by Sister Nielson and Sister Wittwer
On February 10th 2024, Nikki was surprised to see two missionaries knocking on her car window.
She reluctantly rolled the window down and listened to what they had to say. She felt strangely happy to have met them, but she was apprehensive to meet with them again. After a month of persistent contact with the missionaries, she gave into meeting with them.
After meeting with them twice, she attended sacrament meeting for the first time. She came two hours early to ensure she would not be late. She was greeted warmly by a couple of members who showed her around the church building. One of the members was her 4th-grade teacher, “Miss Reed,” whom she loved dearly.
Over the next few weeks, her faith grew, and she started meeting with the missionaries more frequently and was honored when the missionaries invited her to prepare for baptism. Brother and Sister Reed became her honorary cheerleaders and supported her all the way through baptism. She started bringing her 4-year-old daughter, Ember, to church with her, and had insisted on coming every week since.
After weeks of saying her baptism day could not come soon enough, she found herself grinning from ear to ear as she entered the baptismal font. Nikki was baptized on April 13, 2024.
She recounts her experience saying, “I think the most profound thing I’ve experienced throughout is finding myself speechless when feeling the spirit. When I was baptized, all I could do was cry happy tears. The temple was not only stunning but also felt so holy and you just felt God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit throughout.”
Nikki attended the temple for the first time one week after her baptism and now helps the ward with their family history.
Barlows in TKM 