Week 14
We just returned from the most exciting event of the week:  Mariah's baptism.  She is a delightful young woman who began investigating the church a month or so before we arrived.  She was in our Old Testament class last semester, and has been fully active since she first found the church through her boyfriend (who just happens to be our new ward mission leader).

Sisters Englebrecht and Liddell with Mariah

As Primary President, I was often working on baptism programs for children--this is the first adult baptism I've been to in many years.  It was wonderful to hear the same talks (one on baptism and one on the holy ghost) but prepared for an adult mind and heart.

On Thursday a young stranger walked into the institute and said, "I'd like to learn more about your church."  He had actually had one meeting with the sisters, and we quickly texted them to come over if they could, which they did.  He met with them for a bit, then the sisters came into our office and asked Elder Kerr if he would give the young man a blessing.  He's needing to make a lot of decisions very soon and has felt very disquieted.  The sisters told him about priesthood blessings, and he was blown away, but then felt it would be helpful.  It was a neat experience for all of us.  He came back the next day for a lesson with the sisters.

Wednesday was another very warm day (73 degrees) so we took a walk in the afternoon.  I've included pictures of Theta Pond before, but in this picture you can see the most well known duck on campus.  Also a picture of the library.  We continue to enjoy this lovely campus.

Our favorite duck because of his fluffy little topknot

The beautiful library

Gas was down to $1.29 per gallon on Saturday morning, but back up to $1.39 by that evening.  In a state heavily dependent on oil/gas revenue, these low prices are causing a lot of problems in the state budget and also in employment.

On Saturday we helped clean the church building (our ward's turn all month), then after that we learned something interesting about the church welfare program here.  On the second Saturday of each month, a semi-truck arrives from the OKC bishop's storehouse.  Some of the items are unloaded and put in a smaller truck to go to Enid, and the rest of the items are brought into the cultural hall and placed on tables all around the room (labeled by item type), creating a giant grocery store.  Then the individual family orders are filled (either by the family/individual if able or by missionaries or other volunteers) who walk around the room and put the specified items in a box.  All of the people receiving aid are supposed to come to the church before the truck arrives, participate in a devotional, and help unload the truck and fill orders if they can. Our ward was going to help, but there were so many young missionaries and aid recipients that there was no need for us.   

Yesterday, to celebrate Valentine's Day Kerby bought me some beautiful pink roses (actually I picked them out at Walmart--it's very hard to surprise someone to whom you are attached 24/7).  We ate dinner at Olive Garden and rented a movie.  At church today the elder's quorum gave all of the sisters a lovely long stemmed rose.  Some wonderful testimonies were born--like young adults all over the church, they are going through trials and growing pains, but relying on the Lord for strength and comfort.