Baptism at Sea

Last week, Shane sent us a very unusual story of a baptism at sea, and this week, we got the pictures to go with it. Reading it almost makes me shiver sympathetically. Brrrrrr.


When we drove to the ocean baptism site, the sun was hidden behind clouds, the wind was blowing, and a storm was coming in. It was freezing, and the ocean was gray and turbulent. We forgot to bring baptismal clothes for Jodi, so Elder Doxey lent her his white pants and shirt, and 2 or 3 T shirts. We went to the beach, had an incredibly brief talk and prayer, and walked into the ocean. It took Jodi 5 or so minutes to come in. By the time she was in, I was numb. We had to enter the ocean too, Elder Doxey and I, the witnesses, to be close enough to hear the words Elder Rudaz said, and to see if she was totally immersed. Jodi started freaking out, and was about to cry because she can't swim, and she was afraid of drowning, and it was freezing. So, he quickly baptized her, and they ran out. However, he tried to do it in a wave, and waves move, so she was not immersed. We caught up with them and told them that it would have to be done again. She agreed to go back into the ocean and to be baptized again,, and we would go out farther in the ocean. So we went out, he baptized her again, and it wasn't complete immersion again. Oh, and it took us about 10 minutes to calm her fears of drowning. She got baptized a few more times, all without complete immersion. Then, finally, Elder Rudaz couldn't say the baptismal prayer in English anymore, so he started yelling the words in Spanish super fast, and baptized her. He finally got her immersed all the way, but, he had put his left arm to the square, so we had to do it again. He tried 2 more times, and at last, it worked. She was baptized about 7 times in the freezing, gray, turbulent ocean! Such a baptism I've never seen, and I hope I never see again. It was awesome, but crazy, and Elder Doxey witnessed in the ocean in his regular missionary suit.
Shane wrote that a baptismal font was about 15 minutes away, but Jodi specifically wanted to be baptized in the ocean.


This request of hers gives me a tiny insight into why all our requests made of our Heavenly Father are not answered as we'd like. Father knows best. And now, Shane knows something of stormy ocean baptisms, too. They did have permission though, so no rule-breaking was involved.