So Tuesday we drive home from transfers and park the car in front of our apartment to get Sister Neuffer's stuff out. We usually park at a parking garage a couple blocks away but we pay the parking meter so we don't have to drag suitcases 4 or 5 blocks around Philly. Well we get everything in and then we make some lunch. Sister Neuffer starts saying the prayer and then I remember that our car is still parked in front of our apartment... We run downstairs but we already got a parking ticket... Oh well that's getting paid today.
Wednesday President asked us to help pick up the Goldens (new missionaries) from the airport. We left Broomall around 2:30 and their flight was supposed to get in at like 4ish. There was actually 2 flights. One group was coming from the Provo MTC and two elders were coming from the Mexico MTC. They were supposed to be a couple minutes apart but when we got there the group from Provo got delayed and weren't supposed to arrive till 5:30. About 4 the Spanish elder's plane landed but we were all talking and not watching the doors and all of a sudden is see these two missionaries and yell, "Look! There they are!" The assistants and President and Sister Randall jumped up to welcome them. It was so funny. One of the assistants left to take them to the mission office and the rest of us stayed to wait for the other missionaries. But then their flight got delayed again and so they wouldn't be here till 7:30... We were at the airport for like 5 hours... The cool thing was we got to spend 5 hours with President and Sister Randall. Also the assistants but they aren't that cool.
Thursday we had an AMAZING lesson with Maggie. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and she really loved it. She basically bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon and how much peace it brings in her life. She brought up baptism and we asked if she would like to set a date of October 14 and she said yes! We are so excited for her!
Friday we taught Lila and she shared a really special experience she had. She was reading the Book of Mormon one day and then had a feeling she should get down on her knees and pray about it. She said she felt like Joseph Smith. After she prayed she just felt really good and for the rest of the day she just felt stronger and happier. Brother Harris said something cute. He said, "When she reads the Book it looks like she has just washed her face. Her whole face is shining." She is so excited to get baptized. Later we had a lesson with Tom. We read 2 Nephi 31 and it was really good. He had had a crazy day and was a little stressed when he came in. But by the end of the lesson he was in a much better mood. It's amazing what a difference the Spirit can make.
Another awkward story: We were at a bus stop waiting for a bus (obviously) and these three white guys about our age walk past. Me, being the good missionary that I am, said hi to them. Right after I said hi I remembered that in the real world saying hi is sometimes confused with flirting. One of the guys responded, "oh hey there" Sister Neuffer watched them walk down the street and said they kept looking back at us... It was so uncomfortable... THEN! 2 and 1/2 hours later we are in a different neighborhood like a few blocks away and we see them! We were on the same sidewalk as them and it was too late to cross the street. I just looked at the ground the whole time and Sister Neuffer pretended to be in deep conversation with me. They walk past and the same guy says, "oh hi again" with the grossest smirk on his face (according to Sister Neuffer, I was looking at the ground the entire time.) I am so grateful I don't serve in YSA because then we would've had to try and talk to those guys and it would've been so awkward...
Saturday we set a goal to talk to 20 new people and tell them about the Gladys Knight devotional that's coming up. We got out of our lesson at 7 and we still had to eat dinner but we still had 8 more people to talk to. So we said a prayer and started walking. We got the first 5 people so fast. Then we talked to two more so we had one more person to talk to. It was 8:05 and we weren't going in till we talked to 1 more! We got to our apartment and there was no one around but we weren't going in till we hit our goal! Then we saw this guy sitting at the bus stop across the street. So we went to talk to him and his name is Henry and he really wanted to come see Gladys Knight and we also invited him to church for the next day.
Well the next day I had to give a talk. Brother Heal called us Saturday morning and asked if I would speak. So I shared that story of how we were able to reach our goal. I talked about how even though he didn't show up today, he still knows about the church and we were able to extend that invitation. Well about 15 minutes later, Henry walks in! Sister Neuffer and I look at each other like, "What the heck!" Then he stayed for the rest of church and he really liked it. But he lives in the East elder's area which stinks but he's still in the ward so that's awesome!
Anyway super awesome miracles this week. Heavenly Father wants us to succeed. He will help us in anyway we need to help us reach our goals. Yesterday we had another goal to find a new investigator. Heavenly Father helped us find 2. I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Lots of Love!
Sister Van Buskirk
Sister Van Buskirk
The parking ticket... ($36)