Saying goodbye to Bishop, Jefany, Betty & Juan

My last day in the Bronx...helping Ramon in his food truck.

O-Zone, Cycle 6 Last Cycle in Olmstead, Bronx

Oh Pigeon Row... What an Adventure

Hello to all! Things are going well here in the Bronx. I can't believe I am still here but I am very happy about it. I wouldn't even mind staying another cycle. On Monday we had a meeting with President and he said we might as well just change my middle name to "Olmstead" (The name of our Zone) We all had a good laugh. Sister Child and I continue to do wonderful! We are finding and working and teaching... all the good things as a missionary :) I was so excited! Yesterday Fermin accepted a baptismal date for two weeks and he is getting baptized! Woo Hoo!!!! He is so funny and we have been working with him since Sister Child got here so it's time. This will be the first baptism I've seen from a street contact. Sister Walker and I contacted him on the street right before Sister Walker left. It just goes to show that contacting works... I have been doing a lot better with it so I am happy about that. It is still strange just walking up to random people but it gets easier as you do it all the time.

So Pigeon Row has another interesting story. We were walking down going home for lunch and we pretty much tripped over this guy who was passed out awkwardly on the steps... kinda strange. We stared at him for a minute trying to see if he was breathing and he was... but then an ambulance came and turns out he was passed out from a drug overdose... gotta love the Bronx and all the interesting things we see here. We now can not contact guys our age... it's just really awkward to try to talk about the gospel while someone is talking to you about how pretty your eyes are. Ha ha... once again, gotta love the Bronx.

Not much more to update on from the last week. We just work hard every day and see miracles all the time. I've been studying the Book of Mormon so much lately and I just love it! I am in the "war chapters" in Alma and I am LOVING them. I have learned SO much and it just makes my day so much better. I get so excited to read the Book of Mormon every morning, sometimes my whole personal study gets used just reading and studying it. What a wonderful blessing it is on our lives. I hope everyone is taking advantage of the blessings and gospel knowledge that can come from it.

I love you all, Happy Fathers Day to my daddy and all the Fathers in my family! Have a wonderful week!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino

The Bronx and I have another round!

Well, transfers were today and I am staying in the Bronx! I'm actually really happy about it. This will be my 5th cycle here and it's been good. Last cycle we had 3 baptisms and we are hoping for 2 more this cycle. The Bronx really is a magical place! It is so blessed. I think a lot of it has to do with the ward and how good they are with missionary work. If the ward is prepared to receive new members they will for sure be blessed with it! Luckily our ward here is amazing!

Sister Child and I have had a good week. Our stake here is starting an English class program that the missionaries teach and so that started last Thursday. It was a blast! I felt like I was back in a classroom setting and it was so fun to teach! I feel bad that people have to try to learn from my broken Spanish but I know that we can use the spirit even in teaching English so that works great! The Spirit is the BEST teacher. It's the only way to teach as a missionary.

China was baptized on Saturday and it was wonderful. She is so cute and already such a strong member of the church. She is solid in all she does and is willing to do anything she can to continue forward. One of my recent converts, Santos, went to the temple for the first time last night too! I love seeing people continue to do all they can. Sis. Walker is teaching Marible's mom now too which is AMAZING! Oh missionary work, there are just so many miracles!

This week has been an interesting on as far as random things go. Of course, the heat has really gotten to us. Sister Child and I moved our beds into the living room because we just can not sleep in our room anymore. That's been a fun time, let me tell ya. But today and tomorrow are rainy and cold. New York weather is just sooo odd! We have been out of hot water for the last week and a half so that has also been interesting. Freezing cold showers really does wake you up in the morning. Ha ha. Oh the life of a missionary is always just so interesting.

I've been thinking about how one reason I am on a mission is to learn how to deal with change. I am not good at change, especially after I get used to something. Transfers are always a hard change for me and I haven't even been transferred! We had three elders leave from our district this time and it's weird. Two of them I've been with the whole time in my mission and it's just going to be different. You learn so much from people and then you get thrown into something new that you have to learn to work with. It's hard but what an opportunity to grow and become better! There are always new people to learn from and new friends to make. I am so grateful for all the people that have influenced me so far. Sister Wadsworth left to go home today and I just cried. She has been an amazing example and friend. I am grateful for change though because I learn something new.

I hope everyone is doing good! I would love to hear from you! Love you all!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino

Da Bronx-pretty legit I'd say!

Can You Say Culture Shock ???

Well, here I am. I made it to New York safe and sound. It is very weird to think that I am actually here. My first area is in the Bronx. My trainer is Sis. Walker and she has been here for about 6 months. We live with two other sisters. One is English speaking and the other is madrine speaking. Our planes were pretty delayed yesterday. Our plane flew to Chicago first, we stayed on the plane and then came to New York. There we met the Mission President, his wife and the AP's. They took us to the mission home and we had dinner. This transfer was really weird because they did transfers last week so we didn't have a transfer meeting. That night they drove us right to our areas. I'm not going to lie, I am having a hard time. I didn't sleep at all last night, not even for a second so I am pretty out of it today. It's p-day so it's been kind of a weird day anyway. It is very cold and as we walk down the street no one will even look you in the eyes. It's pretty weird. The city is just so different than anything I've ever lived in. I'm going to have to buy some ear plugs because it is SO noisy outside our apartment. On Friday (Christmas) we have a big mission meeting which should be pretty cool. I think I am just a little bit of shock still. I look around and think, "wow, 16 months of this." I know it will be wonderful but today is just odd. I almost wish my first day was a normal one so that we can just get to work and I can stop thinking about myself. I haven't even had time to think about the stress of not knowing Spanish... goody. I was able to give a Book of Mormon away on the plane and that was pretty cool. They lady I sat next to was really nice and a real new yorker. She gave me the insides and outs of it all and as we got off the plane she gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek. That was weird from going from having no human contact at all at the MTC to this, but it was fun. I miss you all and look forward to hearing from you. I didn't have any new e-mails, I'm guessing it's because I just checked my e-mail a couple days ago. My address here is:
1414 White Plains Road 1st Floor
Bronx, NY
10462
Please write me but send packages to the mission home still. Well, I love you all! Please keep me in your prayers and pray for the people in New York, I think they need it!