Lucky #13

I had my lucky #13 baptism on Saturday! She is so sweet. I love it.

We have been tracting A LOT the last week and a half. I'm pretty sure that by the time this transfer is over that I will have knocked on every door in this nice little town here. We have found some cool people though. We started doing this new thing in my zone called Compression Conversion. We always teach about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon right at the door and then invite them to be baptized. It sounds crazy but it really works and people really so accept baptismal dates right then. It's kind of like we bring a spiritual shock to them and when they're feeling the spirit they will do most anything. What the Compression Conversion is is that with those that we set a date with we give them a Book of Mormon with a reading/praying assignment. We tell them that we will be back in a half hour and in that time they need to read the assignment and sincerely pray to know that it is true. It is pretty cool. Nothing too big or exciting has come of it but they definitely feel the spirit and know it's true in that time.

Did you see the Christmas Devotional? We requested that the bishop set up a TV at the church so that our investigators could come and watch it. We got to the church and there were 8 people there. The 3 sets of missionaries and 2 members. So much for our great plan for investigators, but it was nice to be able to see it. I liked what President Uchtdorf said about seeing Christ with our hearts. I also really liked President Monson's story about the people in the airport.

We have been teaching this family since I got here. There are 2 parents and 6 kids, 4 of which are baptismal age. The mom is SO cool. Loves the gospel. She even referred to herself as a Mormon the other day. It was rad. The kids really like church too and want to be baptized. The dad on the other hand is a little bit difficult. I think that he knows it is true.

I am happy that it is the Christmas season. What better of a time to be sharing the message of the restored gospel than at the season of the birth of our Saviour. I know that he lives and that he loves us and that he wants what is best for us. For that I will be forever grateful.