Sooo Cold

Holy heavens it cold out here! And so it is...

No, Im just playing. But it is really cold out here. It began to snow a couple of days ago, eke! My companion from Hawaii has never seen snow before so while she has been skipping and frolicking along I just sit back and remember the winter I got frostbite, haha! The wind cuts like a knife and living so close to the Hudson, the humidity just sits like ice cubes on your exposed skin, wow! I do love it though, as long as I stay bundled up and working hard it doesn't phase me at all...or is that the sign of more frostbite settling in? :) Either way its a blast!

This last week was busy busy as I could imagine it being for everyone this time of year. I feel like I have been all over the island and back and am still running. Of course being in the Young Single Adult ward has a lot to do with it. Most of the members that are not originally from around here are heading back to their various homes this upcoming week which leaves us with little time to visit with them. On top of that we have had a great bout with tender mercies and miracles too, keeping us on our toes. Last week as I explained that one man on the corner who showed up to church, we actually had the same thing happen this last week, but with 2 people! One night contacting I finally invited a girl that works the register at a store I frequent by extending an invitation to our ward Christmas brunch that we were having on Saturday. I gave her our number and details and amazingly she called the morning of wondering if it was still going on. I actually didn't know who I was speaking with when I answered the phone but I confirmed and just figured I would notice who it was once we got there. As we paraded the crowd looking for someone who might be new or lost we spotted no one! We thought "oh well maybe they are late." Wrong, she just blended in with everyone so well that we didn't see her. She brought one of her friends and just found herself comfortable among a group of people she didn't know. Again thanks to the ward members also who were so inviting. She really enjoyed herself and expressed that the people she had met that day she would love to hang out with more, and what better place could there be than church, haha! I just love this work.

Contacting too has been quite a delight. There are people all over the streets, even in the freezing cold who are more open to talk with you. The Christmas weekend coming is a great way to initiate a conversation about our Lord and Savior I have found, unless you get the "I dont celebrate holidays" response, where in that case you still invite them and walk away swiftly before they really start yelling, haha it happens all the time :) But one thing I really started to notice is every one's appreciation for missionaries too. We have had some events on the streets where we are caroling with tables full of information about the Church, ie Book of Mormons, Bibles, pamphlets, DVDs, etc and people both members and nonmembers have come to us and expressed their gratitude that we are out spreading the Christmas cheer and message. It has shocked me many times the people who end up speaking with you, in this season I suppose they are just happy others are in celebration of the true meaning of Christmas.

Man! I am just so excited for next Saturday!!!! I hear Christmas as a missionary is the best :) and so far the rumors have not failed me yet so I can only anticipate good things. We are having a mission wide party up in Scarsdale where we will have a Christmas program full of musical numbers from each zone and testimonies borne, followed by a good meal then shipped back off to the apartments where we then call die Familie...oh! speaking of German get this. So my Spanish has been dwindling away because not being in a Zebra companionship (one Spanish, one English) any longer leaves me with no time to study or speak with many people. I was feeling kinda bad about this last week because contacting up in Inwood is near impossible without it, but to my surprise I ran into 5 Germans in 3 days!!!!! Talk about "all your skills will be used." Oh wow, I just love this city. Nonetheless, I am really excited about the upcoming holiday and a chance to hear your voices. I love you all and am so thankful for all of your support and love. The countdown is on until Christmas, someone go see Tangled for me I hear its great! Love you love you, and so it is...