Widener is MAGIC!

First off, HAPPY 4TH!!

Secondly, Heavenly Father loves me! He has sent me to the most incredible area! This week was crazy full of miracles.

On Tuesday we went to contact a potential who turned out to be completely not interested. As we were walking back to our car we saw a lady getting groceries out of her car. We asked if we could help and when she said she was okay, we asked if we could share a message about Jesus Christ. That's when she dropped the bomb on us that she was already a member! Turns out that her family was baptized in Florida years ago, and when they moved here, they didn't know where a church was! Her husband recently passed away and she said they had never been sealed. We told her that we could help her get there and she said she would love to try. Hooray for temples! :) Speaking of temples, our investigator Francess got to go to the DC temple with the Young Women's group. She couldn't do baptisms but she got to go to the visitors center and learn more about it. She said it was such a cool experience. Her and her mom are so excited to be baptized! I might be more excited. The Lord has so many blessings in store for them! Francess said that she thinks she wants to be a missionary someday! :D

Wednesday we had an awesome experience with our new investigator Jay. We've had three appointments with him fall through because we couldn't find a woman to come with us. Well, we finally scheduled it on a day that a recent convert named Sherreese could come with. It turned out to be a miracle because Sherreese used to be baptist, just like Jay! She was able to testify to him that the Book of Mormon had all the answers to his questions, because they were the same questions she had had! It was such an inspired lesson.

We got a media referral on Thursday from a woman named Quitta, requesting a bible. We called her as soon as we got it and she told us we could bring it to her right then. When we got to her apartment she was so excited to see us and met us at the door! She invited us in and we were able to give her a bible and introduce her to the Book of Mormon. She was so excited to read it. We asked if we could come share more with her and she agreed, saying that she would invite her husband to listen too! The Lord is so good!

On Friday we had a Zone Conference and met our new Mission President and his family! President Randall, Sister Randall, and their three kids! They are great and I am so excited to work with them! Especially for the temple open house that is getting closer and closer!

This week has really strengthened my testimony of being accountable to the Lord and being where you tell him you're going to be. The times we followed our schedule with exactness were the days that we found the most prepared people that are so ready for the gospel. Alma 36:36 "Counsel with the Lord in ALL thy doings, and he shall direct thee for good..." I know that is true.

I love you all and hope you have a safe and happy Independence Day. :) God bless America!

Sister B

Francess and Lois and Sister Kanu! 

Zwahlens trip! :) Best caramel apples ever.

Sister Kraft love me and made me breakfast hash!

The racoon we spotted in the dumpster...

Playing Frisbee at a 4th of July picnic! :) 

Happy Birthday, America!

Bed Bugs and Baptisms

What a week! It's been kind of crazy but so good!

I was transferred to Widener East! I am in a trio with Sister Fuelling and Sister Kraft, they are a blast! Sister Fuelling is fresh in the field and Sister Kraft is going home this transfer! They make me laugh so much! I am blessed! My first day here in Widener was spent debugging our apartment. Luckily all my clothes and bedding were in suitcases, otherwise we would have dragged a lot more trash bags to the laundromat. Even more blessed!

We have an investigator named Lois and her daughter Francess. Oh my gosh! I love them! Lois is so classy and we got her daughter to girls camp! She had so much fun! They both love learning about the gospel and have a baptismal date for July 17th!

Speaking of baptisms, we had one this Sunday! Our investigator Bernadette and her son Liam got baptized! Bernadette has been investigating the church for about 2 years so it's been a long time coming! It was so fun to see how happy the gospel makes people!

It's a quick letter this week because I don't have much time! I love you all! God bless. :)

Sister B

Debugging everything!

Sister Fuelling and Sister Kraft

Goodbye to Sister Maiden :(

Yes, we unpacked all of it.

PA is so green!

Fancy baptismal gowns

Liam let me borrow is tie!

Bernadette and Liam! :) Got baptized! 

Fireflies and Transfers

Hi people! Happy Fathers Day! (No offense but I have the best dad out there. Shout out to him!) It is summer here in Philly and the fireflies have lit up at night. They are so magic! This week was kind of magical as well!

To start, we had Zone Conference last week! It was special because it was President and Sister Anderson's last one. We learned a lot about the new temple. It is the strongest building in Philadelphia. When they began digging for the foundation they discovered a giant granite slab. Granite isn't found anywhere else in the city except right under the temple. Heavenly Father prepared for this temple to be right where it is. So, at Zone Conference I got a "temple rock". A piece of the granite that they chipped away to make room for the temple. It reminds me of *Helaman 5:12* and to build my foundation on the Savior. I was sad to say goodbye to President Anderson, he has been amazing and has made this mission a wonderful place to serve! President Randall gets here next week and I am excited to meet him!

The Farole family is doing AMAZING! Anthony told us this week that he loves the feeling of praying and reading the scriptures. We challenged him to read the Book of Mormon in 6 months as he prepares to be baptized. He accepted the challenge! I love seeing all of them get happier and happier as the gospel of Jesus Christ works its magic in their lives.

We had an incredible miracle at the assisted living where we work! As we were helping people get down to the music night we were stopped by the custodian. He recognized us as missionaries! He had moved here from Haiti and had met with missionaries there! We were so excited and asked him if he wanted to meet with us again. He said not at the moment but he did say that he had left his Book of Mormon in Haiti. Well, we ran out to our car real fast and brought him one. I know that soon he'll be ready to meet with missionaries again. :)

We had the P1 Central sisters sleep over again while their apartment got fumigated. (Bed bugs. Yikes!) They were a blast! I love those sisters!

We had some crazy miracles throughout the week as we hunted down inactive members that nobody knew about! One named Sister Guy, who we have been trying to meet for the two transfers that I've been here, we finally had a lesson with! We told her about the temple open house and that she could volunteer and she got SO excited! This temple is already working miracles! We also met Sister Ludwig. We had been walking around in the heat for a long time and I was so thirsty! When she answered her door and we talked to her on the porch I had the thought to ask her for a drink of water. So, I did. She invited us in and gave us a tall glass of ice water and then showed us all the pictures of her family. She opened up to us about how her husband had recently passed away. We testified of eternal families and that she could be sealed to her husband. She started crying as she felt the spirit testify of that truth and invited us back! It was one of those experiences that I'll never forget.

Transfer calls came as a surprise on Friday. I am getting transferred!! I was NOT expecting that. I'm not sure where I'll go but I know it will be where the Lord needs me. New area, new companion, new mission president. Kind of a crazy fresh start! Who would have thought! I will miss the people here so much! Especially the Farole's! BUT Sister Maiden will be training a golden!! That's exactly what this area needs! Some golden fire! It will be great! :)

I love you all! Have a great week! God bless! :)

Sister B

My mission Mom and sister! :)

I am going to miss her so stinking much!

David and Dulce!

Autumn!

The Goodman's! Seriously the best.

Me and Korple! She is so dear to my heart! 

Happy Father's Day

The Farole's! They are GREAT!

Central Sisters! Sister Boehm,
Sister Neuffer, Sister Sagastume.

Uh-oh! White handbook says no facial hair. 

I have so many car selfies...
I guess I'll share one more. :) 

*Helaman 5:12*

Fireflies!

Busy, Busy

 Things were extra busy in Philly this week so just posting lots of pictures.

Sidewalk art after having dinner with members!

Our sink is disgusting and majorly busted.

Morning runs!

Havertown Mural!

Afternoon walks with Sister Gardner!

Tired and slightly nauseous...

Sister Scouten!

My Faves! Sister Abbott and Sister Maiden.

Oh! But look at this dress I got from Old Navy!

Also, my companion loves me! She made me food.

After church lunch break...

Zone training!

Sister Boehm's dying picture...
Her her mission is done, she is headed home.

President and Sister Anderson's last Zone Conference. :(

Boo!

I Love To See The Temple

Hi everybody! This week kind of all mushed together.

Wednesday we had a lesson with the Farole's. They are doing so great! Anthony has been praying about being baptized and he has so much more faith than when we first started teaching their family. It's amazing to see them progress. Now if we can just get them to stay for all 3 hours of church!

Thursday we had Zone Training! We are super excited because two new pamphlets are being introduced! One is about learning and callings in the church and the other is about families and the temple! We are pumped to get them and start using them to teach!

Part of me feels like we spent most of the week in nursing homes! We volunteered at one for a few hours this week, which was a lot of fun. We finally got to drive out and visit Sister Burnet (the less active who was hit by a car). We took her out for a walk and talked with her, she's doing great and recovering fast! And we also went and saw sweet Sister Gardner and read from the Book of Mormon with her!

Today we went to Center City Philadelphia! We went to the Reading Terminal Market and down to the temple!! I teared up a little when I saw the temple. It is BEAUTIFUL! Through all the rough spots I've been going through lately, I have just thought about that temple and the opportunity I get to work in the open house. It made it so much more real getting to see it in person today. I love this gospel and I am so grateful for the blessing of temples.

Have a wonderful week, everyone! God bless!

Sister B

The Philadelphia Temple!
The open house can't come soon enough!  

Got caught in a torrential downpour!

Amish doughnuts!!

Stuck in traffic

Time Lapse from Paoli to Philly :)