What an amazing week. Just read.
Also sorry if this doesn't make sense or words aren't spelled correctly... Those P day jitters are real.
I have been so shocked at how blessed my companion and I are. I can't even believe it sometimes. We are traveling the whole mission. We are everywhere. It is so neat. I've never gone all over the mission and I didn't think I ever would. But this last week we were able to go everywhere. This assignment is a huge blessing. President trusts us SO much. We have a car. and we also have metro cards.. (usually you get one or the other.) We have an iPhone to use. (Craziness.) We don't have a district leader or zone leaders.. (President is our zone
leader..) haha! We don't have a specific ward to go to. So I get to go back to my old wards on Sunday! We were given extra money this month so we could really focus on this Christmas initiative and buy whatever we need for it! President bought us some speakers for our iPads so that when we are sharing the video in the loud streets of NY, people will be able to hear it. These are just a few things..
There are so many good things happening. I feel way... Beyond... Blessed.
I keep asking myself if this is real life. AND I don't tell you this to brag or boast or ANYTHING like that. I tell you so you can just get a LITTLE taste of this life right now.. Heavenly Father is being so good to me. If you could only hear my prayers every night.. "Thank You Thank You Thank You Thank You Thank You.."
AH. So blessed.
I remember my mom always used to say to me "Where much is given, much is expected." And so I've kept that in my head this whole time. We are working so hard. I come home every night just EXHAUSTED. And I love that feeling. I couldn't have asked for a better last few weeks.
Here are a few things that kept us BUSY.
We planned and had a Skype interview with every single STL in the mission. So we could get an idea of what's going on in each zone. We did some brainstorming and tried to figure out with them what we could do to use this Christmas Initiative to its fullest potential. Those were way successful!!!
We went finding in Connecticut and tracted into this hilarious hard hearted woman. We shared the video with her and at the end the invitation is to "Discover Why" .. So We asked her how she can discover more about why Christ came. She of course brought up the bible and then we brought up the Book of Mormon. She said she had a copy and had read a little bit of it! When we asked her what she thought she said she didn't buy one bit of it! She said "there is no way Christ could have visited America because there were no airplanes back then." Ohhhhhh MY. HAHA. You should have seen the look on my face? I was like uhhhh He was the Son of God. He didn't need an airplane. OH DEAR. I was just dying. She could believe the bible but she was just so hard hearted to the restored truth. Oh boy.... Satan is a brat.
We got to go caroling all over the city. Went to Harlem, Inwood, south Manhattan. Passed out so many cards. So many candy canes. Hot chocolate. All the good things. I love being able to be with the different missionaries in the mission. It's been such a good experience. I love the people here.
We got to skype into Sister Alexander's moms baptism! That was awesome. Such a tender little moment. What a blessing to have this technology!!!
On Sunday we went to a Spanish ward and then to the Scarsdale ward with President Smith. After sacrament meeting he brought us to his house and we sat down in front of the computer and talked and talked and set up a Facebook page and watched the 12 days of Christmas videos from the church website. It was just real great. Then they fed us dinner and we hung out with his kids. I love the smiths.
Sunday night we drove to Poughkeepsie for a Christmas choir concert thing. We set up a little booth there with cards and a poster and pamphlets. That was great!! Talked to some funny people. I've never been that far up in the mission. It feels like a whole different mission up there!
We ate at president smiths house like 3 days in a row! They are so nice to feed us and make sure we are not starving.
We also went to a meeting yesterday for the missionaries that are going home. It was SO GOOD. President and Sister Smith had so much awesome advice. Gave me a lot of comfort about this whole going home thing :) we all read the talk given by Elder Hales from the last general conference. It is called "Meeting the Challenges of Today's World." It is an amazing talk for this time of my life. I loved when Elder Hales said this:
"Just remember, you are a pilot, and you are in charge. I testify that as you come to yourself, your Heavenly Father will come to you. By the comforting hand of His Holy Spirit, He will help you along."
He's awesome. And so right.
THEN last night I got to go with one of my favorite members in the Manhattan 1st ward to dinner!!! Emily Robinson :) we went to Eataly Cafe. SO YUMMY. And so fun. She and her husband used to take us out to eat all the time so it was so good to be with her again and catch up!
Then we headed to the temple to do some caroling. It was greeeeeaaaat.
The Christmas spirit in NYC is too good. I love this city and I love this time of year.
WOAH. Sorry I have just been writing and writing and I have left out so many details. We are just so busy.
I'm so grateful for my Savior. I know He is real and I know He is here. He is the reason that I am happy. He is the reason I get to be here. He is the reason for the season!! :) I am so thankful for Him. Can't even explain my love for Him.
I hope we can all remember Him at this busy busy wonderful time of year.
MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS.
I'm so happy.
Love Abbey
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