If you can drive a tractor, you can drive in New York!

Well obviously this week was so awesome! I love it here. 

I didn't realize how much I missed Belle Harbor until Stake Conference last week. When I left I had told one of the ladies that the next time she saw me I'd be with my husband coming back to visit! Well she walks into stake conference and (loudly) says: "where's your husband!?!" I just stood there super awkward like "what?" I had totally forgotten I had told her that. She was totally serious and a bunch of people were looking at me weird cause obviously I have my nametag on. It was so gloriously awkward. Cug. I miss that place and those people, and I'll just have more people to miss when I leave here (hopefully not anytime soon)! Tuesday was Transfer meeting but since we aren't getting transferred we planned to go see some people, none of which we actually saw because we spend till 5 pm driving people's luggage around. I am SO GLAD we have a car. It was sad to see some of our missionaries leave :( and the new missionaries always look so confused! Haha. We also went to institute and brought Neil with us! I could seriously make my whole letter about him, he is incredible. HE makes ME want to be a better person! I feel like it should be the other way around but seriously, he is such a good example to me. I feel like we are so lucky to be able to go to institute. At home it seemed like such a pain but now I can't get enough of it! We were talking about spiritual gifts and I don't want to write you the whole lesson but I loved this quote by Marvin J. Ashton: "the unexamined life is not worth living." It is so important to develop and share our talents. We talked about the Lord's storehouse, there is the temporal, or bishop's storehouse, and the Lords storehouse-our talents. We must use them to build up the church. Okay so this whole letter will probably be about Neil. He came to institute with us both nights and LOVED it. He texts us everyday and tells us how much peace he feels now as opposed to his past life. He wants to pay tithing and he isn't even baptized yet. He fasted before we even taught him about fasting. He is seriously golden. 

We started our own non-profit organization: Queens YSA Taxi Service! We aim to please. But seriously, we are the only ones in our zone with a car so everyone wants us to take them everywhere. Well obviously since we drive so much we have gotten in a lot of...um....accidents. None of which were our fault. Obvi. #1 the gate that opens into our parking lot goes up and down when we push the clicker. Well I was driving under it when all the sudden it just falls down on the car. Awkward. #2 there is roadkill pretty much every time we go out. First the squirrel. Then the pigeons. It'll probably be a chino next... #3 some guy in a Super Duty ran into us. That one was actually a big deal but I guess we're still alive so it's fine. So glad Pa made me learn to drive a semi in case I failed college. It's seriously so hysterical to drive with other missionaries. They don't know how to swing wide to park a car or check their blind spots (can thank raking for that skill) If you can drive a tractor, you can definitely drive in New York. 

Other than that, Elder Hallstrom of the 70 came but the meeting for all the missionaries was at the same time as a sealing for a family in Belle Harbor so I missed it. I was in a trio with Sis Cox 😍 and Sis Board. Sister Joseph went to the meeting and took Neil...he loved it! The sealing was so beautiful! 2 girls adopted into the family plus their own daughter. It was so sweet and the spirit was so strong. I love the temple! Can't wait to go on Wednesday for my 6-moth mark which was this past week. Time flies when you're having fun! 

I have been studying a lot this week about true conversion and although it takes faith I really think the key is real intent. I loved this quote: “Every unselfish act of kindness and service increases your spirituality. God would use you to bless others. Your continued spiritual growth and eternal progress are very much wrapped up in your relationships--in how you treat others. Do you indeed love others and become a blessing in their lives? Isn’t the measure of the level of your conversion how you treat others? The person who does only those things in the Church that concern himself alone will never reach the goal of perfection. Service to others is what the gospel and exalted life are all about." Being here has and is teaching me how to serve others and put them in front of myself. It is going to take a lifetime to master, but what better place to practice than out here in the mission field? I feel so blessed to be here and am so grateful for the restored gospel and the atonement and its power to help us change. Obviously the decision to go on a mission is the best decision you'll ever make. Thanks so much for your support and love! I have the greatest family on earth!

xoxo

Sis Wads

note from Mom- I will add pictures when then internet decides to work a little better:)