West Chester is the Best Chester

This really is the best first area ever! New York is about getting to that peak of heat and it's suuuper humid here in Scarsdale/White Plains/ Westchester, whichever one is my area. This means my skin is great and healthy & my hair is crazy all of the time. Love it. Embracing it. I'm starting to really feel more and more happiness come each day. Really, It's the wonderful people here and what we share! 

This week was full of good things. We had the new missionary training with President and Sister Smith. I needed to hear so many of the things they talked about. It was the most spiritual meeting this far on my mission and I got to see all my fun friends in the MTC! We talked a lot about our mission motto, "Loyal to the Core." As disciples of Jesus Christ we have to have courage, obedience, reverence, and effort. To be all those things to the core is making them who you are. We have to be good to the center!!! He talked alot about Peter walking on water and when he had doubt and fear he fell. When the winds of life and hard things come up, you are loyal to the core if you continue to be all these things. Jesus Christ was our greatest examplar. 

Another thing he said I loved is, "If you don't know where you're going, then you don't know where you will go." Have in your life, in everyday, goals to help you get to where you want to be! Successful people wake up and tackle the day and their goals. I know this is something I wasn't the greatest at before my mission and am still working on it. Preparing and then reporting is the Lord's way. We also talked about Joseph Smith in our Zone training. I felt the Spirit so strongly. I was asked to bear my testimony afterwards and again the Spirit was strong. 

We are seeing miracles here in Scarsdale. We have 5 people with baptismal dates. This all happened in the past week!!! First, the Lanier family, we've had some powerful lessons with them lately and after a year and a half I get to see the fruits of other's labors. There is such a great feeling in their home and they have developed such great faith. They are like parents to us when we go over there. We are praying that they will stick with what they feel because they have gotten cold feet before. This time is different! Second, when we were tracting we found a girl named Nashawn. She is fifteen and has told us about how she doesn't have many friends. Our second visit we felt so strongly we should ask her if she will prepare herself to be baptized and she said, "I can be baptized again!?" We still need to feel her out more and talk to her parents. Sita Sham... I love her!! She is the most amazing woman!! She also has been taught for a long time and mostly just likes the company because she is lonely. Now she has a desire to really know if it's true!! She was born and raised Hindu and has such a hard family. She tries to forgive them but they treat her so poorly and she is SO SWEET! I saw it a little when we went over on Monday and met her grand daughter and Zalle's other grandmother. I told her that maybe she was experiencing such hard things right now because Heavenly Father wants her to come closer to Christ. He is preparing her. She just needs to know for herself it's true. Pray for them! 

-We have talked to a lot of Haitian people here and Sister Petite had us over and insisted on feeding us. She told us all about life back home and how some days they have no food. They work so hard for everything they have. Let's just say I felt so sick afterwards.

-Celebrated my one month mark with pizza at a restaurant with members. ONE MONTH! 

- After long hours knocking doors and being rejected we found a man that was a fire fighter in 9/11 that recognized our church's name because someone gave him a really nice bible at the time of the Twin Tower crash. He was so cool and told us about how he now has lung problems because of it. We gave him a Book of Mormon! So cool

Monday night we had family home evening at the Smith's and invited the Lanier family.  It was their idea and ended up being great. They fed us then we had a lesson on families and temples. Every time I leave the Smith's they make me feel so loved. After that we had splits so I spent the day in New Rochelle with Sister Checketts or "Crickets" like I thought it was, haha. She is great. I loved my day there yesterday. We got fed two dinners and went to a restaurant called Kelly's just for me :) Just kidding 

All is well here! We have been playing soccer in a beautiful park today and now we are just relaxing. It was lots of fun. Also, we went to the Westchester mall this morning and it is fabulous. I don't need anything else in my closet, but we got a unity shirt. Important. 

Sounds like everyone is doing well and enjoying summer. LOVE YOU ALL!  

Manhattan temple trip was a success, excited to go back!!!