Hello my dear and amazing family! What an awesome email! I'm so very happy that you all had such a great week at work, school, and all the other fun things you had going on! I'm so happy that you all had such a great week! I appreciate your emails so much! I really appreciate all of the details and the time you spend to write me the best emails ever! I really do!! This week has been incredible to say the least! First of all, the Baptism was FLAWLESS! Everything went so well and we had an amazing time! I just want to wish you all a happy General conference! It will be an amazing time to head from the leaders of this great church! I'm so excited to watch it at the same time! Just picture me being there! I want you to know how much I love you! You are seriously the best family ever and I miss you all so much each and every day. Missions are really tough and I knew that but they are so rewarding! I have seen so many cool miracles and my testimony has been strengthened so much! I hope I remembered everything that I wanted to talk about! I hope you enjoy my letter!
Last P-Day was really awesome! As you know, our plans got changed and so we had a really relaxing day! It was so nice to recharge and email you all! I had such a fun time reading your emails and seeing your pictures and videos! We did our laundry and then emailed for most of the day. Then we did our shopping and then cleaned the apartment! It was a really great day! After P-Day ended, we had an amazing dinner at Brother and Sister Monterroza's house with Bill! First of all, I have some good and bad news all rolled up into one. It about Bill's programs but it all worked out perfectly! So we sent in an order to Staples to print out the programs and invitations for the Baptism. I wanted 1 in color just to pay extra for and keep for myself. Then we asked them to do front and back since they were programs. Simple enough? So we get there and ready to pay and the lady told us that she made a mistake.....but a good one! Instead of just printing my 1 in color for me, she accidentally printed them all in color!!! So cool right! Since it was her fault, she told us that we would only be charged for black and white. We paid and then got in the car and then went about our business smiling ear to ear because we had just gotten a sweet deal! Well, when we pulled them out to show Bill, we noticed a problem......they weren't double sided. So we just taped them together and then folded them in half. They still looked really nice but it would have been perfect if they were double sided. So we went over to the Monterroza's house and they picked up Bill and we had a great lesson! Sister Monterroza made us some papusas from El Salvador and they were so good! We had a really great time and went through all of the logistics since Brother Monterroza was doing the Baptism. We were so excited and couldn't wait!!
Thursday was another really great day! We had a Conference Call first thing in the morning and it was so great to hear from President Smith and hear all the cool stories from the past week! He talked about the baptisms that will be happening that week and mentioned that there was 9 this last Saturday! We have been working hard on spreading the word and passing out invitations! Hen we drove over to the church for our usual weekly planning and it went really well! We had 2 splits planned and so we wanted to make sure we had the best schedule we could especially for our splits with our District Leader and his companion. We planned like the wind and texted and messaged tons of people about the Baptism because it is such an exciting event! Then after our 3 hour planning session and our schedule was looking all nice, we dropped off a baptismal program to an older couple who lives right across the street from the church. Then we went to go visit a really nice and quiet member named Sister Benn. She has a really hard life and is the only member of her whole family. We knocked on her door and her 19 or 20 year old grandson answered and invited us in. Their house was just full of garbage and dirty dishes from years and years of neglected housework. It smelled really good in there surprisingly. It smelled like Febreeze but the house was a wreck. Sister Benn wasn't feeling well at all and so her Grandson came back in and told us and so we offered to come back another time. Then we had a really great lesson with our investigator Nick who we found just walking by about a month ago. We hadn't been able to have a sit down lesson with him but last Thursday we did! He invited us in and we read the first 3 chapters of the Book of Mormon and the testimony of the 3 and 8 witnesses. The spirit was very strong and Nick had lots of questions. One thing you have to know about me is I'm terrified of answering question about the Book of Mormon and the timeline of events.
I am not a scriptorian and that is one thing I am working on. I am not very good at answering when things happened or how each individual verse corresponds with the Bible. It has been pretty tricky. The weather by the way has been so fall-like and pretty up here! It wouldn't be as pretty if I was in the city because there aren't as many trees. So after our great lesson with Nick, we knocked on Manny's door but he wasn't home. So then we came back to the apartment and had dinner and then went to Bill's house for a lesson! We are both so grateful to be able to be teaching him! We had a great lesson and read the last 4 chapter of Helaman with him and he really enjoyed it! We met with him Thursday and Friday just to make sure everything went smoothly for his baptism! Then we drove over to the church to get some baptismal clothing and meet with Michael Young. Then we had a split! I forgot to tell you in my last email but our District Leader organized a split a few days prior. I'm so excited to say that Elder Bradley came into our area with me! It was just like old times! He was there my very 1st night in the mission field and so it brought back lots of memories! After we split, it was time to head back to the apartment for the day after a really awesome day!
Friday was so awesome! The whole day went SO well and it all worked like clockwork. It was seriously one of the best days so far on my mission!!! Elder Bradley and I were companions the whole day and we unsplit in New Paltz late at 8:00. We woke up, excercised, planned, did our studies and then headed to a lesson with David! We were so excited to be on a split and Elder Bradley and I reminisced about the good old days in Olmstead and how he was there for my 1st night in the mission field! He was just under a year into the mission and now he is over a year and a quarter in! So crazy! So we drove over to David's house excited for another great day of work and we knocked on David's door and he answered but wrote down the wrong day that we were supposed to be coming over. We were very clear on what day and time we were co ing over but he unfortunately wrote down the wrong date. We had a Conference Call the day before and so we couldn't have made the appointment anyway. So we scheduled another time to come back and then did lots of lookups but not very many people were home unfortunately so we drove back to the apartment for lunch. Then we did something really awesome! I cant remember how much I've told you about the Walker family but we went and did lots of service at their apartment that they are building! It has been a very stressful job for them but the project is really coming along!! So we went over ready to help and they had lots for us to do! They got the mudding and painting all done, the floors put in, and they were working on the plumbing when we got there. We swept, mopped, and vacuumed the floors and then cleaned a fridge that they had that was empty. This apartment is going to be for Sister Walker's Sister who is going to school at SUNY Ulster. The apartment is very nice and everything is brand new! But, I noticed lots of flaws and the painting was not done well at all. The flooring was also crooked and I didn't want to comment or make matters worse so I just didn't say anything. I'm surenthat if they noticed, they would have said something. Then, Sister Walker went to go pickup the U-haul truck and we loaded lots of trash into the back for them to take to the dump. Robin was moving in the very next day, which was Bill's baptism, so we couldn't go help them but I honestly don't think that they would have been able to move her in the next day because that place was a mess! We mopped and polished the floors to make them look all nice since people had been walking all over them and so we cleaned them up again! We came back to the apartment feeling like a million bucks and saw all of the cool things we were able to do! Then we drove back and changed, then we went to a lesson in Saugerties with Ann and Sister Shambo! It went so well and we almost got another Baptisimal date!!! Ann was so close to accepting a date for October 21st but she felt like it was way too soon. We talked about Baptism and Sacrament attendance. She really felt the spirit and even said the closing prayer! It is so cool to see other people's faith grow and watch them make changes in their lives that will make them so much happier! After our lesson, we quickly dropped off a sack of apples since we had so many to the Sagazie's and had a great chat with them! Then we drove back to Kingston and grabbed Elder Bradley's stuff from the split and then brought over an ironing board to Bill so we could iron his shirt for him! It was great to help him out! We talked about the Baptism and asked if he had any last minute questions. HE WAS GOOD TO GO! He was so excited and ready for this big step in his life and it was so amazing to be on this journey with him! He has so much faith! Then after our great lesson, we drove to New Paltz but it took us longer because we ran into some pretty heavy traffic even though it was 8:15 at night. We had such a great split and enjoyed serving together! It was such a great day and I couldn't wait to hear about Dubbie's game and for Bill's Baptism! We are so blessed to have taught this good man!
Last P-Day was really awesome! As you know, our plans got changed and so we had a really relaxing day! It was so nice to recharge and email you all! I had such a fun time reading your emails and seeing your pictures and videos! We did our laundry and then emailed for most of the day. Then we did our shopping and then cleaned the apartment! It was a really great day! After P-Day ended, we had an amazing dinner at Brother and Sister Monterroza's house with Bill! First of all, I have some good and bad news all rolled up into one. It about Bill's programs but it all worked out perfectly! So we sent in an order to Staples to print out the programs and invitations for the Baptism. I wanted 1 in color just to pay extra for and keep for myself. Then we asked them to do front and back since they were programs. Simple enough? So we get there and ready to pay and the lady told us that she made a mistake.....but a good one! Instead of just printing my 1 in color for me, she accidentally printed them all in color!!! So cool right! Since it was her fault, she told us that we would only be charged for black and white. We paid and then got in the car and then went about our business smiling ear to ear because we had just gotten a sweet deal! Well, when we pulled them out to show Bill, we noticed a problem......they weren't double sided. So we just taped them together and then folded them in half. They still looked really nice but it would have been perfect if they were double sided. So we went over to the Monterroza's house and they picked up Bill and we had a great lesson! Sister Monterroza made us some papusas from El Salvador and they were so good! We had a really great time and went through all of the logistics since Brother Monterroza was doing the Baptism. We were so excited and couldn't wait!!
Thursday was another really great day! We had a Conference Call first thing in the morning and it was so great to hear from President Smith and hear all the cool stories from the past week! He talked about the baptisms that will be happening that week and mentioned that there was 9 this last Saturday! We have been working hard on spreading the word and passing out invitations! Hen we drove over to the church for our usual weekly planning and it went really well! We had 2 splits planned and so we wanted to make sure we had the best schedule we could especially for our splits with our District Leader and his companion. We planned like the wind and texted and messaged tons of people about the Baptism because it is such an exciting event! Then after our 3 hour planning session and our schedule was looking all nice, we dropped off a baptismal program to an older couple who lives right across the street from the church. Then we went to go visit a really nice and quiet member named Sister Benn. She has a really hard life and is the only member of her whole family. We knocked on her door and her 19 or 20 year old grandson answered and invited us in. Their house was just full of garbage and dirty dishes from years and years of neglected housework. It smelled really good in there surprisingly. It smelled like Febreeze but the house was a wreck. Sister Benn wasn't feeling well at all and so her Grandson came back in and told us and so we offered to come back another time. Then we had a really great lesson with our investigator Nick who we found just walking by about a month ago. We hadn't been able to have a sit down lesson with him but last Thursday we did! He invited us in and we read the first 3 chapters of the Book of Mormon and the testimony of the 3 and 8 witnesses. The spirit was very strong and Nick had lots of questions. One thing you have to know about me is I'm terrified of answering question about the Book of Mormon and the timeline of events.
Friday was so awesome! The whole day went SO well and it all worked like clockwork. It was seriously one of the best days so far on my mission!!! Elder Bradley and I were companions the whole day and we unsplit in New Paltz late at 8:00. We woke up, excercised, planned, did our studies and then headed to a lesson with David! We were so excited to be on a split and Elder Bradley and I reminisced about the good old days in Olmstead and how he was there for my 1st night in the mission field! He was just under a year into the mission and now he is over a year and a quarter in! So crazy! So we drove over to David's house excited for another great day of work and we knocked on David's door and he answered but wrote down the wrong day that we were supposed to be coming over. We were very clear on what day and time we were co ing over but he unfortunately wrote down the wrong date. We had a Conference Call the day before and so we couldn't have made the appointment anyway. So we scheduled another time to come back and then did lots of lookups but not very many people were home unfortunately so we drove back to the apartment for lunch. Then we did something really awesome! I cant remember how much I've told you about the Walker family but we went and did lots of service at their apartment that they are building! It has been a very stressful job for them but the project is really coming along!! So we went over ready to help and they had lots for us to do! They got the mudding and painting all done, the floors put in, and they were working on the plumbing when we got there. We swept, mopped, and vacuumed the floors and then cleaned a fridge that they had that was empty. This apartment is going to be for Sister Walker's Sister who is going to school at SUNY Ulster. The apartment is very nice and everything is brand new! But, I noticed lots of flaws and the painting was not done well at all. The flooring was also crooked and I didn't want to comment or make matters worse so I just didn't say anything. I'm surenthat if they noticed, they would have said something. Then, Sister Walker went to go pickup the U-haul truck and we loaded lots of trash into the back for them to take to the dump. Robin was moving in the very next day, which was Bill's baptism, so we couldn't go help them but I honestly don't think that they would have been able to move her in the next day because that place was a mess! We mopped and polished the floors to make them look all nice since people had been walking all over them and so we cleaned them up again! We came back to the apartment feeling like a million bucks and saw all of the cool things we were able to do! Then we drove back and changed, then we went to a lesson in Saugerties with Ann and Sister Shambo! It went so well and we almost got another Baptisimal date!!! Ann was so close to accepting a date for October 21st but she felt like it was way too soon. We talked about Baptism and Sacrament attendance. She really felt the spirit and even said the closing prayer! It is so cool to see other people's faith grow and watch them make changes in their lives that will make them so much happier! After our lesson, we quickly dropped off a sack of apples since we had so many to the Sagazie's and had a great chat with them! Then we drove back to Kingston and grabbed Elder Bradley's stuff from the split and then brought over an ironing board to Bill so we could iron his shirt for him! It was great to help him out! We talked about the Baptism and asked if he had any last minute questions. HE WAS GOOD TO GO! He was so excited and ready for this big step in his life and it was so amazing to be on this journey with him! He has so much faith! Then after our great lesson, we drove to New Paltz but it took us longer because we ran into some pretty heavy traffic even though it was 8:15 at night. We had such a great split and enjoyed serving together! It was such a great day and I couldn't wait to hear about Dubbie's game and for Bill's Baptism! We are so blessed to have taught this good man!
Saturday was AWESOME! Wow, wow, wow!! It was such a great day and it was flawless! It could not have gone any better! Having a baptism is truely when we can see the fruits of our labors! I can't wait to tell you all about it and how amazing it was! I was thinking about you all day Dubbie and hoping you won your game and everyone had a safe and fun time! We were so, so excited for Bill's baptism! I felt bad because I forgot to tell you what time it was at. It was at 4:00 our time and so 2:00 your time. I was seriously thinking about you guys all day and wishing you the best day ever! I missed you all like crazy! So we woke up and did the usual morning routine. Then we made some brownies for the Baptism and so that was great! Let me tell ya.....it is stressful putting together a Baptism! 
We had Lisa Miller call us and wanted a ride for the Baptism so we arranged for a member to come pick her up! We had tons of phone calls from people telling us that they were going to be there and so that was so awesome! I just couldn't believe that I was having another Baptism! It is such a great experience knowing you have helped these good people and really come to love them come closer to Jesus Christ! Then we put everything that we needed like a baptismal jumpsuit, programs, and everything else that we needed for the special day! I was so happy and smiling the whole day! Then we went to go visit Josh and Adal before we drove over to the Mid Hudson Buffet to meet Sister Wootton! We love and always look forward to meeting her and eating the delicious food! So we had a great lunch and then we decided to drive to Wal-Mart to pick up a last minute drink to put in the fridge so it would be ice cold for the Baptism! We got a gallon of strawberry lemonade which was really good and then we had lots of other people bring treats as well! We were standing in line and a really nice lady got in line behind us and had just 1 item so we let her goi in front of us. She told us that she had left her purse in the car and so she was now really in a hurry. She was so grateful and we had a great discussion! Then after we bought our lemonade, we drove over to the Church and set everything up and got everything ready to roll for the big event! We set up chairs, folded programs, turned on the air conditioning so it was nice and comfortable because it was a really hot day! Then, Bill, Brother Monterroza, and Lisa Miller all got their right at 3:00 so they had an hour before it started so we took lots of cool pictures and it was great! We started the font as soon as we got there and it was done by 3:15. We found out something so cool about Bill! His full given name is actually William Joseph Smith!!!! Ummmmm cool!! We just knew him as Bill and so to find out his name was actually Joseph Smith, we thought it was so cool! Then they helped us fold the rest of the programs and then the Baptism started and it was all so amazing! I wish you all could have been there! We started and some really great talks were given and then we went into the gym for the Baptism! Bill had to be baptized 4 times because his arm kept poking up out of the water but on the 4th time, the spirit filled the room and the Baptism was a success! We were so excited to see Bill so happy! Then we gave the presentation of the Restoration to everyone and then we had cookies and treats thst every brought! It was such a nice event and everyone had such a great time! It was so special! Then we taught Mike the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he was even more excited for his Baptism coming up in less than a month so having him come to Bill's baptism made it even better! We taught him and then drove over to Sister Cross's house for dinner! We wanted to help her set up the Women's Session of Conference and it was so cool to think that you were there! Then we met.....Stella!!! She is probably the smallest tiny little, dog I have ever seen in my whole life. She was about half the size as my shoe! She even took a picture and sent it to you which I thought was so cool! We had a really great visit with her! She bought pizza, drinks, buffalo wings, and garlic knots from a really good pizza shop! We enjoyed talking and seeing how Grace was liking school and then we helped Sister Cross hook up the Women's Session of Conference! Then I did the dishes and then she told me that she sent a picture to you! It was so cool to think that you got it! They were watching conference while we did the dishes and it was really great! I can't wait for Conference here in a few days! We had a really great time and then we said goodbye to everyone and then drove back to the apartment after a really amazing day! We were all so glad for Bill and the day could not have gone any better!
Sunday was really awesome as well! I woke up and was so excited to see your email about Dubbie's win! Congrats Buddie! I'm so happy that your team won and that you came back from being down 12! A few days earlier we got a call from Brother Larin asking me to speak in Sacrament Meeting again. I was so happy to! He asked me to speak on preparing ourselves for General Conference. Then on Saturday, he called again and asked if Elder Howard would speak as well. So we both got to speak this last Sunday and it went really well! We had Ward Council at 8:30 somewhat to hurry, hurry, hurry! The weather could not have been more perfect for Bill's baptism. It was nice and cool but the sun was shining. So we went to the Church and got there just in time for Ward Council and it went really well! We talked about how the ward was doing and everyone loved the Baptism! They told us that we did such a great job! Then we talked about the members in need like Brother Benincasa and Sister Shambo. Brother Benincasa had surgery on his vocal chords about a year ago and lost most of his voice. He is going in again today for another surgery and the doctor said thst he may lose his voice completely. He is such an amazing man and I'm so blessed to know him! He gives us a big hug because we never get hugs from anyone. Brother Van Etten does the same thing. He says that he feels bad that we don't get hugs for 2 whole years. Then, we talked about Sister Shambo and she went in for surgery on an arm that didn't heal properly when she broke it. She is terrified of surgery and the last time she had surgery, she relapsed and started drinking heavily again. She did so much better and we think it is because she has been coming to church and staying so close to us! She hasn't been drinking for almost 1 and a half years! So we had a great ward council and then Church started! What can I say other than it was all amazing! (I hope my emails are interesting and not boring. I feel like I ramble or don't explain things very well sometimes. Hopefully they are exciting!!) Bill's confirmation was so amazing and Elder Howard and I got to stand in the circle! Bishop Wootan gave a great blessing! Then we had the Sacrament and then I got to speak! It went so well and I almost spoke for 14 minutes! My topic was on preparing for General Conference and so it was very fitting to speak the week before Conference that I was so, so excited for! I have some really exciting news! We had 7 investigators in Church! A few of them just come on their own and we are going to get the parents' permission to set a Baptisimal date with them so that will be so very exciting! Sacrament Meeting went so well and Bills confirmation was great! Then after church, we went to go visit the McClure family and they made us dinner! We had chili with sausage and noodles and it was pretty good! We shared a quick message but they had to leave to go to a self reliance class at the Newburgh Chapel. So since we couldn't go give Lacey the Sacrament with Brother McClure, we decided to just go without him. We got to the care center but Lacey wasn't there. The nurses couldn't tell us when she would be back or where she was due to safety reasons and since we weren't family so we drove to the Park's house for a lesson! They always love having us over! We taught them about General Conference and some tips to get the most out of General Conference that I used in my talk. We got talking about the special baptism and thst it was so exciting to have baptisms because this ward hasn't had one in quite a while. We told them that we have another one coming up with Mike! His baptismal date is set for October 28th and we are getting so excited for it and to have another one! It is such a special time to have a baptism and Mike has such a cool story of how he was found by us since he is dating Graciela! In Ward Council later that morning, we encountered a problem with his date because they planned the ward Halloween party that day and so it would conflict with the Baptism. So I have some exciting news! We may bring the date forward to the 21st or 14th of October since things are going so well with him! He is progressing so well and we are right on track! We had a great chat and then had a late dinner which was really good! We had chicken, pasta with sauce and cheese, and then carrots and grapes. We had a great lesson and felt the spirit really strong! The Parks are a really great family and we are so lucky to be teaching them! Then after the Parks, we had planned to go visit Lisa Martin since we hadn't seen her in a while and because she hasn't come to Church or didn't come to the Baptism. Sister Parks is her new home teacher so she decided to drive over in her car with us and we visited Lisa! Lisa's husband, Mike, is really hard to get along with. He has the shortest temper I have ever seen and is so rude to Lisa. I feel really bad for her because she is a less active and her husband isnt even a member so they aren't really on the same page. We had a great lesson and we were so glad that Sister Parks was there to help bring the spirit in! We had such a great day and loved seeing Bill get confirmed!
Monday was another really great day! I just want to take the time to thank you for all of your love and support! I miss you all SO much and think about you every day! 2 years may seem like a really long time, but time really does fly by! It is so hard to be away from you and everything going on but I will be home giving you all a big hug before you know it! Just 1 full year and a sliver left to go!!! I just keep plugging away and trying my best even though I'm not perfect or the best missionary ever but I am really working hard so I can make you proud! Give each other a big hug and kiss from me!! Love you all so much! So on Monday, we did our studies and then we had a great trip to New Paltz fro District Meeting! The drive is always so amazing and the leaves have been changing colors! The leaves are already starting to fall and it just blows my mind we are already to the end of September! We are all, especially me, excited for General Conference! It's amazing because Bill is going to sit with us in the chapel and we are going to set up a big projector and hook up the sound to the speakers so it should be really awesome! It has been so great to be the only set of missionaries for almost 25 miles! We can help with things and have so many more opportunities to serve! I really do love this great ward and everyone in it! It has been such a great ward and they make it feel like home as much as they can! So we drove to New Paltz for District Meeting and it went really well! Elder Wallace had organized a split a couple of weeks ago and we totally forgot about it until he reminded us the night before. So I got to go on a split with Elder Wallace in New Paltz for the day! New Paltz is such a pretty area and I love the small college town atmosphere! SUNY New Paltz is just right across the street from where I am now typing this and it's a really pretty campus! We talked about how our baptism went and it was so fun to tell everyone all about it and share some pictures as well! I can't remember if I told you this but Sister Perkins is the new companion of Sister Johnson is our District. So we have Elder Howard and I in Kingston, Elder Wallace and Elder Bradley in New Paltz, and Sister Johnson and Sister Perkins in New Paltz. That is everyone in our great District! So we said a prayer and began our split! I headed with Elder Wallace back to the apartment for lunch and then we changed into service clothes and then we drove to a member's house for some service! Her name is Sister Precour and she is really nice! She had us get up on her roof and paint her window sills that she has on her huge and old house! Her house is at least 100 years old and she has kept it updated and is running a bed and breakfast with rooms for rent. So we painted around the trim of her windows on her roof but it wasn't very steep. Just a small incline. Then we got a big glass of water and away we went back to the church to do Companionship Study and then change back into our white shirts and ties. Then we came back to the apartment and had dinner and then we had a lesson scheduled with a member that I have met before in Kingston, Brother Dirac, but they weren't home. It's just the weirdest thing when people, especially members, schedule a lesson and then never bother to be home for it. It's pretty interesting! So we drove back to the Church to meet the 2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency and he wanted to go to our appointment that we had for the night. I never feel like i can help out on splits because I don't know anybody and so I try my best and always work hard with a good attitude! So we met Brother Johnson and he drove us over to one of the craziest lessons I've ever had! Brother Johnson is an interesting guy himself but very nice. We drove over to visit a family of members who has one of the messiest houses I've ever seen. Their names are the Elmstons and not to complain or judge them butntheir kids are so misbehaved. It was so sad to me to see how they treated their parents and how rudely they spoke to us. We were trying to teach them about Baptism especially to their 7 year old daughter who will be turning 8 and getting baptized soon. We would ask them a question like "Why are we baptised?" and then one of their sons who are aged 9 and 11 would answer by saying something compelety off topic or rude to us. We just kept plugging away at the lesson and trying to bring the spirit in but the parents weren't helping either. It was tough to get through burning happy to say that we made It out of their and helped bring the spirit in! After our lesson, Brother Johnson bought some ice cream for us to eat and then we saved the rest for the Priesthood Session of Conference. They needed to update some profiles on LDS.org and so they did thst for a half an hour and then it was time to drive back to the apartment and a great day! I was beat! We had a really great split and I got to know Elder Wallace a lot better!
Tuesday was another amazing day! We woke up, did our studies and then headed over to the Church to do our language and companionship study and it was really great! New Paltz is a very pretty area and I love the small town feel! Then we went to Subway and got some really delish sandwiches and then did something really cool! We walked from the apartment to SUNY New Paltz and talked to as many people as we could. It was so great to be back on a college campus and really reminded me of Utah State and all of the good times I had! One really cool thing that I saw was lots of huge banners that said "2016 Men's Volleyball National Champions!" Really cool I thought! They are a division 3 school and they have such a pretty campus! We met a really cool student named Adrian and he lived and grew up in the Bronx right by my old apartment! It was so cool to know the street names and he able to tell him where I lived and the trains! It was a really cool connection! After we talked and walked all around the pretty campus, we walked back to the apartment and cooled down for a minute before we drove to Poughkeepsie for interviews with President Smith! We were so excited to see him again and talk one on one with him! We got to the Poughkeepsie chapel right in time but they were a little behind schedule so we had to wait for a little while. When it was my turn, I was so looking forward to talking to him because of our baptism! It is always awesome to report on all of the good things happening in our area! So after our interviews, we drove back to Kingston to visit with Wayne and his wife Sharon. We always have set lessons with them and never go over when we don't have an appointment but they usually have some interesting excuses why they are busy and can't meet. We tell them that we only want to take 15-20 minutes of their time and so it's not like we want to have really long lessons but they always find some way out of it. So yesterday, Wayne told us that he forgot what day it was. He said "I thought you were coming at Tuesday at 7:00!!" We looked at our watches and it was 7:01. He told us that it wasn't going to work out and that they were busy that night. We were persistent and asked if we could come in for just 10 minutes and he said that he had to pick up Sharon and then she had groceries to put away. We offered to help and then come back in 45 minutes and then he told us that they were both busy the rest of the night. We were sad because we really want to get him to come back to church. So we went to Jonathan's house and he wasn't home and neither was Bob Costello and so we drove back to the apartment for a late dinner. We didn't get back into Kingston from our interviews u til 6:30 and so we were both starving! So after dinner, we were struggling to find stuff to do and people to meet with. I said a little prayer in my head that we would be able to have someone to go visit. Then one of the coolest things happened!!! We were just finishing up dinner and we called a couple of people to see if we could come over. One of those people was Ann! We called but she didn't answer. Then a few minutes later, she called us back! We got talking and I thanked her for returning our call! She said "I didn't know you called, you called me?" She then told us that she had been outside and just wanted to call us. She was hysterical and told us that she didn't know what was going on with her. She said she felt weird and really sick. Sister Shambo went in for surgery on Monday and so Ann decided to call us! We were so happy that we did! We asked her if she wanted a blessing and so we drove to Saugerties and were so thankful for the awesome miracle! We sat down with her and she told us everything thst had been going on and how she was feeling. We gave her a blessing and she was so thankful for it! She really likes us and the Gospel and so we are so happy for her! We drove back with big smiles on our faces! It was a great way to end the day! We got back and I was so excited to see your email!!!!! I couldn't wait to read it! I loved every word!
Well my dear and amazing family! Another week has come and gone and I really can't believe how fast time is flying. I hope you have another great and fun week! Keep cheering loud for me in all of the sports going on! I have been thinking about you all week and thinking about all of the fun stuff going on! I hope you have an amazing time watching conference! Thanks again for your awesome email and all of the great pictures that you took! You are the best! LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
Sunday was really awesome as well! I woke up and was so excited to see your email about Dubbie's win! Congrats Buddie! I'm so happy that your team won and that you came back from being down 12! A few days earlier we got a call from Brother Larin asking me to speak in Sacrament Meeting again. I was so happy to! He asked me to speak on preparing ourselves for General Conference. Then on Saturday, he called again and asked if Elder Howard would speak as well. So we both got to speak this last Sunday and it went really well! We had Ward Council at 8:30 somewhat to hurry, hurry, hurry! The weather could not have been more perfect for Bill's baptism. It was nice and cool but the sun was shining. So we went to the Church and got there just in time for Ward Council and it went really well! We talked about how the ward was doing and everyone loved the Baptism! They told us that we did such a great job! Then we talked about the members in need like Brother Benincasa and Sister Shambo. Brother Benincasa had surgery on his vocal chords about a year ago and lost most of his voice. He is going in again today for another surgery and the doctor said thst he may lose his voice completely. He is such an amazing man and I'm so blessed to know him! He gives us a big hug because we never get hugs from anyone. Brother Van Etten does the same thing. He says that he feels bad that we don't get hugs for 2 whole years. Then, we talked about Sister Shambo and she went in for surgery on an arm that didn't heal properly when she broke it. She is terrified of surgery and the last time she had surgery, she relapsed and started drinking heavily again. She did so much better and we think it is because she has been coming to church and staying so close to us! She hasn't been drinking for almost 1 and a half years! So we had a great ward council and then Church started! What can I say other than it was all amazing! (I hope my emails are interesting and not boring. I feel like I ramble or don't explain things very well sometimes. Hopefully they are exciting!!) Bill's confirmation was so amazing and Elder Howard and I got to stand in the circle! Bishop Wootan gave a great blessing! Then we had the Sacrament and then I got to speak! It went so well and I almost spoke for 14 minutes! My topic was on preparing for General Conference and so it was very fitting to speak the week before Conference that I was so, so excited for! I have some really exciting news! We had 7 investigators in Church! A few of them just come on their own and we are going to get the parents' permission to set a Baptisimal date with them so that will be so very exciting! Sacrament Meeting went so well and Bills confirmation was great! Then after church, we went to go visit the McClure family and they made us dinner! We had chili with sausage and noodles and it was pretty good! We shared a quick message but they had to leave to go to a self reliance class at the Newburgh Chapel. So since we couldn't go give Lacey the Sacrament with Brother McClure, we decided to just go without him. We got to the care center but Lacey wasn't there. The nurses couldn't tell us when she would be back or where she was due to safety reasons and since we weren't family so we drove to the Park's house for a lesson! They always love having us over! We taught them about General Conference and some tips to get the most out of General Conference that I used in my talk. We got talking about the special baptism and thst it was so exciting to have baptisms because this ward hasn't had one in quite a while. We told them that we have another one coming up with Mike! His baptismal date is set for October 28th and we are getting so excited for it and to have another one! It is such a special time to have a baptism and Mike has such a cool story of how he was found by us since he is dating Graciela! In Ward Council later that morning, we encountered a problem with his date because they planned the ward Halloween party that day and so it would conflict with the Baptism. So I have some exciting news! We may bring the date forward to the 21st or 14th of October since things are going so well with him! He is progressing so well and we are right on track! We had a great chat and then had a late dinner which was really good! We had chicken, pasta with sauce and cheese, and then carrots and grapes. We had a great lesson and felt the spirit really strong! The Parks are a really great family and we are so lucky to be teaching them! Then after the Parks, we had planned to go visit Lisa Martin since we hadn't seen her in a while and because she hasn't come to Church or didn't come to the Baptism. Sister Parks is her new home teacher so she decided to drive over in her car with us and we visited Lisa! Lisa's husband, Mike, is really hard to get along with. He has the shortest temper I have ever seen and is so rude to Lisa. I feel really bad for her because she is a less active and her husband isnt even a member so they aren't really on the same page. We had a great lesson and we were so glad that Sister Parks was there to help bring the spirit in! We had such a great day and loved seeing Bill get confirmed!
Monday was another really great day! I just want to take the time to thank you for all of your love and support! I miss you all SO much and think about you every day! 2 years may seem like a really long time, but time really does fly by! It is so hard to be away from you and everything going on but I will be home giving you all a big hug before you know it! Just 1 full year and a sliver left to go!!! I just keep plugging away and trying my best even though I'm not perfect or the best missionary ever but I am really working hard so I can make you proud! Give each other a big hug and kiss from me!! Love you all so much! So on Monday, we did our studies and then we had a great trip to New Paltz fro District Meeting! The drive is always so amazing and the leaves have been changing colors! The leaves are already starting to fall and it just blows my mind we are already to the end of September! We are all, especially me, excited for General Conference! It's amazing because Bill is going to sit with us in the chapel and we are going to set up a big projector and hook up the sound to the speakers so it should be really awesome! It has been so great to be the only set of missionaries for almost 25 miles! We can help with things and have so many more opportunities to serve! I really do love this great ward and everyone in it! It has been such a great ward and they make it feel like home as much as they can! So we drove to New Paltz for District Meeting and it went really well! Elder Wallace had organized a split a couple of weeks ago and we totally forgot about it until he reminded us the night before. So I got to go on a split with Elder Wallace in New Paltz for the day! New Paltz is such a pretty area and I love the small college town atmosphere! SUNY New Paltz is just right across the street from where I am now typing this and it's a really pretty campus! We talked about how our baptism went and it was so fun to tell everyone all about it and share some pictures as well! I can't remember if I told you this but Sister Perkins is the new companion of Sister Johnson is our District. So we have Elder Howard and I in Kingston, Elder Wallace and Elder Bradley in New Paltz, and Sister Johnson and Sister Perkins in New Paltz. That is everyone in our great District! So we said a prayer and began our split! I headed with Elder Wallace back to the apartment for lunch and then we changed into service clothes and then we drove to a member's house for some service! Her name is Sister Precour and she is really nice! She had us get up on her roof and paint her window sills that she has on her huge and old house! Her house is at least 100 years old and she has kept it updated and is running a bed and breakfast with rooms for rent. So we painted around the trim of her windows on her roof but it wasn't very steep. Just a small incline. Then we got a big glass of water and away we went back to the church to do Companionship Study and then change back into our white shirts and ties. Then we came back to the apartment and had dinner and then we had a lesson scheduled with a member that I have met before in Kingston, Brother Dirac, but they weren't home. It's just the weirdest thing when people, especially members, schedule a lesson and then never bother to be home for it. It's pretty interesting! So we drove back to the Church to meet the 2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency and he wanted to go to our appointment that we had for the night. I never feel like i can help out on splits because I don't know anybody and so I try my best and always work hard with a good attitude!
Tuesday was another amazing day! We woke up, did our studies and then headed over to the Church to do our language and companionship study and it was really great! New Paltz is a very pretty area and I love the small town feel! Then we went to Subway and got some really delish sandwiches and then did something really cool! We walked from the apartment to SUNY New Paltz and talked to as many people as we could. It was so great to be back on a college campus and really reminded me of Utah State and all of the good times I had! One really cool thing that I saw was lots of huge banners that said "2016 Men's Volleyball National Champions!" Really cool I thought! They are a division 3 school and they have such a pretty campus! We met a really cool student named Adrian and he lived and grew up in the Bronx right by my old apartment! It was so cool to know the street names and he able to tell him where I lived and the trains! It was a really cool connection! After we talked and walked all around the pretty campus, we walked back to the apartment and cooled down for a minute before we drove to Poughkeepsie for interviews with President Smith! We were so excited to see him again and talk one on one with him! We got to the Poughkeepsie chapel right in time but they were a little behind schedule so we had to wait for a little while. When it was my turn, I was so looking forward to talking to him because of our baptism! It is always awesome to report on all of the good things happening in our area! So after our interviews, we drove back to Kingston to visit with Wayne and his wife Sharon. We always have set lessons with them and never go over when we don't have an appointment but they usually have some interesting excuses why they are busy and can't meet. We tell them that we only want to take 15-20 minutes of their time and so it's not like we want to have really long lessons but they always find some way out of it. So yesterday, Wayne told us that he forgot what day it was. He said "I thought you were coming at Tuesday at 7:00!!" We looked at our watches and it was 7:01. He told us that it wasn't going to work out and that they were busy that night. We were persistent and asked if we could come in for just 10 minutes and he said that he had to pick up Sharon and then she had groceries to put away. We offered to help and then come back in 45 minutes and then he told us that they were both busy the rest of the night. We were sad because we really want to get him to come back to church. So we went to Jonathan's house and he wasn't home and neither was Bob Costello and so we drove back to the apartment for a late dinner. We didn't get back into Kingston from our interviews u til 6:30 and so we were both starving! So after dinner, we were struggling to find stuff to do and people to meet with. I said a little prayer in my head that we would be able to have someone to go visit. Then one of the coolest things happened!!! We were just finishing up dinner and we called a couple of people to see if we could come over. One of those people was Ann! We called but she didn't answer. Then a few minutes later, she called us back! We got talking and I thanked her for returning our call! She said "I didn't know you called, you called me?" She then told us that she had been outside and just wanted to call us. She was hysterical and told us that she didn't know what was going on with her. She said she felt weird and really sick. Sister Shambo went in for surgery on Monday and so Ann decided to call us! We were so happy that we did! We asked her if she wanted a blessing and so we drove to Saugerties and were so thankful for the awesome miracle! We sat down with her and she told us everything thst had been going on and how she was feeling. We gave her a blessing and she was so thankful for it! She really likes us and the Gospel and so we are so happy for her! We drove back with big smiles on our faces! It was a great way to end the day! We got back and I was so excited to see your email!!!!! I couldn't wait to read it! I loved every word!
Well my dear and amazing family! Another week has come and gone and I really can't believe how fast time is flying. I hope you have another great and fun week! Keep cheering loud for me in all of the sports going on! I have been thinking about you all week and thinking about all of the fun stuff going on! I hope you have an amazing time watching conference! Thanks again for your awesome email and all of the great pictures that you took! You are the best! LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
