Winner!

Finally, it is like the weight of the world has rolled off of our shoulders and turned into outstanding joy.

The Fox family was baptized on Saturday and confirmed members on Sunday. The baptism was incredible. Matti the 13 year old requested to bare her testimony at the baptismal service and although it is too personal to write via email, it was one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever heard. We had to get 4 people to welcome the family into the ward and it was like a zone conference with a quick talk after quick talk from the primary, relief society, young women, and the bishopric. Elder Hall and I are pretty stoked. This week we had to go on exchanges so we could get the last baptismal interview done for the family and later that night, I found out that my companion volunteered us both for a special musical number (pretty sure the last time I did that was singing "Armies of Helaman" with Lance and Vaughn). Summer chose the song and we had a great time. It is interesting what a mission does to someone to get them out of their comfort shell. It is beginning to get comfortable being uncomfortable! There was so many people at the baptism that we had to move from the relief society room into the chapel which I think is a great problem to have. I had the privilege of baptizing Summer and Landon and I was way nervous the whole time leading up to the actual baptism because I desperately wanted to get everything right the first time. I think I asked Summer 5 times if she wanted to do her hair in a bun just so there wouldn't be any floating. Lucky for all of us everyone went right down and right up first try. The support for this family is outstanding. We are in a great stake and I we had people from at least 3 wards there helping out. An interesting thing too is that there is an excommunicated member that she knows who distanced himself from the church but showed up at the baptism because he was apparently really touched by the Fox family.

Sunday they all were confirmed. Elder Hall and I gave them all the Holy Ghost and it was a bit intimidating at first being in a ward with 300 people present standing in a circle with a bishop and stake president. I have learned a great lesson about pausing for the Holy Ghost. It is amazing the difference in all things when we pause and wait to see what the Holy Ghost has to say. Something I wish I would have learned much earlier in life (Yes, dad is smiling right now, I know). As the confirmations began, I said things that were very surprising. I knew the Lord wanted the one boy I confirmed to serve a mission and influence others to be baptized as well. Summer was way stoked on that. For the rest of the day I felt like I could prophesy the day and the time of the 2nd coming. We have stake conference next week so it was fast and testimony meeting when they were all confirmed. The entire family bore their testimonies! Summer's was absolutely perfect. She began by praising and giving love for the Bible then went on to how much she loves the Book of Mormon. She also thanked Heavenly Father for calling Joseph Smith as a prophet. Each child that bore their testimony mentioned how grateful they were to be Mormon! Ahhh how I love the testimonies of others.

Anyway I am not quite sure on what to write about for the rest of the week because there was one thing my mind was focused on. We had another baptism scheduled that fell through because of some serious concerns - things I have never dealt with the entire mission. It really softened my heart towards issues of the world and the problems people may face. He is waiting for God to take away this problem before he gets baptized. Unfortunately he does not understand the meaning of the Gospel! As Brother Hughes in Nac would say "If anyone of those people in our congregation tried to walk on water, they would sink." We will continue helping him realize how much more help he can receive with the awesome gift of the Holy Ghost.

I am pretty stoked to get this investigator pool refilled now. Please pray for our wonderful recent converts. Time to cement them into the Gospel.

Love Y'all and thank you for your prayers and support

Elder Metcalf