Monday, March 20, 2017

NOR'EASTER

Nah I'm kidding, that was the most pathetic storm I've seen. We got at
most 6 inches and everyone was acting like they'd be stranded inside
for the rest of March. Around the mission cars got grounded, but guess
what? I don't have a car! I walk! The bad news was that we are still
about 5 miles out of our area and all the SEPTA buses shut down... but
that didn't stop us! Only slow us down a bit because our alternate
route was about a 2 hour trolley ride. To make my parents worry more,
I sent home just about every winter weather item I owned back when I
left Cherry Hill. So I've been layering up the best I could, but I
think God was watching out for my stupidity because I found a sweet
Russian hat in one of our apartments and a super nice 3 in 1 jacket.
God is good. It was also super Sunny (my face got a tan, what?)
and I was in dire need of some shades. Too bad for the 10 businesses I
stopped into that day who didn't have any shades, but a huge shoutout
to the massive sketchy dollar store because they had what I needed.

This week was pretty awesome. We picked up 7 new investigators this
week! Our mission has a goal in March to find 1000 new investigators
and I'm super pumped I added a few to the total this week. I hear the
struggle in the city isn't finding investigators, but it's keeping
them. It's gonna be a rollercoaster ride these next few transfers! I
think one of the highlights this week extends from the past week. We
were lookin through the areabook and found a former family who seemed
promising. When we dropped by one of the sons answered and told us to
come back the next day. When we walked in there was about 7 people
there! I was amped to pickup all these new people to teach, but sadly
a few weren't interested and then I found out two of the sons were
actually members and they were taught and baptized by Elder Fowers! He
talked about them a bunch when we were together and I was so pumped to
finally meet them. We found out that they were baptized when the YSA
met at the chestnut building, then they went on vacation and the YSA
moved to the new building on Vine. When they got back they went one
Sunday, couldn't find parking and they just haven't tried to get back
since. Anyways, they are awesome kids and they have a real desire to
get back to church.

We had interviews with President Randall this week and over the past
few months President and I have been harboring a challenge that has
finally been initiated this transfer. Once upon a time President heard
me talking about my morning workouts and asked me if I'd been  on a
really good workout routine and I said I was trying to start. He
replied that he needed to lose some weight too and said we should do
some sort of challenge. I almost thought he was joking, but in the
many skype calls, emails and face to face meetings we've had with him
he's always mentioned our challenge. So a few weeks ago I finally
typed up the rules and conditions and he agreed. Winner buys the other
a cheesesteak. Anyways this interview was wonderful as always, but
when he welcomed me into the relief society room I handed him a white
paper bag and said "here's a present for you" and he was in such
dismay when he opened it up and saw a cookies n' cream Beiler's donut.
If you haven't heard of them, please look them up because they are mad
tasty. Good luck Pres.

So some Sundays are tougher than others and this one just started out
a little off. Everything flipped around when we visited Brother
Truitt. He called us over earlier in the week and amongst our very
rushed visit he mentioned he wanted to take the sacrament. Brother
Truitt beat cancer, but the chemo destroyed the nerves in his hands,
legs and feet, which make it harder for him to get around. With
permission from our bishop we brought him the sacrament. I'm not a big
singer, but I felt that we needed to sing a hymn before we blessed the
sacrament. It wasn't any life changing event, but we sang one of my
favorites "There Is a Green Hill Far Away" and Brother Truitt loved
it. He said "12 years in the church and that's the first time I've
heard that one." It's one of his favorites now! Afterwards he wanted
to talk, so we chatted a bit before we blessed the sacrament. It was
quite a different experience because we had stake conference and
didn't get to take the sacrament this week, but I was administering it
to another? I'm thankful for the Atonement and that we can repent each
and every day.

I hope you all enjoy my many pictures throughout this week adventures
and have a wonderful week!

1) day 1: layerz
2) day 2: typical
3) day 3: swag
4) septa boyz
5) mormon boyz
6) a very fat cheesesteak
7) zone picture
bonus video: sleddin












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