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 :)

A Heat Wave Of Miracles

Hey, friends and fam! This week we had some amazing miracles! It's so cool to see the tender mercies that come when you are at your lowest point.

Tuesday we spent most of the day finding. We felt prompted to tract in some apartment complexes but everyone we tried was locked. We met a lady outside one who told us that we couldn't get in and no one there was interested, but pointed us toward another complex a few blocks away. Away we went in the hot heat and tried a few of the doors. All locked. We stood there for a moment discouraged, hot, and exhausted. We decide to try the last door of the building and we find a man sitting outside on the step! We talked to him for a while and discovered that his name was Ed and he was just about to leave, but we told him about the temple and asked if we could come back and he said definitely! We went back the next day and taught him the restoration! He told us that it was an amazing message and is looking forward to learning more! Whoo!

Wednesday we looked for more service opportunities. It was hard because most places have to do a background check that takes weeks. Obviously, that won't work with the nomadic lifestyle of a sister mish. But! We prayed really hard and found a nursing home that was looking for volunteers. We don't have to have a background check and we can even set up a devotional type event for next month! :)

Thursday we had a fun District Meeting! The AP's showed up and we did street contacting role plays using pass along cards. That night we saw even more miracles when we had a lesson with Brother Bishop, a less active that we have been working with forever. We had planned to talk about the priesthood with him but we ended up talking about the sacrament and how IT is the number one reason we need to go to church. He hadn't known that and it was pretty groundbreaking for him. And guess who finally showed up at church on Sunday? That's right! Brother Bishop!

Friday and Saturday we went on exchanges and melted. It was SO hot! Sister Warnock came to P1 and we tracted all day but the most incredible thing happened. We met a woman outside and started talking to her about her family. Sister Warnock asked me if I had any Philadelphia temple pass along cards and sadly I didn't. I only had the standard ones with a picture of Christ on it, but I pulled it out anyway. Before I could give it to her she ran inside her house to get us a drink of water because she was a kind soul. When she came back out I looked down the card and IT WAS A PHILADELPHIA TEMPLE CARD!!! I looked at Sister Warnock who looked as shocked as I was. We had both seen a picture of Christ on the front of that card. We were able to show the woman the card, tell her about the open house, and testify of eternal families. She wasn't interested in meeting with us but was interested in the open house! The Lord is preparing people for this temple in such an amazing way!

I have such a testimony of this gospel! It is true! God is our Heavenly Father and he loves us so much!! He has provided a way for us return to Him and that way is Jesus Christ.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and week! :)

Love, Sister B

Celebrating Sister Maiden's year mark with Rita's!

District Meeting!
(The Proper District)

Elder Moreno is not pleased.
(The Crazy District)

Korple and Pahn from English class!

I forgot these from the week before.
Saying goodbye to Sister Abbott.

Sister A, one of my dearest friends!

My Lovely African Sisters! :)