Thursday, March 2, 2017

Paul, Baptism, and Poems

(Anziano Wilkinson)
This week has really been a wonderful one for us in Muggiò! This Saturday we held a baptismal service of our dear friend Paul. It was a very spiritual experience for both him and for me and really everyone else as well. Even better was Sunday, when he received the gift of the Holy Ghost, completing his baptism and making him an official member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was just glowing afterward! The night before, without anyone asking him, he had even written out a short testimony about how much his life has been touched since meeting with the missionaries and bore it during that sacrament meeting, it was such a special moment for both him and the people present for it. He's had a lot of support from the church members and already feels like a part of the family!

When a person gets baptized in our church, they wear all-white clothing, to symbolize purity and the cleansing of sins that comes with a baptism performed with the proper authority. I was the one who performed the baptism and so he and I both wore all-white. When we looked at ourselves in the mirror for the first time, after having changed into the baptismal clothing, Paul said to me, "we look like angels; one black, one white" hahaha; he's such a fun guy!

I don't have very much time today, but I would like to share his poem that was shared in Zone Conference that I really liked! I hope you guys like it too!

Our Deepest Fear
Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That mist frightens us.

We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.


Have a great week!


-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

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