BAPTISM!

September 10, 2011 Saturday

Today we had special permission to drive to Perth to attend the baptism of the Oxby kids, Kiera and Kaylen. We had worked with Michelle and the two kids when we first went to the Thornlie ward. They were so cute and willing to learn and Michelle was trying to get over her old boyfriend. Michelle is very sharp and we wanted her back in the church so badly. Then she decided to go back to her old way of life. And we felt sooooooo bad. She asked us not to come back anymore.
Well, things didn’t work out with the old fellow, and I think she finally realized how important it is to raise her kids in the church. After we left Thornlie, she started bringing the kids to church and had the sister missionaries teach them. So we went to the baptism and it was great. They even read some poetry Kiera has written about God and their “new life.”
On the way up we drove through Wandering, a very small town on a side road to Perth, because they were having their fair today. It was cute. They had a wagon pulled by Clydesdales and some donkey carts people could ride on. There were a couple of the big, bouncy air things for little kids. There was also a little “train” that a guy had made by cutting out the sides of old metal barrels, put a seat in them, mounted them on small 3 wheel trailers, painted them bright colors and pulled them around with his quadrunner. Only really little kids fit in them and it was just cute! There were antique cars, motorcycles, engines, etc., and lots of booths with homemade stuff for sale. They sold snocones, hamburgers, cotton candy and soft serve ice cream. It was held in the local RV park which obviously wasn’t very full. It was just a nice relaxed atmosphere.
Yesterday, we were able to meet with Amy and went over some of the commandments with her. She’s still so positive. She did tell us about her 6-year old, Blake. When he was 14 months old, he picked up some kind of a “virus” that nearly killed him. It was some kind of a “septicemia” I think. The doctors had given up on him, and she believes it was only through the faith and prayers of her family that he lived. Anyway, some of the “bug” has settled in his joints and is afflicting him with an arthritis-type problem. It’s already destroyed the growth plates in his knees and ankles. He has pins in his ankles to keep him walking moderately normal. I had noticed he runs funny but hadn’t thought much about it. The doctors in Perth haven’t seen anything like it before. He’s on pain medication and gets some injections every so often to try to slow down the damage. Now his left shoulder is being attacked. It’s so hard for her to watch this happening to her little guy.
Tonight we did a lesson about the commandments over the phone with Brett. It worked out pretty well, and he gave the closing prayer. He is so willing to do whatever we ask, and he even thanked us for explaining tithing to them after his mother told them that we take 10% out of their paychecks. He’s such a nice guy.
Last night we went over to Jeremy and Merja Priest’s house to help her with some family history. Helen, the family history guru for the branch has the flu, and Merja wanted to get some names ready for the youth to take to the temple today for baptisms. Merja is from Finland, so it was kind of different to see the PAF program written in Finnish. She speaks such good English! They have the cutest little 1-year old, Emma, who even let me hold her. She’s blonde like her mom with huge dark brown eyes like her dad.
Kaelen, Michelle, and Kiera Oxby
Glad we haven't run into any of these over here!
Cute little "train" made out of metal barrels. $1.00/ride

Miniature hay baler. This guy put a lot of time into this.Lots of these minature donkeys, some with carts and some without.