a poem for Wendy

This post is long overdue, considering I met this lovely lady in 2010 and started this poem quite a while ago, but hey...better late than never.

A loving daughter of Heavenly Father,

You showed His kindness without falter,

But yet you did not know Him;

As you walked your path the light seemed dim.

You were content but not complete,

Still searching for that something

That could answer all your questions.

The Elders met a Baptist,

Who directed them toward your house;

You sat out on the porch with them,

Polite, but not about to give in.

"I'll listen for a while" you thought,

"But will not change my lifestyle",

(Little did you know what lay ahead).

It was then that we moved in,

Just two weeks after you'd met them,

You welcomed my companion and I,

As if we'd known you all our lives.

The dog became my biggest fan,

And little Eli preferred Larsen,

Even your husband let us come.

We asked you about what you'd learned,

Your face lit up, the spirit burned,

Our teachings were so new to you,

The premortal world and afterlife too.

We taught that Christ is your Redeemer,

Jehovah, Savior, stain remover;

We recognized the spark inside your soul.

Soon Thursday nights became our favorite,

Each week reserved for just the Bakers;

We'd say our prayers and answer questions,

Play with the boys and all their Nerf guns.

But nothing made us smile inside,

Quite like the tears welled in your eyes

Each time we testified.

Finally the day arrived,

When you agreed to be baptized,

The excitement was so evident,

Behind your nervous smile that moment.

We got to welcome Heaven's daughter,

As you ascended from the water,

In the whites you'd made us iron the night before.

You still continue learning,

And you have the tools for searching,

As we all keep pressing forward,

In this gospel of our Lord.

He loved you and your family,

Enough to send His missionaries

To the ones who were prepared.

To the recently called primary leader,

Whose son now calls himself "Brother Skyler"

And tells us he'll serve his own mission someday;

Thank you for letting us in dear Wendy.

I've been able to share my testimony,

This message so sacred and pure and holy,

With one of my very best friends.