So I guess granola bars don't count as food...

Hello to all! I hope everyone is doing well! I guess I will explain my subject line. Yesterday we went to the hospital to visit someone who had just had a baby. As we were walking out of the hospital there was a man asking for money and saying that he was really hungry. As missionaries we are counseled not to give money to people but I had a granola bar in my back pack so I thought to myself, "Well, hey, if he is hungry this would help him out." and let me tell you, it was a good one too, one of those fruit and nut ones. So I turn around and said, "I don't have any money but here is this granola bar." He glared at me and then started cussing me out telling me I was cheap and that a granola bar isn't food. That if I really wanted to help him I would buy him McDonald's, and he just went on and on and on. He was yelling at me for like 10 minutes because we had to stand near him while we waited for the bus. He finally left and walked by and I just smiled at him, I guess not the best idea, because then he just started up again. People here are SO interesting. I mean, if I was hungry I would be more than happy to eat a granola bar... I guess he wasn't that hungry. We were laughing about it last night forever. Sister Child told me a story of when she was in Harlem and this guy got mad at her for not giving her money so he spit on her and then picked his nose and flicked a booger at her! HA HA! As my dad and mom would say, "Some people's kids...." Here you find the most interesting people but also the most amazing!

A man named Luis is been coming to English class for a while. We invited him to come to church last Thursday and he came! It was so exciting. He even stayed for all three hours which is hard to do! In the gospel principles class he shared about how he is wanting to change his life around and since he has been going to English class he has been blessed. We haven't even taught him anything yet. We use the Book of Mormon to practice reading in English and just from his reading of the Book of Mormon he has been feeling the spirit. That book is amazing! He is so cool and we are excited to start teaching him!

Ozzie was baptized on Saturday! Leave it to me to find the first Cuban to baptize into this ward. Ha ha. He is great and excited to be a member and start helping out the missionaries. He is so funny and his baptism was great. As we were filling up the font we left it running for too long and over flowed the tank. I had the opportunity to do a little "swimming" in the font to unplug it to let some water out... It was pretty funny and an adventure for sure.

The weather here is just crazy. Friday night there was a HUGE thunder and lighting storm and luckily I have the coolest companion in the world so with both or our spontaneous attitudes, we ran around in the rain and have pictures to prove it. It was fun. After a long day of missionary work, it is just the thing to make you relax after planning for the next day. I love it here. I love being a missionary. I love seeing people put their trust in the Lord and see miracles in their lives.

Thanks for all the love and support from you all! I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino

PS: Next week P-day will be on a Thursday. We have all these big changes coming to ALL the missions and there is a 3 day meeting for it. I won't be at the meeting but they changed P-day so that the meeting can go on Wednesday too. So look for my email on Thursday! Loves!

I guess "Bronx" really is my middle name

Here I am again, emailing from the Bronx! Who knew I would have lived in the Bronx for half my mission! This cycle is a shorter one, only 4 weeks, but it will be one where I can work harder and try to leave this area better than I found it. I still can't believe I'm still here. I was anticipating change but since the missionaries aren't changing then the way I work must be the need for the change. I am excited about this next cycle.

We have Ozzy's baptism this Saturday which we are excited for! He is such a miracle baptism and I am just happy for him to be able to make that covenant with the Lord. He is excited to be baptized and receive the priesthood. He talks about how he can't wait to come teach with us and help other people. He is solid and we are so happy for him.

This last week has been a good one and we have been able to find some new people to teach. Jose, the Dominican guy I had to teach by myself in Spanish, came to church. We weren't expecting it at all and we can see their whole family accepting the gospel. The Lord really does have people in this area that are prepared to hear his gospel.

I have been able to have some really good personal spiritual experiences lately that have helped my testimony grow even more. One of which was my understanding of hope. I was asked to give a training on Hope in our district meeting and was kind of stressed about it because hope has always been something that I had a hard time understanding. I read a scripture in Romans that talked about how hope comes from experience. I didn't understand that, so I did some pondering. I was thinking about my freshman year of college, when I had a very difficult time with depression and anxiety. That was the hardest time in my life and I didn't think I would make it through. But I did and I was fine. I learned so many lessons from that experience, too many to number but I realized the biggest lesson I learned was hope. When those same feelings came again right when I came to NY, I didn't think I could make it through. I thought I would have to fail at it because of the way I felt. I felt as if I was a failure. My parents both reminded me that I made it through the first time, I can do it again. Because of that, I stayed, I made it through, and I am doing wonderful. Heavenly Father knew that the first experience I had with depression gave me hope, so that I could make it through the second time. If I hadn't have had that hope that it would go away, I wouldn't be able to be here today. How grateful I am for my trials and for the lessons Heavenly Father has given me to teach me more about hope. I would pray that all of you would study hope and how you have gained more hope in your lives.

Well, I love you all. I hope you have a wonderful week! Stay strong!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino

China Town and Little Italy

Hello!

Sorry I didn't email yesterday! We had a very busy P-Day and as we were on the way home the train got stopped FOREVER because they were doing some police investigation in a station and all the trains were stopped. Annoying right? But that is ok, we made it in time for our appointment, just not time to email. So we are taking our lunch break to get our email in.

Yesterday for P-day we had the chance to go to the Temple which was amazing of course. It was VERY full of people but it was wonderful. I feel so close to my Heavenly Father while I am in the temple and I just feel "at home" it truely is the House of the Lord. I am so grateful we get to go every three months here. We got permission to go to China Town yesterday too. Usually it is really hard to get permission to go there but it was Elder Bayards last P-day before he goes home so we got to go there and boy was it interesting. There were shady people every where trying to sell us stuff. It was funny. LIttle Italy was right next to it so we ran over there just to say I was there. Hopefully some other time on my mission I'll be able to go and spend some time in Little Italy. It was a fun P-day, but I was so tired by the end. We saw SO many members of the church there, all on vacation. It was so funny to have people so happy to see us, that usually doesn't happen. Ha ha.

This week has been a good one. We had interviews with President and they went really well. I love President Smith and we can always feel of his love for us. He told me he wasn't inclined to move me from the Bronx but I guess we'll see. There will probably be some big changes so yeah... I want to stay one more cycle here. I love it and I love SIs. Child. I do know I need to go soon though. There is so much more I need to learn while I am on my mission and I know that I will learn them in other places.

I went on a split with Sister Adjei last week and we went and taugh this big dominican family. I taught the whole lesson by myself in spanish and was even able to translate Sis. Adjei's testimony. It just showed me that the Lord will always help us when we need it. The interesting thing is that I could understand everything they were saying during the lesson but after we were done and the Dad was talking about random things, I was having a harder time understanding what he was saying, interesting don't ya think?

Spanish is coming little by little. It still stresses me out but I am finally feeling like I can start to joke around in spanish and not just sit there like a bump on a log. We all know how much I like to joke around so yeah, we shall see!

I had the chance to give a training at District Meeting on Monday and it was a great learning experience for me. I taught on drawing upon the powers of heaven. I learned so much. I loved that topic. We really all can have extra heavenly help in our lives if we truely desire it!

Ozzy, our little miracle is still progressing to baptism. His date is for right after transfers so hopefully I'll get to see it. He is such a funny guy. The other day I called to check up on him and he asked if we were allowed to go on a date with him. Oh great... so now we are going to have the elders teach him for a little bit... just to make sure his desires are true. I believe they are, he just enjoys our company too. Ha ha. Oh goodness, being a Sister missionary is so fun!

Tonight we are singing at a funeral for one of our members friends, it is a non member funeral but it should go well. We have to sing three different musical numbers. We are teaching this lady's step daughter who I just love. Her name is Ceyln and she has been waiting to be baptized but just has some things we have to work with first.

Jefany (friend of our Bishops daughter) is going to Girls Camp this week with the YW and I am so excited! She is a great girl and if their girls camp is anything like ours was, she will gain a testiomny and feel the spirit like never before there. She is a great girl and I would love to see her be baptized soon!

Well, I love you all so much! Next week I'll be able to tell you if I am going or staying, we'll see if the Lord wants me here for half my mission. Have fun and don't forget to read your scriptures :)

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino

Luau Today!

Hola! Or should I say, Aloha!
Today we are on our way to Scarsdale to have a big mission Luau. I am so excited. It will be wonderful to be all together with all them missionaries. They sure do spoil us on our missions here! President and Sister Smith are so good and making sure we get to get together every now and then!

It has been a good week! We moved! It is SO nice to be in an apartment with a window! Our living room and stuff has no AC but our bedroom does so we actually sleep at night. It is so wonderful! We moved all day Saturday (with the elders help) and it was hot but we got it done. Our new apartment is very nice and we are loving being in something cool, especially because it has been SO HOT the last couple of days. I mean really, 105? I thought I left that crazy Chico weather back home! To add to it, it is super humid which makes things oh so fun! Oh before I forget, my new address is
1417 Doris St, Apt 3F
Bronx, NY
10462

Our 4th of July was really good. It was so cool to be in testimony meeting for the 4th of July. The missionaries sang, American the Beautiful and afterwards so many ward members bore their testimonies on how grateful they are to live in this country. We really are so blessed to be here. I just loved listening to everyone in spanish and hearing of their gratitude for this country. I love this country and I am so happy I get to serve my mission here, not to mention serve in the State of the restoration! How cool is that?

The night of 4th of July we made some really yummy burgers and then played apples to apples as an apartment. It was so fun! I love being here on the mission and one blessing is all the missionaries I get to meet. They have really become my best friends here! We lighted some sparklers that night and got some cool pictures (of course) that will be coming soon!

We have been having fun exercisingin the mornings because we have been dancing! Yes, I get up at 6:30 and dance around my apartment for 30 minutes. We listen to upbeat EFY songs... ha ha, I love mission life!

I was reading in this months Ensign and there was an article by M. Russell Ballard that I loved. The article was about sharing the gospel and he said,
"Please remember that you do not need to feel that you must justify your beliefs; you simply need to explain them in a spirit of love and kindness. The truth always prevails when true doctrine is taught."

Not much to add to that, I just really liked it and maybe you all will too! The important thing is to be sharing the gospel always!

Well, I love you all! I am so grateful for the letters and emails I recieve, they always boost me up! Have a wonderful week and try to stay cool!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino

PS: Have I mentioned how grateful I am I only have to spend one summer here? I don't know if I would make it two... haha. Just kidding.... but really.

Playing in a NYC fire hydrant! Got to love missionary work in the Bronx!

Happy 4th of July from NYC!

China's Wedding

Crumbs Bakery! The best cupcakes in the world!

This reminded us of a song from Prince of Egypt!

I am coming closer to being a New Yorker....

Well, I will have you all know that with every day I am becoming more and more like a New Yorker. Last wednesday I got to run through a Fire Hydrant! All the kids do it here in the streets and it looks like so much fun. I have always wanted to run through one. As we were walking home at night we ran into some members and I said, " Hey, if you run through I will too..." and we did. It felt so good because it was so blasted hot outside! A perfect ending to the day... ha ha, picture to come soon!

This week has been a good one. We still have been working hard and having fun while we do it. Fermin was baptized on Saturday and confirmed and recieved the priesthood on Sunday. He is so funny and when we came out of the water he said, "WOW...FRIO!" It was so funny. We all laughed.

The weather in NY is SO strange. On Thursday we were at the church for Fermins baptismal interview and I'm pretty sure a mini hurricane hit NY. It was crazy. You couldn't see across the street and trees were falling over and stuff. It lasted about 4 minutes then the sun came out... what in the world??? So strange this place...

We had a fun miracle on Friday with finding someone new to teach. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time and we found this guy named Ozzy. He said he had been looking for a sign from God and had been praying all day that he would find it and when he saw us, he knew we were the answer. I love the way that Heavenly Father works. He really does lead this work!!

So, we still don't know the address of where we'll be moving so keep thost letters coming to the mission office, I get them once a week anyway. We have a ward 4th of July party on Saturday and then on the 4th of July we have to be in by six. The other sisters and are going to have a party in our apartment, I mean, it is my favorite holiday. I already have my toes in Red WHite and Blue.

Well, not much else to report. I thank you all for your love and support. I miss you all so much but I am so lucky I get to be here. What a blessing it is. Something that helps me get through the hard times is to just think of all the blessings heavenly father has given me. I can't help but smile. I love you all! Have a wonderful week and God Bless America :)

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino