President's Interviews 6-2017- Photo credit Sister Clark

BAPTIZING IN THE WATERS OF THE CFM.

Photo Janessa parker

If what you were looking for today was a bunch of quotes from Jack and Laura's baptism this week. 

WELL YOU GOT IT. 

I woke up on Saturday feeling like it was Christmas Sunday. When we got to the stake center and I saw them down the hall in their white jumpsuits....the sight made me giddier than any Christmas tree...with any amount of gifts. My goodness it was so sweet. 

QUICK BIO ON JACK AND LAURA: In my very first area the Elders had been teaching Jack. When Sister Murray and I got there he was LITERALLY (I genuinely mean that literally) was the most prepared soul of my life. He desired with all his heart to be baptized but at nine years old His mom thought he was just too young. I spent every Saturday for the first six months of my mission teaching Jack and trying anything to get his mom to see the desires of his heart. One Saturday we taught about missionary work and committed Jack to place a Book of Mormon. The next Saturday we followed up and He had given it to his mom. A few more months worth of Saturdays later and Jack and Laura were baptized. My heart is so happy. 

When Jack introduced Sister Murray and I to his uncle that was baptizing him He said...."These are my first sister missionaries." Then my heart melted. Which is pretty intense because anything that hadn't already melted as a result of the central valley heat requires something special to melt it. 

We took a Polaroid picture and when I showed Jack he said..."I look like an angel!" Which is a classic Jack move to just have sincere truth always pouring out of his mouth. He most certainly looked like an angel. 

THEN....we went to the baptismal font and were listening to the prelude music..things are quite...things are reverent and then Laura's other little boy..who is sitting on her lap says..."Mom, you STINK! You need a bath." Sweet little Laura said......"oh don't worry, I'm about to get a bath." 

Talk about a bath. 

Receiving a cleansing of your sins, well that's a bath we all need. 

Because we're humans...and we are all sinners. And yet we have a chance to be called saints? 

YES. 

Because even though we all have our blemishes, and we all have our imperfections-we can be bound to the infinitely perfect. The Savior of the world. That only happens one way. BAPTISM IS THE GATE. Baptism is THE bath. 

*study saint in the Bible Dictionary, I did, I loved it. 

Well, that was Saturday...and it was a very, very good Saturday. 

Then came Sunday. 

Which meant Junior's baptism. 

He is also a nine year old that Sister Burnside and I have been teaching since coming to the area. (His family is all members.) He had a baptismal date, but there were a lot of trials the family was facing that was making the date seem quite unlikely. However, there was a miracle, and then another, and then another, and then another...and Sister Burnside and I were blessed to see him be baptized on Sunday. 

What a weekend. 

Other temporal things that are pictured: 

1. Tulare, California is the hottest place in the universe. I'm sure of it. Which is why I now choose to eat my lunch in the freezer. There are some Elders who are sleeping with frozen water bottles because their air conditioning doesn't work. I am drinking the recommended amount of water for the first time in my life and I'm also sweating 20x the recommended amount for the first time in my life. But hey maybe it's the fact that it's so hot that people were more willing to get into the water this weekend....so no complaints. 

2. Sister Burnside and I have found quite a fun local donut shop, right near the local laundromat...it's a good time. 

I love you all dearly. I'm so grateful for the work of the Lord. I'm grateful to be a part of it. 

Love, Sister Rendon

Saturday, June 24, 2017

President's Interviews 6-2017- Photo credit Sister Clark

President's Interviews --- Last week we finished up the President's last interviews of each missionary. While the President was interviewing, I played a Jeopardy game (consisting of questions/answers from Preach My Gospel, the Scriptures, the Missionary Handbook, 12 Weeks, Adjusting to Missionary Life, Christlike Attributes and a few random questions.  We had a lot of fun reviewing all the "things" that make up a COMPLETE MISSIONARY!  Love those missionaries!!!

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