Jenna's Baptism

Jenna was baptized tonight!!

Jenna's Baptism Photoshoot

Our beautiful girl is getting baptized!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Josh's Baptism!

Josh got baptized today.  We are so proud of him! 

 

 

Some of Josh's thoughts about his baptism:  

When I was putting on my white clothes I thought:  I’m getting ready to be baptized!  I felt good!

When I saw the water I thought:  Wow!  That looks HOT!  I was nervous.  My dad asked me if I was ready and I said, “C’mon dad!”  When I went into the water I felt:  REALLY HOT WATER!  It wasn’t burning me though. When I received the Holy Ghost I felt:  I felt warm inside.  Not inside my clothes, but in my heart.

My favorite part of the day was when I got my temple picture. 

Dad:  Why do you like that picture?

Josh went to get the picture so we could look at it and we also looked up Gal 5:22-23 to help us understand what the spirit feels like.

Josh:  Pretty sunset on it.

Dad:  what are you going to do with it?

Josh: Put it in my room?

Dad:  What is it supposed to help you think about?

Josh:  Next step in life  - going to the temple.

Jaiden's Thought On Her Baptism

Jaiden’s Thoughts on her Baptism

            It all started when we were on our way to go to Grandma Westra’s.  When we were 15 minutes into the ride, our van stopped working.  We all said a prayer and we tried to find a car repair place.  We couldn’t find one, so my dad had a friend, so we went over to his house.  His name is Voy.  He’s my cousin.  We tried to wait and get it fixed, but we couldn’t so we drove back home to our house in Voy’s car with only Jared, me, Janelle, Josh, Jenna, and my mom.  So the rest of the kids had to go in a tow truck.   When we got home we started watching a movie and we ate lunch.  Then good news came.  We could borrow the Phillip’s car.  And we also used another car we have.  So it had to be a night drive.  I was super scared because I thought we would have to cancel my baptism!  I felt really relieved when we got there.

Finally we got to Grandma Westra’s and went to sleep.  Then I woke up and started getting ready for my baptism.  Off we went to the church.  I forgot to bring a towel, so my aunt offered me one.  My sister, Janika, wanted me to have a good hairstyle when I came out of the font.  So we had Jamie come in and do my hair super fast.  After my baptism I got confirmed and I bore my testimony.

I like to bear my testimony and I know this church is true.  I know the scriptures are true because my family reads them every morning and I feel all peaceful inside and I know there is a true prophet on the earth today because whenever I hear his words I feel all comfortable inside.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

When I got in my baptism thing, clothes, it was all fluffy and had ruffles at the top.  It was a really cute one.   I felt a little nervous.  I was feeling a little worried that something would go wrong when I stepped into the water.  It was kind of warm water.  But nothing bad happened.  Gerilyn and Grandpa Westra gave the talks.  From Grandma and Grandpa Westra I got a really special coin and the New Era little posters.  I loved the talks.  Janika sang a really pretty song called “I Like to Look for Rainbows”. 

After I got baptized I felt like I was all clean, my whole entire body, even my spirit was clean.  It felt really warm to get the Holy Ghost.  It felt really warm inside my heart.  I shook everybody’s hand and gave my dad a hug. 

I got a special lunch that are my favorite foods after the baptism was over.  I had éclairs, fruit, dilly beans, pumpkin cookies, chips, rolls, and soups, and vegetables.  I ate practically everything because I was starving and because they are my favorite foods.

My grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and cousins all came to my baptism.  Now that it’s over, I am glad I did it.  Baptism means that you get the Holy Ghost and you wash away your sins. 

Natalie's Baptism

Perhaps you may remember that Rick is teaching a seminary class for kids who are deaf this year.  There are six students in the class and most of them are not LDS.  Well, one of his students, Natalie Gutierrez, is just a sweetheart.  She has been attending Seminary and also the Deaf Branch for the past year and it has been so neat seeing her grow and progress in the gospel.  She has been meeting with the missionaries for the past little while and tonight she was baptized!  She was just glowing! Stephen Peterson (who returned home from his mission last year) is a good friend of Natalie's and he baptized her.  The chapel was packed with friends and family.  Now Natalie is the only member in her family.  They all came to the baptism and I think they were touched by the spirit.  We had an ASL interpreter (me) and a Spanish interpreter (who recently returned home from a Spanish speaking mission).  The meeting was done in ASL and then I spoke the English to this young man and he voiced the message into Spanish for all of Natalie's family.  It was challenging!  Thankfully the spirit surpasses all languages.  I know there were members of Natalie's family who were in tears.  What a wonderful thing to see the spirit touch people's lives! Natalie was confirmed the next day and received the holy ghost.  We are so proud of her for making this important step in her life.  This year she will graduate from high school and begin college.  We are so glad that she gets to take the holy ghost with her!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Janelle's Thoughts on her Baptism

Janelle was SO excited for her baptism today.  She has been looking forward to getting baptized for years!  This morning she was saying, "It is finally here, I am getting baptized TODAY!"  She couldn't have been more thrilled.  When we got home, Janelle's Grandma typed up some of Janelle's thoughts.  I thought they were so sweet that I decided to include them below.  (It also helps me know where we need to clear up a little doctrine!) 

Janelle’s Feelings About Her Baptism

I feel really special because of course my mother and dad let me get baptized and because I chose to get baptized.  I feel really good because I feel warm because I promised Heavenly Father special things when I got baptized and when I received the Holy Ghost.  I promised Him to be a good example, and I am.  Of course I am really nice, and I am sometimes tender to people.  I treat people like I should be treated, treating them like I want to play with them, and I always smile at people.

When my sins got washed away I felt really good inside.  When I got all the way down it was a little cold but when I just stepped in the water then it felt warm.  I wasn’t scared because I knew Heavenly Father would protect me, and He did.  

I felt really good because I chose to be baptized and my dad baptized me.  Only dads have the priesthood.  Some boys are not old enough, but they will probably get it when they are about eighteen.  Girls don’t have the priesthood because they have the power to have babies.  My family taught me this.  I felt really special because I knew that Heavenly Father and Jesus and my family would protect me from Satan.  I know when you turn eight he can hurt your feet and Jesus can crush his head. 

Probably about 19 or 20 (people) came to my baptism.   Grandma Jensen and Gerilyn and Grandma and Grandpa Westra came from far away.  I felt really special that they came from far away for my baptism.  It was so special that they would choose to do that.