Rebekah outside the Rexburg Temple the morning before her baptism.
As a member of our bishopric put it, for at least a few moments on Saturday, July 6, Rebekah was the newest member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the world.
Rebekah has been looking forward to her baptism for a long time now. And when I say, "a long time," I really mean it. I remember discussing baptism with her when she was a preschooler and saying she "only" had five more years until she could get baptized.
As her eighth birthday grew closer, we consulted our stake calendar and saw that the next stake baptism would be July 6 at 10 a.m. I sent around a mass family email to let everyone know of the date and time ... and shortly thereafter received two replies telling me that Seth's cousin would be getting married in the Rexburg Temple the same day at about the same time.
So Seth and I discussed. And fretted. We knew that Rebekah had been anticipating this for a long time. We knew that my brother and his family were already going to be in town that day and had been planning to go to Bekah's baptism. Should we postpone her baptism until the NEXT stake baptism in August? Should we go ahead with her baptism as planned and make Seth's family choose which event to go to?
In the end, Seth talked to the bishop and our high councilor to see if we could arrange a separate baptism for Rebekah on the same day but at a different time. We got the go-ahead, and what ensued what a sweet, memorable occasion.
Seth and I were trying to recreate a picture he has of him and his dad on Seth's baptism day shot at the exact location. The sun was too bright for poor Rebekah's eyes, though.
Rebekah and Seth at the stake center before her baptism.
Rebekah and Andrea. (I'm trying to hide the lens cap to my camera in my left hand.)
An attempt at a family photo before the program started.
So many friends and family members were able to come: Great-Grandma and -Grandpa Hendricks; Great-Grandpa Wirkus; Grandma and Grandpa Scott; Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dennis; Aunt Jessica; Uncle Jon, Aunt Annie, Shelby, Libby and Ellie; Uncle T, Aunt McKall and Bennet; Aunt Rachel, Uncle Justin, Cooper and Kelsey; Uncle Kent, Aunt Melissa and Emma; Aunt Patty; Uncle Keith, Aunt Carol and Rob; Uncle Jim, Aunt Anne, Mack and Tav; Bekah's Primary teacher, our bishop and a member of the Primary presidency and her family.
We had a short program (song, prayer, talks), and then Seth was able to baptize and confirm Rebekah a member of the church. As wonderful and spiritual as all baptisms are, it's even a little more wonderful and spiritual when it's your own child receiving that saving ordinance.
We're very proud of Rebekah and the sweet, beautiful daughter she is. It feels like she was born only yesterday, and I'm afraid that if I blink, we'll be 15 or so years in the future and she'll be wearing a different set of white clothes and receiving another saving ordinance.