Week 39

July 6, 2016
Wednesday, Day 267
Day 254 in NY

PDAY!
Today was crazy! This morning we left quick to start our laundry and when we finished we came straight home, folded clothes, put them away, and got ready to leave again. Our next objective was to exchange the shoes dad sent me. So we headed out the door with this Macy's box with 2 pairs of shoes in it. As we got out the door we took into consideration how long it may take, so we decided we would go eat lunch really quick and then exchange the shoes. We went into a near by deli grabbed some sandwiches and headed back up to the apartment.  After eating we went back down stairs and grabbed a train to Macy's, where we then exchanged the shoes and went back home, again. When we got home we changed our clothes and went to the church to play gator ball. There were supposed to be a lot of missionaries there, but it was just Elder Tatafu and I for a while. So for about a half hour we played one on one. Eventually everyone showed up and we started playing gator ball. About an hour later we needed to leave to go home, change and head over to the freedom tower! We left with enough time to get there on time. Got home, changed really quick and we were out the door in minutes. We hit the pavement and made our way to the train. Knowing we have to be there at 5:15 for our session to go to the top, we waited for the train for 15 minutes, which was okay we started on the train and made about 5 stops and around the 5th or 6th stop the train stopped at the platform and we waited... We then waited for 25 minutes! Which made us extremely late and we missed our session and we still had to make 4 more stops before we got there. While on the train I just knew we wouldn't make it, so I just prayed and prayed to be able to somehow make it there or get our money back. After the train finally started moving we got off about another 10 minutes later. After a five-minute walk we found our roommates waiting for us... When we got them they said they got out session time changed and we could still go up. We were so grateful to have our prayer answered that although we were 30 minutes late we were still able to make it to the top. It was such an awesome view! The elevator ride was sweet! You go up to the 102nd floor. I've got tons of pictures for you
all to see.

July 7, 2016
Thursday, Day 268
Day 255 in NY

Weekly planned. Met with Mia had a very uplifting and spiritual lesson. We didn't really have lunch, I had a couple quesadillas but we took like 20 minutes to eat so we could get back to planning. Then we got a call from Elders Richards and Burton saying they wanted to take us out to Johnny Rockets so we did that then went to dinner with a member at 8. We met at chipotle and he had a friend with him from work. I had so much food today it was wonderful! When we got home we planned and when we finished planning we received one of the best texts ever! Sister Smith, President Smith’s wife, text us and said "I heard you Elders gave a blessing to a girl visiting for dance camp. She is the friend of my childhood friend. It meant so much to them and they were touched by the blessing. She is doing much better and has been able to perform. Thank you for being worthy to be called upon at a moments notice. Love you both!" Usually missionaries don't get to hear the ending story of what happens to people they meet. So I just thought it was so cool to get this text. Later tonight when my iPad connected to some wifi I got an email from mom with a similar update on the same girl!

July 8, 2016
Friday, Day 269
Day 256 in NY

I can't remember anything about this day... Because of transfers I don't have my original schedule to remember. I really wish I could remember what happened today because in my little notepad I carry I wrote, "This week we have been so blessed especially today." Not sure what happened but it must have been a wonderful day.

July 9, 2016
Saturday, Day 270
Day 257 in NY

Weird day... Transfers are among us. We are supposed to be getting calls today about what's going to be happening this transfer. Elder Tatafu and I went out tracting today. We tried looking up some less actives and we looked up this one guy who we've tried to find for a while now. We stopped by and his dad was home. He said his son Ivan, who we were looking for, wasn't home, but that if we came back tomorrow he would be home after 12. At the end of the day we received a call from president. Elder Tatafu grabbed the phone and answered it, president told him he was being transferred and that he would be going to Samford Connecticut, which was totally unexpected. Elder Tatafu has only been in this area with me for 1 cycle, (6 weeks) and he's already leaving. Then he gave me the phone and I spoke to president, he told me that I would be getting transferred also and that I would be going to Harlem with Elder Dutson. Completely unexpected! We have 2 days to pack and get out.

Tonight was so crazy! After going to bed at 10:30pm. I'm woken up at 12:30am by Elder Richards shaking me and telling me I needed to get up. He said "Elder Newbold, Elder Newbold! Get up! You gotta get up, there's something big in the kitchen!" Half asleep I roll out of bed thinking there's someone in the apartment. I slip on my moccasins and grab a flashlight. We get into the kitchen and I'm looking around and see nothing, so I turn to Elder Richards and I'm like dude there's nothing here what's up? He said "I got up for my 12:30 pee and when I got to the kitchen I heard something really big so I flipped out and got you." With both our companions passed out asleep, Elder Richards quickly goes to the bathroom now that the coast is clear and at this point we are both wide awake. We just stayed up and chatted for a about 15 minutes. Then Elder Richards offered me some ice cream so of course I'm like why not. We get into the kitchen he opens the freezer and grabs his ice cream. I walk over to the sink where our dishes are in a drying rack and reach for a spoon. Just in time my eyes are locked on the cockroach sitting on my spoon before my hand reached it. Fishing around for this cockroach with a fork in the drying rack, after scaring it off, I stab at it, thinking I got it I move around some silverware to confirm its death when all of a sudden, it jumps straight out of the silverware right at me! With our hearts beating at a million miles an hour we decided to take a minute to recover... Deciding there's an easier way to finish off this cockroach, I walk out of the bathroom and up to the dish rack with Raid in my hand and drench the dishes in Raid as I spray the roach. After that little exciting adventure we went back to the other room and chatted some more. About 30 minutes later we heard something big coming from in the bathroom. We grabbed our flashlights and quietly came to the doorframe of the bathroom when all of a sudden we see the trash is hopping
around. With Elder Richards filming behind me I walk up closer to the trashcan and stop. After a moment of stillness and suspense... Out of the trashcan hops a mouse and darts straight for my foot! Surprised I lift my foot to step back and instinctively stepped down. Now with a mouse under my foot, there was no other option but to press down and put it out. After a crack of some bones we thought it was over for the mouse. Lifting up slowly and relieving pressure with my foot I could feel it start to move again. Pushing down again, Elder Richards places his foot on mine and drops all his weight down and that was the end of that. What a crazy night! Woke up at 12:30 to Elder Richards and ended the night at 2:30am after our crazy adventures.

July 10, 2016
Sunday, Day 271
Day 258 in NY

Not falling asleep till about 3 I woke up about 2 and a half hours later and began getting ready for church. Once we were at church we set up chairs and welcomed members. After sacrament we began saying goodbyes and telling the members that we were both getting transferred and the area would be getting white washed. After church we came home, had lunch, finished some studies, and went out for the day. After getting to 100th St. we went and looked up Ivan again. Waiting at the door for a few minutes after knocking a few times Ivan's mom comes to the door. We talked to her and she said he wasn't home (even though his dad said he would be) we told her we would come back tomorrow. We explained to her that we would be getting transferred on Tuesday so we would love to come back and sit down with Ivan and her. We then decided to knock a couple doors before heading home. The 1st door we knocked a couple answered, they were on their way out the door so we walked out with them. We found out they just got married and returned the other day from where ever they went for their honeymoon. After we left and went our separate ways we had this crazy guy approach us and ask for a Book of Mormon. We gave him a copy and talked for a bit. He took us to his apartment, which was so weird, haha he soon explained that he was on some medication. After that weird little event we met up with a member from our Ward. Jeff Derricott, (Clayton Fox served around him on his mission. [You can literally meet everyone in NY]) When we met up with Jeff we went back to the same building we were at to look up Ivan and we went to a random floor and tract the whole floor. After a few doors we met 2 people! We taught 2 lessons with him. It was awesome, we could tell he was and still is such a great missionary. He had so much to share with us as we spoke and even just by watching him. It was great getting to know him while we were there. After about 45 minutes with him we needed to head home. So we went on home and ate and finished off our night.

July 11, 2016
Monday, Day 272
Day 259 in NY

we had our last district meeting today! We talked about change and how it's only through the atonement we can fully change, change our nature. It was a good meeting. After district meeting we went down to the 15th St. chapel to meet with Elders Casper and Casela for our last lunch together. We went down the street and got some dollar slice. After retiring to the chapel we ate and chatted. After lunch we went to the Lincoln center chapel to meet a member for a lesson. We sat down in a nearby park. He told us that he is giving a talk on Sunday on prayer and asked if we could help. He's a convert of 2 years and this will be his 1st talk in church. We told him how exciting that is and that we wish we could be there for it... We shared some scriptures with him on prayer and showed him some resources on LDS.org about preparing for talks. As we discussed the topic of prayer he said something that was very profound. Something that made me think more about prayer. He said that as he pondered on this topic he realized that with prayer there's meditation involved. As we pray we communicate with God but when God communicates with us it's through our part of meditation. In order for us to recognize and receive answers to prayers we need to meditate. We sit, wait, and listen. He went on and explained more of his thoughts and it was awesome! After meeting with Scott we made our way back to Ivan's place for the 3rd day in a row. When we got there Ivan and all of his family were home, all sitting on the couch ready for us. It was so awesome! We sat down and just talked, we got to know the family and share a message with them. Ivan is the only member in his family, so we invited them all to come to church and they all agreed. We told them that we wouldn't be there because we were being transferred but that 2 other missionaries would be there. It was such a great experience. After meeting with them we rushed home to start packing so we could be ready to leave tomorrow.

July 12, 2016
Tuesday, Day 273
Day 260 in NY

Transfer day! Woke up at 6:30. The usual. Got ready and put our suitcases out by the door. Did a quick run-through with the apartment. Made sure we weren't leaving anything behind. My suitcases were ridiculously heavy... I'll be needing to send things home. And one of my suitcases broke... A set of wheels came off... So dad, if there's no warranty on them then let's pray I stay in this area the rest of my mission. Haha I hate packing and unpacking. We went to the Inwood chapel with our suitcases and said goodbye to our companions. Grabbed my new companion and headed to my new area. Harlem! It's the top of Manhattan so I'm in between my last 2 areas, the Bronx and South Manhattan. My companion is Elder Dutson he's awesome he served with Elder Richards so I was excited to be with him. When I got home I unpacked for the most part and got ready to do some look ups and visit an investigator. I already love the area! I'm excited to have a busy schedule every day. I'll now be in a family Ward again, so there's no focus for YSA age people. The interesting part is there's a district leader here who ended up staying in the area and then there's me who got transferred here and is a district leader. I haven't been released so we are in the process of finding that out. Looking forward to a great cycle. Elder Dutson goes home at the end of this cycle and it's a short cycle so we have 5 weeks together.

Sorry it's been a short letter and that I've been busy. I'll get to responding as soon as possible! Love you all! Have a wonderful week!


Patience. Love. Faith

Much love,
Elder Newbold

Freedom Tower

The view from 102 stories up