Welcome to NY! First week...

*WOW so much has happened in yet another amazing week as a missionary!!! Days go by so slow but the weeks go by fast. ( kind of weird how that works) but ya it has been one crazy week! It started out at 2:30 a.m. obviously as you know catching a bus from the MTC to the airport. Loved talking to you guys and you know everything that I told you about the MTC. We then flew from SLC to Detroit and it was a pretty bumpy flight and I was stuck in the middle. I didn't really sleep too much (the lady next to me had the flu too so that was fun wondering if my first week in the mission would be spent in bed haha) then after our layover we flew from Detroit to Rochester in a smaller jet and met a man from France who was very interested in the gospel and what we were all doing! It was great! Once we got to Rochester we met President Francis and his wife. They are SOOO awesome and President Francis is exactly what I need in a mission president, he is like 6'7" is so happy, and motivated and Sister Francis reminds me a lot of Aunt Ann. Our luggage got lost so the AP's had to go back to the airport to get it later! The night we got there we were overloaded with more information, PowerPoint slides, and new things to sign and fill out. Then president proceeded to do interviews which lasted until 3:00AM!!! My interview was the the second to last and YES we still woke up at 6:30 a.m., so I basically had 7 hours of sleep in 48 hours haha but I'm all caught up now! The next day was a really cold day so we bundled up and went to the Church history sights. It was a bitter sweet experience being there without the family but exciting also because I love this area so much! The snow was falling so beautifully and the fog was so bitter but it looked like something from a movie. When we went into the sacred grove President invited us to find our own spot and make a promise with our Heavenly Father about what we were going to make our mission, and then at the end of our mission we will go back and report to our Heavenly Father. #socool At the transfer meeting we listened to the departing missionaries testimonies and it was so sad because they said they would give anything to be in our position starting their mission again because they loved it so much :,) I SAW TAYLOR HUNTER! It was so nice to have yet another friendly face. My new companion is Elder Willis who is from Snowflake AZ. He snowboards, lived on a farm, can sing, knows everyone in the mission, has the best laugh ever, loves big breakfasts, and this is his last transfer so he has six weeks left :(. We get along great! Right after the meeting we were sent to the outpost of the mission (North Tonawanda/Grand island about two hours away from the mission home) which is the only area he has never been to so we both were going inblind. The other set of Elders cover Lewiston and Niagara falls (so we might go to Niagara falls for P-day) we all attend the Niagara Falls Ward and we love it we have an awesome ward. Many inactive members but very strong people much like the our old Minnesota Ward. Brother L is our Ward Mission leader and treats us like his own sons. He, Bishop and us are really motivated to turn this into a missionary and temple focused Ward. Yes I have an IPAD! Our mission is a pilot mission for technology and a senior couple from Rigby Idaho is over all the technology. We do what's called Internet Proselyting where we talk to people about the church and can teach people over the Internet it's awesome! We can also chat over Facebook (we use our iPads for everything) and we have a phone so I'm like what changed? HA! Elder Willis and I have been using all our miles in finding the inactive members and have met some really interesting people. One old man said "it's too cold to be talking brethren" thinking that he was going to let us in and then he said "go HOME" lol, it was great. Some people don't have TWO MINUTES! I'll admit I've had a few moments wondering why we waste so much gas, effort, time, resources, walking in the bitter wind, to invite people to come to Christ who don't even care. But then I remember what's it's all about and I realize that I have the key to happiness and joy in their life and that they don't understand what it can do for them until they apply principles, and we as missionaries just extend the invitation. Because who is to say if they get a chance to hear the message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ or not? Not me. ....Elder Willis and I have spent this last week building relationships in the community in local businesses, the members, and other people. We are all set up for service so far in this local flower shop and the nursing home and as always I'm sure we will be shoveling. They call us "the mormon boys". I sang to this blind Polish lady in the nursing home who came during WW2 from Poland and she said that it sounded and felt like heaven and I literally saw her lightup with the joy of her years singing in Poland. :,) The spirit was strong. We get to work with some of the people in the Alzheimer's unit and it is like working with a bunch of strong 4 years olds haha. Our apartment and North Tonawanda (which is and Indian word meaning swift waters) is a town thrown back to the the fifties, is the flattest place I've ever seen, and it is famous for lumber and making carousel horses. We are going to visit the museum soon for fun. Lots of families here have really hard past lives and current lives and I just feel bad that there are only two of us to help this community out.. but that's why we have a WARD!!! #membermissionaries So some last minute info is... Elder Willis and I almost got hit by a car and died not even exaggerating, our sink exploded, this town is full of old people, astronauts and famous hockey players, we listen to vocal point and belt it in the car, the door freezes shut, snowball fights are a must, I can't believe I'm here, we are going all the way back to the temple on Saturday, it's -5 degrees right now, I have a frozen smile, Everything is not always good and dandy and everything is not horrible either:) Elder Crowley