Splish Splash

Hey everyone! This week was really good! We had MLC so I got to see a bunch of old friends in the mission. We We also had 3 baptisms on Sunday for some recruits on base! It was so cool and all three of them were so happy.

Like I said, three recruits were baptized. One of the recruits is particularly large and the kiddie pool that we use isn't too big. Because they need to be fully immersed in the water, they need to lay flat on their back to go all the way under. For this recruit that was getting baptized, he layed flat on his back and there were still parts of his body that were sticking up. Ironically we chose the smallest guy in the company to baptize him, so he was trying to push down his lower half but his upper half would come out of the water and he couldn't reach his upper half fast enough to push that down as well. We just needed his whole body to be submerged for just a second. The baptizer being creative started to drag him through the pool to try and create a wave that would envelop his whole body. That didn't work and we just lost a good amount of water. After about five minutes of water boarding the poor kid, we got him all the way submerged. Despite that whole ordeal, he came out of the water and he said that he could feel the burden of his past be lifted from him.

Today's spiritual thought comes from Mark 15 in the New Testament. Mark 15:7-15 says "And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection...But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?...But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified." I have always had this bad taste in my mouth towards Barabbus, because of the injustice towards Jesus. It wasn't until I recently read these Scriptures and realized that I am Barabbus. I am the one bound with chains because of my rebellion and mistakes. I am the one that rightfully should have suffered. But Jesus took my place and I was released from the chains that I was bound because of Him. A perfect Lamb sent to the slaughter because of me and my decisions. There is a far deeper meaning in the story of Barabbus because "Barabbus" means "son of the father". We are all God's son's and daughters and Jesus takes our place so we can return to Him. I know He lives! Have a great week!

Pictures
1. Driving President Carters car
2. Us and Yovanni
3. Exchange with Elder Bushman
4. Chilling with the Elders
5. Jesus Picture of the week




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