I heart CT!

Hello from the Constitution State! I am just reporting after getting out of my 2011 Chevy Malibu... ha ha, that's right, that's what I roll around in these days. It's wonderful! We have a little GPS that tries to show me where to go but I think I get in more arguments with that thing that I should. It just frustrates me sometimes, always telling me to turn too late or what not. But I love it, it helps us get around here! I am IN LOVE with this area. It is for sure different than the city. Let me tell you! My second day here, Hna. Vander Does said we had a district blitz in "the projects". I am pretty sure these "projects" were like the Ritz Carlton compared to what I was in before. It was pretty funny. But there are some pretty ghetto parts around here. But I just love it. The work is done totally different than in the city. I am just so used to walking around and talking to people but here we are in the car all the time. I did have Hna. Vander Does and I walk around one day and just talk to people that were in their yards. It was fun and it was her first time doing it so we had a good ol time. We also have started contacting people from the car window when they look spanish... or just hanging around spanish grocery stores!

Hna. Vander Does is so great. We get a long just wonderfully and she is just so fun to be with. I know I am supposed to be her companion and I feel grateful to be able to work here. We have big plans for this area! Church was amazing on Sunday. I just love this ward. I was asked to give a talk AND sing in church on Sunday... thanks ward! But it went well I think. I still don't like talking in front of people in Spanish but I felt more like myself as I did it which was good. We also sang "Joseph Smiths First Prayer" It was me, Hna. Vander Does, and the elders (Elder Fox and Elder Anderson- the greenie) Luckily, the old Elder Anderson was there so we had him come up and sing with us. It went pretty well I think!

We also had a baptism on Saturday. This wonderful man named Ray. He has two little boys and his mom also wants to get baptized. Sadly, she has to work on Sundays so that is hard to work with. His baptism was great and I just can see how the gospel has blessed his life even though I have only been here for a couple of days. We were at his house the other night and I could just feel of the love the Savior has for that family. It brought tears to my eyes. I love moments like that as a missionary!

The members here are wonderful. I love them all so much. Not very many Dominicans which means I can understand what everyone is saying to me... ha ha. We eat A LOT here and the food is so good! I love it! So far I have eaten food from Peru, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras! On Sunday we ate at a members house from Mexico and they said I came here so that I could fix my Dominicana accent... Haha! I guess I talk fast like they do, who knew? But really, the members are amazing. I just feel so comfortable here and I feel the love of everyone so much, it's great!

I am doing great. I love the change that has come in the mission for me. I can see big miracles in this area but I am just excited to work hard! Upstate is VERY different and I am adjusting but I am doing good. I can see that Heavenly Father puts me where I need to be, and I am glad it is here! Life is wonderful! The church is true! I am so glad that I am doing His work here.

We are getting ready for Elder Bednar which I am really looking forward too. What a wonderful opportunity we have! I love you all! I hope all is well!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino

PS: We found this new guy to teach names Ramon! He is so cool and guess what? He is Dominican! Ha ha! Of course! I am so excited to teach him. He recently got in a really bad car accident and almost died and he has been searching for the truth since then! SO LEGIT!

PPS: Today we went and played basketball at this gym a member owns. Let's just say I am a little rusty and very out of shape... woops. But it was fun!

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