Sister Marli MacLay: "10 months today! Eddie chose "Circle of Life" for his baptism song"

The senior missionary couple in our ward took us to eat! They're the cutest!

That's right ladies and gents.

10 months today! Time is flyin.

This week was awesome!

We are continuing to help Eddie prepare for baptism. He had his interview today and passed! Haha the district leader said Eddie is the most prepared person he's interviewed, by far.

Yesterday we met with him and asked him what hymns he wanted sang at his baptism. He chose I am a Child of God and The Circle of Life. Hahaha I died. He said he thought it was very appropriate because ya know circle of life...baptism..he's from Africa...speaks swahili. Haha instead we will be singing When I am Baptized, unfortunately. Eddie and I made goat meat for an international dinner at the institute! The meat ended up being super good! Certain people were asked to share their testimonies in a different language. Eddie was asked to share his in one of the 5 languages he knows. He did, and it was the most precious moment of my life, even though the only words I understood were: Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and Sister MacLay and Sister Kitterman. I definitely cried. At the end he said, "now if you want to hear my testimony in English, you have to come to my baptism this Saturday." Everybody loved him. After, he asked me in all seriousness if he should quit med school and become a comedian hahaha.

We also had a volleyball night Thursday that was super successful! We had a bunch of nonmembers come and it was fun playing after having not for like 2 years.

Other things:

I got to go on exchanges with Hermana Jimenez who is the cutest ever. Her and I are good homies.

Saturday we got to go to the baptism of Josh! He has been waiting and working for this for 2 years and 7 months; he had some struggles with the word of wisdom. He was raised Jewish and has more knowledge about gospel stuff than anyone I know.

We got to go to Catholic Mass yesterday with a member and her 2 friends!

I would like to invite all of you to think about what your "small fort" is or can be. In Alma 48, we read how Captain Moroni is preparing the people, both temporally and spiritually, for when the Lamanites come upon them. In verse 8 it says that he was "erecting small forts." I like to think of these small forts as places we can go to when temptation or hard times come. Something to think about: why wouldn't they build big forts?

When he was compiling the Book of Mormon, why did he think putting all these "war chapters" was so important? He was shown our day, what we do, how we act, the things we struggle with, so why did he think it was so vital to put 12+ chapters about warfare in the Book of Mormon? Well ladies and gents, we are at war today. Us against Satan. Only it's a different kind of warfare. I know there is much to be learned in these chapters for us!

K byeeee

Sister MacLay