Email 10/15/13

Dear Family,

First of all, sorry I didn't write yesterday! It was Mom's Birthday so they decided to make it a national holiday which meant all the libraries were closed. My bad, I didn't think that far in advance. Anyhoo, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

So on Sunday we had a really great day! Well, to some it was stressful but to me... It was the BEST day of my ENTIRE mission... There was a baptism!!! But let me tell you something, it was the most intense baptism I have ever been to! Everything that could have gone wrong did. The sister getting baptized was late to church, the brother preforming the baptism didn't bring a towel, the font wasn't filling up, there wasn't enough seating, suits didn't fit, and everyone was a little stressed out. It was funny! 

So we were all trying to get everything in order and get different suits to fit right and get enough chairs for everyone when someone looks at the water in the font and realizes that it only being filled to the second stair isn't enough to get her fully immersed. PROBLEM. So We are trying to get her in a suit the water isn't filling and the baptism is supposed to start 5 minutes ago. We realize that the chain that pulls the plug after the baptism is over is stuck between the plug and the drain causing a little water to seep through and not allowing the water to fill enough. The water is already knee deep and we don't have any way to tactfully get the chain out of the plug without pulling the plug and having all the water drain and empty again. So because I love the water I volunteered! With my zone leader's and bishop's permission I went in fully clothed and moved the chain. This was the best day of my life! How many Sister Missionaries can say they got to get in the font for a baptism without being apostate?! Not very many! I am the luckiest sister in the world! BUT WAIT, I'm not finished!

So the baptism proceeds and we start with the talks and the songs and as I am standing in the dressing room area I realize that the water still is not filling... I slosh my way out to the hallway and find my leaders and tell them what has happened. Realizing that New Yorkers like their time, they immediately go to the kitchen and grab every pitcher, pot, and deep pot thing they can find and start filing telling me to go back into the water and check things out. Gladly I do so and with the help of another fully clothed sister in the ward we figure it out and continue helping to fill the font as fast as we possibly can. We, at this point, are filling water from bathroom and kitchen sinks, showers in the janitors and boys bathroom, and at one point I think we even had someone at the water fountain trying to fill up the font. 

So we get the water filled, everyone is ready to go. Both the sister getting baptized and the brother baptizing her are in the water and we realize that we haven't had a practice run through with them. Which would have been really nice because this was the brother's first time baptizing someone and obviously this was her first time getting baptized so the prayer was said for times and she had to be immersed 3! What a hectic day!

The rest of the day and night were spent trying to clean up water that had been spilt, clean up crumbs from dessert, and trying to convince this sweet sister who had wanted everything to go perfect that it wasn't the end of the world. It honestly was one of the best days of my life. Seeing the ward come together and help her out so much was awesome! Oh how happy things can be when members and missionaries work together to solve even the silliest of problems!

I love you all! 

Sister Hamblin