Greetings from Planet DouLiu

This week we're excited to report that our investigator (name) is progressing toward his baptismal goal of next Friday. He's been coming to church every week and reading the Book of Mormon daily. He's a very humble man, and even though it's taken a long time to teach him everything, I feel he is really willing and desirous to be baptized. We're hoping that after he's baptized his family members will start to have some interest in learning more. His mom even said that if his temper gets better after his baptism she might consider looking into our church.

 We've also started to find some really great newer investigators. Two students from mainland China started meeting with us this week, and while I was in HuWei on exchanges Elder Wong and Elder Lyman met with them and they expressed their desire to be baptized. They've had very very minimal contact with Christianity or religion of any sort in China, but they told Elder Wong they want to be baptized and they know what they have to do to get it. I'm really actually quite fascinated with the church in China.

 Here's some stuff I've learned by asking Elder and Sister Lin, who just spent the last year serving a mission there (not a proselyting mission, more of a take care of the members mission).

 * There are more members of our church in mainland China than in Taiwan.

 * You are allowed to be baptized as long as you have a family member who is also a member, otherwise you have to go to Hong Kong to be baptized.

 * Members are not allowed to openly talk about the church to their friends, but I think if the friend asks, the member can answer his questions.

 Pretty cool stuff. I'd love to someday be able to participate in bringing the gospel to the people of China, even if it's just as a senior missionary with my wife many years down the road.

 One more cool miracle story. This week at English class one of the regular students came, but came about half an hour late. Nobody else had come, so I was just calling some referrals and so forth. Anyway, when I was starting the class discussion she said "Actually, I was hoping you could just tell me more about your church." She said last week when she was feeling sad, she tried a personal prayer, which she'd never done before, and she truly felt like God answered her prayer and comforted her. We're really looking forward to continuing to teach her, because she really seems to have much more interest than ever before.

 Anyway, I'd better wrap up. I sure love you all! I hope this week goes great for all of you.

 Love, Carter