11/26/12 – Full immersion of the baptismal kind

Our final stop of the day was a spot on the Jordan River that was set up for mass baptisms.  The recent political troubles in Israel ensured that crowds were at a minimum.  In fact, ours was only the second bus in the parking lot.  Amnon told me this was odd indeed as he was accustomed to seeing as many as thirty busses here.  Dad and I were both sitting the immersion out.  I for reasons that should be immediately apparent to anyone who’s been reading the travel journal, and dad because he felt a cold coming on and congestion in his lungs.  I was sad for him because I think he would have really enjoyed it, but he was being smart by looking out for his health.  As a good deed, I offered to take photos of all the participants.  Deacon Mike from Windsor would offer the blessing and Chief Rod from Alberta would offer strongman assistance in dunking those being baptized.

Deacon Mike tests the water...brrr!

Rod and Mike: ready to commence dunking the faithful

All was going smoothly until it was Mary Ellen’s turn.  She had turned her professional complaining skills to “11” and was creeping along slowly in the water.  She complained in her screechy voice saying it’s too cold” the whole time completely oblivious to the fact that Mike and Rod had been in longer than anyone and possessed a heightened sensitivity to cold water by virtue of their Y chromosome.  As Mike and Rod took hold of her she struggled and panicked.  Then she insisted that she could do it if she plugged her nose.  Moments later, her head was under and as she came up she panicked again and spit out her dentures.  It was sheer luck that she managed to catch them…her cheeks were as puffy as Dizzy Gillespie’s while playing the horn and when she let loose the dentures practically hit warp speed.  The best part?  I captured the whole incident frame by glorious frame.

Mary Ellen approached me later on to speak with me privately.  She asked if I had taken pictures of her. 

“Of course” I said, “I took pictures of the whole group.”

“Did you see what happened to me?” She asked in a hushed voice.

I didn’t specifically mention what I had witnessed; I just told her that she would have nothing to worry about as I would never share a photo of someone that wasn’t flattering.  She thanked me; sometimes even the objectionable ones deserve a little mercy.

Dad gets baptized on the sidelines