Week 55

April 3, 2017
Monday, Day 375
Day 15 back in NY
Pday!

Sick day-pday. This morning we started our laundry, came back up from the basement (where laundry is) slept for 30 minutes and went back down to put our load in the dryer. We were too awake by then so instead of going back to bed to rest our sick bodies, we decided to get ready and study for a bit. Finished our laundry and got ready to go to the Empire State Building. Elder McBride knows a member in one of his previous wards that use to work in the Empire State so he has a VIP access card and is allowed to bring 6 guests. We skipped the 5-hour line and within 20 minutes we were at the 86th floor. If the member that had helped us get there had stayed with us we could have gone to the 102nd floor. But the 86th was good enough. The member had another group of missionaries that wanted a tour so he left us and went down to get them. It was a sweet view. We didn't stay up there very long. Since the member didn't stay with us, we had to wait in the regular line to get out. 1st! I've never seen a line for an exit... 2nd! I never would have guessed that it'd take 45 minutes to get out of the building! We spent more time in line trying to get out then we did going in and checking out the view.



After leaving the building we made our way home. We picked up a few groceries and made it home around 3pm. I quickly ate and we spent our time resting up and responding to emails. Being in the YSA Ward, it's been hard to feel productive, I'm sure I've expressed that before. But our plans are generally the same and we find ways to make our selves busy. We travel to the church, which is 45 minutes from home. We do our best to talk to multiple people on our travel. At the church we contact on Facebook, then we left for home in time to be in by 9pm and again we would talk to people on the way.

April 4, 2017
Tuesday, Day 376
Day 16 back in NY

This morning we went to the church for Leadership meeting, then we had District meeting. During our leadership meeting the fire alarm went off. There was a company here cleaning carpets and someone else testing the alarms, so occasionally, through our meetings, the alarms would sound. The Spirit must have been burning with power! 

So I have yet to receive or see our new missionary schedule, but from what I heard back home no one told me we had 30 minute lunch... WHAT A JOKE! I think my companion is trying to be funny. But it's not, because that’s no bueno to scarf down food and then walk 10 miles, ill cramp! Lol. I'm not going to able to cook anything in less then 30 minutes and be able to eat it all with enough time to settle before we leave again. So since he was originally called Spanish speaking, I make him do his language study so that while he studies, I can cook and eat at a reasonable speed. So, I guess I really have nothing to complain about lol.

Again, we traveled to the church, contacted people on transit, then contacted on Facebook while at the church. We also met with C. He came to the church and we taught him about baptism, focusing on the authority to baptize (the priesthood). He has already been invited to be baptized and he said he would pray about it. So we followed up and re invited him to pray about it.  He has already prayed about the Book of Mormon and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and has received an answer that both are true. We are now just waiting to hear back about baptism.

For dinner we went to Taco Bell! I want to thank Grandma & Grandpa Watts for the gift card from Christmas! You served a missionary today! Haha Love you! After dinner we then came back to the church for institute and that was the last thing we did tonight, we left a bit early to make it home on time.

April 5, 2017
Wednesday, Day 377
Day 17 back in NY

We split this morning with our roommates, Elder McBride stayed in our area with Elder McNairy and I went with Elder Jackman and served in his area. We were in the apartment today till about 12. We had studies and lunch, and then left for the rest of the day. We had our appointments this morning reschedule, so with 2 hours now free... we walked and walked and walked looking up less actives and potential investigators in their area. About 2 o'clock we had a late lunch appointment with their Ward mission leader and were later joined by an investigator around 3:30. We ate together and well, Elder Jackman did the talking since I know nothing about their area, so he talked about the work etc... After lunch we went to the church and did some online contacting. To fill some time before then traveling to Roosevelt island to pick up dinner from a member. The original plan was to have dinner with the family, but the member’s husband got caught up at work, so she made our meal to go. On our way to her apartment we ran into Brother and Sister B from Elder Jackman's Ward. We told them what we were doing and they said "well, pick up your dinner and come to our place, you can eat it there". So we went to the member’s home, she opened the door with her sleeping baby in her arms and handed us a bag of food. We took it over to the B's and began pulling out the food to eat. She prepared an awesome salad for us and some home made bread and a delicious apple crumble. They were just so sweet to us! After a great meal and conversation with the B's we packed up and were in our way. We came out of the apartment and saw a beautiful sunset! We went to the near edge of the island and took pictures near the water. Then made our way home to end the split.

April 6, 2017
Thursday, Day 378
Day 18 back in NY

Most of today was Zone conference! It started at 9AM and went till about 4:30pm. We were given lunch and blessed with little snacks from Sister Smith. It was a great and spiritual meeting. We did some role-plays and practiced teaching specific people. Then during the assistance's training they asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for a role-play. Immediately Elder McBride's hand went up, so we went to the front of the room and role played with another missionary, Elder Paulin. He was acting for a friend of his from back home in California, who moved to NY, Z should be in our YSA Ward but is less active. It was pretty awesome, we role-played contacting him for the first time. It was way cool, the spirit was there and it was very well focused on him. We talked about him and things he likes to do then we rolled the conversation into talking about his family and coming back to church. At the end when we were asking about how we did and how he felt during it, he mentioned being comfortable and that our questions were not to forward.  By the time we got home from the meeting it was about 5pm we had dinner and were supposed to meet with a less active but because we got home later and finished dinner later while on our way to him we had to reschedule because he was leaving to the studio and it would be too late. So we went to the church to contact members and plan for tomorrow. Then it was time to go home!

Goodnight!

April 7, 2017
Friday, Day 379
Day 19 back in NY

This morning we went to the church so Elder McBride could continue My Plan. We stayed and had our studies. Came home for lunch and went to the Lincoln Square chapel for our YSA meeting. One of the members from one of my previous wards, the Lincoln Square YSA Ward came and spoke. We as YSA missionaries had questions about how we could more effectively and quickly gain trust and friendship with members and how we could potentially change the culture of the YSA wards. The time was left open for questions, it was great we learned what we needed and had lots of questions answered. The rest of the day was the usual blur, planning on how to improve for next week and contacting members for appointments.

April 8, 2017
Saturday, Day 380
Day 20 back in NY

Today all we really had planned was an APF. We went to the 87th street chapel and gathered our stuff up for the APF. The idea the sisters had that we thought we executed well was to go down into the 86th St. Q Train station. We went down to the platform and set up a background and decorated the wall behind us, to make it look nicer when we took pictures of people. So we had a table set up and had an iPad on, playing the new Easter video, The Prince of Peace. Then we each spread out a bit and contacted people walking by and standing waiting for their train. It was busy and a great way to show our purpose but we learned we needed more material for the set up. It looked a little trashy, and we were in a nice newer station, so we definitely stood out.

We then left after the APF for a late lunch with one of our members. We met at his apartment and he had a home cooked meal for us! It was awesome; we had sweet potatoes, chicken thighs, and asparagus! It was the best meal I've had so far. After eating, we then shared a message with D (the member). We showed him the Easter video and talked about how it made him feel. We testified of the Savior and then cleaned his dishes before heading out. We left his apartment and went to the church did some contacting then went over to the west side to the Lincoln Center chapel and were ushers for the adult session of conference. Once we finished, we went to the front of the building and welcomed members coming in later. When it slowed down enough we headed out. We planned to go to the 87th street chapel and pick up Elder McBride's study desk that we used at the APF. Then we received a text from President Smith 2 blocks from the church, he asked if we were still close to the building, we told him yes, and he asked if we could be back in an hour when the meeting was over, we said yes. At the end of the meeting we came back and waited for President to finish conversing with members. It was 9 o'clock and we knew we wouldn't make it home by 9:30… so I was interested to see what he needed us for. After his conversation with a member he came to my side and said "Your Uncle Dale, he has bad health... tell me about him" I began to explain who he is and my relationship with him. Soon I was interrupted by another member who then spoke briefly with president... he apologized and quickly came back to our conversation before it was interrupted again, he said your dad sent me a text last night... your uncle had passed away... with the brief interruptions I had thought that this was what I would find out. 

If I could speak to each of you or be there at the funeral, I would desire to leave this message with you...
Sadly Uncle Dale is no longer with us physically… but fortunately he no longer will suffer from any pain or discomfort... knowing this truth, places much peace and gratitude in my heart for the Plan of Salvation that our Father in Heaven has for each of his children. When I was given this news I felt a deep sense of sorrow, much of this feeling, I believe came from knowing that many who knew my Uncle Dale either don't have a knowledge of this plan of salvation or have heard of this beautiful plan, yet lack a firm testimony of it. But I bare testimony that I know, as my mother and father know, that Uncle Dale's Spirit, immediately after leaving his physical body returned to the presence of God and was reunited with his father, his brother, his wife, his daughter, his great friend, and many more of those he lost in this life. I know how hard it can be to accept the loss of those you love and not understand the feelings we often feel in these sudden times. But I know that our Heavenly Father loves each of us dearly and in result of His love for us He has given us this plan so that we may not live a life of sorrow and pain when we lose those we love, but that we may live a life full of peace and gratitude with the knowledge of His plan. In the Book of Mormon, in Alma, chapter 40, we learn of this plan. We learn that we each will be resurrected, as Christ was, what a blessing it is to know that Uncle Dale is pain free and that when he is resurrected he will be perfected. As will each of us be, we will all be perfected when we leave this short earthy life. It is my prayer that each of you will know this truth. That if you are mourning, that your heart and mind may be put at ease. That your life may be filled with peace, and it will be if you turn to the Lord, Jesus Christ with a sincere desire to know for a surety the truth of His eternal plan, He will bless you with this knowledge. This, my simple testimony, I leave with you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

At the end of finding out his news, we went down to the 1st floor and out to the curb where President then ordered an Uber for my companion and I to get home.

April 9, 2017
Sunday, Day 381
Day 21 back in NY

This morning, the second week in a row, we had no sacrament meeting. We had stake conference. It was an interesting and great stake conference. Elder Sinclair and Elder Pierson from the Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke. Our stake president was released and called to be an area Seventy, Elder David Buckner. These two great elders spoke wonderful talks about faith and also about the process which calling a new stake president works.

Following this conference, we had lunch at home, then an APF at Washington Square Park. With chalk the sisters wrote on the ground "What brings you JOY?" We each wrote a couple things to start and during the hour and a half or so we were there we approached everyone that came our way and asked them what brings them joy. Many walked by, but many also participated, and a good handful of those who participated stayed and chat with us a bit. This is where we had the great opportunity of talking to them about what we are doing. And we concluded the night with dinner at home.

Patience. Love. Faith

Much love,

Elder Newbold

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