August 24, 2016
Wednesday, Day 316
Day 303 in NY
Pday!
Today wasn't the greatest Pday but we got done what was important. We did laundry and went grocery shopping; the worst part of it was that I had to use my personal money for groceries again. This time it was because I had to buy two $20.50 train tickets to get from Harlem to upstate in Scarsdale. Which if you can do the math is $41 in traveling in just 2 weeks. We get reimbursed for them but it takes 2 weeks... So I used the last $40 I had in my account for traveling and had to use my own money for groceries. But that's life and a temporary problem. After coming back home and putting our groceries away we went downstairs and grabbed our laundry, came up and laid our clothes out to dry. While having lunch our roommates left to Best Buy to get something. We were planning on going with them but they finished up before us and left. When we finally finished eating we left to try and catch them there. To get to Best Buy we need to walk past the temple, so since it’s Elder Gentry's first time in NY-Manhattan, we went to the temple and I showed him around the building. When we finished there we went over to Best Buy and looked around. Then headed back home to just eat and chill.
August 25, 2016
Thursday, Day 317
Day 304 in NY
Today we did our weekly planning; we went to the church and planned for a few hours and got it all done. After wards we had some lessons planned. The first one was on the east side of the island. We got to the apartment and no one answered... Due to the time remaining we left and went straight to M’s to meet with him. While talking to him we noticed very clearly how much happier he has been. He hasn't been smoking or drinking for a couple of days. And he says he loves the way he feels. He has been going through a lot of family issues and he recognizes that Satan is trying to tempt him from all directions, but he is staying strong. We are very excited and love to see how happy he is becoming! Around the time we finished up with him we headed back over to the west side and taught D. We sent D a video that we were going to discuss during this visit. But he didn't get it. So we started to talk to him about what the video was. The video was called Daily Bread Pattern and we talked about how just as we need to feed ourselves physically we also need to feed our selves spiritually. We talked about it for a while, sharing scriptures here and there. And then we assigned him 2Nephi Chapter 31 about baptism and then we left. Trying to be quick we went over to the D’s Family. They always feed us, every visit, and trust me, we love it! And we appreciate it more than they will understand. We started off just asking how his studies have been he said he had been reading for a few days and stopped to be able to focus more on his work. But he (the father) had been reading. He said he likes The Book of Mormon, and that's great! We gave them the Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet and invited them to read and study it before we come back next week. We talked briefly about faith, repentance, Baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. Left it short and sweet and dipped out to make it home on time! We made it! With a full stomach we ran, desiring only to get home on time with out puking.
August 26, 2016
Friday, Day 318
Day 305 in NY
Woke up this morning a little earlier than usual. Skipped studies and our work out and quickly got ready to make the Metro North Train upstate to Scarsdale for the new missionary meeting. The meeting was awesome, the first 45 minutes we split up, trainers with President, Sister smith, and the AP's. And the new missionaries with the senior couples to be given instruction as to driving rules, for those who were serving upstate. We talked about any concerns or challenges or anything great happening in the first week of training. Later we came together, trainers and trainees, to receive and be part of the discussion. We talked about being HERE, in NY and leaving behind all other affairs. We focused on trusting the Lord and his promises. We read Doctrine & Covenants 100:1 and replaced Sidney and Joseph's name with our own and our companions. D&C 100 1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friends Sidney and Joseph, your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.
I personally have come to know the truth of this. I have no worries for events at home or what my family is doing. I'm in NY and I know I'm not leaving here till the work is done. I know that as my faith and obedience is toward my efforts here and nowhere else during these 2 years that my family will be and are in good hands. It was a great meeting I took some notes in my little note pad as to what I felt the spirit was telling me. After getting home and changing out of our suits we went out and met with P, one of our members who is home bound. The rest of our plans for the day kind of went down the toilet, as some Elders needed help getting into the church to grab baptismal suits. They were way later than they said they'd be, so we waited around for them and wasted a lot of time.... Wasn't fun.
August 27, 2016
Saturday, Day 319
Day 306 in NY
Today after studies we quickly went over to the church and did some 12-week before we had our first appointment with T. This is what Elder Gentry wrote up about the lesson for record sake lol, "We went to T's house. We then talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and how it contains a fullness to the gospel. We invited him to read about it and pray and told him if he would, then the spirit would make it known unto him if it was true." We definitely did our best.
We then met with M and today makes it 2 full weeks sober from smoking and drinking. He's been doing so well. He read all the pamphlets we've given him and we've talked about some of them briefly and he understands them all so well. He's changing so much! I love it!
After meeting with M we went to the church to meet with one of the investigators that the Elders in our district had been meeting with. His baptismal date is for next Saturday as well. He ended up forgetting about our meeting but needed to meet with me for an interview. So we waited around. They went out to his apartment to find him and finally came back with him. While they were gone I was searching for a baptismal record form and found only one and it was in Spanish... Well we needed it filled out before we could do the interview. So while they were out looking for P, their investigator. I was in the church trying to read and understand the Spanish form. After receiving help from google translate and later, Hermana Derzon I was able to understand the form and remember it well enough to fill it out with the investigator during the interview. I just love the privilege of being able to meet with these people and help them come closer to Christ, by interviewing them and finding them ready for baptism. It's such a special experience. By the end of the interview and eventually making it home for dinner, there wasn't much time in the night but we quickly went out and taught a close-by investigator and came home to nightly plan.
August 28, 2016
Sunday, Day 320
Day 307 in NY
Today was another interesting Sunday. It was a 2-hour sacrament service. The program was planned to help visitors understand our church and the way it runs. It was titled "come and see". It was a way for all these visitors to learn about the church and for it to be taught to them over the pulpit, through explanation by Bishop Day and the following speakers listed in the program as well as the 3 musical numbers. It was a really cool and interesting Sunday. We had some investigators there and the Sisters did as well. We were able to meet them and one of them was really interested. After the sacrament meeting there was a Linger Longer upstairs for the members and visitors to mingle and get to know one anther. We went up and took the time to meet some new members who moved into the Ward, and meet some visitors as well. We then left to go home for lunch then went over to P’s again to take him the sacrament. He was so grateful because he hadn't been to church in some time because he is home bound and no one has brought him the sacrament. With M’s baptism coming up we've decided to meet with him everyday till then to make sure he's comfortable and ready. Afterward we came home for dinner, late enough to where we stayed home to have nightly planning right after.
August 29, 2016
Monday, Day 321
Day 308 in NY
District meeting was pretty good today too; we talked about goals and accountability. We set some goals of our own and can't wait to see how it all works out. This week, as part of our goal, is to find investigators. All this week we will look for new people to teach. When we left the church we went home for lunch and back out. We went to go visit M and see how he was doing; he had some questions about some things we had been teaching him so we did a little review. When we finished teaching M we went home for dinner and the rest of our plans fell through.
August 30, 2016
Tuesday, Day 322
Day 3 in NY
After meeting with M we went to the church to meet with one of the investigators that the Elders in our district had been meeting with. His baptismal date is for next Saturday as well. He ended up forgetting about our meeting but needed to meet with me for an interview. So we waited around. They went out to his apartment to find him and finally came back with him. While they were gone I was searching for a baptismal record form and found only one and it was in Spanish... Well we needed it filled out before we could do the interview. So while they were out looking for P, their investigator. I was in the church trying to read and understand the Spanish form. After receiving help from google translate and later, Hermana Derzon I was able to understand the form and remember it well enough to fill it out with the investigator during the interview. I just love the privilege of being able to meet with these people and help them come closer to Christ, by interviewing them and finding them ready for baptism. It's such a special experience. By the end of the interview and eventually making it home for dinner, there wasn't much time in the night but we quickly went out and taught a close-by investigator and came home to nightly plan.
August 28, 2016
Sunday, Day 320
Day 307 in NY
Today was another interesting Sunday. It was a 2-hour sacrament service. The program was planned to help visitors understand our church and the way it runs. It was titled "come and see". It was a way for all these visitors to learn about the church and for it to be taught to them over the pulpit, through explanation by Bishop Day and the following speakers listed in the program as well as the 3 musical numbers. It was a really cool and interesting Sunday. We had some investigators there and the Sisters did as well. We were able to meet them and one of them was really interested. After the sacrament meeting there was a Linger Longer upstairs for the members and visitors to mingle and get to know one anther. We went up and took the time to meet some new members who moved into the Ward, and meet some visitors as well. We then left to go home for lunch then went over to P’s again to take him the sacrament. He was so grateful because he hadn't been to church in some time because he is home bound and no one has brought him the sacrament. With M’s baptism coming up we've decided to meet with him everyday till then to make sure he's comfortable and ready. Afterward we came home for dinner, late enough to where we stayed home to have nightly planning right after.
August 29, 2016
Monday, Day 321
Day 308 in NY
District meeting was pretty good today too; we talked about goals and accountability. We set some goals of our own and can't wait to see how it all works out. This week, as part of our goal, is to find investigators. All this week we will look for new people to teach. When we left the church we went home for lunch and back out. We went to go visit M and see how he was doing; he had some questions about some things we had been teaching him so we did a little review. When we finished teaching M we went home for dinner and the rest of our plans fell through.
August 30, 2016
Tuesday, Day 322
Day 3 in NY
Today was pretty crazy... We as a zone had interviews with president. In between the morning interviews and the noon interviews he stops and we have a zone study. Prior to this study, we as a zone individually studied Joseph Smith History 1-20, which I highly recommend you all do. As the study began he started off addressing some questions he had for us, we made a little discussion out of it and then about 45 minutes later he started the actual study. He had originally planned on taking no more than an hour. But as usual, and as I expected, he took 2 hours, but I have to say it was the most inspired and spiritual experience I have ever had. It is because of this meeting and study of Joseph Smith History, that I KNOW that Joseph Smith, with out a doubt! Saw God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. It is a fact, that he saw them in person and there is no one on the face of the earth that can tell me otherwise, because of the confirmation I received along with 18 other missionaries, and Sister Smith. After reading his testimony, his own words, of his very own experience, there is no way I can deny his truth. When President Smith began to conclude the study he felt impressed to leave the remaining time to those who felt the need to share. One by one, each of us, all 18 missionaries stood and briefly stated the fact of their testimony of Joseph Smith. The room was so filled with the spirit that it felt as if there wasn’t room enough for us. I couldn't help but know, I couldn't help the tears, and I now know with out a doubt that this church is the church of Jesus Christ, the true and only true church of Jesus Christ.
With the duration of this meeting we ended it with the last testimony, sang the first verse of I Am A Child of God and ended in prayer. Directly after, President continued on with interviews. Around 2:30 we met with President and M together. President asked him some questions about how he came to meet with the missionaries and how he's changed since then. Soon after a short conversation President excused us from the room and began a baptismal interview with him. When they came to the end of their interview we were expected to have our interviews, but President came out of the room with his stuff gave us a hug and said we will find a time to meet with us for our interviews. Just by looking at him you could tell how spiritually drained and exhausted he was from the study and all the interviews he did. We then headed home and walked into the apartment at 5:03pm. We have been at the church since 10 and got home at 5. It definitely wasn't planned that way, but it happened that way.
It has been a great week! And this week has started off so great with this zone study! Love you all and thank you for everything! Have a wonderful week!
Patience. Love. Faith
Much love,
Elder Newbold
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