Hello My Dear Family! What a great and awesome week! Thank you so much for your amazing email! It was all so much fun to read! I'm so glad that you all had a fun and enjoyable week with all of your fun summer activites! I feel so close to home and I love knowing about everything that you got to do!
I'm so glad that you got to hear were I was going before it even happened! I was really glad that you looked at my email and got to see it! I got thinking that it was going to be very wierd to have aldread transfered and spent a whole day with my new companion and a new area before you even found out so I'm so glad you got to hear all about it! I just wanted to take the time to thank you for the emails that you send throughout the week! I appreciate them so much and they make any homesickness that I have go away when I get to read your emails and see your pictures! I love your emails so much and love to see that I have them during the week! So thank you so much for always taking the time and thinking of me to send me such incredible emails! I loved your Pioneer Day email so much! I was thinking about you and Grandpa Wesley all day! 
So in all, thank you very much for your emails, pictures, videos, and packages! They are so awesome!
Last P-Day was an awesome and fun day! I hope that I told you about everything that we did because it was an awesome day! So we first went to the Botanical Gardens and it was so pretty! We saw tons of amazing plants and we even met a lady named Margaret and she was a volunteer for the gardens and so she got permission for us to go into a really cool dome shaped building with lots of cool plants like cacti! I thought of you the whole time because it looks a lot like our beautiful backyard with lots of amazing landscaping! I kept thinking to myself and smiling: "Get off the landscaping!" So after the Botanical Gardens, we headed to City Island and went golf driving again but this time the Zone Leaders, our roommates, and the Spanish Elders came so it made it even more fun! It was a great time! Then after we hit all of our golf balls, we went to Red Robin for a delicious dinner/lunch! I got a Mac n cheese burger again with endless fries and it was an awesome time! I thought of you the whole time and enjoyed reading your emails so much! Then afterwards, we headed back to the apartment to change back into our shirts and ties and then we had an awesome lesson with the Neil family! We talked to them about eternal families and it went really well! I was sad to say goodbye to them but then again, I wasn't sure if I was getting transferred. Then as we were coming back to the apartment for the evening after our lesson, we met a really nice lady who was blind and we helped her with directions to where she needed to go. She was so nice and we enjoyed talking with her for a few stops. It was such an awesome and relaxing day! I enjoyed every single moment and loved seeing all of the amazing sights and sounds of the Bronx! Your email was great and your pictures were so fun to look at! It was an awesome P-Day and then I realized that it could be my last P-Day in the Bronx.
Thursday was another great day! Elder Dick woke up feeling so much better and he said that he barely felt sick at all. It was really good news! So we woke up and got ready for the day, and then we did our studies. Then we headed out the door to a lesson with with some awesome people named Jasmine and David. Elder Dick and Elder Jackman knocked on their door and scheduled an appointment with them so I was really looking forward to getting to know them! We showed up right on time but the house was dead silent and nobody answered. We knocked a few more times so we were certain that nobody was home. So then, it was time for our weekly planning session and to get everything ready for next week. Then it hit me that we were planning for Monday through Sunday of a week that I may not even be here for. It was really crazy! So we planned out our whole week and scheduled in some appointments and lessons with Kay and Angelo, and then we remembered that it was Sister Neil's birthday coming up on Thursday so we planned to surprise her with a Birthday cake to take to her. We thought it would be fun to do so we planned it into our schedule! Then after a few hours of planning, we had dinner and then Sister Coleman came to our apartment to do our inspection for the transfer cycle. She was very impressed since we had just cleaned it from top to bottom! So after our inspection, we headed to Dalton's apartment for a lesson with him! It went really well! We talked about tithing and how important it is to pay our tithing first and then Heavenly Father will take care of the rest. I told him how grateful I was that you taught me the importance of paying tithing. I am so grateful that you taught me how to pay tithing! I am so grateful to be able to pay tithing! So after our lesson with good old Dalton, we headed to go see if Kay was home but she didn't answer and so we left her a card and then headed back to the apartment for the night. It really was an awesome day! So we got back to the apartment, and Elder Jackman and Elder Knudsen were still at the Church for a lesson with one of their investigators named Oscar that went a little too long and then they brought home our mail since they were at the Church and had gotten dropped off earlier today! I was SO stinkin' excited to get your package! So Elder Knudsen and Elder Jackman walked in with TONS of fun mail! I forgot to tell you in my last email that it was Elder Jackman's Birthday last Friday and so he got got some mail! It was a fun time! So I hurried and found your awesome package and ripped it open! I loved everything that you packed in there so much! I was actually going to buy a new toothbrush today and so it was really nice to get a new one! I do have to say Puck, you know all of my favorite treats buddie! I can't believe that you got to pick all of those out! I appreciate you all so much for thinking of me and sending me a package! It was so much fun to get on such a cool milestone! It was the best ending to a great day! Thank you again so much for the awesome package and notes!!! ♥️
Friday was awesome! It was Elder Jackman's Birthday so that was really fun to celebrate! He and Elder Knudsen were so busy that day and so they couldn't even go out for a Birthday dinner. I felt pretty bad for him but he was enjoying teaching so many lessons! After we got ready for the day and did our studies, we had a Conference Call from President Smith! We always enjoy them so much and I think it is really cool that the entire mission can listen in all at once. So we had our Conference Call and then we did our studies and then we headed over to the church because a member from the Spanish ward really wanted to make a lunch for all of the missionaries! He told us all to be at the Church at 2:00 but then he never showed up. Elder Dick is really good friends with him because he is from Brazil and Elder Dick worked with tons of people from Brazil in Danburry. He was going to make us a popular dish that Elder Dick really likes called Feijoada! I've heard it is really good! So since he didn't show up we decided to do something really fun for Elder Jackman since we weren't going to be able to eat out for a Birthday dinner so we decided to have Birthday lunch! Elder Jackman decided that he wanted to go to George's since he hadn't ever been. So we headed to George's and it was so good! I got the chicken fingers and fries with honey mustard, Elder Knudsen got a beef gyro, and Elder Dick and Elder Jackman got the breakfast platter. We all love Geroge' s and it is so good every time we go! So we ate our delicious lunch and then we hurried to Co-op City for an appointment with Angelo! I couldn't believe that it could have been my last time teaching him because of transfers. We taught him an awesome lesson about the Plan of Salvation and it went really well! We think that the next time we have a lesson with him, he will be ready for a baptismal date! So we taught Angelo and then we went to go drop off a Bible to a lady named Jonnie but she wasn't home. It was such a nice day but it was very hot and humid. We enjoyed being outside a lot! Then, we headed back to the apartment for dinner and then we had another lesson scheduled with a 15 year old recent convert, Andre and his 2 brothers. So we took the bus up Boston Road and guess who was on the bus??? Dalton!!! He was just getting back from the barber shop and getting his hair trimmed for Sunday. Then he told us that he was speaking in Sacrament Meeting last Sunday and so he really wanted to look his best. Then he invited us over for dinner on Sunday which was awesome! He knew that transfers were coming up soon so he wanted to have us come over since I may be getting transferred. So we talked with Dalton and then hopped off to go teach the Sumbo family. Unfortunately, ever since they were baptized in January, they have been pretty less active. I have only seen them a handful of times since I got here in February. The Sisters in our District have been teaching them and trying to get them active again but they thought it would be best if we started going over and teaching them. They were very nice but very quiet. We tried to make them feel comfortable by talking about what they wanted to or what they enjoyed but they were just so shy. We shared with them a quick message about following Jesus Christ and keeping his commandments. It went really well! Then, after our lesson, it was about 8:15 So we decided to do something really fun for Elder Jackman since it was his Birthday. I was so lucky to have my Birthday fall of P-Day! He had a good Birthday but we wanted to make it even better so we went to the grocery store right by our apartment and bought some balloons and ice cream to celebrate! We blew up the balloons and when he walked in, we sang Happy Birthday! Then we had ice cream to end the day! It was a really awesome day and lots of great things happened! Another awesome day in the books!
The moment you all have been waiting for!!! TRANSFER CALLS!! Lots of big and exciting news! Saturday was another AWESOME and eventful day! We woke up, excercied, got ready for the day, and then did our studies. It was such a pretty day outside! We got a text from Sister Kreig and she really wanted us to come over since she knew that I may be getting transferred! It was so nice of her to invite us over! She said that we would have pizza as well! So of course, we gladly went over! So we woke up, excercied, got ready for the day, and then did our studies. I was so excited and pretty nervous about transfer calls that night! I always love transfer calls! We did all of our studies and then had lunch before we headed out for the rest of the day. The rest of the day was awesome!! We had 4 back to back lessons with Noel, Sharon, Charlie and Sister Kreig, and Matt which was awesome! First, we headed out the door to go and visit Noel Agbemenu. So we got on a bus and headed to Co-Op City and then knocked on his door. This is the 17 year old kid whose parents had a bad experience with the Jehovah's witnesses missionaries and so now they don't like any missionaries. So we knocked on his door not knowing if his parents would like that their son was being taught by us. We wanted to meet them and explain who we were and that we were just trying to help their son build his faith in Jesus Christ. So we knocked on the door and luckily Noel answered with a big grin on his face! He was so happy to see us! After our 1st lesson with him, we added him on Facebook and started sending him spiritual thoughts over Messenger. Then, after our 1st lesson, he thanked us and said that he really enjoyed our lesson and he was grateful that we came over! That made us feel great and we knew that we are supposed to be teaching him at this moment! So he answered with a big smile on his face but he was just about to have lunch and so we told him that we could come back in about an hour. He readily agreed and so we took a bus to our next appointment with a lady who ordered a Bible and a Book of Mormon through the website. Whenever someone orders a Book of Mormon, we get excited because then we can talk to them about it and explain more of what it is and how it can be applied to them. So we took a bus to Sharon's apartment and greeted her with a smile! She was very happy to see us and was grateful for our willingness to come bring it by her house! She was surprised that we still delivered them right to her door in person! So we gave her a rundown of the Book of Mormon and then taught her the whole Restoration of the Church right there on her doorstep. We scheduled another time to come back and then I realized that I may not even be here for that appointment. So then we started to head back to Noel's apartment and then we realized that we didn't have any time to sit down and teach him since we had to be on City Island at 4:30 and it was already 3:45. We called Noel and told him that we had to be on City Island for an appointment and so we had to leave right then. He was totally understanding and knew that we were busy and so we rescheduled for another appointment. I was so excited for the rest of the day!!! The rest of the night was picture perfect! It was the kind of night that I just love as a missionary! It was a really awesome evening! A few days ago, the Kreigs texted us and wanted us to come over, have a lesson, and then they wanted to say goodbye to me since they figured that I was leaving. So we headed over to the Kreig's cool house on Winters Street City Island prepared to teach a lesson on the Plan of Salvation! The Kreigs have been so nice and kind to me and I have enjoyed so much going over to their house. They are really into collecting old bottles from the 1800s and so it is always so cool to go over and see their huge collection! I ended up getting a picture with them, Matt, and Jupiter (The really expensive, $10,000 dog!). Charlie is the Dad and he is from Puerto Rico and isn't a member but his wife, Regina is a less active member. They are really awesome people and we love talking to them! Before we even started the lesson, Sister Kreig told us that they really wanted to take us out to get some seafood at one of the classic restraunts on City Island! I love City Island so much and I knew if I got transferred, I would really miss it! So we had a lesson on the Plan of Salvation and they really enjoyed it! Just as we were bearing our testimonies, their friend Gorge, came to their house for a visit. Then we were able to teach him the Restoration and give him a Book of Mormon! Then after George left, the Kreigs drove us to the very end of the island and had an amazing dinner! The restraunt was called "Jonnie's Reef". They told us that we could get whatever they wanted but all of the seafood was SO expensive! Just a platter for 1 person cost anywhere between $16.00-$25.00. So I got looking at the menu and what sounded really good was a cheeseburger with fries (Plus it was way less expensive! 
) Elder Dick got the fried oysters which looked really good but was one of the more expensive items on the menu. Sister Kreig and Charlie got onion rings and fries for us all and then they got the fried clams which looked really good as well! I would have felt really bad to have ordered such an expensive meal but they insisted. I told them that cheeseburger and fries sounded so good and t hst was what I wanted. It was a really good hamburger that tasted like a burger from the fair and the fries tasted just like In-and-out burger! It was an amazing experience because the pier that we were on, overlooked a part of Staten Island and we could see Manhattan! It was a nice and cool night and we just enjoyed eating and looking at the amazing view! I took a picture with Charlie and Sister Kreig right by our table and so you can see what they look like and what kind of a view we had from where we were eating. I totally forgot to take a picture of the whole pier and our delicious food. So sorry! We thanked them so much for the meal and then they said that they could drive us to the top of the island for our next appointment with Matt! We gladly accepted and so they drove us around to look at some cool and amazing sights of City Island. It was an amazing experience! One awesome thing that they took us to go see was where they find all ofntheir amazing bottles from the 1800s. They said that you can find all kinds of cool stuff there! So we walked down a ways and then Sister Kreig found something so amazing for me!! She knows how much I love old money and collecting antiques. She has a huge collection herself of old paper money and coins like wheat pennies, steel pennies, silver dollars, and so much more! I wasn't able to see her collection thought just because we have always been in a hurry and so we never had the chance. Sister Kreig picked up something so amazing! It was a piece of seaglass from the late 1800s! She said that people would dump their glass bottles out into the ocean and then when the bottles break and decompose over 100s of years, then they become smooth and turn into seaglass! So she told me that the piece of glass, that I took a picture of, was from the 1800s ! It was a really cool keepsake from my last trip to City Island! So we got to Matt's white mansion and he was very happy to see us! The really expensive dog, Jupiter, was also happy to see us! I tried to get a picture of her but she wouldn't sit still so all I got where blurry pictures of her running around. I couldn't believe that this could have been my last time in the white mansion and seeing Matt. We had an awesome lesson with him and then we anxiously boarded the bus to head back to the apartment to wait for the transfer call! So, I said goodbye to Matt and got 1 last picture with him and thanked him for all of the times he fed us. Then we hurried back to the apartment and waited patiently for the call! No matter what happens, our Zone Leaders will always call us and tell us where everyone is going from the whole Zone. So we got the call at about 10:00 and the Zone Leaders told us that Elder Brown and Elder Frogner were going home since their 2 years were up. So we knew that already and then they said that Sister Heywood would be training. Then, they said: "Elder Dick will be receiving......Elder Schott!" Right then, I knew I was getting transferred! Then I got called to serve in here in Kingston! I was so excited! I immediately looked it up on a map and I couldn't believe how far away it was! It is 74 miles away from the Bronx. Then, I got so excited because that means I got a car!! Then they told me who my companion was! Elder Braden Howard! I'm very excited to be able to serve with him! He is a great missionary! Then I realized that Elder Knudsen served with him in Manhattan and so he told me all about Elder Howard. It is pretty crazy to think how quickly things can change! I'm very excited to be here in Kingston and I can't wait to teach these good people!!! That means that I won't even see Manhattan for quite a while. I'm so far up here right now that it is almost the Northernmost part of the mission! I looked it all up on Google maps and looked at all of the cool places there are to visit! It looks like such an amazing place and I couldn't wait to get to work!
Sunday was a really awesome day! I was sad that I had to say goodbye to so many friends and so many good people.
So we headed over to Church and it was awesome! Then something really cool happened! We were standing in the foyer and in walks a really nice family that we had never seen before. We knew that they weren't around here. So we immediately walked over to them and started talking to them! I asked them where they were from and they said that they were from Lehi! Then I told them that I was from Nibley which is right to Logan and they said that is where the Mom was from and grew up! She graduated from Sky View and they have 4 kids. They were on vacation and doing lots of sightseeing and this was there last stop before they headed home. They were on their way to Manhattan to finish up their trip! It was so much fun to talk to them and then I told them to say hi for Utah for me! They said that they have family that actually lives in Providence! How cool is that!?! Their last name is Udy and so I told them that my awesome Grandparents live there. So after we talked to them for a while, we had church and it was awesome! Dalton gave an awesome talk on forgiveness and then the former Bishop gave a great talk on service. It was a great day at church and then I said goodbye to all of my friends from good old Olmstead 2! Then, Dalton invited us over for dinner later in the afternoon so we went back to the apartment to change out of our suits and the we headed to Dalton's apartment for 1 last dinner hoorah! He made us some really good food! We had curry goat, rice, and a salad with watermelon sangria! The goat was so tender and very spicy. He uses what's called a scotchbonnet pepper which is a delicacy in Jamaica. The dinner was really good and then we had a quick lesson before I needed to say goodbye. Dalton has been such a great friend! I will definitely keep in touch with him when I get home. So after we had a nice visit with Dalton, we headed over to the care center to visit Sister Johnson. She was doing really well and was so excited to see us! We gave her the sacrament and told her all about church and then we shared some messages from the talks given in Church. Then I said goodbye to her as well and then we headed back to the apartment for the night and I had a little bit of time to start packing like the wind! 
It was so weird to be packing up and that I was leaving in just a few days. It is a really big change especially going to upstate coming from the city! I packed everything nice and tight and it was nice not to have to worry about weight! All I needed to do was just get everything into my suitcases and I was good to go! So after I got about half way done packing, we headed to bed after an awesome day!
Happy Pioneer Day to everyone!! I was thinking about you all day and hoping that you were having a big dinner or root beer float! Monday was an awesome day! I couldn't believe that it was my last day in the Olmstead Zone and the Bronx. It was crazy to think that the very next day, I would be driving a car with a totally different companion in a very different area. I was so excited though! I couldnt wait to see what Elder Howard was like and I couldn't wait to experience all of the things that I will here in Kingston! So Monday was our last District Meeting of the cycle. Our Zone is changing so much this cycle. Elder Brown and Elder Frogner are going home back in Utah, Sister Robison, Elder Davis, Sister Nusink, and me are all leaving and so the zone is really changing! Elder Dick will continue to be the District Leader and so he was excited about that! I just got thinking something pretty crazy. I will probably be in this area for Haloween, Thanksgiving, and maybe Christmas. Then, if I stay for a really long time, I could hit my year mark in this area as well! Crazy!! It is going to be so weird to not be in the city. The Bronx and Manhattan is where everything is going on and so I will feel far away from everything. I've heard nothing but great things about upstate and especially Kingston! So we excercied, got ready for the day and then Elder Dick and I went to the Church to set up for District Meeting. As we were setting up, I couldn't help but think how fast this cycle has gone. Time really has been flying by. It's crazy to think that Elder Smiley has been gone for almost 6 weeks now. We had an amazing District Meeting! We had a great District Meeting and then we had ANOTHER awesome lunch provided by Elder and Sister Coleman!!! I told them thank you from you all and they thought it was so cool that you told me to tell you that! I got a picture with lots of people as well! On my drive, I got pictures with Brother Amapah (2nd counselor in the Bishopric) and his family, Elder Coleman, and Elder Brown! It was hard to say goodbye to so many friends and investigators that I care about so much! So the Colemans had cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chips, baked beans, grapes, and cake for desert. It was all so good! The Colemans are so nice and generous! Then.....something really funny happened that Dad, Brandon, and Parker will especially love! Elder Coleman, has been in a "Heated Rivalry" with Elder Davis, who got transferred as well, about which team was better....the Warriors, or the Cavaliers. So Elder Coleman loves the Warriors and Elder Davis loves the Cavaliers. So to be funny, Elder Coleman bought a Warriors Kevin Durant 2017 NBA Champions jersey from the Manhattan NBA store. It was so funny to see Elder Davis' reaction because they were getting after each other and trash talking in a funny way! Elder Coleman said that Elder Davis will soon be "Converted" to the right team. 🤣 So of course, I got a few pictures of them holding up the jersey! It was really funny! So after everyone ate, we took 1 last picture together as a Zone and them I said goodbye to Elder Brown and Elder Frogner who are leaving to go home today. Then, I said goodbye to the Colemans and thanked them for all that they have done and all of the lunches that they have put together for us. Then, Elder Dick and I came back to the apartment to have one last Companionship study. We did all of our studies back to back and then we made some cookies from a pre made mix so we could take them around to some of the ward members and say goodbye! So we had dinner and then we wrote little notes to go with the cookies and then we visited the Ampah family and Brother Tsakpoe! I just got thinking that my very 1st lesson or family t hst I visited with was Brother Tsakpoe and his daughter Rashael! He was the very 1st sit down lesson that I had! So it was pretty cool to have him be my last in this area as well! So we visited him and he was shocked that I was leaving. He wasn't at church and he said: "You just got here!" He thought that it had only been here for a few months. So I said goodbye to him and then we gave him and hus family a plate of cookies and then went to go visit the Ampah family. They were so happy to see us and they felt bad that they didn't make dinner for us. We talked with them and then I got a picture with their whole family! They are really great people and sent us home with a gallon of Ocean Spray Cranberry juice. I said goodbye to them and their 3 little kids and then we headed back to the apartment for the night. We got home at 9:25 and so I packed and got everything ready for transfer day! It was a really awesome day and I couldn't wait to get to Kingston and meet Elder Howard! I had heard nothing but good things about him and the area before coming up!
Tuesday was a great and exciting day!!! I have so much to tell you about and I can't wait to tell you about everything that happened! TRANSFERS! I woke up very excited to get to Kingston and finished packing up all my stuff and it was crazy to see an empty closet, dresser, and desk. I can't believe that I have been here since February. I look back and remember all of the many incredible memories that I have in this apartment and area! It has been so awesome to be able to serve in the Bronx! So we all woke up, excercied, got ready foe the day and then Elder Dick and I had to be at the Inwood chapel by 1:00 so that meant that we had to leave the apartment somewhere between 11:30-11:45. Time flies by so quick! I can't believe that I'm already to my 2nd area! We did our studies and planned for the day and then I finished packing. I folded my sheets, packed my pillow, and all of those other last minute packing items. Then, it was time to say goodbye to Elder Jackman and Elder Knudsen. They have been awesome roommates and I have enjoyed my time with them so much! I said goodbye to the apartment and away we went. It was really crazy to think that I may never come back to this part of the Bronx. So after I finished packing, Elder Dick thought it would be fun to go out to eat for 1 last time together as an apartment. I wasn't sure if the apartment that I was going to would have another companionship or not. So we all headed out to eat at Popeyes which was very good and Elder Dick even bought my meal which was awesome! So we had a nice lunch and then it was time for Elder Dick and I to head to Inwood! I was stoked to get to a new area and see so many cool, but different, sights of New York! It has been a big change but I am loving it here very much already! I said goodbye to Elder Jackman and Elder Knudsen and then we took a few pictures and then away we went! So we took my luggage and we hopped on the BX12 bus 1 last time. I have spent lots of time on those buses talking to people and so it was crazy that I wouldn't be able to do that for a while. What an amazing day yesterday was! Kingston is so amazing and so pretty! I can't wait to tell you all about it! So we headed to the Church in Inwood and that is where Elder Dick and I said goodbye. He met with Elder Schott and then got his luggage. Then they took off and then I stayed with the rest of the Missionaries that were going upstate where I would meet Elder Howard. So we got to Inwood right on time and then we packed up all of the luggage in a U-Haul and then I got to ride with the Assistant to the President with another Elder who served in Olmstead before I got here. So it was really fun to get to talk to the Assistants while we drove to the Ossining chapel. The ride was so pretty and peaceful! We got to the Ossining chapel and then we went inside for a quick meeting with all of the upstate missionaries before the U-haul truck got there. President Smith welcomed us all and talked to us about how the work was going and how we can improve and become better missionaries! Then I got to meet Elder Howard and then we loaded the luggage and headed toward my new apartment! Elder Howard is such a great guy! I am so excited to say that I have a car!!! When I heard that I was going upstate, I thought: "Well I better learn how to drive again because I haven't driven in over 6 months!" I haven't driven yet but I will be starting to here in a little bit. Our car is SO nice!! It is a 2016 Nissan Altima and it is a really cool car! So we drove back to the apartment and got to know each other really well! So we drove north of the Ossining chapel....and then we drove some more.......and then some more! It is so far up north. It is actually the Northernmost part of the entire mission! Isn't that crazy!?! The rest of the day was even more awesome but I was so tired at the end of the day. All of the traveling just wiped me out! So we pulled into Kingston and I love it here! It is so pretty and there are lots of older homes but then downtown, there is a new mall complex with lots of nice restaurants and stores! So we drove around for a little bit so Elder Howard could show me around and then headed to our apartment! All I can say is WOW! This apartment is so nice and very new! It is up on kind of a hill and is part of quite a few apartment complexes around this area! I will be sure to get more pictures of the outside and the car so you can see! I just got a few late last night so you could see the inside. It is a very nice apartment with lots of space! Also, I can't believe how quiet it is up here! I am sitting here typing this email and......complete.....scilence. Before, there were sirens, loud music, people yelling, and cars honking and so it is totally different from what I am used to in the Bronx. Another interesting thing is, is that we don't have any roommates. The closest companionship of missionaries live over a half an hour away from us. So that will definitely be a big change because I am used to talking with another companionship about their day and how the work in their area is going. Also, there isn't a whole lot to do around here as opposed to Manhattan and The Bronx where there is TONS of stuff to do, especially in Manhattan. So I want to apologize ahead of time that my emails about what we did on P-Day may be a little boring. I usually have exciting things to tell you but we will definitely find some fun stuff to do. They have lots to go see! The church isn't very far from here which is so nice! So after we pulled into Kingston, we dropped my luggage off and then Elder Howard told me that we had an appointment at 5:00 and so we quickly dropped off my luggage and then we got a call from the member of the ward and he said that he wanted to take us out to dinner. I didn't have much of an appetite but we went out to Olive Garden with this awesome member! His name is Brother Parks and he is an awesome guy! He looks and talks JUST like Dr. Guymon. Brother Parks is an anesthesiologist at a local hospital. He just got called to be the young men's President in the ward and so we wanted to talk to him about how we can best help him and the young men. We had a great chat and I got to know Brother Parks really well! He served a mission in Poland and has 3 kids all under the age of 11. His wife is from Poland and so I'm not sure if they met while he was serving. It is a pretty interesting story! I could already tell that this area and ward is very different from the ward in the Bronx! The demographics are way different and there isn't as much diversity. It even reminds me a tiny bit of Logan in some places. I have really missed you all a lot and miss spending time with you! Brother Parks told me t hst I could order something and then take it home to eat later since I wasn't very hungry. So I took some breadsticks home and then I ordered a soup to go with them! It was a really fun way to spend the first little while here in Kingston! Then after we said goodbye to Brother Parks, we went to the Church because we had an appointment with a 14 year old named Matthew who has been playing basketball over at the Church with a member of the Bishopric and he wanted us to come over and get to know him better since he wasn't a member. So we talked with him for a little bit and he loves sports! He was talking about how much he loves the Thunder and the Seahawks! It was fun to talk with him and get to know him better! Then we met one of the counselors in the Bishopric and his wife and 2 kids. He is a great guy but we couldn't stay for too long since we had another appointment with a couple named Sharon and her husband but I can't remember his name. The husband is a less active member and his wife Sharon isn't a member. They really love the Missionaries and were excited to see a new face! It was more of a chat than a lesson because we got to know them a little better and then we set a return appointment for next week! By that time, it was time to drive back to the apartment. Usually, we would have to allow 30-45 minutes for us to get back to the apartment in the Bronx but we were out until 8:55 and then we zipped back to the apartment. Now let me tell you more about Elder Howard! First of all, he is SO easy to get along with. He is a really hard working missionary but just talking with him, I already knew that we were really going to get along. He has been out on his mission for about 20 months now and so he goes home in November! Isn't that crazy how quick he goes home?!? The cool thing is, is that I may be companions with him until he goes home. It will be pretty different to be companions with someone who has been out for so long. Also, guess what?? He lives in American Fork!! And also, another really cool thing about him is that he lived in Logan a while ago! I thought that it was so cool that he has lived in both of those places! On the car ride to Ossining, I got talking with Elder Chambers, the Assistant, and he told me that he lives in Colorado Springs but lived in Cheyenne for a while. So cool to see all of these connections to Utah and Wyoming all the way here in New York! So, Elder Howard and I are going to get along great! The problem is, I can't take a picture of us because there isn't anyone else to take the picture. I will be sure to take lots of pictures so you can see and picture where I am at! It will be so fun! I love it here already but miss you all a lot. Transfers are a big adjustment but I will get used to the area really quickly since I have already experienced it in the Bronx! Dad, you made me feel so good when you called me a seasoned missionary. I look at all of the Missionaries that are coming in and leaving, and I can see that I'm not the oldest or the youngest. I am so excited to say that we have a washer and dryer IN our bathroom!!! How nice and convenient is that!!! It will be so nice to have in our apartment! It was an awesome day yesterday and I am settling in just fine and loving this new area!
Well everyone, I'm so sad that I am done writing this email because it was so much fun to write! I had so much fun reading all about your fun week and everything that you got to do! I also loved every single one of your pictures. I'm so glad that you all had a fun week! I just want you to know how much I love and miss each one of you. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I thought it would be fun for you to see where I live! So here is the address to our apartment. I think if you type in "Colonial Hills Village Apartments" 357 West O-Reilly Street, it should come up with where our apartment is! I feel so spoiled! Also, another thing that I wanted to tell you is that I heard a song the other day that Elder Dick was playing and it is so good! It is called "The hardest thing I've ever loved to do". It is a song about missionaries and is pretty funny as well! I really liked it and thought that you would to! I am so grateful for all of your love and support! I couldn't do it without you! Thanks again for the awesome package, emails, and pictures! It was all so great as usual! Have another awesome and fun week everyone! LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL TONS!! ♥️
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
Last P-Day was an awesome and fun day! I hope that I told you about everything that we did because it was an awesome day! So we first went to the Botanical Gardens and it was so pretty! We saw tons of amazing plants and we even met a lady named Margaret and she was a volunteer for the gardens and so she got permission for us to go into a really cool dome shaped building with lots of cool plants like cacti! I thought of you the whole time because it looks a lot like our beautiful backyard with lots of amazing landscaping! I kept thinking to myself and smiling: "Get off the landscaping!"
Thursday was another great day! Elder Dick woke up feeling so much better and he said that he barely felt sick at all. It was really good news! So we woke up and got ready for the day, and then we did our studies. Then we headed out the door to a lesson with with some awesome people named Jasmine and David. Elder Dick and Elder Jackman knocked on their door and scheduled an appointment with them so I was really looking forward to getting to know them! We showed up right on time but the house was dead silent and nobody answered. We knocked a few more times so we were certain that nobody was home. So then, it was time for our weekly planning session and to get everything ready for next week. Then it hit me that we were planning for Monday through Sunday of a week that I may not even be here for. It was really crazy! So we planned out our whole week and scheduled in some appointments and lessons with Kay and Angelo, and then we remembered that it was Sister Neil's birthday coming up on Thursday so we planned to surprise her with a Birthday cake to take to her. We thought it would be fun to do so we planned it into our schedule! Then after a few hours of planning, we had dinner and then Sister Coleman came to our apartment to do our inspection for the transfer cycle. She was very impressed since we had just cleaned it from top to bottom! So after our inspection, we headed to Dalton's apartment for a lesson with him! It went really well! We talked about tithing and how important it is to pay our tithing first and then Heavenly Father will take care of the rest. I told him how grateful I was that you taught me the importance of paying tithing. I am so grateful that you taught me how to pay tithing! I am so grateful to be able to pay tithing! So after our lesson with good old Dalton, we headed to go see if Kay was home but she didn't answer and so we left her a card and then headed back to the apartment for the night. It really was an awesome day! So we got back to the apartment, and Elder Jackman and Elder Knudsen were still at the Church for a lesson with one of their investigators named Oscar that went a little too long and then they brought home our mail since they were at the Church and had gotten dropped off earlier today! I was SO stinkin' excited to get your package! So Elder Knudsen and Elder Jackman walked in with TONS of fun mail! I forgot to tell you in my last email that it was Elder Jackman's Birthday last Friday and so he got got some mail! It was a fun time! So I hurried and found your awesome package and ripped it open! I loved everything that you packed in there so much! I was actually going to buy a new toothbrush today and so it was really nice to get a new one! I do have to say Puck, you know all of my favorite treats buddie!
Friday was awesome! It was Elder Jackman's Birthday so that was really fun to celebrate! He and Elder Knudsen were so busy that day and so they couldn't even go out for a Birthday dinner. I felt pretty bad for him but he was enjoying teaching so many lessons! After we got ready for the day and did our studies, we had a Conference Call from President Smith! We always enjoy them so much and I think it is really cool that the entire mission can listen in all at once. So we had our Conference Call and then we did our studies and then we headed over to the church because a member from the Spanish ward really wanted to make a lunch for all of the missionaries! He told us all to be at the Church at 2:00 but then he never showed up. Elder Dick is really good friends with him because he is from Brazil and Elder Dick worked with tons of people from Brazil in Danburry. He was going to make us a popular dish that Elder Dick really likes called Feijoada! I've heard it is really good! So since he didn't show up we decided to do something really fun for Elder Jackman since we weren't going to be able to eat out for a Birthday dinner so we decided to have Birthday lunch! Elder Jackman decided that he wanted to go to George's since he hadn't ever been. So we headed to George's and it was so good! I got the chicken fingers and fries with honey mustard, Elder Knudsen got a beef gyro, and Elder Dick and Elder Jackman got the breakfast platter. We all love Geroge' s and it is so good every time we go! So we ate our delicious lunch and then we hurried to Co-op City for an appointment with Angelo! I couldn't believe that it could have been my last time teaching him because of transfers. We taught him an awesome lesson about the Plan of Salvation and it went really well! We think that the next time we have a lesson with him, he will be ready for a baptismal date! So we taught Angelo and then we went to go drop off a Bible to a lady named Jonnie but she wasn't home. It was such a nice day but it was very hot and humid. We enjoyed being outside a lot! Then, we headed back to the apartment for dinner and then we had another lesson scheduled with a 15 year old recent convert, Andre and his 2 brothers. So we took the bus up Boston Road and guess who was on the bus??? Dalton!!! He was just getting back from the barber shop and getting his hair trimmed for Sunday. Then he told us that he was speaking in Sacrament Meeting last Sunday and so he really wanted to look his best. Then he invited us over for dinner on Sunday which was awesome! He knew that transfers were coming up soon so he wanted to have us come over since I may be getting transferred. So we talked with Dalton and then hopped off to go teach the Sumbo family. Unfortunately, ever since they were baptized in January, they have been pretty less active. I have only seen them a handful of times since I got here in February. The Sisters in our District have been teaching them and trying to get them active again but they thought it would be best if we started going over and teaching them. They were very nice but very quiet. We tried to make them feel comfortable by talking about what they wanted to or what they enjoyed but they were just so shy. We shared with them a quick message about following Jesus Christ and keeping his commandments. It went really well! Then, after our lesson, it was about 8:15 So we decided to do something really fun for Elder Jackman since it was his Birthday. I was so lucky to have my Birthday fall of P-Day! He had a good Birthday but we wanted to make it even better so we went to the grocery store right by our apartment and bought some balloons and ice cream to celebrate! We blew up the balloons and when he walked in, we sang Happy Birthday! Then we had ice cream to end the day! It was a really awesome day and lots of great things happened! Another awesome day in the books!
The moment you all have been waiting for!!! TRANSFER CALLS!! Lots of big and exciting news! Saturday was another AWESOME and eventful day! We woke up, excercied, got ready for the day, and then did our studies. It was such a pretty day outside! We got a text from Sister Kreig and she really wanted us to come over since she knew that I may be getting transferred! It was so nice of her to invite us over! She said that we would have pizza as well! So of course, we gladly went over!
Sunday was a really awesome day! I was sad that I had to say goodbye to so many friends and so many good people.
Happy Pioneer Day to everyone!! I was thinking about you all day and hoping that you were having a big dinner or root beer float! Monday was an awesome day! I couldn't believe that it was my last day in the Olmstead Zone and the Bronx. It was crazy to think that the very next day, I would be driving a car with a totally different companion in a very different area. I was so excited though! I couldnt wait to see what Elder Howard was like and I couldn't wait to experience all of the things that I will here in Kingston! So Monday was our last District Meeting of the cycle. Our Zone is changing so much this cycle. Elder Brown and Elder Frogner are going home back in Utah, Sister Robison, Elder Davis, Sister Nusink, and me are all leaving and so the zone is really changing! Elder Dick will continue to be the District Leader and so he was excited about that! I just got thinking something pretty crazy. I will probably be in this area for Haloween, Thanksgiving, and maybe Christmas. Then, if I stay for a really long time, I could hit my year mark in this area as well! Crazy!! It is going to be so weird to not be in the city. The Bronx and Manhattan is where everything is going on and so I will feel far away from everything. I've heard nothing but great things about upstate and especially Kingston! So we excercied, got ready for the day and then Elder Dick and I went to the Church to set up for District Meeting. As we were setting up, I couldn't help but think how fast this cycle has gone. Time really has been flying by. It's crazy to think that Elder Smiley has been gone for almost 6 weeks now. We had an amazing District Meeting! We had a great District Meeting and then we had ANOTHER awesome lunch provided by Elder and Sister Coleman!!! I told them thank you from you all and they thought it was so cool that you told me to tell you that! I got a picture with lots of people as well! On my drive, I got pictures with Brother Amapah (2nd counselor in the Bishopric) and his family, Elder Coleman, and Elder Brown! It was hard to say goodbye to so many friends and investigators that I care about so much! So the Colemans had cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chips, baked beans, grapes, and cake for desert. It was all so good! The Colemans are so nice and generous! Then.....something really funny happened that Dad, Brandon, and Parker will especially love! Elder Coleman, has been in a "Heated Rivalry" with Elder Davis, who got transferred as well, about which team was better....the Warriors, or the Cavaliers. So Elder Coleman loves the Warriors and Elder Davis loves the Cavaliers. So to be funny, Elder Coleman bought a Warriors Kevin Durant 2017 NBA Champions jersey from the Manhattan NBA store. It was so funny to see Elder Davis' reaction because they were getting after each other and trash talking in a funny way! Elder Coleman said that Elder Davis will soon be "Converted" to the right team. 🤣 So of course, I got a few pictures of them holding up the jersey! It was really funny! So after everyone ate, we took 1 last picture together as a Zone and them I said goodbye to Elder Brown and Elder Frogner who are leaving to go home today. Then, I said goodbye to the Colemans and thanked them for all that they have done and all of the lunches that they have put together for us. Then, Elder Dick and I came back to the apartment to have one last Companionship study. We did all of our studies back to back and then we made some cookies from a pre made mix so we could take them around to some of the ward members and say goodbye! So we had dinner and then we wrote little notes to go with the cookies and then we visited the Ampah family and Brother Tsakpoe! I just got thinking that my very 1st lesson or family t hst I visited with was Brother Tsakpoe and his daughter Rashael! He was the very 1st sit down lesson that I had! So it was pretty cool to have him be my last in this area as well! So we visited him and he was shocked that I was leaving. He wasn't at church and he said: "You just got here!" He thought that it had only been here for a few months. So I said goodbye to him and then we gave him and hus family a plate of cookies and then went to go visit the Ampah family. They were so happy to see us and they felt bad that they didn't make dinner for us. We talked with them and then I got a picture with their whole family! They are really great people and sent us home with a gallon of Ocean Spray Cranberry juice. I said goodbye to them and their 3 little kids and then we headed back to the apartment for the night. We got home at 9:25 and so I packed and got everything ready for transfer day! It was a really awesome day and I couldn't wait to get to Kingston and meet Elder Howard! I had heard nothing but good things about him and the area before coming up!
Well everyone, I'm so sad that I am done writing this email because it was so much fun to write! I had so much fun reading all about your fun week and everything that you got to do! I also loved every single one of your pictures. I'm so glad that you all had a fun week! I just want you to know how much I love and miss each one of you. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I thought it would be fun for you to see where I live! So here is the address to our apartment. I think if you type in "Colonial Hills Village Apartments" 357 West O-Reilly Street, it should come up with where our apartment is! I feel so spoiled! Also, another thing that I wanted to tell you is that I heard a song the other day that Elder Dick was playing and it is so good! It is called "The hardest thing I've ever loved to do". It is a song about missionaries and is pretty funny as well! I really liked it and thought that you would to! I am so grateful for all of your love and support! I couldn't do it without you! Thanks again for the awesome package, emails, and pictures! It was all so great as usual! Have another awesome and fun week everyone! LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL TONS!! ♥️
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
