What an amazing week! J--- was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday.  I am so grateful to be fortunate enough to be the person he chose to perform the baptismal ordinance. (Secretly, I wanted to do it soo bad, but we thought for sure he was gonna choose one of the members to do it.)  It was my first time, and honestly I was more than a little nervous!  I've practiced saying the baptismal prayer in Spanish with his name like 10 times every single morning in the shower ever since we taught him the first lesson and I felt like he would be the one.  Haha.  Before the baptism, he expressed concern to me how his wife wasn't very excited about him getting baptized and making this step in his life.  We prayed that everything would go smoothly and be ok, and that his wife would be able to feel the Spirit. The whole service went amazing.  Then, when I baptized him, I completely spaced, and couldn't remember his middle name or where to stress the accent on his last name! I stood there with my arm at the square for what seemed like minutes... And then somehow i just started talking... "J---...habiendo sido comisionado por Jesucristo, yo te bautizo en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espiritu Santo, Amen."  Then, I dunked him.  It turns out our ward mission leader didn't quite fill up the font with enough water, and I had to go waaay down, and then struggle to lift him back up using only my back (haha), but it was smooth, and it all was good, and it counted.

When we were changing, I asked him how he felt, and he just took a huge deep breath and said "tranquilo" in the calmest, most relaxed voice I've ever heard.  Aaah, I can't even describe how good it feels.  Elder Griffin and I somehow actually did it.  Then, after the service, the members busted out a whole meal of refreshments and treats, which was completely unplanned (perks of a Spanish branch) and then Elder Griffin and I got the chance to talk to his wife afterward. She said that when he was submerged under the water, she felt something really strong in her chest, and she really enjoyed the entire experience.  The members of the branch did such a good job at fellowshipping her and making her feel welcomed, and they really created a great family atmosphere for their three children too.  As we were talking with their kids about church and baptism, but still trying to be cool (and acting like we know a ton about soccer), the youngest of their kids who is 8 was asking questions like "So I can do the same thing my dad just did in the water too?"  We are really excited and hope that this will be the start of their entire family coming to church and being baptized, as well. His wife is a woman with a ton of faith and already has the great standards of the Church established in her life. But in her husband's words, she is "Catholic to the bones," but I think this could really be the turning point.  It was the best day ever, and words can't even describe how happy we are. Love it.

On Wednesday, I had the great opportunity of serving with Elder Reese for a day in Isla Vista on exchanges. What a great example he is to me. The day was full of miracles, and we were able to teach a guy name R---.  He is actually the guy I met on exchanges with Elder Robison a few weeks ago.  When we first found him on the street, we had an amazing declare that ended with him crying and accepting baptism.  Now, like 5-6 weeks later he has completely changed his life, quit drinking, and is ready to be baptized here in a couple weeks.  We taught the Plan of Salvation, and I can't even believe how much he understands.  Thanks to Elder Reese asking some amazing inspired questions, he was able to basically figure everything out on his own, and we really didn't have to teach him much.  I am excited for zone conference tomorrow!

 Love,
Elder Parrish