Precious!

June 5, 2011


Precious and her family on the day of her baptism

Precious:
There was once a sweet couple who, though they had been married for years, did not have any children. They wanted to, but this was a blessing they had not yet received in their home. They decided that they would try for one more year to have a child of their own and then look into adoption. The mother had a strong impression that there was a precious soul waiting to come to their home.
After months of fervent prayer and fasting, the mother became pregnant. The pregnancy was not easy, for many months she was restricted to complete bed rest. The doctors were very concerned about the baby who, though seemed healthy and had a strong heartbeat, hadn't yet moved. The mother gently placed her hand on her stomach and softly whispered "Precious"... for the first time the child moved.
After that, whenever the simple word "Precious" was stated, the baby moved. A healthy baby girl was soon born. As the doctor handed her to her mother and asked her what they were going to name her, the mother responded "Precious" and the tiny baby opened her eyes and smiled.
I had the opportunity to meet Precious nearly nine years later. She was preparing to be baptized, an event which in our church usually occurs shortly after the child's 8th Birthday. Though nearly 9, Precious had not been baptized. The primary reason- she was terrified of water. She would not get into water deeper than her knees, whether it was the ocean, a pool, or a bathtub. But she wanted to be baptized because- as she said it- "It's what Heavenly Father wants me to do." And so she turned to prayer. My companion and I taught Precious of the power of faith and the importance of her baptism as we helped her prepare for her baptism day.
Just this Saturday, Precious was baptized by her grandfather. If you listened carefully, you could hear her whisper a soft prayer before getting into the font. She clung tightly to her grandfather's arm and to the railing. The moment her baptism ended, she practically ran out of the water. But when she came back into the room, her face was filled with a huge smile and her eyes glittered with joy.

Evidence:
This week was also filled with evidence that my Heavenly Father, as well as lots of people back home, love me very much. The week started off with me beginning to crave red vines, a candy unavailable here in the Philippines. I knew my mom had just barely sent me a package so it would be a long time before another would be sent that I could request her to put red vines into. On Tuesday, every road we walked down seemed to be playing the same song, a song that always reminds me of my best friend because of the number of times we've sung it together on Karaoke Revolution. It made me miss her sooooo much. On Wednesday I find myself wishing I had a dry erase board for practicing Hiligaynon, I've found the easiest way to remember words is to write them over and over. Thursday was similar to Tuesday, though with a different song. All in all, I was having a very unusual week and missing the people and things I left behind.
Friday is cargo day- that's the day that the mail and any supplies we need for missionary work is delivered to our apartment. In the cargo I received a letter from my best friend letting me know that she was doing okay and that she had been thinking about me. I felt so special and strongly felt that it couldn't just be coincidence that I received a letter from her the same week I was missing her so much. In addition to this letter, I received an unexpected package from a family friend. It contained red vines, a dry erase board and markers, along with a dozen other random things like construction paper, markers, and pop rocks. Once again- coincidence isn't enough to provide one with red vines and a dry erase board the week one wants both so much. I'm so very blessed to have a Heavenly Father who loves me, as well as so many people back home who love me and support me as well. Thank you!