Snail Mail Letter from 1 June

Left to right: Guillermo, Hermana Canales, Hermana Frieszell, Mayra, Christopher, Marisol, Ailsa, former Bishop Diaz.

My Familia, June 1, 2009
I just wanted to send you this picture of Marisol and Christopher! Ellos fueron bautizados en la 24 de Mayo! !Fiesta! But--It was kind of like cheating--because Marisol was already baptized when she was 9 in Honduras, but the church lost her records and she's been inactive for a very, very long time. She lives with her mother, brother, two sisters, one of their husbands, a sister-in-law and ALL of their boys. Hermana Canalas (the matriarch) is WAY active and has been taking her teenaged son and her army of grandsons (including Christopher) to church ALONE every week for ages.
So Christopher has wanted to get baptized for a long time-he's been counting down the days till he turned 8, but he agreeed to wait and get ALL the lessons again with his mom and then get baptized with her. Since her records are no where to be found, he's technically a convert with her, so we had to treat them like converts, which was really strange-but way fun because she's so sweet. The whole process has been really great, but emotionally draining for the entire family and us. but it's all worth it because in the process SHE (Marisol) and one of her sisters have started coming back to church, for the first time in YEARS.
The baptism was beautiful and there was a lot of crying and hugging. It was a realy wonderful, uplifting experience and I'm so happy I could be part of it with them. I'll have to write a tear-jerking mother and son story about second chances someday.
But...we forgot (..the Bishop forgot) to drain the fount. The result was Elder Porter, Bishop Diaz and our ward mission leader Hermano Molina dangling Elder Herrman by his ankles into the fount repeatedly until he finally got the drian unstopped. I'm going to miss this ward. Hermana Lillywhite
P.S. We got it on film.