Legit!!

Here is the rundown for my past week:

Thursday: Jorbey and Kevin came to church for the first time in 2 years! Well, they didn't necessarily come to Sacrament Meeting but they came to basketball on Thursday!! That's a start!

Friday: Luis, our investigator, set a baptismal date for August 10th! Prayers are welcome for him! :) Wendy, another investigator, set her date for August 31st! Prayers for her too. :) They are LEGIT investigators. Never have I worked with people who are so ready to change their lives and follow Jesus Christ. It is amazing to be here and to serve as an instrument in the Lord's hands. To know that He has faith in me to teach these people is beyond me. I love Him so much. Legit. :)

Saturday: In the morning we got a call from some English elders who also work in our area. They found a lady who just moved here from the DR. She has 4 nieces and nephews who want to be baptized. LEGIT! Again, God's hand in our lives. To have this trust, again, is awesome.

Sunday: We had an appointment at 7:00pm and from 4:30 to 7 we went to about 7 different less-actives apartments to visit them. Not one was home. Also, it was like, Dominican Days Parade, and Grand Concourse was COVERED with garbage and, just people weren't wearing very much clothing, and there were a lot of Dominican flags. It was pretty interesting!

Tuesday we had zone conference. It. was. amazing!! We talked about working on commitments and asking direct, clear, simple, thought provoking questions. Then, we had an amazing training from our Mission President. We talked about the talk, "A Consecrated Missionary." Boy. I know I have a lot more work to do now. We have set a goal as a mission to be a consecrated mission. Not just a few consecrated missionaries, but we all have to do this together. I am excited. because I think this is going to be AMAZING. It is what we all need. I love it.

http://scottsdalemission.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/becoming-a-consecrated-missionary/

Thank you Scottsdale Mission!

IT IS AMAZING! Give it to every preparing missionary you know! It will change their lives! It will make them into the people they need to be! also, that reminds me of our district meeting. Oh was it great!

http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=873

READ IT! Just really, super awesome.

I love you all. I spent all p-day doing laundry. yeah. i know. so fun. :) the price we pay for clean clothes!

Have an amazing week! remember to pray, read your scriptures, and Preach My Gospel, and these awesome talks linked above. THEY WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

Love love love love love ya'll.

Love, Hermana Lancaster

The Life of a Missionary in The Bronx

Hello ya'll! This past week has, yet again, flown by. 

This past Friday we met with our investigator Luis. He sat wide-eyed as we told him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and why it is important to be baptized and then after that, to come to church to take the sacrament. Then he started asking about the temple trip on Saturday and if he could go, we were like, "as soon as you're baptized you can go!" So he said, "okay well I want to be baptized next month." LEGIT! We just want to help guide him. We still have a bit to teach him but he seems willing and ready. 

Saturday we went with the ward to do baptisms for the dead! We went there and saw a missionary celebrity! Her name is Sister Jen Blosil and she is serving in the New York, New York South mission. She sings a song on an EFY CD called 'Take it Home'. It is beautiful. She was like, you're from Springville? Well we have to be best friends! hahah she was so cute and needless to say, we clicked and will be besties! hahahaha listen to the song here:

https://www.lds.org/youth/music?lang=eng 

Sunday was kind of crazy. On Saturday, I was asked to give a talk about family home evening. (mom i know what your thinking) So I mostly talked about the responsibilities that we have as family members to each set our own example and find our own personal desire to come unto Christ. If we don't want to personally, then how are we supposed to help our parents, siblings, friends, etc. :) 

Monday we went out and had about 7 lessons planned for the day. 3 happened and one of them was a back up to a back up plan. Oh the life of a missionary in the Bronx! Like I always say, we have a lot of less actives so whenever an appointment falls through, it is contacting them. But it ended up being a great hardworking day. 

Tuesday we went to visit Leslie (recent convert) and her little sister Lyandra who will be turning 8 in September. She has learned a lot from coming to primary and has a lot of questions. She is actually pretty interested in God and in coming to church. Her 4 year old brother was in the background saying, "Church is boring." Hahahha made me think of my brothers and how often they said that. REPENT! hahah just kidding. I really have always loved church and the way it makes me feel. And how it makes me feel for the rest of the week! 

I invite you all to read the words of my new favorite sacrament reading hymn. 

Reverently, Meekly Now #185

1. Rev'rently and Meekly now,

Let thy head most humbly bow.

Think of me, thou ransomed one;

Think what I for thee have done.

With my blood that dripped like rain,

Sweat in agony of pain,

With my body on the tree

I have ransomed even thee.

2. In this bread now blest for thee,

Emblem of my body see;

In this water or this wine,

Emblem of my blood divine.

Oh, remember what was done

That the sinner might be won.

On the cross of Calvary

I have suffered death for thee.

3. Bid thine heart all strife to cease;

With thy brethren be at peace.

Oh, forgive as thou wouldst be

E'en forgiven now by me.

In the solemn faith of prayer

Cast upon me all thy care,

And my Spirit's grace shall be

Like a fountain unto thee.

4. At the throne I intercede;

For thee ever do I plead.

I have loved thee as thy friend,

With a love that cannot end.

Be obedient, I implore,

Prayerful, watchful evermore,

And be constant unto me,

That thy Savior I may be.

Text: Joseph L. Townsend, 1849-1942

Music: Ebenezer Beesley, 1840-1906

I love it so much. It really helps me remember why I am taking the sacrament in the first place. 

I hope you all have a fabulous week! Remember to pray and read your scriptures! 

Speaking of prayer, I have a great talk for ya'll to read! 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/using-the-supernal-gift-of-prayer?lang=eng 

LOVE ELDER SCOTT!! he is a boss. 

Love you all! 

Love, Hermana Lancaster

New Investigators, Heat, And Getting Stuck in an Elevator

So this past week has been so so so so hot. 96 degrees but with the humidity it feels like 104. yuck. 

This past Friday we met with an investigator Luis. He found us on the internet. legit. We watched the restoration with him and he was like, wow those are the exact questions that I have! He came to the baptism on Saturday and asked if he could be baptized now or if he had to have more lessons with us. LEGIT! Sunday, he paid $5 to temple funds. I hope that we can do our best to let the Spirit speak through us to him! 

Leslie was BAPTIZED this saturday! It was awesome. We are going to be doing baptisms for the dead this Saturday! 

We have the niece and nephew of a member who are really interested! Well basically they are the only ones not baptized in their family. Unfortunately their mom and grandma are inactive and luckily, their uncle is just coming back into activity! They are awesome youth in a city where most the youth are focused on worldly things. 

 

So we had our first experience being stuck in an elevator. We had to climb out! It wasn't super bad but half the door was showing and the other half, cement. hahaha let's just say a slight panic attack occurred but all is well. 

They are filming a movie in our area! In a members building non the less! We even gave a pamphlet to a security guard after he told us what was going on. the street is just lined with trailors! We are like, looking for famous people all the time. but, he told us it was a horror movie coming out in jan 2015. that will be legit to see it and be like, oh that's my area. but i don't think i can go into that building knowing a horror movie was filmed there... just saying. 

Yesterday we had a sweet young woman come out with us! It was so so so hot and, of course, everyone canceled on us! She said it was better than sitting in her house. But, we felt so bad. We are hoping to do this more with the youth! It will be a great experience for them I hope! 

I can feel of all your prayers! I am so so so thankful for this opportunity to feel of God's love for me. it is so crazy that i am literally finding myself as i am losing myself. LOVE IT! THE SCRIPTURES ARE TRUE! 

I invite you all to read D&C 84:88. It's a legit scripture. :) 

Have an amazing week!! 

Love, Hermana Lancaster

Beautiful and True

For last week's blog Ashley has been feeling down and really didn't have a lot she wanted to say at the time. She asked me (mom) to post this Mormon Message for Youth entitle "Origin" and wants everyone she knows and loves to watch it. She said, "It is so beautiful, and just real life."

Transfers Coming Soon

Hello everyone!!

This week has been pretty great! 

It has been sooooo hot. With sooooo much humidity. But, we are making it through. 

Next Wednesday are transfers, we are all excited to see what will happen! I am pretty sure I will be staying in the Bronx. 

Two Ashley's

Swollen feet at the end of the day!

This past Friday we had a great lesson with our investigator Lesli! She is 15 and told us she wants to be baptized on July 13th. She is pretty awesome!! She is coming from a pretty hard background but really loves the church and how much she is changing and becoming happier! I love it! I am so happy that I can be a part of her coming into the church. 

Saturday we had a ward party for our bishop's son who is entering the MTC today! He is going to be serving in the Colorado, Colorado Springs Spanish speaking mission. He will be a great missionary! 

Yesterday we met with Lesli again and she had some awesome questions for us about repentance and the "rules" or commandments. We talked about the Word of Wisdom and Tithing and about why baptism is necessary. She is so awesome and was like, "I can give up coffee but iced tea is going to be hard, but I can do it." She is so ready to get baptized! On Sunday she was at church with her little sister. Her parents both work on Sunday and she comes from 150th street all the way to 200th street, just her and her siblings. She is a modern day pioneer! 

I hope that everyone is having a great summer! Now is a great time to start and finish the Book of Mormon! Read it before school starts! (especially you Jake because seminary this next year is the Book of Mormon!) 

I love you all so, so much!! I am so thankful for all your letters of encouragement and love!! You guys rock!! 

Have an amazing week! 

Love, Hermana Lancaster