January 17th 2018~THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE AMAZING PACKAGE!!! Exciting News! Baptisimal Date With Antoine Ingram!!! HALF WAY DONE WITH MY MISSION ALREADY!?!?
Hello my dear and amazing Family! Hello my dear and amazing family! I can't believe that I'm writing my last email before my year mark! Wow, what an amazing week it has been! Only 1 more day until I hit my year mark and I just can't believe it! I am so excited to open your package and see what you gave me! I have some exciting news! We got permission to go to the Temple today for our 1 temple trip this cycle and so we are going to the 2:00 session and we are really looking forward to it! Sorry that I forgot to mention that last week but we weren't sure if we got permission to go. We are really excited to go!
Last P-day was really amazing and incredible! It was really fun and special! I thought of you the whole day! We got to see so many cool artifacts and sights! We did our usual morning P-Day activities like grocery shopping in the basement grocery store, and laundry. Then we got to email for quite a while and then we headed down to the 9/11 Museum! It was different this time just because we didn't have to take as long to travel from the Bronx which meant we had a lot more time! We had a really fun time together at the museum and I was just blown away by how amazing and jam packed that museum is! After we spent most of the day in the museum, we headed back to the apartment for dinner and then we finished our emails and then went to go visit Charles and Monae. We showed them a Mormon message video called, "Where Justice, love, and mercy meet." We knew they would enjoy it since they always rely on Jesus Christ and have lots of faith! Then we had one of the most amazing lessons I've ever had! We found a guy named Antoine Ingram a few days prior right before a lesson while out doing work with Brother Toomey! So we were walking to an appointment with Aaron on Thursday and Antoine Ingram came walking by and came up to us and starting talking to us. So we set a return appointment for last P-Day and we went over so excited for our lesson! We prayed about a baptismal date for him and we both felt like February 10th was the right date for him. So we went over to his apartment just right across the street from ours and had one of the best lessons! We got to know him better and to give you an idea of what he looks like, just look up a picture of Mark Ingram who plays in the NFL and that is pretty much what he looks like. He is really muscular and loves talking to people. He has a 10 year old son named Elijah. We taught him the Restoration and invited him to Church and read the Book of Mormon and a Restoration Pamphlet and he accepted! Then we invited him to be baptized for February 10th and he accepted! We read the introduction of the Book of Mormon and when we asked him what stood out to him the most, he paused for a couple of minutes and the spirit was so strong and he pondered on what to say. Elder Williams and I just sat in silence and let him think and he said that by praying, we can know through the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true and that Jospeh Smith is a true prophet. It was so amazing and I'm so blessed and grateful to have met him! We headed back to the apartment with huge grins on our faces! Thanks so much for all of your wonderful prayers to find more people for us to teach because we now have so many investigators and we are so busy! We haven't been able to get a hold of Kevin for a while now and his baptism was supposed to be last Thursday the 11th but he hasn't been willing to meet with us and he still struggles to come to Church. So we will continue to work with him and progress with him step by step. It was such an amazing and incredible day!
Thursday was a really awesome and productive day as well! We had lots of studying and planning and it was really busy which is always nice! We went to the church right off the bat and did our big, huge weekly planning session and then did our 12 Week program and companionship study. We learned a lot from each other about teaching the Restoration and being able to find more people to teach. We have just gotten along so well and have had so much success together and I'm just so happy for this area and the people we are teaching! Then we did tons and tons of lookups and knocked on door after door after door and found a couple of less active members at home. We noticed that a lot of the less active members that live near the Empire State Building and the Flatiron building haven't even been visited or contacted and we didn't have record of any missionary even trying to go see them so we tried to visit as many less active members as we could but not very many people answered. We did this for a few hours and then headed over to Brother & Sister Toomey's apartment for a late dinner and lesson! I will be sure to get pictures with all of these members further on down the road so you can see what they all look like! We had a long bus ride ahead of us since we were all the way on the upper West side near Kevin and we had a dinner appointment with the Toomey family all the way down on the lower East side. I was so thirsty and so we stopped and I bought a Gatorade and drank it all in one gulp but then I realized a few hours later that New York City doesn't have any public restrooms. We did lots of lookups and then it was time to go to the Toomey's Apartment but then they texted and said that the Sister Missionaries were running a little late and so I had to wait for another 45 minutes before I could use the restroom but in the meantime, we looked and looked everywhere but found out that there are only a handful of public restrooms in the whole city. It was just a funny experience all together! Then we had a great dinner with Brother and Sister Toomey and we had hard shell tacos with chicken, rice, and sour cream and then shared a message about Jesus Christ and how we can rely on him. We showed the Mormon message called "Where Justice, Love, and Mcery Meet." Then we took the bus back to the apartment for the night. Then I checked my emails and saw that I had one from you and so I excitedly read it and was so excited to hear from you again! Thanks so much for always thinking of me! I'm such a blessed missionary!
Friday was such an amazing day! We woke up a little early to get to Grand Central Station on time so we could be to Scarsdale for the new missionary meeting by 9:00. We have been taking lots of trips up to Scarsdale and it's always so much fun! We get to see lots of cool New York sights along the way and the train ride was very pretty! The last 2 days have been very warm and even got into the upper 40s. Hehe! Can I say that 40 degree weather is warm? Hehe!
What a great day Saturday was! I am so excited to say that I got your package in the mail! For some reason, the office Elders came to deliver mail on Saturday and not on Thursday. I was so excited to open it but I waited because I was almost positive that it is for my year mark and so I am waiting so patiently to open it! I am beyond excited to see what you sent! Thank you so much in advance! You are so very thoughtful and I appreciate so much the wonderful and fun packages that you always send my way! You are seriously the best! We started the day by visiting Kevin at his apartment and talk about his baptism since the day passed. So we got to talk to him and he told us that he has a few struggles with the Word of Wisdom and so we reviewed that and then he told us that he just wants to get baptised but he can't due to the fact that he is living with Sauce. He has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and all of the principles of the Gospel but just has some Word of Wisdom issues but loves the church. Then we got some lunch and then did tons of studying and we practiced teaching our investigators at the 15th Street church and then read lots of chapters out of Preach My Gospel and learned some "How to begin teaching" points which are some great points to talk about when we first get into contact with an investigator and it sets the stage for our future visits. Then we went to pick up mail and I was so excited to see your package and Grandma's card!!!! Then we brought the mail back to the Church so we could walk down the street to visit Brother Eades and Brother Forbes. We taught them about the Atonement and then asked them what topics they would like us to teach. They want us to talk about Temples since Brother Forbes is preparing himself to go through the Temple within the next few months. They are really great people and very humble. They never complain when life gets hard and they trust in Heavenly Father and always try to stay positive. We had a really great visit and then Brother Forbes said that he is planning to visit his Brother who lives right down the street from were I used to live in the Bronx. It was kind of weird to say that I "used to live in the Bronx!" Then we had some dinner and then invited tons of people to Church. We have been focussing a lot in our district about using technology a lots more and we have found that we can contact a lot more people by giving them a simple phone call. It has worked really well and we had lots of people that said they would be in Church! Then we filled out our weekly report for the ward leaders to see about all of the great people we are teaching! We were so excited to submit it because we had 2 new people on it that we were excited to introduce to the ward! Then we brought our mail back to the apartment and I wanted to open your package really bad! It was a really great day! I love you guys so much!
Sunday was so amazing and fun! We woke up and got a call from Antoine and he said that he was in Brooklyn and thought Church started in the afternoon even though we reminded him that church started at 10:00. We were really excited for him to come and help him progress toward baptism but he said that he would come this upcoming week. So then we went to pick up Monae and take the bus with her to Church and then we had a great time talking with all of the members before church! This ward has been so awesome and Elder Williams has really loved it too! We invited and committed 7 people to come to Church but unfortunately, none of them showed up. We called them all afterwards and they all said that it was either too cold, or they went out of town for the day, or they were too tired. We were sad because we thought that we would have 7 investigators in Church and then none of them showed up. We tried to explain to them the importance of the Sabbath Day and how it can give them spiritual power for the week. Then we went to dinner with the Mishler Family and had an amazing time! Sister Msihler made us tomato soup and veggie burgers. It was really tasty and we had a great lesson! We shared the President Monson tribute video which they really enjoyed! We love that video a lot and it goes along perfectly for any family! Brother Mishler talked about his mission and how fast time goes. He told us to enjoy our missions while we are still on them. It got me thinking how fast time has gone. I couldn't believe that I was only a few days away from my "hump day" and the half way mark in my mission. I seriously feel like I was just giving you all a big hug ready to leave for my mission and here we are a whole year later. I wish I could give you all a big hug right now and relive that amazing and exciting time in my life! Thank you so much for allowing me and preparing me to serve a full time mission! It was a decision and a life goal that I set many years ago and I can't thank you all enough for the love and support! I wish I could relive those final few days that we had together because they were just so special! Everything was so special and it is a memory that I will never forget!
Monday was so awesome! 1 day closer to my half way mark and I couldn't be more excited to open your package! I have been feeling so happy and blessed and I can't thank you enough for everything that you do for me! I am just so blessed to have you all in my life and I can't wait to hug you in a year! We woke up and did our studies and I have been learning so much not only about the church, but Jesus Christ as well. Grandma Evans sent me these really cool articles from her sacrament meeting program and it has been fun to read them! Elder Williams is such a great missionary and we have so much fun doing missionary work together! If there is ever anything that you want to know or if you have a question, I would be more than happy to answer it. I hope I explain things well and that I tell you everything. After district meeting, we headed to the church to do our 12 week program and companionship study. We got some texts from Antoine telling us how grateful he was that we are bringing him the Gospel! It was really cool! We had an amazing study session and read through the whole Restoration section and then practiced teaching our investigators. It is always interesting to just practice teaching and not actually having someone there but it really helps us teach together. Then we went to go visit Brother Eades and Brother Forbes and we taught them about the Atonement and it was so great! Then we went over to the Lower East side near where the charging bull is in the financial district to have a Chipotle dinner with the Doxford family! We had a great visit with them and their 2 little daughters, Grace and Lillie. Grace really remind me of Lacey and Lillie kind of reminds me of MaKayla. They are really awesome and we had some great food! I got a steak burrito with all the fixings and we had a homemade lemonade with chips and dip. Then we shared the President Monson tribute video which they really enjoyed and it brought the spirit in so strong. Brother Doxford told us of an experience when he was living in Salt Lake when he was out jogging. He told us that he took a street right off of State Street when he was training for a marathon and he turned down a street and saw President Monson walking out of the dry cleaners and got to shake his hand. He said it was one of the coolest experiences of his life. Then we came back near our apartment to go to a lesson with Alexsander Feliciano and share a message with him. He and his Mom, Norka, both showed up to Church on Sunday. We are trying to always be there for him so he keeps coming to Church! We were able to teach him about prophets and how the church is organized. He was curious about who the next prophet would be and so we had fun showing him pictures and explaining who the new Prophet would be. He is in his late 20s and has some disabilities but is really funny and very smart. He gave us a big smile and away we went. Charles and Monae cancelled their appointment with us due to to family matters so we knocked on some door around where we were but not very many people were home so at 9:00, we came back to the apartment and called it a day! It wasn't too cold but it is the wind that makes it feel absolutely bitter and unbearably cold! Hehe! We had a really awesome day and I woke up the next morning so excited to get your email that night! I was also so excited to see your Facebook message about Captain Sullenberger! I couldn't beleive that it was that long ago! It was a really fun surprise! Thanks!
Tuesday was an exciting day! We were all really excited to find out who the new first presidency would be and so we were anxious to find out! We did our studies and then headed over to the 14th Street church and watching with excitement on our tablets! I was so happy to hear that President Nelson chose Elder Oaks and Elder Eyring as his counselors. We were both really excited for the announcement and then we did a lot of studying and practice teaching. We learned all about teaching people and not just presenting a written lesson. We watched a video all about teaching according to someone's needs and then talked about what we studied. I read in the Book of Mormon like I always do in the morning and then studied the chapter 9 in Preach My Gospel for that day's lesson. I also have been reading through my patriarchal blessing and receiving council and direction from it. It has just blown me away at how personal it is to me and really has helped me throughout my mission and I look forward to using it a lot more the next year as I come home! Then we got to go to the New York University Hospital to give a non member who was referred to us by a member in the Harlem Ward. So we went over to that beautiful and huge hospital and was able to share our testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon to Joseph Maysonet who was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He was doing fine and in good spirits but was ready to get out of the hospital. We gave him a blessing and he teared up and was just so grateful to have some peace! Then we went to go visit Brother Eades and Brother Forbes. We taught them about Temples again and all shared our testimonies of Temple blessings. We showed them another video about the Temple and they really liked it. Elder Williams shared a story of when he did baptisms for the dead in 7 different temples in 1 day!!! Then we headed back to the apartment for dinner and then headed out for the rest of the evening to do more awesome work! I am so grateful to be able to be a missionary. I love this city and I love the people! We had a busy night planned and so we were anxious to conquer it before our fun P-Day! We did a whole bunch of lookups and door contacting but we had no luck in catching anybody at home for some reason. We couldn't find a soul at home even in the hustling and bustling of New York City. Then we came back to make some phone calls and we were able to call a few potential investigators and Charles. Then we got some amazing news and it is a huge miracle. We got a referral on our tablets on a lady named Stephanie Doan. Then we saw a note that it was a member who referred her to us and that the man who referred her would like us to call him before we contact this referral. So we excitedly gave him a call. His name is Brent Doan and he told us that he is a convert of about 1 and a half years ago and wanted us to go visit his daughter. Both of his other daughters served missions in Las Vegas and Baltimore and really wants his other daughter who lives here in New York to het baptized as well. He lives with his wife and 2 daughters in Cedar City and said that we are his best chance of baptizing his daughter and converting her to the Gospel! How cool?!?!? We are being so blessed and I know it is because of your prayers! I truly do! We walked back to the apartment and I just couldn't wait to read your email and see your pictures as always! They are always so great and reading them is the highlight of my whole week! You are the best family ever and I love you all so very much!
Well, my dear and amazing Family! It has been so fun to respond to your emails today and get to talk to you! I hope we can chat back and forth throughout the day! I just want you to know that I am ALWAYS here for you and I keep you in every single one of my prayers. You are just the best family ever and I really love and miss you! Thanks so much for all of your love and support and all the well wishes on my "Hump Day" year mark! You are the best! Thanks again for the package! You are always so thoughtful and I can't wait to open it tomorrow! I checked the date and it was fun to know that it was in Utah just a few days earlier! I hope you all have an amazing week at work, school, and all of your other fun activities! LOVE AND MISS YOU TONS AND TONS!
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
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