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Show effect y, Family Baptize WELS, AUSTRIA With water still dripping from his .white clothes, Johann Linhardt stepped from the baptismal font and looked at his wife and children as they waited nearby. His thoughts were of his family and the priesthood. He re. Meed at being a new member of the church. The preceding months they had been preparing for the perfect play. Pres. Neil D. Schaerrer of the A istria Mission describes the perfect play in football as a punt return, or in baseball a home run with the bases loaded. For a missionary the perfect play is to prepare a family for baptism, husband, wife, and children and have them enter the church together, he said. lQO-yar- d As the congregation of the small branch in Austria looked on, the newly baptized family was confirmed members of the church and received the Holy Ghost. . . A third daughter, yet too young to be baptized, looked on in wonderment to see her parents and two older sisters, dressed in white, become members of the cnurch. The story of this perfect play, this conversion of a family, started several years ago when Pres. Gunther Eidherr, of the Weis Branch built a new home. His neighbor, Mr. Linhardt, assisted him in pouring the concrete for the foundation of his new home. They worked well together and a lasting relationship developed. Pres. Eidherr wanted to share the most important thing he had with his neighbor and new friend so he told him about the church. Mr. Linhardt accepted an invitation to attend a Family Home Evening in the home of Pres. Eidherr. I had already been impressed by the great example of Pres. Eidherr so it was not difficult to accept the invitation to be in their home. I was further impressed by the two fine missionaries who were there to further explain the gospel to my family, Mr. Linhardt said. The missionaries were well prepared, spiritually strong and they too executed The Johann Linhardt family stroll through pleasant Austrian countryside. They enjoy being together, rejoice in their membership in the church. their part of this perfect play in teaching the gospel to this new family. The family, too, was prepared to receive the gospel, and was touched by the spirit and agreed to receive the missionary discussions. A serious and spiritual interview was held by the zone leader to prepare the family for baptism. This was followed by a searching interview by the branch president, who expressed his love and concern for the salvation of this family. Mr. Linhardt had totally repented and was willing to take upon himself the responsibilities and obligations of the Church of Jesus Christ. A few hours later in the Linz Branch, A Try Whittling there is no font in the Weis Branch, this beautiful baptismal service took place. Many members and missionaries were present to witness this important event. I will never forget the thrill of being baptized as a family, Mrs. Linhard said as she looked with pride at her husband and children dressed in white. There were tears cf joy as the two and then baptized children were confirmed members of the church. These children will now look to their father as the spiritual leader in their lives. Since the baptism, this family has continued to grow and progress in the church. They hold weekly Family Home Evenings and participate in their daily family prayers. The branch president .vas quick to see that his neighbor and friend received an assignment- to serve as the branch secretary. It is easy to see that with a perfect play and this type of missionary work that a man and his family have a much better opportunity of staying active in he church because of the family unity. The full church program is available and a family can grow together, each enjoying activity and development in the organizations best suited for them, as they go forward in the church. It was a perfect play. Our missionaries did everything they ought to do. The family responded in a way that completed the perfect play, Pres. Schaerrer said. - Great Way to Relax By JEAN TAYLOR Church. News Correspondent CAMARILLO. CALIF. If more people would take up whittling," says Whittlin Bill Higginbotham, they would have fewer emotional problems. Winner of two first prizes and one second prize at the 1973 International Wood Carvers Congress in Davenport, Iowa, Elder Higginbotham has been featured in the Sunday supplements of several Ventura County, Calif., newspapers; has had three taped appearances on television and has had his carved figures displayed at the first annual public exhibition of wood carvings at Pepperdine University (Malibu Campus) where he judged some of the competitive entries. Bom in Salt Lake City, Elder Higginbotham is secretary of the high priests group of the Camarillo 2nd Ward, Ventura (Calif.) Stake. Elder Higginbotham has led a coiorful and busy life, which included filling a mission which began in Samoa and ended in California. Camarillos He married the former Frances Salzner of Salt Lake City and they moved to Santa Paula, Calif., where Elder Higginbotham became a member of the bishopric and taught shop work as part of a special program for emotionally disturbed children at the Isbell School for two years. 6 - CHURCH WEEK ENDING OCTC3ER 27, 1973 It was at this point that he began to discover the therapeutic value of craft work in the lives of difficult-to-handl- e students. Following this experience, Elder .Higginbotham became arts and crafts teacher at Santa Paula High School. The family later moved to Camarillo where Elder Higginbotham took a position as arts and crafts instructor at the Ventura School for Girls, a California Youth Authority Institution. Since 1969, Elder Higginbotham has been teaching handicrafts in the Adolescent Treatment Center at the Camarillo State Hospital. Whittling is part of the program. They ask me for a piece of wood and a knife and whittle away for hours, said Whittlin Bill of the children he works with. Ii they are in a bad mood, this always calms them down. Whittlin thousands of Bill, who has carved figurines, uses knives he makes from power hacksaw blades. He makes the bodies of the carvings from jelutong latex tree wood and the heads, hands, feet and other parts from seasoned avocado wood. Bill Higginbotham sculptures interesting figure with skill and a sharp knife. |