The gospel is surely world wide! Our investigators loved that there were so many different languages in conference! I loved it so much! This week we taught 3 people from Africa! (I told them ALLLLL about Nick...okay maybe I tell everyone about my cousins on missions whenever I get the chance), a girl for Brazil, 3 people from china, met a someone form Russia, and also taught someone from Iran, Saudi Arabia, and met someone from Indonesia, and france...we have TONS of different languages of Book of Mormons that we have in our apartment and give out....the gospel will be declared to all nations, kindreds, and tongues! And what do they all have in commen? Their favorite american food is either peanut butter or pizza...MSU is the best.

This week was so crazy! I don't have much time to type so I will have to go fast!

This week we met Tim he needed directions to the UPS store and so we walked with him! He said " well when shall we meet!?" He is from Kenya (I brought up Nick offffff course!) So yesterday we went to Spartan village apartments and he happily let us in! :) then his friend from Zimbabwe came out and sat down (I brought up Nick offfffff course!) They were sooooo cool! Tim and David, his friend, have been there for two years! and Tim has never seen his daughter! I almost cried for him! I realized eighteen months away from Hannah isn't the worst thing ever...and then David talked about how he didn't really have any family and his parents died years ago! It was very sad but so great to see all that they were sacrificing for their education! It was amazing! They were wonderful and listened and listened and loved what we taught! When we first got there they had placed Cokes on the table and said "first of all I want to welcome you to our home! We are very happy to have you! If you need anything let us know!" Ahh they are GREAT!

Then we taught Martin! He is from China and it getting baptized October 18th! YAY! So we were reviewing everything we had taught him and during the law of chastity he kept trying to ask us something and we couldn't understand what he was saying! So he turns over to Chris, who is also from china, and says something and Chris is like "uhhhh....he wants to know if it is against the law of chastity to have a mistress...." Sister Brems and I just looked at each other and said "Ummm...no martin..." and Chris says " I think that is illegal everywhere..." oh martin! He is the best! He has the BEST comments! He is so excited for baptism and loves church!

Keep Valerie in your prayers...she is having a hard time with family being against...very against the church! :( it has been the saddest thing of my life! She wrote down her testimony and showed us and it was thee most beautifully written testimony I have ever seen! I just wanted to cry for her! She wants to get baptized so bad but I don't think it will happen for a while...we had a very powerful prayer all together Friday night and she got a blessing too! Hopefully all will work out!

Saturday all the YSA went out to lunch together and it was the greatest thing ever! I have so many best friends here at MSU! I swear I get the best of both lives! I get to have tons of friends my age and have fun but be a missionary at the same time! :) I have the greatest life!

We also started teaching Kyle this week! (kyle...haha) He is from China and so happy to learn how to pray! I cannot describe the feeling when an investigator prays for the first time! :) You just feel like Heavenly Father is thanking you for helping his child back to him! What a wonderful feeling! :) I cannot describe it!

We also taught Ali! He is from Iran! And soo great! I am sending a picture of us and him because unfortunately we had to pass him off  because he is over 30 :( it was sad! Ali...is the greatest! He is getting his PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Daddddd....) and he is a VERY analytical thinker... (Daddddd....) He is currently doing a study of people in the church to figure out if this is a good church! He is very much if A+ B= C then this is true! So this week when we are teaching him I thought about Dad and how Dad thinks and we committed him to make an Excel spreadsheet (Daddddd....) of all the miracles he could see this week! He was very excited and sad he would do that! I will miss Ali! But we will see him every once and a while!

Conference was sooo great! President and sister Jacobsen sat by us and it was great! One point President fell asleep and when he woke up he looked at me and said "why are you sleeping?' haha! I don't blame him though! They woke up early and went up to Grand Rapids and then came back! But it was still great...

Okay conference was AMAZING!! My favorite talk was Elder Christofferson! I am obsessed with him! He is such a great speaker and just thrreeww down on justice and mercy! Maybe I just loved it because that is something that I have been obsessed with studying on my mission and it just said everything that I ever wanted to hear about everything...yeah after his talk I was just giggling it was so great! I just wanted to do a little dance in the chapel and sing "that was the bessstttt thing evvvverrrr! YYEAAHH!" but I didn't...thank goodness!

Something that I loved what he said was that it is God's will that we are able to reach our fullest potential with our efforts and his divine aid can be ours every step of the way! As I knelt and prayed the other night I sadly realized I have 6 months left! The reality that this wasn't going to be forever set in for a minute and I realized I have so much left to do! SO MUCH! I have so much of my nature still left to change (of course it will take a life time but still...) So as I set goals for what I wanted to accomplish these last six months I again was overwhelmed by how much I still need to change but that comforting sentence of his divine aid being there for us always comforted me. I know that in and through the atonement of Christ we can all change! I have seen it so many times in my life and especially on a mission! It is the the grace on mercy of our savior Jesus Christ that enables us to change. It is not a "he will make up the rest of what I don't do" it is a continuing strength that is there every single step up the way...of course when we let that power come into our lives. Goodness how I am grateful for this gospel in my life! Every core principle and ordinance is there for my taking to continually ride that course and be able to reach my fullest potential. And again that was the plan from the very beginning wasn't it? ...that every single one of us could CHOOSE whether or not we reach our fullest potential. Like Elder Christofferson said "take responsibility so that God has something to help you with."  Plus all in all....all of this makes ya happy! And who wouldn't want that!?

Much Michigan Love,
Sister Oswald

Side notes:

1. MSU is crazy when it is game day! Thanks for supporting my team dad! :)

2.Thank you for all the Birthday love! It was great and all...but I think I will stay 19!

3. The leaves here are THE SINGLE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING EVER! They don't all change at once they change in like little splotches all over!

4. Will you send me Elder Christofferson's talk all printed out? Thanks meh!