Dear Frank,

We had a wonderful day at church last Sunday when our grandchildren, Landon and Alyssa, were baptized!  We had been looking forward to this for awhile but coordinating schedules took some doing, so we planned for last Sunday when Beth and Tim were in town.  The kids were so excited; well really, we all were excited!

Things worked perfectly, although a little different than usual.  The sanctuary was decorated for Christmas and the baptistry was hidden, so, fourteen of us assembled behind the stage, and up the steps between the second and third services. We invited several of our dearest friends to witness the baptism; friends who have watched the kids grow up.  Joe and Cheri made the trip to Columbus, as well as Roscoe and Marla, who drove 40 minutes from their new home in Baltimore.

When we first talked about this day, I had told the kids that their dad could baptize them, or even I could baptize them – in your absence, or Jay could baptize them; they could choose.  They overwhelmingly chose Jay!  That was a perfect choice since they knew him from church and summer Vacation Bible School.  Jay was great!

Jay made the kids feel comfortable in the water.  (Alyssa had told us earlier that she was a little nervous.)  Landon went first.  Jay told each one that this was the single most important day in their lives.  He said that this decision would mean that Jesus would always be with them – in this life and in the next, for eternity.  He took their confession of faith and had them repeat after him: “I believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and I choose, to follow Him.”  Jay showed them how to plug their nose so they wouldn’t choke, and then, as he immersed them, Jay said “Because of your confession of faith, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for the forgiveness of all sin and for the gift of the Holy Spirit, for now and evermore”.  What a thrill!  The Bible tells us that “when one sinner repents, there is rejoicing in Heaven” (Luke 15:7).  We all bet that you were surely rejoicing the loudest!

After the 11:10 worship service, we quickly set up the food for the light luncheon we had planned right there at the church.  Beth and I provided an easy, picnic-style lunch with subs, potato salad, coleslaw, and chips.  Dessert was a beautiful cake with rainbows on the side and a Willow Tree figure with arms open wide, named Happiness, for the top.

After most everyone had eaten, we presented the kids with a couple of gifts.  Tim, Beth and her parents gave each one a lovely cross necklace with their names and the date engraved on it.  I gave Landon and Alyssa each, their personal Bible with their names engraved on the front.

The day was a wonderfully happy time for us all.  We all acknowledge that you, Frank, played a big role in their desire to follow Jesus.  I praise God for that, and for you.

Love you, hon,
Pam