Hello Humidity!

Well, I can tell that spring time is here as my hair has decided to poof every day now, it's just so humid. I forgot what it is like till just now. Ha ha! But the last couple of days have been so nice and I have been LOVING it! I love seeing all the blossoms and having the sun out! Yesterday we walked around South Norwalk and talked to people on the street. It made me miss the city a lot but it was just so enjoyable. I am glad that the blossoms are out and that there is some color in the world again! The rain just starts to get depressing after a while.

This week was a good one. All three of us have been really sick so on Saturday we were inside ALL day which was just awful! At least we all got hit at the same time and we are doing better now. That night the assistants asked us to sing at mission conference that coming Monday. HAHAHAHA! We just laughed when we found out and then agreed. You can imagine how fun it was to practice for that as we all were blowing our noses and trying to sing with congestion filling us up... not the best of times. But the song turned out ok and we made it through. Thank goodness Hna. Vander Does has such an amazing voice, she carried us through!

Easter was great. It is always so nice to be able to reflect a little more on the Savior and what he did for us. We also got to sing in Sacrament Meeting which was, again, very interesting. The elders sang with us so I think it turned out pretty good. We ate dinner at a couple different houses and enjoyed our time with some members. I think next Easter will be weird without eating some sort of Spanish food for dinner!

So I had my final mission conference on Monday. It was a little weird, just feeling like I was one of "the old ones". We talked about the doctrine of finding people. It was really interesting and reminded me once again of how much people are searching for the gospel in their lives. President Smith reminded us that everyone knew the plan, everyone that is here accepted that, we need to go out and help them remember. It has put a different spirit into the way I look at people throughout my whole mission, it was great to be reminded of it again! I was also given the chance to bear my testimony at mission conference (along with all the other missionaries going home) It was interesting to reflect and bear testimony. I realize that my testimony hasn't changed at all, it has just grown stronger. My goals have become more specific and I have learned even more how the Lord guides me in all I do! What a great time!

Today is my last normal P-day. Next week we are going to the temple (all the missionaries going home) so today we are going to the beach to play some volleyball. I am very excited! I hope all is well in your part of the world! I love you all!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino

Tengo una HIJA!

Hello from the new mom of the family!
Ha ha, that could be so awkward, but in mission lingo, whenever you train someone, you are their mom, and I AM TRAINING! Pretty crazy right? I am so excited about it but nervous at the same time, I just hope that I can do well. I met my hija yesterday and she is just so great! Her name is Hna. Anderson and she is from Utah. She went to BYU-Idaho and we already get along so well, I love her! Her Spanish is really good for being just out and she is so willing to do all she can! She is great and I am excited to work with her.
This last week has been so good. It was hard to say goodbye to Sis. McMillan and I miss her SO much. But after I said goodbye to Sis. McMillan I got to go be with Sis. Baxter. It was so much fun. We went to Connecticut for about three days and I FELL IN LOVE with that place. There are not really any Dominicans there so everyone speaks very clearly and I could understand them all. Sadly, they all say I speak like a Dominican, I'm going to have to work on that. But I want to serve there so bad one day! I had everyone I met pray that I can come there after here... that's my goal. Not like I get to choose but it is fun to think about. I would love, love, love to serve there. Plus, it is in Glenn Becks stake which is always a plus :) After we were there for a couple days we came back down into the City and got some work done here. It was just so fun to be with Sis. Baxter. I really feel like it was a tender mercy to be with her for a week.
While Sis. Baxter was here we did a "street meeting" and we sang on the street while we had people signing up for free DVD's. It was pretty fun. I will have to send you some pictures, I was standing on a crate and everything, it was pretty funny! Who knew I would ever stand on a crate and sing in the middle of New York City... I guess I'm becoming even more crazy than I used to be.
So yesterday, we went to our first appointment of the day (Hna. Andersons first appt ever). It was with an investigator named Ramon. He is paralyzed and we are working on getting him progressing so that he can get baptized. He is a great guy but was telling us that his week has been pretty hard because his mom had a stroke. As we were discussing some things, he got a phone call and found out that his mother had died, while we were there with him. It was so hard to be there while he found that out. Hna. Anderson and I searched for some scriptures to share but he didn't really want to talk about it so we bore our testimony and left. I've been thinking about it a lot since then. It made me so grateful for the plan of salvation and for the knowledge that we have. I am so grateful that I know that I get to see everyone I love again. It makes me want to work even harder here on this earth so I am worthy to live with my family again. I love sharing the plan of salvation with others and I hope to help Roman feel the spirit and know that this is the way to be able to see his mother again.
So, P-Day is changed again and we actually don't get to have it on Thanksgiving which is really sad because I was looking forward to going to the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Instead, we are going to a museum to celebrate Elder Maxfields birthday! Tomorrow we have a couple of appointments planned to go visit some people so it should be a good day. We have 2 dinner appointments so that should be interesting! I am so excited to spend the holidays here with the members. Although I miss my family so much, I feel a lot of love from the people here! I am loving my mission more and more every day. I am feeling the stress of training but it is good for me.
Other random transfer news... the rest of my district stayed the same. Sis. Child got moved upstate to be with Sis. Adjei in a Zebra companionship (half Spanish and half English) Sis. Baxter is also training (this is her last cycle) and hmmm... yeah, that's about it. We have A LOT of greenies in our zone so that is exciting!
I hope you all know how grateful I am for this gospel. I am so grateful I have the chance to serve around these amazing people and to share the good word. I know this church is true. I am thankful for parents who have worked to hard to raise me the way Heavenly Father wants them to. They are what got me out here and who continue to support me in every way I can think of. I am thankful for my brothers and sister who are my best friends. I am thankful for all of you that haven't forgotten about me and write me letters, it is always so nice to hear from everyone. I am thankful that I am serving a mission and that Heavenly Father has given me this chance to grow in my testimony. I love this work! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino