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

I still Heart New York!

I am not doing well with creative subject lines, sorry about that. I think I am getting "less funny". Everything that I think is funny is missionary related... like quoting the Joseph Smith movie in spanish... wow, my sense of humor will be way out of wack by the time I get home. Ha ha!

Well, it has been a pretty good week here in Inwood. I am working hard at preparing myself to take over the area. It is kind of nice to know that I HAVE to have a new companion for the next cycle because my companion is going home. Next week will be interesting. Sis. McMillan leaves on Wednesday but they are not going to have transfers for another week. Which means I am companion-less for one week. But guess who else is going to be companion-less? Sister Baxter! That's right! I talked to President Smith about it yesterday and Sis. Baxter and I get to be companions! Woo hoo! I am so excited, even if it is just for one week. I think we will be spending half the time in her area in CT and the other half the time here in Inwood. We'll see. But just as a fair warning, it might be a little crazy next P-Day so I don't know if I will get to email or not.

So guess what? Lewis is getting baptized on Saturday! Woo hoo! He already has had his baptismal interview so now we just have to get the program together. I am so excited to have him take that step to baptism! Now let's just pray it goes through... baptisms in this area have been hard for some reason but I'm excited still!

We had a great show up at church this last Sunday. It was the best we've had so far. Lucinda came and LOVED it! She is so cool and I love teaching her. This last lesson she told us she knew Joseph Smith was a prophet and that she knows she needs to follow the Word of Wisdom and Tithing... woo hoo! She is great and I am excited to see what happens with her! It amazes me the blessings that come to those that are willing to keep the commandments of God. If only we could all be like that. Sometimes I think we are too quick to justify or bend the rules. If only we had enough faith to obey with exactness, the blessings would be poured out to us just like it is to our investigators.

So funny story of the week. The other night as I was falling asleep I could have SWORN that I heard a mouse running around our bedroom. I of course freaked out. I was NOT going to have a mouse running around while I was sleeping. So I spent the next hour or so lying in bed with my eyes wide open and every time I heard what I thought was the mouse I would grab the flashlight and try to spot it. I then took the liberty to pick up any sort of food that could even entice the little guy. I seriously think I was going crazy. Sis. McMillan just laughed at me as I turned the flashlight on every 25 seconds to find the mouse. Needless to say, we never found what was making that noise. But so help me if there is a mouse I WILL HUNT IT DOWN! Gross New York City and they mice everywhere... and pigeons. Gross pigeons. Why do people feed them?

Well, I hope everything is going well for everyone else. I am loving life here. We are doing some shopping today for Sis. McMillans last P-day... woo hoo! Shopping in New York :) I love you all!

Con amor- Hermana Passantino

PS: I just realized I say "woo hoo" way too much! Sorry about that!

"Root Root Root for the Home Team!!"

Yes, I will be rooting for the home team today because I am going to the YANKEES GAME! I am SO excited! It is their second home game (yesterday was the first) and we got some pretty cheap tickets. I am sure it's going to be about 20 dollars for a hot dog but I am still way pumped. You don't get to go to a Yankees game very often. Everyone here are such HUGE fans and they are all so excited for us missionaries to go!

This week has been a good one of course. We have been able to have a wonderful week full of blessings from our Heavenly Father. Luz was baptized on Sunday and it was awesome (Pictures were sent today). She is so funny and it was once again so cool to see someone enter into the waters of baptism. Soledad's (luz's mom who was baptized a couple weeks ago) boyfriend was also baptized and they will be getting married next month. So cool! I love it all!

Mission conference was amazing. I love getting together with the other missionaries and feeling of the spirit there. We went over a lot of the things that we did at the special mission counsel I got to go to but it was still so cool. I learned new things that will once again help me so much in my missionary work. It was fun because we did some role plays with other missionaries. Sister Baxter and I did one together in Spanish. Afterwords we looked at each other and were thinking about how this time last year we would have never thought we would be sitting in a chapel in New York speaking Spanish to each other. Isn't it funny how the Lord puts us where we need to be, usually it is not where we would have guessed but it is always where we need to be. I am hoping next transfer she gets transferred here to the Bronx and we will have a chance to be companions. I just love her!

Not a whole lot to update on this week. We have just been keeping busy. Last week was weird because P-day was changed but it's cool. We are loving our new apartment and I still LOVE the sisters I live with. They are amazing. We wake up every morning and play Frisbee or basketball. It is nice to get outside to get some exercise. Sadly my basketball skills are going down the drain again but it's ok. Sister Wadsworth and I painted our nails Lakers colors in honor of the playoffs starting. I hope someone keeps me updated!

Well, I am loving being a missionary. What a blessing it is. I love serving the Lord and getting to know so many people here. I love this gospel and the joy and hope that it brings into our lives. I am so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and for his sacrifice for us. The Plan of Salvation is so real and perfect! I LOVE IT! I love you all! Thanks for all you do!

Con Amor- Hermana Passantino
PS: I sent lots of pictures today :)

Fun "Sister's Lunch" with my good friend Sister Baxter!