This week was amazing! Our 사랑하는 Sister investigator was baptized! It was such a beautiful day!
A pair of Elders in our ward came to the church early to scrub the font and get rid of spiders (our font hasn’t been used in a year, I think). We also came early and deep cleaned the girl’s bathroom so Sister L wouldn’t have to walk with her bare feet on dirty tiles.
There were a lot of ward members that came to support her (which was nice, because none of her family and friends could make it). I really love everyone in our ward. They were so excited and supportive. They have treated her like family since the beginning. A couple of sisters in the ward even wrote her notes and brought food for after the baptism, even though they’d only met her a couple of times. I love the ward!
Sister L was a bit nervous when it came time for the ordinance. She understood how important baptism was and didn’t want to do anything wrong. The first time she went under the water her hair came up, so they had to perform the ordinance again. She was shaking from her head to her toes. But the second time they performed the baptism, she was completely immersed and she relaxed a lot.
As she walked out of the font and we handed her a towel, she just started sobbing. During my entire time with Sister L, I have never seen her cry. She’s a really strong-willed and independent lady, and it shocked us to see her crying.
She told us at first it was because she forgot to bring dry underclothes to change into, so Sister H ran to get help and a sister in the ward volunteered to run to a store. As Sister H was out though, Sister L started crying into her towel and I heard her say 약속 Yaksok, which in Korean means “promise.” Then she told me how she had fulfilled her promise with God.
A while back, before she had any religion, or really any belief in God, her sister was diagnosed with heart cancer. During this trial, she decided to pray to God, and told Him that if He would heal her sister, she would do her best to follow God the rest of her life.
She made that promise with God before she even knew about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but she knew that by accepting the ordinance of baptism by someone holding the proper authority of God, she was fulfilling her promise with God… and nothing had ever felt so special to her.
Even though she was soaking wet, after she told me this, I just hugged her as tight as I could and cried tears of joy with her.
I wish I could write exactly what I felt at her baptism, but it was almost beyond words. It was one of the happiest moments in my life. It reminded me of a quote by President Heber J. Grant:
“I know nothing that brings greater joy to the human heart than laboring at home or abroad for the salvation of souls. I know nothing which gives us a greater love of all that is good, than teaching this Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
For Sis. L’s baptism, we wanted to do something really special. So last P-day we started making a baptism Memory Book that has a bunch of things about why we love her, and a bunch of scriptures that we hope will prepare her to someday enter the temple. We had people at her baptism and at church the next day sign it and write notes, or their favorite scripture or hymns. We even had a cute primary girl draw a picture in it for her 🙂 We seriously have such an amazing ward where I am serving!
Also, after her baptism, you better believe that we went to Taco Bell and got Mexican food (it was only triple the price of what it is in the U.S., but Sister L wanted it, so we got it. 🙂
I know this is the true church of Jesus Christ once again restored to this Earth. I know Heavenly Father lives and loves us, and that He does answer prayers. I know Jesus Christ is His Son and the Savior of the world. I’m so thankful I have the opportunity to share what I know and love with others!
❤ Sister Stastny
Seoul Sister 