September?

Well happy Labor Day! I'm denying the fact that it is September. I don't appreciate that! But I do appreciate the fact that Kenny got baptized on Saturday! It was such a great day. The spirit was so strong. After he was brought out of the water, he just stood there still and then smiled. It was so great. Then I killed the spirit when I gave the talk on the Holy Ghost. Haha just kidding I didn't kill it but it was hard because when he asked me to give the talk he also gave the condition that I couldn't prepare anything. So it was a little scatterbrained but hopefully people felt the spirit. Also, all the OSU missionaries sang 'Homeward Bound,' it was a really good service. It was cool because he came out of the water and looked int he mirror and said that his eyes look different. When he told us we noticed that they really do! It's pretty neat. He has already changed so much. Then he got confirmed yesterday and brought a friend to the institute later that we are teaching now. He is going to make such a great missionary. Oh yeah, and Sister Malloy came to the baptism so I got to see her! It was so awesome. Then we went to this diner place on campus called Sloopy's and did what's called the "Sloopy challenge." It's three huge chocolate chip pancakes with peanut butter and syrup. The goal is to finish it and beat the records of previous missionaries. Well, Sister Larsen rocked it! She did it in 9 minutes. Sister Malloy did it in 13, and I.....didn't finish it :( Haha I wasn't full, but the texture of the pancakes made me so sick that I didn't want to throw up so I didn't finish. Lame! but oh well. It was way fun anyway!

Chenwei is such a champ! We taught him the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ last week. After the Plan of Salvation lesson, we asked him if he would pray to know if what we shared with him is true, and he goes, oh it's true. I don't need to ask, I trust. It was way sweet. Then later that week when we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he became so excited to be baptized. We had a member present who served in Taiwan so he could help with the minor language barrier. During the lesson, the spirit was so strong! Then at the end, we asked Chenwei if he would pray. He prayed in Mandarin and the spirit was way strong. After, the member said that Chenwei was very grateful. He thanked Heavenly Father for the chance he has to come and learn more here, and how sometimes he feels lonely or sad, but when he come here he feels good and he feels like it is a home. He thanked Heavenly Father for the opportunity to be baptized and then he ended with a big smile on his face. He left and was walking down the street and ran into the Elders. He just walked up to them and gave them a hug and said, I'm getting baptized! The Elders told us about it. It was so cute! I really hope that everything works out so he can get baptized on the 13th, that would be the best going away present ever.

I am not sure if we mentioned Mike, but he is a new investigator we found on campus a couple weeks ago or so. He is from China and is studying here. We called him up and set up a time to meet and we were able to give him a chapel tour and a Book of Mormon. He has no religious background at all, so we are starting from ground zero. It's been amazing to see how open he is, how teachable and willing to try things. It just adds to my testimony that Heavenly Father is hastening his work. He came to church yesterday and loved it. We will be meeting again with him this week and will invite him to be baptized.

We also met with Joshua and Yi Xu on Saturday and taught them the Restoration. It went very well. They also have no religious background, so everything has to be explained like you were talking to a child, but it's a great challenge because it is much better to teach simply anyway.

Jenna....Oh man where do I start! Well we went over to their house on Tuesday for a lesson/dinner and to pass them off to the other Sisters. We had a great lesson, and then the other sisters had to leave for an appointment, so we ate dinner with them. She already has such a strong testimony. She already knows that it is true and that it is what she has been missing. Her husband Wendell is so great. They are an amazing couple, I would have never guessed that they had been together for 4 years. They both work so hard for their relationship. Anyway, we had some great conversations. Her only concern is her unsupportive parents. They aren't even active Catholics, but they don't want her to be Mormon. I shared with her Dad's conversion story and she cried. They expressed their disappointment that we couldn't teach them. They said they were sad when the Bishop came and told them that the other Sisters would be the ones teaching them now. But the other sisters are fantastic and they are just what they need. They love the sisters already anyway. But we bumped into Jenna the next day and got to talk with her a little bit. Oh man I could just talk about her all day haha she is so awesome. We're going to be best friends forever! THEN the next day I found out she is getting baptized on the 20th!! I am hoping she will bump it up a few days so I can be there but we will see :)

Well everyone else is doing great, it's been a little rough trying to meet up with everyone because of their new busy schedules but we are exited to see who decides to make time because we know they will be so blessed!

Well I hope everyone has a great Labor Day!

Remember that "we are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions!"

Love you!