A Baptism Tribute to Chloe, February 28, 2009

The photos after the photos of you and your Mom are of us at the Mission Office, and of us looking our over the city of Buenos Aires.

In the middle, are photos of us with Elder and Sister Petersen, who are the grandparents of your friend, Anna. We were all at a Mission Presidents conference in Uruguay, There is also a photo of Grandma with the Grandma of Anna, at a luncheon in the Mission Home a couple of days ago.

On the bottom is a photo that is very special to Grandpa. It is of us standing with a man and his family before Grandpa baptized the man. This man had asked Grandpa to baptize him, and Grandpa was very happy to be a part of this wonderful event in the life of this man.

February 28, 2009

Dear Sweet Chloe, a little girl who is special and cherished in our hearts:

You have been a water girl all your life. Whenever we think of you,we picture you splashing and laughing in a hot tub, a swimming pool, a bath, the ocean, or a lake. We love that about you.

Did you know that water is very important in the scriptures and in the Gospel? In the scriptures, water represents becoming clean in your spirit and being refreshed by the Spirit of the Lord, which will bring you qualities that will last for eternity.

Here are some of our favorite scriptures about water:

Proverbs 25:25

"As cold water is to a thirsty soul, so is good news (of the Gospel) from a far country."

This means that even if you learn about the Gospel when you are in a country that is far away from Salt Lake City, (like Argentina), it will refresh your soul.

Isaiah 44:3

(The Lord said) "I will pour water on him that is thirsty." This means that the Lord will fill you with His Spirit, so your soul will not be thirsty.

Isaiah 33:16

"His (the Lord) water shall be sure." We can always trust the things that the Lord brings us.

And, our very favorite scripture about water is in the "New Testament", when our Savior, Jesus Christ was talking to a woman who came to get water at a well.

In John 4:13-14, the Savior says, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again" meaning the water in the well. Then, the Savior says, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life."

This means that the Gospel will help you develop qualities that will "bubble up" in you, bringing you joy, peace, and a life that will last forever.

Finally, in John 1:26, it ways "I baptize you with water unto repentance."

This means that when you come out of the waters of baptism, you will be clean, and ready to be filled with "El Espititu Santo". This is the word for the Holy Ghost in Spanish, and it means "The Sacred Spirit", or "The Holy Spirit". "El Espiritu Santo" will fill you with love, light, and truth if you always make an effort to stay close to it and listen to it, by praying every day, studying the Gospel regularly, and trying your best to live righteously.

We have seen this happen to many people here in Argentina after they are baptized and confirmed, and it will happen to you, our Beloved Grandaughter.

So, our sweet "water baby" Chloe, we hope you remember that we will be thinking of you and sending you HUGE amounts of love across many, many miles on your special baptism day.

With Love that Lasts Forever,

Presidente Grandpa y Hermana Grandma Benton