Baptism in Quisqueya

     Here we have another part of the "souls" part of the blog.....Last Saturday we had a baptism in Quisqueya and I have to say for me it was unique.  Evidently, it was not that unusual for other places than where I have lived.  I really wish I could have captured a picture of the chicken that peeked in the open door behind where the speakers stood or the dog who wandered in the front door and had to be invited to leave.  He did leave, but stuck around outside for the baptism part.  We started on Dominican time, which was quite a bit later than scheduled.  Most people were not dressed up.  Two young girls--sisters-- gave the talks and they were very good and from the heart.  (Of course, I don't know everything they said because it was all in Spanish.)  The missionary from Cusco, Peru, Elder Ccansaya, also spoke and Earl said it was an excellent message.  He talked about Christ.  We all went outside to the font on the side of the little chapel.  Pictures were snapped.   You can see the font behind Elder Fuertes and Robert.  The steps are on the side. I didn't like how big I looked in the picture, so Earl offered to trade my head to whichever person I chose.  Well, I chose Yaritza, the one on the far right, but we knew you wouldn't believe that, so we left it.  (The two girls in the bright blue pants were the speakers.)  We later learned that Arthur, our son-in-law, was baptized in a similar font when they lived in Colombia, but it was cold!  No problem about that here!  When we went back inside, we sang while we waited for the wet people to change.  Pitch isn't always accurate here, but I wish you could hear the enthusiasm!  We sang several hymns and then they came out.  Robert, the newly baptized, looked like quite a different person.  Instead of t-shirt and torn jeans, he looked as you see him in the picture with the white shirt and tie (given to him by our elder from Roy, Utah who will go home next month). Robert has quite a story, too long for here.  He has had many difficulties, including losing his parents when he was young, not being able to read and write,

being shot when eating sugar cane in a field he wasn't supposed to be in--he was hungry, coming to the church and finding caring people and truth.  The Gospel can change people.  So, that 's the story and we are sticking to it!