I am going to be a trainer starting wednesday..... I am pretty nervous. But will do my best and forget the rest! We taught the lesson in Sunday School this week and we were warned that one of the members mothers was going to be there and she really dislikes the church. So we came prepared and boy, right off the bat she attacked our beliefs. So all we could do was bring it back to the Book of Mormon and testify of it's truthfulness. Our investigators even got involved and we thought one of them was going to have a heart attack! he got really angry and was shaking the Book of Mormon at the mom saying "this book is the word of God." and started talking about archeological evidence of it and stuff. We were so proud! And luckily we had someone from the stake presidency there because he got it all back under control lol. It was interesting. Remember the man that came up the stairs during one of our lessons with an investigator that said, "I felt something tell me that I should come up here." ?? well, he is getting baptised this Saturday! And I get to go with my new companion!  So excited. And I forgot if I told you this or not but the Chinese family that we were teaching in Madison's mom was baptised the other weekend :). And she bore her tastimony in church the following Sunday and said that it all started with 1 Nephi 8 when we were reading it with her. So cool! AND two of our investigators here are so close to baptism! one just needs to quit smoking and he is sooooo close! Pray for him please!!!! And for me, I am so nervous to train! anywho, anything new??? I got Mariah GIBBS letter the other day! :). Thanks Mariah! you married woman! I'm still waiting for Malory's, Ben T's, Ben C's, Matt C's, and Leigh B's  return letters :).. write back soon! That lake house looks awesome!!!! Is it a lake house? or just by the lake? I can't wait to visit! Mariah told me to put more about what I am doing on the blog posts but I don't know what to say! I'm just trying to help people and that intales a lot of studying, visiting, calling, visiting, teaching, teaching, calling, driving, and the occasional attandance of branch Family Home Evening and Institute classes. actually quite a few of those. We have some investigators that go. We might go fishing with an investigator soon! That will be fun. mmmm fish :). I haven't given as many talks as I thought I would. But probably because I say that now I will have a bunch. :P. ummm There is a lot of scheduling and record keeping. Thank goodness because I wouldn't remember ANYTHING. It was SO hard to remember everyone's names when I first came out but it has gotten easier.  Instead of forgetting peoples names, I mix them up! :). So that's improvement right? anywho, Monica, I will write you a letter soon, and I love you all!! Thanks for all of your encouragement!

Do you remember the Chinese family we were teaching in Madison? well the mom got baptized this Saturday! When we first got there, they were nowhere near baptism. But once we started reading the Book of Mormon with her (her husband was too busy) she skyrocketed in her testimony and when she saw General Conference she knew that her life would never be the same. :). So she was baptized last Saturday and two of our investigators here are getting baptized this next Saturday, the 9th!
So yeah, I am so excited. This branch is really picking up too. I fasted this Sunday for the branch to catch the spirit of missionary work because it is lacking in that area and like four of the testimonies were about missionary work and how awesome Sis. F and I are (ya, we're pretty neat). And when we got the missionary dinner calendar back, it was more filled than it ever has been! That is what will really bring this branch together we think because we will be able to help them talk to their friends about the gospel and stuff... Fasting works! Also, this seems to be the pattern here: someone learns about the gospel, finds out that it's true, wants to get baptized,  tells their parents, all heck breaks loose.
There is so much animosity towards us here it's insane! They have no idea what we actually believe and just assume that we are brainwashing their child. This happened to three people here, all over the age of 21 mind you. But they got baptized anyway despite their parents threatening to disown them. They are incredible. One of our investigators lives at home now and is getting so much flack that they even threatened to kick her out of the house if she gets baptized. So she is going to wait till she goes back to school here to do that. If  they would just read the Book of Mormon, all of their distorted views would disappear!  But they wont do it.