August 2008 Primary Sharing Time - Faith to be Baptized
by Shauna Gibby

This sharing time will share baptism stories of children around the world.

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Preparation: Obtain a globe or world map. Familiarize yourself with the children’s stories below. Attach a small note to the map indicating the location of each child you discuss.

Presentation: Mention the children in your Primary who have recently been baptized. Explain that they showed faith in Jesus Christ by making their baptismal covenants. Show the children the map. Explain that children all over the world that have had the faith to be baptized. Today you are going to talk about some of them.

Invite a child to choose one of the notes on the map. Compare where you live in relation to the location they chose. Tell them about the child who lives in that location. Repeat with each of the remaining notes.

Blake Waters of Pikeville, North Carolina, USA:

1. Blake and his sisters helped clear the land for their new home. They hauled brush, trees, and debris. The children also helped by carrying lumber, sweeping, cleaning, puttying nail holes, and stacking wood to dry. Their father cut down 25 trees on Grandma Waters’s property to use for the house.

2. Being honest is important to Blake. When his teacher didn’t mark one of his spelling word errors wrong, Blake pointed it out to her. The teacher thanked him for his honesty.

3. Blake likes Cub Scouts, he had fun making rubber-band airplanes.

4. After his interview with the bishop, Blake was ready to be baptized. He was eager to have his dad baptize and confirm him a member of the Church. “I felt really good after I was baptized and confirmed,” Blake said. “Someday I want to go on a mission and teach the gospel so more people can join the Church.” He has already started his missionary fund.

(For more information, see Julie Wardell, “Best Friends—Blake Waters of Pikeville, North Carolina,” Friend, Feb 2007, 40–42.)

Loli and Pili Carrascoso of Seville, Spain:

1. At midday in Seville a lot of businesses and schools close so that people can go home and eat their big meal of the day. Then they rest for a while because it is hot. Later everyone returns to work and school.

2. Last year the missionaries knocked on the Carrascoso’s door and were invited to come inside. After the missionaries taught the family, Mother decided that she wanted to join the Church, and knew that it would help her teach the gospel to her family. Father decided that he needed to obey the Word of Wisdom so that he could be baptized too. Both parents were baptized. About a week later, Loli was baptized by her father. The Primary children sang at her baptism. A few weeks after that, Pili decided that she was ready to be baptized too. She knew that it was important for her family to become an eternal family. When Pili was confirmed, she could feel the Holy Spirit in her heart.

3. Both girls enjoy studying science in school. Pili likes to play hide and seek, fútbol (soccer), dominoes, and checkers. Playing imaginary games, dodgeball, and fútbol are what Loli enjoys.

4. Their favorite Primary song is “Families Can Be Together Forever.”

(For more information, see Julie Wardell, “Pili and Loli Romero Carrascoso of Seville, Spain,” Friend, Oct 1992, 42–43.)

Gabriella Willson of Kellyville, Australia:

1. Gabriella Willson’s dad nicknamed her Nugget since she is a very happy, bright, and precious girl. But the name most people call her is Gabbi.

2. Scripture charades is one of her favorite activities for family home evening. Biko (sticky coconut rice pudding) is a favorite family treat.

3. Gabbi adores her pet guinea pig, she would like to become a veterinarian someday.

4. Math and spelling are two subjects Gabbi enjoys. And playing T-ball at recess is fun. She knows that one of the best ways she can be a missionary at school is to set a good example and be kind. Each year the school has a speech contest. One year Gabbi talked about the Church for the contest. When Gabbi was asked to represent her grade in the speech competition, she thought it was very scary. “I practiced and practiced so I wouldn’t be afraid,” she says.

5. Becoming a member of the Church was a very happy day for Gabbi. She remembers eagerly looking forward to her baptism and confirmation. “I felt fresh and clean after my baptism. I decided I would try to be nicer to my brother and sister. I’m trying to be very patient with my brother while I help him learn to read.”

(For more information, see Julie Wardell, “Making Friends: One Happy Girl,” Friend, May 2008, 20–22.)

Michael Altieri of North Cape May, New Jersey, USA:

1. Michael is a champion wrestler. He’s been undefeated for three years in his weight and age divisions. But sometimes he has to make tough choices between two things he loves—wrestling and the Church. A few years ago, a very important tournament was coming up. Michael’s parents thought that the tournament was on a Saturday, and he signed up to go. Michael’s friends were counting on him to score points for the team. When they found out the tournament was on a Sunday, his father asked him if he still wanted to be in it. Michael said, “Well then, I can’t go.” He explained, “It’s hard not to go to Sunday tournaments, but I don’t, because it’s against a commandment. And I’ve had a lot of blessings.” Since making that decision the first time, not competing on Sundays has been easier. And his decision has showed others that he lives what he believes.

2. Michael’s family shared a lot of happiness and love. But one thing was missing: His Dad had never joined the Church. He attended regularly and participated in branch activities, but was not a member. His family wanted him to join the Church so that they could all be sealed together as an eternal family.

Michael was going on eight. His dad had never had the opportunity to give a name and a priesthood blessing to or baptize any of his children. A few months before his birthday, Michael decided, “All I want for my birthday is for Dad to baptize me.” Michael, his mother, brother, and sisters fasted and prayed harder than ever that their father would decide to join the Church and be able to baptize Michael. Weeks passed, then months. “We kept praying and praying and praying,” Michael recalled. The week before he turned eight, his mother said, “It didn’t work. We need to talk to the branch president about your baptism and who will perform it.”

“But Mom, we’re praying, we’re praying.”

The next Sunday Brother Altieri volunteered to talk to the branch president about Michael getting baptized and to take care of all the details.

In sacrament meeting, the family was stunned with joy when the branch president announced an upcoming baptism—not Michael’s, but his father’s! The family’s prayers had been answered! Brother Altieri was baptized that week, and the following week, Michael’s dream was realized when his father baptized him. Michael said, “I had really wanted him to baptize me, and it finally happened. It felt really good.”

3. The Altieri family was later sealed together in the Washington D.C. Temple. (For more information, see Corliss Clayton, “Chandler and Michael Altieri of North Cape May, New Jersey,” Friend, Sep 2001, 37.)

Matthew Thomson of Christchurch, New Zealand:

1. Matthew’s Mum says he’s her right-hand-man. That means he is very helpful, especially when his Daddy is not at home.

2. Matthew is good at math, and he enjoys soccer, basketball, swimming, and other sports. He was given a fishing pole for his birthday and likes to fish in the river.

3. His family studies the scriptures in many different ways. Sometimes they use the scripture readers. Sometimes they read straight from the standard works. Sometimes they sing several songs about the message. Sometimes they act out a scripture story.

4. Matthew’s family helped him prepare for baptism. For many weeks before he turned eight, their family home evenings were modified missionary discussions. When his baptism day came, he understood the baptism ordinance and was ready to make the covenants.

(For more information, see Melvin Leavitt, “Matthew, Rebecca, and Deborah Thomson of Christchurch, New Zealand,” Friend, Jun 2000, 30.)

Camila Sifuentes of Trujillo, Peru:

1. Camila likes family home evening. They sing songs, read scriptures, pray, and have activities and refreshments. Everyone in the family takes turns conducting the meeting, giving lessons, or directing the music.

2. When Camila met with her bishop he told her to ask Heavenly Father if she should be baptized. She prayed and asked God. She said, “He told me ‘yes.’ I felt the answer in my soul.”

3. “When my father baptized me, I felt joy,” says Camila. “When he gave me the gift of the Holy Ghost, I felt as if I were in a temple. The Holy Ghost helps me feel at peace and come closer to God. He helps me know right from wrong.”

4. The Holy Ghost recently helped Camila make an important decision about her standards. “I wanted to dance in a presentation,” she says, “but the costumes all the girls were wearing were short skirts. I talked with my mother, and she said to pray about it and choose the right. I thought a lot about it and talked with my dance teacher. She said I could wear a longer skirt, and my grandmother made me one. As I danced I felt happy, and I felt the Holy Ghost with me. I was the only girl wearing a longer skirt, but nobody made fun of me. Some of my friends said they were learning from me.”

(For more information, see Marvin K. Gardner, “Abel and Camila León Sifuentes of Trujillo, Peru,” Friend, Jan 2006, 28–30.)

Emma Lund of Stockholm, Sweden:

1. Emma is artistic, she enjoys painting and is learning to make ceramics from her Granny.

2. Emma is an excellent swimmer. She could swim two hundred meters when she was only six years old.

3. She has a golden-haired pony that she rides every Friday. Her Granny Ann rides too, and Emma rides with her, learning to ride both in a saddle and bareback. “I give my pony apples to eat,” she says. “I groom him, clean his hoofs, and comb his mane and tail. I like him a lot.”

4. Her favorite scripture character is John the Baptist because he baptized so many people. He helps her remember her own baptism. She was baptized and confirmed by her uncle, Richard Bruvik. She said, “My heart felt so warm. When I was confirmed, I felt so peaceful.”

(For more information, see Birgitta Karlfeldt, “Emma Lund of Stockholm, Sweden,” Friend, Nov 2002, 16.)

Amanda Richards of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA:

1. Because Fairbanks is so close to the North Pole, there are only a few hours of daylight in the winter. Amanda and her brothers and sisters like to use that brief time to build snow forts outside and to help clear the road for cars in their neighborhood.

2. One of her favorite computer game centers around the prophet Nephi. In order to win the game, the player must know certain scriptures.

3. Amanda’s Mom taught arts and crafts at a local store, and she has taught all the children many of her favorite crafts. Amanda and her sister like to create things out of yarn, old cans, glitter, and paper. Their creations decorate the house.

4. As her eighth birthday approached, she counted down the days until she could be baptized. Due to unusual circumstances, the water in the font at the stake center was freezing, but she didn’t mind the cold. “I had to do it,” she said. “I wanted to be baptized so much!”

(For more information, see Shannon I. Ostler and Rebecca Todd, “The Richards Family of Fairbanks, Alaska,” Friend, Aug 1997, 21.)

Help the children understand that members of the church all over the world are baptized and confirmed. They make the same covenants that we do when we are baptized. Bear your testimony about baptism. Sing songs that help reinforce the message of baptism and the covenants we make, such as “When Jesus Christ was Baptized,” (CS, 102); “Baptism,” (CS, 100); and “When I Am Baptized,” (CS, 103).

Comments on this article	ADD COMMENT
Use of article on Baptism Posted by Ann from Salina,Utah With two grandchildren to be baptized within three months I plan to use this every day with them.
very helpful Posted by allison from bountiful, utah I am planning my sharing time...last minute as usual, and wanted to thank you for the helpful article on children being baptized around the world. It is perfect for the theme this year. In our ward, we are building around a world theme, each month having visiting missionaries from around the world. Thank you.