Week #18 - BAPTISMS FOR EVERYONE

This week was wild.  I feel like I had the opportunity to grow so much this week.  I love how Heavenly Father never lets us stay stagnant and will always try to create some growth within us.  We had a baptism on Saturday and it was such a spiritual experience. 

While on my mission, I have come to love hearing investagator/recent convert's prayers.  They are all smiles and so sweet that it just makes me remember how amazing our Father in Heaven really is.  Sometimes I think we forget that a prayer is a conversation with God and we start to repeat things or hold things back.  I've come to know that when we express everything we have in our prayers, Heavenly Father sees what we need and will help us.  Simple and pure prayers lead to miracles.  I love prayer. 

This last Friday was Faith Meets Families which is a night when all recent converts go to the temple and do baptisms for the first time.  I was so lucky to go with two of my converts, Rudy and Jeston.  The spirit that was there was so intense and pure.  I loved seeing their faces when they first came into the temple and saw the Lord's house.  The temple is a special place.  After Rudy had done the baptism for his father, he leaned over to me and said, "Now my Daddy is in paradise because of me."  I legit almost cried.  Such a simple phrase but so much meaning and power was behind it.  I find so much love and comfort finding that I have been able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to bring someone salvation.  I am so grateful to be serving. 

This week we met someone named Danielle who wanted to know more about God.  She is from the Ivory Coast and just graduated from A&M.  We met with her and taught her about how this was Christ's true church.  She told us that she wants to know for herself and has such pure desires.  I'm so excited to see where she goes with this journey. 

This week we had a baptism for someone named Sasha.  She had been meeting with the missionaries and then we came into the area and she asked me to do the actual baptizing for her.  I felt so honored to have the opportunity to do it.  I love baptisms.  They are such a strong spiritual experience that shows us how much God really loves us and wants us to follow Him. Baptism is the first real step to following Him and it really does help us come to know our Heavenly Father better. 

I feel so blessed to be a missionary.  Getting to see the light of Christ come into someone's life really makes me appreciate my Father.  God is so good y'all.  He loves us all.  Texas is the best place to be and sharing the gospel is the best. 

Love y'all and God bless. 

Elder Jarrett Pinster

Elder Pinster and Rudy at the Houston Temple