Today's entry is very special to me. Back on May 8th I was serving in the Bakery and the full time sister missionaries from Iowa brought a sister named Zenta Logan to Nauvoo. She was investigating our church and wanted to come to Nauvoo... She grew up in Fort Madison, Iowa (just across the river from Nauvoo) but has been living in Burlington, Iowa (45 minutes away) for many years. The first contact in Nauvoo was with Sister Schultz in the Visitor's Center. Then she came to the Bakery and Sister Brown and I made a significant connection with her. When I found out that she was from Fort Madison I asked her if she knew anyone that could show me around all the beautiful old churches over there and she said that she used to give tours of the largest Catholic church and offered to show me around. So I gave her my phone number and she said she would call me and set up a time to get together. She told us that years ago she and her son had been an extra in the church film - Legacy! She wanted to know if she could get a copy of it. I told her I would get her one. It felt like I had always known her. She then went to another site and met Sister Olsen. In the course of their visit, Sister Olsen invited her to be baptized and told her that even if she had to come from her home in Canada to attend Zenta's baptism, she would do it. Later Zenta said that she had not even considered baptism up to that day. Zenta later told us that her visit to Nauvoo really touched her heart and mind and her investigation of the church became more serious after that day.
Well out of the blue a couple of weeks ago I got a call from Zenta inviting me to her baptism on June 14th. We talked for awhile and she asked me to contact the other sisters that she made a strong connection with and also invite them to attend. Of course we made every effort to be there today for her baptism. It was a wonderful experience to know that we had each played a small part in bringing her to Christ. It was wonderful! Such a sweet, strong spirit attended the baptism. Sister Brown played the piano for the service and I lead the singing!
We don't often get to see the fruits of our labors while serving here in Nauvoo. We usually just plant the seeds of truth and others experience that seed blossom and grow into a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and baptism. That is why this particular experience is so special to all of us.

Here is Zenta (dressed in whilte) just before being baptized. I love the painting behind us in the
Burlington Ward Building.
From L to R
Sister Brown, Sister Olsen, Zenta, me, Sister Schultz, and Sister Hoen

Here is Zenta with the 2 full time Sister Missionaries that taught her the gospel, and brought her to Nauvoo
 Sister Robertson and Sister Woodbury.
Zenta was baptized by Elder Bankhead (I didn't get a picture of him).

This is after the baptism
me, Sister Schultz, Sister Brown (behind), Sister Olsen (from Canada and a spry 81 years old), Zenta and Sister Hoen

 

Before heading back to Nauvoo, we stopped and had homemade ice cream -  it was great!