what a week!
sounds like things are moving right along at home! its good to hear from everyone. i got emails from jackie shafer and melia this week! it was super good to hear from them. great advice jackie! thank you so much for that! and i sent home my actual address last week. so feel free to stop by! [my trainer served in princeton for 4 months! i bet she knows your fam! send me their names and we'll figure it out!] and melia... you little scoundrel. i want pictures and i want em now! i'm sad i won't get to be around for all the changes that are happening, but i'm sure you will keep me updated. ps- anyone that wants replies from me will need to send their addresses. i can only email family. so i guess i could have emailed jackie separately but melia, i can't email you back... sad. but i still love you!
okay! so its really good out here! the weather has gotten so so nice! and elder's pena and hill, the rest of our tiny district, went to barnegat lighthouse today! it was so cool! we went all the way to the top! it was awesome! and we spent a few hours on the island. long beach island. the whole island is technically in my area, but its pretty much deserted and doesn't get populated until june. and then its just vacationers. so theres not a whole lot of reason to get out there. but its cool no matter what. and today, the atlantic ocean touched me! haha, it was awesome. if anyone gets the chance, they should get out there and see the shore. its amazing. sister penrod and her daughter catherine drove us out there. it was super nice of them.
so, the people we're teaching... small teaching pool. but that is about to change! alice, who has met with missionaries before... she just needs us. but we're not sure how fast she will progress. we are heading to her house tomorrow to do a deep clean for her. go "about doing good" thats what our idea is anyway. we think she'll come around, but it will take a while. she's got to learn to trust the Lord, not us. and she's got to pay attention to what the spirit is telling her. yelling at her. she's just a little stubborn.
howard is someone that comes every single sunday. he always leaves a "donation". haha, he hands sister porath a 20 and leaves before priesthood because he believes in co-ed education. again, he'll get there. he was out of town this week, so he missed this week and will again next, but we called him and he said, "don't worry, it won't effect my longevity in the church." he's awesome. he was jewish, and he has clearly accepted Jesus Christ, but he doesn't quite get it all the way... yet. again, he'll get there.
OH! so, our service each week is at the food bank at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in the Elder's area, and one of the reverends there stopped us on our way out and asked to learn about our church. so we have an appointment with her on monday. it will be interesting, and sister porath and i are excited. but we need to find some bible scriptures so we don't look like fools. but we are ready. and we read that one article from an ensign about a pastor in england who did the same thing and converted to be lds and quit his job and everything. but we're not getting our hopes up...
as far as people who need prayers go, i need to ask you to pray for kaitlyn gravatt. she is a 13 year-old who wanted to be baptized back in august, but then her mom got cancer and the missionaries quit going over there! gah! i think about her all the time, and i desperately want to teach her again... but we just need the right opportunity. and other than that, we just need investigators. our branch is small, and a little... prickly[ask melanie sharp about that word], but we are going to get them unified THROUGH missionary work, instead of using our time to fruitlessly "strengthen" the members. we've got to get them all loving and striving to be as Christlike as possible and it will flourish. i am totally starting to see why i, personally, was sent to this area. i love love love the members and i can't wait to see the changes happen.
also, i need to send out a little something to abby, and i'm going to just send it home. so hopefully it gets there soon.
AND! daniel! have you ever heard of Ron Jon's? the original shop is on long beach island and it has the WORLDS LARGEST SURFBOARD! we went there today and couldn't stop thinking about how crazy you and abby would have gone in that store. its awesome. i'm sending home the brochure... um... dad, my favorite scrip is alma 17:11. sorry i didn't get that to you last week. and for anyone reading this, i need KRISTIN STERLING's address. desperately. and... cam and kate! look for sister barbara jackson and sister judy roberson if you ever get to the manhattan temple on a wednesday. they are both in my ward and work there all day on wednesdays. they can be found near women's initiatories. i think... but that would be cool to meet them. they are two of my favorites. sister roberson is the ward mission leader's wife and we love them both.
mom, are you so relieved to be done with stake play? it seems like just yesterday i met julie catton doing that... crazy. and dad, how is the job search coming? i hope all is well over there. i love you all! thank you so much for your support. i love hearing from you and i love being here. it is starting to feel normal again. that first week was rough, but i feel into the groove and familiar with the area [man-uh-hawk-in]. i love it here, and i love love love this gospel. be the best member missionaries you can be! its hard for the missionaries to do it alone... and the only, and best way is through the members. i regret not giving the missionaries referrals. they are such a blessing. and such a message of love and trust to the missionaries. help them help you. they will appreciate it.
love you all! hope to hear from you next week.
sister mcneil
ab, tell the missionaries out there good job for me! it sounds like the field is especially white out there. and don't worry about alicia, she'll get there. just keep being the example that you are to her. and please, get me kristin's address for me, huh? or get her to write to me!
loves to the fam.
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