Tender mercies (Jackson's first temple visit)

Jackson had his first experience in the temple this Friday night, August 26, 2016 in the Houston Temple.   Of course ever since we talked about going to do this he's been worried that he could drown.   I promised him repeatedly that NO ONE HAS EVER DROWNED IN THE BAPTISMAL FONT!!  He just kept bringing it up.  This is why we decided to go with just our family first, Dad doing the baptizing.  We would get him to do one and then see if we could convince him to do more.  

Anyway, we got to the temple and were shown into the waiting room.  A Sister Fairchild came in to talk to us for a minute and when we mentioned  it was Jackson's first time she said, "I promise no one has EVER drowned in the temple baptismal font!"  I'm sure she thought she was just saying something funny to try to relax a first timer.  She has no idea that the Spirit had brought those words to her mind.  Greg, Kobe, Reagan and I just sat there with our jaws dropped! Later I talked to Jackson about the fact that her saying  those exact words to him  was really Heavenly Father letting him know that He knows Jackson and what Jackson was doing that night in the temple.

We brought some family names with us to do.  (Sunny also sent me the names of some distant family members, so we got to baptize an entire family- Valentine Rewa, his wife Ann Mary Bartz, and their sons William, Anthony, and Clements.)  Kobe helped Jackson get dressed for the baptisms and then he also was the first one in the font so Jackson could watch.  Jackson did 4 family names and then he was done, but happy.  Kobe took on the big job of helping him get out of those wet clothes and redressed into his shirt and tie.  It went well.  

After we did the confirmations, we got to meet with a temple presidency member.  He was wonderful.  He asked if this was our whole family and we told him about Jillie being on her mission right now in Brazil.  He said how even though we as parents have faith that our missionaries serving will be ok, it's just a little unsettling until you get that family circle back together again.  This reminded me of when Greg's dad was dying.  At the time he was laying in his hospital bed, eyes closed, not really coherent, but talking non stop.  At the time 2 of Greg's brothers were not active... VERY far from being active.  Grandpa G talked about trying to get those boys into the circle, needing them back in the circle, not knowing how to get them back in the circle.  I bet he did feel very unsettled knowing he was leaving this earth and he was not sure if those son's of his would come back to the eternal circle of the family. (I'm glad those brothers are coming back.) I'm also glad that when we were in the temple with Jackson we were doing the work to help more of our family members begin to close that circle. 

Grateful is was a good experience for Jackson. Grateful for all the blessings of the temple. Grateful for all of our family and that we can be together forever! 

Reagan took some pictures of us.  Kobe of course was happier to be there than it appears in the pictures.