Monday,
February 17, 2014
The latest!
Hello :) :) What a great
week!
Today is a zone activity,
so we are going to a church building in our stake boundaries [Dyker Heights,
here in Brooklyn] today for a little volleyball! Our church only has a cultural hall that is a
carpeted room, the size a Utah Relief Society room, and the other building near
us mimics the new building in Graham, Washington but it is WAY smaller—even has
just a half-sized gym. So Dyker it is! And I am stoked! You'd think that we'd get our energy all out
by walking everywhere, but some days I just want to RUN! Haha! I
guess having your personal trainer, Jillian Michaels, on a DVD, we are confined
to the house. Haha- but really though, it’s
just my stubbornness. I'm NOT waking up to go running outside in the snow. Not a fan. Haha :)
Okay- My companion posted
the pictures of us at the temple last week, so you may have seen those :) We
had a spectacular experience! The three of
us missionaries went with our friend to do baptisms! It was a
great experience! We got there a little
bit before 11:00, the time that we had to be there, to get dressed and ready. We found that we came at a shift change and
that the temple workers were still in a meeting. So we just waited in the foyer until it was
time to go to the baptistery :) While we were waiting Sister Lewis and I were
talking about families and things, and out of nowhere I remembered that I had a
relative that just started working at the Manhattan temple! I had forgotten to
ask about them last time I came, and this time I couldn’t remember what Grandma
Freeze told me his name was... So, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask the fine
brother working the check-in desk if he knew any Freeze's or Harvey’s... and he
looks at me for a second and says, "Actually, I'm pretty sure I have a
niece that is a Freeze." I looked
at him, and in a much too loud voice for inside the temple [oops...] said,
"THATS ME!" Hahaha! His name
is Dewy Getz :) He was so tender, and so
loving. I just welled with tears and
said, hey- you are family-- can I have a hug? Haha! And
so he gave me a huge hug. He got permission
from the Temple president to take a picture with me in his whites in the
outside-outside foyer (There are 2 foyers.
One that is considered outside of the temple, and one that is considered
inside. The outside one is more for the
church building when you go to the church side.) …And so, we took a picture! Then there’s MORE! We got to meet the temple president, which was
the Mission President of my mission before President Calderwood and before President
Nelson- President Bennion! :) It was super fun. He was the kindest guy. He remembered who the bishop’s are of each of
the areas I’ve served in. It was a great start to the day! Then we felt the spirit so strong with our friend in the baptistery. Then we went to the family history center at the temple with
her. She is on a role-- she got back all
the way to the 1700's with their help! The sisters and I learned a few new
things that will help us to invite people to learn more about it when we talk
to them on the streets and stuff. It was
a great day! Then to close out the
afternoon we picked up a gyro from a street vender :) I hadn't had a lamb gyro
until New York-- and we ate!
We also got to help
"teach" the English class that the Spanish elders and sisters put
on. We are going to start an English
class for Creole speakers, and a miscellaneous English class for anyone. We will begin this week, or next. We will help the Creole elders put it on. Sister Lewis was in charge of teaching that
day and the elders asked us to work with the advanced people that come so that
we can help them with what they want. So
I was working with Timeteo, a super cool guy who is taking an English class at
a college, and I just helped him understand adjectives and adverbs so he could
write a paper he was asked to write. I
had a great time. I am sad it is so hard
for me to memorize things, because the more I work with Sister Lewis in the Spanish-
speaking pool, the more I wish I could communicate with them. They are such
amazing people. :) I am amazed how much I do remember from high school Spanish though.
We had a great time
talking with Taylor this week. What a
treat to be able to see her and talk to her more. She really is such an inspiration to me. She has so much faith, and her prayers are beautiful.
:) Two things I am trying to work on!
Mother! How can you say that I’m nearing time to get transferred!
Haha! Just kidding! It could happen. I am the missionary in my whole zone that has
been serving in this area the longest. Everyone
has come since my being here. Haha! So,
EVERYONE is making bets that I am going next.
I say no. But I go where The Lord
needs me :)
For Valentine’s Day, I
really wanted to show my companions how much I love and appreciate them, so I
got them flowers :) It was kind of a weird
situation where you are always with them, you know? So, I just told the elders to buy some and I
told them I would pay them back. It worked
out great! I love Sister Hodgson and Sister
Lewis. We have so much fun, especially
when we walk around on the ice and have to link arms in order not to fall. The
streets are SO dangerous. Literally, there
is a solid SHHHHHEEEEEEEET of ice on the streets. My ab workouts in the morning
is the only thing keeping from dying. My
abs catch me, haha:)
We have a lot of meetings
and things that we go to now, and FAR more dinner appointments working with the
Spanish speaking people. We end up separated
in the evenings doing member splits to get Sister Lewis to her appointments. It
all works out. :)
This week we had a cool
experience with our NEW INVESTIGATOR! :) Her name is Marie Lubin! We met her in her apartment complex and she
said we could come teach her more. So we did! We will see how our next lesson with her goes.
Our first one was good. It was
a little distracted because the bus system and snow made us really late, but we
are cleared to come weekly on Fridays :)
We are seeing so many miracles!
I love you so much.
Sister Freeze
