to see 5 go home--yet also excited for them to begin this new chapter of their lives.  It is always a revolving door in the mission field!  Every 6 weeks you sadly say good-by, and happily say hello!

Baptism of Eulalie Akambu, with Elders Leghorn and Higashi

Sisters Jorgensen, Anderson, Moffett & Hermansen at New Trainers lunch

Elders Dennison, Cleghorn, Higashi, Hatch, Tu, & Hancey (and the ward mission leader) singing at Sally's baptism with the primary children-"I Am a Child of God"

The elders at New Trainer's lunch!