Baptism

Well I'm partially upset because I left my planner with what I was going to write about so hopefully I'll be able to remember all the things that I was going to say! This week we had our first BAPTISM!!!!! And boy was it incredible. Just like all the other emails I'll get to yesterday but for now we'll start with Monday last week. OH yeah before I forget last week Sister Ward and I were in Sunday School with the youth and we were the only two white people in the whole class. Talk about awesome. It's truly so cool to see the diversity in the church. After emails last Monday we went down to the Goodwill in Jersey with Sister Kay and I picked up a few more gems. I can't wait to bring home some of these clothes and wear them there. We went to Walmart and came back and went to Tivynna, and taught her the lessons again. She is so prepared. I love her so much. More about her later. After we went to Eli and Emanuel's, our other recent converts and taught them. They recieved the priesthood last Sunday and it was so cool to see how happy they were. I'm so grateful for the young men in the ward and there example. We went back and went to talk to Anne, she showed us a photo album of her life. It was really cool to see all those pictures from her growing up. Anne is an incredible daughter of God. Sister Ward and I love her so much!

Tuesday was great! We were able to go to District meeting. It was a small district meeting because Sister Wright went home and it was just the New City Missionaries and Sister Boshard. But it was a great district meeting. Elder Benson is such a great district leader. Totally gnars. We went to visit Ricardo again on Tuesday and he was so happy. He's such a great guy. Tuesday night we went over to another members house and were able to talk and help her get ready to go spend a month in Vienna. Totes jealous but she's going to visit her daughter and relax. She cooked us food and guess what we had....talapia. Never thought I'd eat it but the way she cooked it, it tasted so good. Maybe by the time I get back from my mission I'll be okay with seafood. Who knows. She's a wonderful woman with a wonderful testimony. It's weird because transfers are coming up this next week and Sister Ward and I honestly don't know whats going to happen. If we both stay or if one of us leave. We're very curious to see how this week plays out.

Wednesday was one of the coolest days! We did our studies and then went to correlate with the Elders what apartment area we want to go start tracting. Not our favorite finding technique but it worked. We went to go visit one of our members and she wasn't there so we decided to go tracting in an apartment complex. Its so cool to see the Lord work. We started knocking on doors and got some return appointments. We also had a contact in Spanish...bahahah that was funny but we got a return appointment for the Elders. We then went to knock on a door. The lady opened up the door and had just gotten out of the shower. We decided to wait until she came back and I'm so glad we did. She opened up the door and let us right in. She began to tell us she's looking for a new church and so we invited her to church on Sunday (unfortunately her parents came into town so she didn't make it but she's going to be baptized.) We began to teach her the restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon and everything. She told us she'd been praying to God for a new church to go to and then we showed up at her door. Definitely driven by the spirit. We invited her to be baptized when she found out it was true and she said yes! We have to visit her again and teach her but she's truly incredible. Her names Leydi and she has a nine year old son. Goll, I could see her being the young womans president or something. She's great! We talked to a few others and went to another members home. The parking at her complex was horrendous so I decided we should go to our next appointment because we didn't have her right number. Then she called us and asked where we were. So we went back found parking and had dinner with her and her two kids, twins a boy and a girl. It was really cool to hear her story from Haiti and how she became a member. The food we ate too was really good! I like Haitian food. We went to Tivynna and taught her more, to refresh her mind because she's been taught everything.

Thursday we had weekly planning and went to practice for our songs. Sister Ward was playing the piano in sacrament and we were singing a song for Tivynna's baptism. Yup, both Sister Ward and I sang in front of people for her baptism. We sang stand in holy places by Jenny Phillips and it was really good. More about that later too. :) I really love that song. We went and saw our new investigator, Brent who's 9, he's great and so sweet!

Friday we had some more practice with our songs to be ready for Sunday. We had our Relief Society president out with us and it was really good to have her out. We went and visited a lady in the hospital that had a stroke. Her mother really didn't want us there so we shared a quick scripture and got out of there. Then we went and visited a spanish member of our ward in a nursing home and tried to understand spanish. It didn't work that well but it was so sweet. He began singing 'We Thank Thee O God...' It was so good to feel his spirit. We then went to a less-actives house that Sister Pena knew and was able to be an answer to her prayer. She woke up that day and told her husband she was going to go to the Mormon church on Sunday and then we showed up and told her we missed her at church. She was there yesterday! :) We went and taught Tivynna a few commandments, Chastity, Word of Wisdom, Tithing. She's so awesome! We went and visited another less active member and taught him about faith and prayer. It's so cool to be out here. Even if I'm not baptizing everyone I come in contact with I'm strengthening them and helping them come closer to Christ, and that's my purpose. I love it. We went and said hi to Anne after that. It was a packed day full of teaching. I love it.

Saturday was another fabulous day! It was a service day! And boy was it cool. We went to Paterson and then to Clifton to go help clean up a park. There were about 60 missionaries that went down there. We began by picking up little pieces of garbage. I was picking up some stuff and some Sisters asked me to come help them...and I walked over here I heard something hiss and looked over to find a Gooose, laying on her eggs. Luckily she was behind the fence so she couldn't attack me but she was hissing hard core at me. I'll send a picture. We continued to clean up branches from the Hurricane and then I started walking down the bank of the Passaic River and there was SO MUCH garbage, so much beer bottles, vodka bottles, whiskey, rum, all that kinda stuff. It was sad to see all the garbage. There were tons of balls and shoes and teddy bears all from the hurricane. I also found a dead turtle. :( It stunk so bad. Pictures will be included. I love serving. After we were done we sang called to serve. We also got shirts from it. I'm getting so many shirts from my mission! T-shirt blanket! Holla! After service we cleaned up and went to go teach Tivynna one last time before her baptism. The Elders came with us so they could interview her. She passed with flying colors. We continued to talk and then started talking about our baptism days. The spirit that came into the room was so incredible. We all shared and it was really cool to see everyone's experience was unique and was there own. I asked her if she kept a journal and told her to write a few thoughts down on Sunday before her baptism and then Sunday night after. I wish I was good at writing when I was 8 so I could go back and remember but I remember the feelings that day. I began to say some thing and was prompted to have her bear her testimony, she got a little nervous and said she never bore it before. She said she knew this church is where she needs to be. The spirit was so strong and tears began to well up in her eyes. It was so cool to see her realize that she is a daughter of God and this is where she needs to be. I loved that! We finished the lesson and it was powerful. Sister Ward and I are so grateful we were able to be here for her.

Sunday was great! Sister Ward played the piano in sacrament and Tivynna was baptized! The feeling I felt yesterday was so great. It was a peace. I did get a little nervous when Sister Ward and I sung but it was cool to sing for Tivynna. She has been coming to church since she was young and was taught since she was 8 and never baptized until now, 16. And it's so cool to see that Sister Ward and I were here for that. So many missionaries have come and gone and now she's finally entered into the gate of eternal life. I'm so blessed to be here. The baptism was great. The food after was good as well. I know this church is true. I know God lives. I know he loves us. I know Joseph Smith saw God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I'm just about to finish it again and I can't wait to get that re-affirmation that it's true! I love being a missionary. I love serving my Savior. It's crazy I passed my 7 month mark this passed week. Time is FLYING by! I love all of you so much. I'm so grateful for all the support you've given me. I'm grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. Hope everyone's week will be fantastic as I know mine will be. :) Miracles happen eerrryday! Look for them!

Love you all!

Love,
Sister Christine Taylor

ps.I colored my hair again! :)