More byptism (Nov 19,2012)

So. Got your letters :) Chen Meng is in Hawaii? I don't remember that happening. Forgetting everything again. Hm...she should send me emails :)

We didn't get to vote, but that's ok. We heard Obama won. No one asked us about it though, so that's good.

Best thing about this week so far is that we had a baptism from Berkeley. We are allowed to back for baptisms in our last area if it is within one transfer (six weeks). So Tuan got baptized yesterday. He was so prepared. He had been coming to church for years and everyone thought he was a member. When he was ready to take the lessons, he emailed the priest quorum leader, and asked for missionaries. So when we taught him, he pretty much already knew everything. He knew how important baptism is and how important enduring to the end is. The perfect investigator. He is great!

I went to a leadership training meeting. I still don't know why I'm invited to go, but I certainly learned a lot from it. They talked about decision making and how important it is to gather ALL of the facts before making a decision. We already knew it but actually role playing it made it more obvious how we should do it. It's great. President Meredith also talked about the story in 1Nephi3, how all 4 of the brothers went to get the plates, but they went with different motives. None of them knew why. Nephi didn't figure out why they needed the plates until he was trying to decide to kill Laban or not. But attitude made all the difference. Nephi had to try twice, but his attitidue saved the day, and the plates. So he talked about exact obedience, that we don't just do things because we are told to, but we do it willingly. Obedient in thought and action. I liked that.

We took our recent convert, Robert, to the visitor center this Friday. We watched the Joseph Smith movie, 60 minute one (you can watch at Temple Square too. Bottom floor of the statue of Jesus place). He really liked it, everyone liked it. Definitely went away with a stronger testimony of why this church is here, why he didn't just join another church instead.

We got another investigator we are teaching who is gone a 180 this week. Last week when we saw him he was denying the existence of God and everything. This week he read the pamphlets and was asking a lot of questions. Still doubting, but he didn't say God doesn't exist anymore. He thinks our bodies are amazing. He read the Liahona, and is now ok with the Joseph Smith story. Great change, all in two lessons. Sister Olvera, the missionary who taught him with us, was great in testimony, I think that is a reason why he is softened a lot. Great to see the change.

Next week, we'll have two baptisms. One in Berkeley, a person me and Sister Poon taught from the beginning. He is finally ready. Another is from our area. He self-referred on mormon.org and has been looking forward to his baptism for a while now. He goes to church every sunday, mixes in well with the ward, and is keeping the commandments. All just great. Will say more next week.

That's pretty much my week.! :)