Hello my dear and awesome loved ones!!! Another P-day is upon us and I really can't believe how quickly this week went by! Thank you SO much for your fun emails! I am so glad that you had a really fun week and Dad's Birthday went so well! We had lots of fun plans today but we woke up to unexpected rain and so we won't be able to go to that cool park with turf and play sports with our district. Our backup plan is to go get a haircut for Elder Mitonzi and then go to Cross Bronx Pizza! I am the only one out of our apartment of 4 to eat there and so everyone else really wants to try the giant slices! I am getting very excited for our Skype call in just 2 and a half weeks!!! I have been thinking a lot about a time to Skype and I was so grateful that you sent me the time that your Church starts. We are free most of the day and so you are totally welcome to pick whatever time is best for you! I'm VERY excited to talk to you again! Hopefully Grandma and Grandpa Lindberg and Grandma Evans can join in! It will be a very fun time! I am thinking that we could do it at 3:00 my time and 1:00 your time. Or we could even do it later in the evening after we both eat dinner. It will work our perfectly because we both have early Church. We had an amazing week and I'm so excited to say that Prince's Baptism went so well and couldn't have gone better! It was wierd to have a baptism for someone that I didn't know very well but it was still an amazing experience!
Last P-Day was really awesome and so much fun! The weather was perfect and we had such a nice time at the Temple with our roommates! The session was very packed and we had about 10-12 Elders in the session and I even got to see Elder Kirkham! We got to the Temple right on time and enjoyed listening to the prelude music and enjoyed the peace and quiet. It still amazes me how the outside can be crazy busy and lots going on and then once you walk inside the Temple, everything is silent. The session was so nice and we enjoyed eating lamb gyros after and drinking a cold drink. It tasted so good and we enjoyed making the apartment look nice for the next week and emailing! I loved hearing from each of you! We got a text from Sister Smith and she invited us over to have dinner with their whole family this next Sunday at 5:00! It will be so amazing to have dinner at the mission home! They wanted us to come over so Savannah can ask questions about the African refugee camp and so I get to tag along and enjoy the conversation! Savannah is their oldest daughter and she is visiting an African refugee camp soon and so they wanted us to come over! After our fun day ended, we went out into the beautiful weather and got right to work! We sent a video about the Sabbath day and then we got invited to a fried chicken party near the Bishop's office that one of the members brought. Then we went to visit a new investigator that ordered a Bible but he lived in a homeless shelter that we can't get into. We called him and he wants us to set up a time that we can meet him at the Church. I got back to the apartment and was very excited to see your email! Thanks so much for all of your emails during the day! I hope Dad would have an awesome Birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I was thinking about you a lot and sending lots of Birthday wishes your way! I hope you had an awesome and fun day! In the morning, I have been running on the elliptical and it has been nice to lose some weight! We had another really busy day with lots to do! We planned our day and then we had Prince's baptismal interview at his home at 10:00. Since Elder Ihalmo is the District Leader, he was able to do the interview. Prince was running a little late and so we went on a quick split and I got to go into their area with Elder Palmer to teach this really nice Indian man named Devar who is on baptismal date. We saw something really cool on the way! Devar lives right next to the Manhattan Jaspers College and so we got to see the cool campus! Then we had a Skype lesson with him from 2 missionaries in Salt Lake and it went really well! We taught him about the Commandments and Baptism. It was a really great lessons and one of the sister missionaries spoke Devar's language and is from the same country and so she translated. Then we had some lunch before doing our studies and weekly planning. We had a really great split even though it was only 2 hours but it was fun to teach Devar because he is a really great investigator! It started to rain a little bit but we stayed dry because it was only a light sprinkle but it was still pretty dark and gloomy. We organized the baptismal program and got the program all filled out and sent it off to our ward mission leader. It was so great to have it done and just as we got done with our planning, the sun came out and was a really nice day! We had some dinner and then went to an appointment with a guy named Kevin Lamb. We didn't know too much about him but we scheduled an appointment a few days ago and wanted to get to know him and start teaching him. He ordered a Bible online and so we went for our lesson to teach him. He wasn't home and told us that he fell asleep due to him working so much and got really tired and so we headed over to visit a guy that the Manhattan YSA Elders told us to go visit and he was home but told us that he wasn't interested. So then we printed out Prince's baptismal programs and they looked really nice! I will be sending one today and so I hope you enjoy getting one! Then we had 2 Facebook video lessons with Wesley and Kadeem and invited them both to Church and the Baptism. When we got back to the apartment, we went on our split that Elder Ihalmo organized a few weeks ago. We were looking forward to working with different missionaries and splits are always pretty funny to do within our apartment because we get to sleep in our own beds. I was thinking about Dad a lots and hoping that he was having a really awesome Birthday! Happy Birthday Dad!!!! Love you all!
Friday was a very great day as well! Elder Ihalmo came with me into our area and Elder Mitonzi went to their area with Elder Palmer. I was really excited to get your fun emails that morning and enjoyed seeing some pictures of Dad and his fun day! I'm so happy that he had a great and fun day! We woke up to pretty blue skies and warmer temperatures and so we were ready to tackle the day! At the beginning of the day, we had 6 set lessons all back to back. Everything fit like a puzzle and worked out so we had enough time to get to our lessons but we were lucky to have so many appointments! After we studied, we went to the Church because the Sign Language Missionaries wanted to train all of the missionaries better on how to talk to deaf people. So we went over to the training and learned a few tips on how we have a conversation with them and then they gave us some cool cards to give to them. I have only seen a handful of deaf people since I've been in New York and so it will be fun to have them be able to teach them. Then we had some lunch and then quickly went to our next appointment and it went so well! We committed Bruce to be baptized but not on a specific date. He started to tear up when we told him about the First Vision and also the Priesthood authority. Elder Ihalmo has been out about 5 months and he is a really great teacher! Then we had something crazy happen! We were walking to our next appointment and we walked passed a group of rowdy and rude teenagers and as we passed them and had our backs to them, they chucked an ice cream bar at Elder Ihalmo and it got all over the back on his nice coat. I felt especially bad because he was only in our area for 1 day and got pelted with melted ice cream. We just turned around to see what happened and they were running away laughing. Then we saw something really cool! We were walking by Yankee Stadium and there were tons of film crew members and tv cameras set up everywhere and we saw a sign that said that they were filming the Tv show "The Tick" right there! The sign explained that whoever is in the area at that time would be in the Tv show and would be recognizable from tv. So on the next episode of "The Tick" watch out for us because they were filming it right as we walked by! It was really cool! The sign said that they had the right to film everyone who wanted to be in the show and could be on the show. I wish I could have gotten a picture because the skies were so pretty but there was too much going on and I didn't have time to get my camera out. Sorry! I'm not sure if the Tick is a good show or not but if you want to watch it, you might see me! Then Elder Ihalmo got talking about Family History. It was really cool that 2 missionaries whose ancestors come from 2 countries right next to each other! Finland and Sweden! He told me that he has been to Sweden and has lots of ancestors so we could be related. He has a strong Finnish accent but speaks very good English! Then we taught the husband of a Less active member named Kenyainna and showed him a video about Baptism and he said t hst he would read the Restoration pamphlet and the Book of Mormon. Then we had some delicious sandwiches for dinner and then we headed out for our last lesson of the day. He ended up having a meeting come up and so we did some lookups in the area. We ended the split and headed off to bed, excited for Prince's Baptism!!!
Prince's Baptism!!! Saturday was a very great day! We woke up and were really looking forward to Prince's Baptism! We had to leave a couple hours early to fill up the font and set up chairs. The Spanish Ward had 2 other baptisms later that day but we were the first one. So we got to the Church and filled up the font and did our planning. Everything was going so smoothly and we got a text from Prince telling us that he was on his way! This baptism felt a little different because I wasn't there for his whole journey and I still didn't know him very well but it was still a very exciting time to have another Baptism! Everything went so smooth and we had lots of people show up! We got to present the Restoration and it was a really great time! Prince was very excited to get baptized and even sang a song that he wrote about his baptism while he was giving his testimony. We had some great talks about the Holy Ghost and Baptism. Prince is an artist and records Gospel music and is just a really cool guy! We took lots of pictures and had some good desserts after. Then we had some lunch and drank some cold water since it was so hot outside. The ice cream trucks have been out and about and lots of kids love running up to get ice cream. After lunch, we planned the rest of our day and headed back out to keep the great work going! We were on cloud 9 especially after a baptism and were just so happy! It was so funny because while we were presenting the Restoration to everyone, Elder Mitonzi kept saying Bruce instead of Prince because there was a member sitting right in front of him named Bruce. It was hilarious and everyone kept laughing because he kept calling Prince, Bruce. Hehe! I was wishing you all a great day and really thinking a lot about you. I wish that I could have given you a big hug! We had a very great dinner appointment with a lady in the ward named Sister Jackson. She was baptised a few years ago and has loved going to Church. She made us a very good Jamaican meal! We had rice, Jamaican chicken and vegetables with ginger ale. It was very tasty and afterwards, we shared the Music of the Gosepl video and then went to visit Kadeem. We got a text from Sister Smith inviting us all to be prayerful of 1 person in our Area Book that we could invite to Church that evening and we thought of Kadeem and his Mom. They both committed to come to Church and we said a prayer with them and headed back to the apartment for the night. It was such an awesome day and we were so excited to have another baptism!
Sunday was a really awesome day! I always love Sundays in the mission and I really love going to Church! As we were preparing for the day, it hit me as to how close we are to Mother's Day!!!!! It got me so excited because I looked at the calendar and we are less than 25 days away from skyping! It is so exciting that we get to talk again!!! I have been thinking a lot about the time because we have really early Church. 9:30-12:30 my time and 7:30-10:30 your time. I have 1 question. When does your Church start? I think that it starts at 1:00 but I wasn't sure. I am good to Skype whenever and so you can totally pick the time. I am really, really, REALLY excited to talk to you all again! Doesn't it seem like yesterday that we were just talking? So we got to Church and had something really exciting happen! We saw this man sitting on the back pew and he isn't a member. He told us that he was walking by the Church and felt a spiritual prompting to come and attend all 3 hours. His name is Justin LeBlanc and he is from Dominica. He was baptized into the Church of Christ Church and is married with a few kids but they don't live in America. It was so cool to have him just walk in because the spirit told him to! We had 2 missionaries in our ward speak, Sister Banks and Elder Ihalmo, and they both did a great job. The talks were perfect for Justin because they were all about faith and prayer. Then we dropped off a Bible to a man named George Ampate from Ghana but he lives in our roomates' area and so we passed him off to them. We were able to give him the Bible and also a Book of Mormon. Then we had some yummy Jamacain food that Sister Johnson made for us. The weather was really warm and it felt so nice to be out in. Then we had something really amazing happen! We were going to our appointment with our awesome new investigator named Kevin Lamb. We were walking up his building when we heard "LDS!" shouted right behind us. We turned around and it was a man from Africa who is a member and was baptized not too long ago in Africa. He asked us where we were from and when we said Utah, he told us that he lived in Salt Lake for 10 years!! That isn't even the coolest part! He told us that while living in Salt Lake, he was a building supervisor and helped with some security at the Conference Center and also Vivint Smart Home Arena! Then he told us something really amazing! He told us that he knows Jeffery R. Holland and has many pictures with him! He has become really good friends with him and he knows him by name! It was way cool! Then we had one of the best lessons ever with Kevin Lamb! He lives in a really nice apartment complex and was found on the train by some sister missionaries who sent his information over to us. He is so awesome and loved hearing about the Book of Mormon! Then we had an awesome lesson with the Darko family! They have 4 kids and his daughter is Victoria. I asked her how old she was and she told me that she was 11. Then I asked her when her Birthday was and she said April 12th 2007! 1 day after Parker's Birthday!!! It was way cool! Then we went to see Kadeem and his Mom and as we were reading a verse in the Book of Mormon, I looked down the alley where we were and saw Sister Banks and Sister Moodie so I yelled their name to get their attention and they came to teach them! We couldn't go inside their home because there wasn't a 3rd male in the home and so it was a miracle that the Sisters were walking by at the exact moment that they were needed! It was such an aweosme day and I was thinking how your Sabbath Day went!
Monday was very busy and very awesome! We had interviews with President Smith and also a great District Meeting. We had lots of lessons and Family Home Evening and so we were really busy the whole day which is always so nice! We headed off to District Meeting extra excited to talk about Prince and how his baptism went. I was excited that you saw the pictures of his baptism on my drive. The weather was so pretty again and really hot but we stayed cool and drank lots of water. Our district meeting was so awesome and they announced that we will have Zone meetings each week on Fridays and so we are looking forward to that. We talked a lot about so many investigators and the needs of the ward. Then President Smith came and started interviews with the Zone Leaders and we went back to the apartment to have lunch before it was our turn for interviews. My interview went so well and President Smith started the interview by saying "Well Elder Lindberg, you don't have much time left." He was telling me at how quick time goes and to continue to love those that I serve. He told me that 9 months goes by very quick and to make the most of the time that I have left. He also taught me out of the Book of Mormon and showed me some really cool scriptures to use in my teaching! After our interviews, we crossed the street to help a member move some items that she wanted to donate to the Church and she appreciated it very much! She had a table with a glass top and a microwave and so we put it in the lobby of the Church and out a sign that said free so anybody could take it. They have such a hard time getting along. It's so sad to see how they treat each other and how hard it is for them to get along. We shared the Conference talk from Devin Durrant from this last conference and they fought during the whole talk and ended up arguing and yelling at each other. It just made me so sad for them because they aren't happy and they don't get along. Giovanna is a member but her husband isn't and they are going through some very hard times. Her sister is very sick and so Giovanna is going to pick up her kids to watch them for a few months. They live in Indiana and so it has been a tough time for them. After dinner, we went to our Family Home Evening activity with all of the missionaries in our distirct and our investigators and members that we invited. It's always a great time and I love that we as missionaries take the lead in teaching Family Home Evening and having the opportunity to improve our teaching skills. There is a guy named Jose who speaks Spanish and English and has been coming to Family Home Evening for many years but doesn't come to Church. He has a friend named Jose Vega and asked if he could come with Jose. Jose couldn't make it like he usually does and so his friend, Jose Vega, drove to the Church and we met him at the front. Let me just say that this guy is so awesome! He is absolutely hilarious and is your typical "New Yawker!" He was born in Puerto Rico and has lived in the Bronx since 1959. We thought he was in his 50s or 60s but it turns out that he is 82. He looks very young and so healthy. He had a really awesome time and was cracking the most hilarious jokes the whole time. He made everyone laugh and really was fun to have there. E told us that he enjoyed his experience and would be coming to Church. It was a very great day and we walked back to the apartment ready to tackle another day!
Tuesday was so great! We woke up to sirens and we got a text from one of the ward members that a couple of buildings were on fire near the Church. She told us that the Church would be fine but lots of damage was done to a few stores. It was crazy! It was a very nice day with blue skies and we were ready to take on the day! After our studies,we went to an appointment with Peter Narrah who I had never met before. We also had an appointment with a guy named Joshua and he believed that the Bible is the only word of God and any other scripture is not allowed. He had a very hard time understanding the Book of Mormon but by the end of the lesson, he told us that he would read the Book of Mormon which was a big step! I was getting very excited to read your weekly email and hear about your week! We knocked on a couple of doors and we were working right next to the Olmstead Zone. Our boundary line is Boston Road and we walked along it to get to our appointments. We were able to pass out a couple of Books of Mormon and a few people even came up to us and recognized us and have seen missionaries before. We talked to a few kids and invited them to our basketball activity and then had a quick dinner before heading to the Church for a lesson with a less active member named Larry Turner. Our ward mission leader set up the appointment and asked us to come along. He also wanted us to give a blessing and teach about the Priesthood. He ended up not showing up but we still enjoyed talking with Brother Natter about his new calling as Elders Quorum President! After we talked with Brother Natter, we played basketball in the gym with a few investigators that came as well as Elder Palmer and Elder Ihalmo! We had a very fun time shooting some hoops and it made me miss playing with my bros! We talked to a recent convert about going on a mission and after basketball, we walked passed the building that was on fire that morning. Man what a mess they have! There were 4 or 5 little shops that were totally destroyed. A laundromat, Chinese and pizza restaurant. It was really crazy! Then we came back to the apartment and I was very excited to get and read your email and see the pictures! It was so fun to read! Your email was just so awesome as usual! I absolutely love al, of the details!
Well everybody, that was my week! I am so thankful for all of your love and support and countless prayers! You are in my every thought and prayer and I care about each of you more than anything! Time sure is zipping right by and we are so close to Skyping again! I feel like it was just Christmas and nownits already Mother's Day! Pretty soon we will have a brand new mission President and things will change a lot. It will be a lot of fun to be one of the oldest missionaries the whole mission when that happens! Lots of fun and exciting changes coming up! I am so excited to say that we get to have dinner at the Mission Home with President Smith and his Family this coming Sunday and so we are very excited for that! It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity! I hope you all have an amazing and fun week! Thanks again for your emails and pictures! LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
