July 20

Spent all day yesterday--Friday--in bed.  I just could not get moving.

Today Brother, Sister, and Estelle Johnson were baptized.  The sisters had asked that the choir sing.  The YSAs are tired of singing the Tongan song, so on Wednesday we practiced singing Nearer My God to Thee acapella.  Because I have been sick and forgetful, I did not print the song for the choir until this morning.  Scott and I rushed over to the institute and printed the song.  It wasn't until I passed the music to Talica that she pointed out that I had printed the wrong song.  I had printed I Need Thee Every Hour.  We rushed back to the institute and printed the right song and in the process missed the baptism.  The worst part was that the original opening song had been I Need Thee Every Hour and they changed it because that was what I said the choir was singing.  The YSAs did a nice job singing Nearer My God to Thee and we had 18 singing which is amazing as the baptism was as 9 a.m.

It is nice to blame the forgetfulness on being sick!

The baptism was wonderful although the Sisters were sad.  The Johnsons are a family of seven--two parents and five children.  All seven plus a girl friend of one of the sons was to be baptized, but the week before the baptism five said they were not ready.  They have committed that they will be ready in two weeks; we will see.

An interesting story goes along with this.  Brother and Sister Johnson have been raising a young girl who is related to them some way.  However, when the young girl's grandmother heard that the Johnsons were being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she came a took the little girl away.  Sister Johnson told us that she felt that Satan thought if they lost the little girl, who is just like a daughter to them. that they would not get baptized. He was wrong. Sister Johnson is sure that they will get the little girl back eventually.  What faith.