We know time is rolling by quickly by how soon another transfer or Zone Conference comes along. Every six weeks these things happen on the mission. On Wednesday, August 21st, we drove two hours south to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan for Zone Conference. Three out of six Zones attend which is half of our mission.
One take-away from this Zone Conference, meaning what I needed to hear. One of the wise Elders shared an experience that made great impact on my heart. He was talking about walking and knocking on stranger's doors in areas with humble people. He said, "I saw a rough looking house, knocked on the door and found tender-hearted people." What a great reminder to not judge and to trust that God is leading us to those whom He has prepared.
Saturday, August 24th
We had the opportunity to participate in a baptism here in our Branch. Ashley Nicole Barison chose to enter the covenant path, follow Christ's example and be baptized. She had to be brave in her decision as her mother's boyfriend worked very hard and very often to convince her not to. He even told her if she got baptized she wouldn't be able to live in his house anymore. She was drawn to the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the joy she felt as she learned more. What an inspiration she is to us for choosing to do so. We know the Lord will bless her. BTW - he didn't kick her out of the house.
Ashley asked Elder Gibbons to baptize her
Elder Kaiser and Sister Gibbons were the "witnesses." It was our responsibility to make sure she was completely immersed, symbolically being buried, raised and "born again of the water which provided her forgiveness for her sins and all because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Elder Rogers then confirmed her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and through the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood gave her the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Sister Pugh (left) the Relief Society President gave the talk on Baptism and Sister Harris (right), one of her counselors gave a talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost. There is something very wonderful and sweet feeling at baptisms. When someone chooses to be baptized, it blesses everyone in attendance.
Sunday, August 25th
We and the Elders were invited to dinner at Joan and Roy's house. We met Joan at The Lord's Kitchen as she serves there on Fridays too. She loves to have the missionaries over for dinner and she always prepares a feast! 
She is Methodist and loves her congregation, but she keeps asking to learn more about our beliefs. Without fail she expresses such appreciation for the principles and truths she is learning, but continues to say, "I love my church." She is a wonderful person, even if she was an admitted spitfire when she was younger. I need to get a picture of her! But the picture below is of Roy playing the banjo and entertaining the Elders while Joan and I worked in the kitchen. Once Roy got started he didn't want to stop and Elder Kaiser "sang" along.
Saturday, August 31st
We had another baptism. Theodore Ford Ormsbee, Jr was baptized by his father Ted, Sr. Theodore's parents were baptized a few years ago, but never had their son and daughter baptized. That was changed on this day. Another baptism on Lake Mullett at the Pugh's beautiful home. The wonderful things is his father wanted to baptize him and made some changes in his life so that the Aaronic Priesthood could be conferred upon him giving him the proper authority to do so.
Left to right: Susan Ormsbee (his mother), Joyce (his sister), Theodore, Ted Sr. (his father)
Left to right: Theodore just after his baptism. David Hudson (who was baptized a few months ago). And Hunter Woollard who attends church with his Grandparents who were baptized on June 2nd.
As soon as the baptism was over, we had to head back to our church building to fill the font so two people could be baptized from a different Branch from Sault Ste Marie, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As we sat on the couch with Arthur Woollard watching the water in the font rise, we noticed we could see our reflection in the protective glass and thought it would make a cool picture.
There is a tradition in upper Michigan. Every Labor Day they close down the Mackinaw Bridge and let people walk the 5 miles from one end to the other. If you are able to do so in the allotted time, you can walk back the five miles after reaching the other side and earn the title, "Double Crosser." Over 30,000 people did so this year and included in that group were some of our missionaries up her along with our Mission President and his wife. After they were done, they came to our house for lunch to hang out for a while. They kinda moved liked they had walked ten miles when they got here.
Back Row: Us, President and Sister Peckham, Elder and Sister Smith who serve in Lansing doing records preservation for Family History (genealogy.) We have mutual friends back home and we only met them here on the mission.
My favorite Elder and companion wearing Elder Kaiser's hat.
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