The Rolla Holla! Monday, 26 of July, 2010

Bom ba dum bum dum dum! Announcement: I’ll be reporting on august 8th in Kaysville at 11 AM. I might also talk in Orem, but I´ll let you all know.

Even up until the VERY end, or the twilight of my mission as my brother called it, the Lord is raining down His miracles. This week we met, taught, and baptized 18 year old Sara who has been prepared by her Father in Heaven. She attended church twice in a branch about 3 hours away and came to visit her member sister. We invited her to a fireside for youths, then to church, then to be baptized. She accepted the first two and decided to ask God to be sure about the last. The answers came line upon line, as they always do, and she came to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, the Church of Jesus Christ is His true church in the earth today, that the Priesthood has been restored and finally, that one must be baptized and endure to the end to obtain salvation. What a journey.

We had planned for her to be baptized on Saturday, but then an obstacle came up, as they always do. There was trouble in the family and suddenly she and her sister had to travel hom to be with their parents. Yet her faith didn’t waver and she asked us to arrange for her baptism that very day. Her baptismal service was simple but a sweet, reassuring spirit was felt. We all knew that what she was doing was right and correct and approved by a loving Heavenly Father smiling down on her.An incredibly musically talented Elder Collura and I sang a special musical number, and she asked me to perform the baptism. She was smiling and almost glowing all throughout, but more than anything as she returned from the dressing room and we laid our hands upon her damp hair to give her the gift of the Holy Ghost. Though she may live far from the church where she is from, she promised to read and pray every day, and do EVERYTHING she could to be in church every Sunday. What a beautiful experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

One lesson that we taught to her this week was on a division with an Elder Hopoate. This big, Tongan, full of heart Elder smilingly greeted her and we began to teach. We had planned to cover the Plan of Salvation and were amazed by her willingness to listen and desire to understand. It was the day after she had received her answer about the Book of Mormon. As we taught, a powerful example came to my mind. I knew that she was away from her family and that she would empathize with the feelings of being away from home. As I talked about all of you and how overjoyed I will be to see you again, I felt the spirit testify to me and THROUGH me to her, that our heavenly reunion will be a source of such great joy that we cannot even imagine. All we have to do are those 5 simple things that our Savior taught: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the End.

As Elder Hopoate and I came out of the mission, we both exhaled and were just amazed at the spirit we felt. I’ll miss those experiences, but look forward to others that will make life just as sweet after the mission and forever. I love you all and look forward to being there with you soon!

Elder McCarty