I'M AN AUNT!!!! (again) Holy cow I thought today was going to kill me because the man in our ward that lets us use his internet cafe left and didn't tell us so I honestly thought I wasn't going to get to e-mail until next week. That would have really stunk. Well, HELLLLLOOOOO TO BABY COLEMAN!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited! And so happy for all of you that you get to finally see him! Congratulations Chels for finally not being pregnant anymore and YIPPEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Okay, in that one sentence I have successfully answered all of your emails :)
Well, here is how life is in NY -- I have a new companion. Her name is Sister Smith. Haha very funny we know. We are BOTH from Idaho, both the third of six children, and both of our youngest siblings are 11. Everyone and their dog thinks it is SO HILARIOUS that we are both named Sister Smith. Okay friends, we know there are a LOT of Smiths in the world -- it was bound to happen. But yeah. She is way cool. Sister De La Mare was moved to Bensonhurst Brooklyn and so she is actually really REALLY close to my area. I saw Sal again at transfers! It was great. It's really nice to see a familiar face every six weeks. But yeah. It has been pretty scary to be the one navigating and figuring out where to go and what to do every day. However, God is DEFINITELY real because we haven't gotten lost yet.... well, we haven't gotten THAT lost. But Sister Smith has been really patient with me and has been really nice about me not ever knowing quite where we are.
We met with Winford again this week and have talked to him on the phone every day.... most of the time it is an adventure :) we saw him on Wednesday and realized that he is in the elders' area. But they said that we could keep calling him and they might start teaching him -- let's just say it's a good thing I really REALLY want to be obedient and give him to the elders because it wasn't easy :) However, he is praying about being baptized on Sept. 5th and he calls and talks to me every night about the scriptures and about questions he has. Dear, dear Winford. He is a great guy. He needs all the prayers he can get though so hey -- if you ever don't think you have something to pray for, pray for Winford :) and also pray that I can make a billion and a half cookies by Sept. 5th :) I think I told you but he almost didn't come to church last week until I told him that there were going to be snacks afterward. He asked me if we would make a lot of food for his baptism if he got baptized -- umm YEAH! If that is all that it takes Winford - you got it :)
Okay so this year is the "year of miracles" for our mission and we have a goal of 800 baptisms by November 1st. That is double the number of baptisms we have ever had in a year and we have a little over 400 left -- BY NOVEMBER 1ST. So, buckle up family. This next two and a half months we are all going to see more miracles in NYC then we have in a long long time. So -- now that y'all have a little background I can tell you this story. On Thursday our district decided to fast because we want to, as a district, have 8 baptisms in September (that's making history in Midwood Brooklyn :) ) so-- we fasted and we found some SWEET people that day. We were on a train and this Arabic/Muslim looking guy (I'm getting pretty good at being able to tell Russians, Muslims, and Jews apart from everyone else) anyways, this guy comes up to us and asks us what church we go to and he just barely converted from Muslim to being a Christian (which is a big deal - there is a reason that a lot of Muslims die for their religion.... they don't really EVER want to change) and he said he knew he needed to be baptized. So -- of COURSE we are going to teach him! Thursday we also got to go to the TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!! And see Washington Kim do baptisms for the first time. Oh my word. I cracked up a couple of times. He was sitting on the bench right by me and turns to look at me like Cade-o or any toddler does right before they go and dump out an entire drawer full of silverware or something and then he gets up, tip-toes to the ox (one that is holding the baptismal font) and touches its eye and then runs and sits back down and is snickering. The man is a 6'4" 29 year-old Korean -- heavily involved in politics and it was just really funny.
Being at the temple for an hour or so was SO GOOD. Family -- I didn't ever understand how much it means to just be able to pick up and go to the temple whenever you want. HOLY COW WE ARE SO BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways, it was really really good to have an hour break from life :) and we ran into the mom of one of the missionaries in our mission and that was funny and we ran into a friend that Sister Smith knew from Rexburg. Weird.
Friday was kinda crazy -- I TAUGHT PIANO LESSONS. What?! Yeah, me -- the same person you all know -- TAUGHT piano lessons. And the poor kid actually LEARNED something! I guess playing the clarinet in sixth grade may have actually benefited me in some way. Huh. Who would have thought.
Sunday was pretty funny -- one of the members came to gospel essentials class and kept waving her hands around and talking about casting Satan out and kicking some lady out of her apartment that was evil and sweeping and throwing water all over the place when she left. Sister Smith and I looked at each other and I almost had to leave because I could barely hold in all of my giggles. Sister Smith said it reminded her of the guy on Just Like Heaven when the guy comes into the house and keeps saying "the power of Christ compels you" over and over again. Yeah, there was an investigator at church for the first time in that class. Good thing that God works miracles and people are understanding :)
WELL, I'm SOOOO glad that all of you are doing well and dall - HOLY! CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING THE PROGRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are INCREDIBLE and I love you so much and I'm so SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO proud of you! I'm also SO glad that Chels and Coleman are happy and healthy and that all is well. Enjoy him family :) take and send pictures :) -- i know i don't need to remind you but hey -- i'm just going to do it anyways.
*inspirational last sentence coming up :)*
I really do love you all. You are incredible. Remember that I will always love you and that God loves you and His hand is and always will be in every second of our lives. Satan sucks. God is real. Miracles happen :)
Sister Smith
The first pic -- me and Sister De La Mare on the Brooklyn Bridge -- yeah. I live there.
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