Session 1 Complete, Preemptive Threats, Hero's Anonymous, Betrayal?, Ghosting

So the topics of this past week are various and scattered... As usual. Anyway let us begin with the first step of information. I will be participating in my sixth transfer here in Independence East! Woot! If anyone knows my mission as well as my own personal tract record this is very rare amongst missionaries to go past four and even rarer to go six. Past that I don't believe anyone has gone seven under this mission president. I plan on asking my mission president if I should start packing my bags this coming interview :3. My Golden completed his first transfer and here we go for the second. So our investigator Brian who before this week we had seen twice is doing super well. We were able to meet with him twice this week and he is progressing super well! Our only problem is that his wife from visit three to four (only a day later) has threatened that if he joins she will divorce him :/. That doesn't make any sense seeming how he's not even a catholic himself... We got some warming up to do with her I guess. From then on most of our visits have been pretty well the usual routine, however on Wednesday night we were able to find Brandon Stevenson one of our recent converts for the first time in a month and a half. His fro was grown out along with a new mustache and though it was a happy reunion it was forced short for some reason. Told me he was moving that Saturday, gave me a tie and sent us on our way. Wasn't there Saturday and hasn't answered a text since :/. Note to self never ask your comp about super heroes when he knows a lot about them. From then on it will become the main topic of discussion with both yourself and most less actives and then from there you will be in a comic shop most of your p-day... Well the shop was actually really cool but there's not much you can do in there besides pick up merchandise since your a missionary. Saturday we had a service project planned with a potential in the sisters area as well as bring some new members into the area. Since the other elders had some lessons planned they asked if we could go on a mind exchange so that both sets could be there to introduce the new members to the ward. Well what was supposed to be two hours turned into the full day with us never reaching the members haha. Last night after church we got a lot of work done. A guy we were looking for ended up finding us which was really cool. We talked to a lot of people and then when we dropped by a media referral we had an interesting experience we showed up and found two other people in the house. One of them had already investigated and would like to pick up again, but mostly the entire visit was us just kinda sitting there as they had their own inside discussion and jokes... Meanwhile I watched a rat go in out of the kitchen so ya. Good night :3.

His First Bash, Prep and Dunk, Eye Witness Car Wreck, Yet Another Drunk Happenstance

So I don't have to much this week but it was a good week non the less. So first up in news is that a certain investigator we picked up about a month ago went MIA right after we found him. In our attempts to get back in touch the past month we succeeded... Just to find that he would take 45 minutes to bash with us! My Train-E Elder Crowther was of no use either since he felt it his obligation to fall asleep seven minutes into the discussion :/... !. But it's alright the moment of anger was fizzled out with our excitement to go and teach our investigator Brianna. She was set up for this past Sunday to be baptized but we still had to teach the last half of lesson four and all of lesson five woof! However we were able to do it all within her last lesson before being interviewed and she was Baptized! Woot woot! She was super excited before hand but a bit worried that the water would be to cold haha. She screamed for joy after being dunked! Her Mom loved it and for the first time her brother came to church and her baptism and loved it as well. We have some big hopes for Meloney and if she is baptized that would be sweet! If the family comes in together they will be able to support each other ya know :D! Still without a computer so pictures are still troublesome to send and I'm sorry about that. I will get them to ya as soon as possible though when the opportunity arrives. That was the biggest highlight for this week. Much past that right after the baptism was just weird. We got home in time to have to leave for the Thuesons who live in East Falls. As we were waiting for a bus to take us to their place as I starred off into the unbeknown to suddenly be viciously interrupted as a car collided into another Boom! It was freaky but yet slightly funny. The guy who got hit gets out of his car and just paces back and forth like gosh dang it! To then see he has buddies on the corner and just goes and talks to them and has a good ol' time waiting for the police. Meanwhile the girl who had hit him was just hysterical and on the phone. Surprisingly the guys car was pretty well unharmed but for the girl she's going to need a new one. Completely destroyed her front left end and deployed air bags yeesh. We had dinner and on our way back to Mike and Danna's I had an unfortunate of unfortunates :/. This guy comes up singing, drunk as can be and asks if it sounds as good as he thinks it does. I said sure when he then stated he was gay and was looking to do immoral things.... XP. Well another day in philly I guess.... We went to danna's and had a blast. Dinner as usual but we had more of a family home evening and played a board game called "Betrayal at the House on the Hill". So much fun and I totally recommend that y'all get it :D. Well I love y'all!

Baptisms on the Way!, Exchanges and Area Decision Talk, In Sickness and in

First and foremost, whoever can say the reference for the last title in this emails subject gets bonus points and maybe a thing of Brownies in the package that I am sending home ;)! All is well here and since it's now four in the afternoon I am more or less awake enough to write this email. We've been busy getting necessities for our apartment and making hopefully our last entrance into China town for the next little while :P. So I won't keep you waiting and I'll move into our mainstream news. So last Monday we were at Joel Mynders Baptism. It was sweet! Though our poor guy had to be baptized three times since his foot kept coming up but it went alright. He felt awesome and what was also pretty sweet is that both Brianna and her Mom came to it and they both loved it and felt the spirit! Apparently it was also the highlight of the week for Melanie so I'm getting ready to put someone else up onto the baptismal forecast ya know ;)? We are prepping for Brianna's baptism this coming Sunday, however we were unable to see them last week and we still have big lessons to go over such as chastity and the word of wisdom... Ugh! We are teaching both tonight so it's going to cut close, but I think we should be able to make it. Tuesday we had exchanges. I sent Elder Crowther over to the west side of Broad and brought Elder Philogene over with me. Been out the same time as Crowther but he's from Haiti and speaks five languages my goodness! He a good guy, converted about 3 years ago I believe, in Boston and has loved it ever since. We taught the Layton Browns a super good lesson. No screaming kids going to and fro, no one going in and out. Just nice and quiet with all of the adults there listening to "The Hope of Gods Light", by Pres. Uchtdorf. We later on did some finding at temple university and I failed especially, but I was able to see Philogene do good. His English is good but it takes time, so at the moment he just has a memorized shpeal that he gives which is kinda funny since he doesn't stop once he's started. Some people had just taken out their headphones when he was already half way through. He will get it though! We had dinner with the Peterson family later that night as well. It was good, we had Tia food and shared the "Because He Lives", video. Wednesday, we had a very interesting and awkward experience *:|... We went over to Mike for a lesson and while we waited for him Dana had a really raunchy show going, which mind you, Elder Crowther and I have dubbed as the don't look up moment. We took Mike downstairs as fast as possible but it was a bit to late, the spirit was just gone and I felt terrible :P. Thursday, we had zone training so I had a week off from district meeting which was nice. Afterwards we had a meeting about what we were going to do with Temple Campus. It was just me, Elder Bevans, and the Zone Leaders. I'm really not to sure what to say about it. I didn't say much while the others talked a lot and we kinda left on a bit of a stand-by we will share it. I'm fine with that just, I received word from President that he would like only one companionship to cover it and to not work it often. The last part I didn't fully understand but I'll be talking more with him about it and find out what he wants me to do. I went on exchanges with the zone leaders, me in Frankford with Elder Meline. It was good though not to much out of the usual happened. Friday we had weekly planning but as the day went along Elder Crowther started to get some stomach issues but we pressed forward non the less. He and Elder Long found a ton of people while I was away (always happens) and we tried to stop by not to much success since Brianna cancelled. Crowther got worse so we went to right aid to pick up pepto. Before I had finished paying he had downed some and from there we went to Dana's store to ask for some advice for him. Went in and talked with her when suddenly I realized that Crowther was gone and was throwing up on the front steps all slumped over. It was gross since I had to clean it up :P. Went home then haha. Saturday he was still completely wiped out and in the fetal position most of the morning. I had some good studies as he rested, from a Book called The Power of Everyday Missionaries. I highly recommend it. At about 12:45 we had some lessons coming up so I gave him a blessing and then he was perfectly fine for the rest of the day. We taught a homeless man named Earnest, in McDonalds. Elder Crowther had found him on exchanges and he's pretty sweet, hopefully we will be able to help him get better situated :). We also had a man named Brian who I had met in Save Alot months earlier. It was a rumbly lesson since we were late due to some kids and then we also had to get to Jenns. He seems pretty good and he said that what we told him interests him. Woot! Jenns lesson was super good. Like its the number one on the top five lessons I've ever had at that house. We taught about the Holy Ghost and how we can know truth. The house was in almost complete silence the whole time during the lesson with no interruptions. We finished up and all the noise came back which I pointed out to Jenn. I still have hope :). Sunday we were on the run with Brother Moala taking us different places. Afterwards we had to go down out of our zone to Penn hospital to see Sister Rios. This is where the title comes from, since Sister Rios was in there for a blood clot and should have surgery tomorrow. It's crazy how much this woman has been through but she still kicks strong and still has her funny sense of humor. Put a mean doctor in her place and thus hadn't seen her since haha. We talked and gave her a blessing which made her feel better. I have high hopes.

Macrae at the Liberty Bell and in front of Genos

Baptism(s) in Sights, Outback with Gimmpy, The Interview, Meetings Gone Wild

We be off with our adventures this week. First off I would like everyone to know that I'm tired and quite ready for a nap but by my prediction that won't be available until I leave his area... Still tired ;). So our adventures start off with Family Home Evening with Brother Abad... And now for Tuesday's events. So for our third and definitely final time we went and saw Bill in the morning. We knocked on the door to no answer but when we turned the corner there he was coming home from a corner store bar drunk as usual with two cans of beer in hand. We try to do a lesson but as usual our efforts were in vain due to his lack of sobriety. However before we finished the kinda lesson he try's to stand up saying that he needs to relieve himself. We were teaching him out on the porch when he lurps into and through his house. Well there's a step right before the kitchen which he trips over and plummets to the floor. "Arrrrrrrrrrrrg!!!!!" -Close Quote-. And he just slumps there and mumbles something before going silent. We asked if he was alright, with no response. As we waited, a guy passed by and asked if he was alright? We said he was drunk and the guy told us, "oh ya he's dead alright", before walking off. Not sure what to do, I suddenly realized that a certain puddle had protruded from the ground when suddenly Bill got up and lurped back to us..... Oh dear.... That was gross. We left after that :P. Later that night, however was much more successful. We had a lesson with Brianna that night, with the Thuesons, like usual and it went super well. She asked if she could reset her date for a week later since she wanted to learn more which I'm fine with but at the end I had a feeling that I should ask her mom to more fully participate as an investigator. But yet on the same end she already was which confused me :/. So in the least rude way I knew at that time I invited her to be baptized on the same day as Brianna haha. She said she wanted to learn more to before she went that far haha, so I gave her a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet. Wednesday we had a very long but yet also very good trip down to the Temple with Mike. It took so long due to his broken foot but I was really glad that we were able to take him down with us, it was something he really needed in his depressed state. We first had a lesson on the backside of the temple where we saw that the detailing is farther up than in the front (the granite) and a few of the windows aren't covered by wood. Super gorgeous! Brother Carr then came and found us after his lunch and took us to the trailer where he did his shpeal and gave Mike a temple rock. They are pretty hard to come by now and though I have one I wanna see if I can get y'all one ;). The temple is going to be beautiful and I can't wait to come back out and see it in August or September of next year :P. So let's see. My Golden and I are also on a bit of a war March to take back what is ours! A certain Elder tried to take part of my area last transfer without me knowing saying that they lived closer and that we never worked there. Well, we went down to Temple campus (college) and we went street contacting. Well college students still scare me but while we were down there we were able to meet Tim! Recent convert from Washington State but originally from Hong Kong who wants to come back to church. Excitement! We worked there the next day as well. My companion placed five cards in one shot while I picked up a batman sticker! Thursday we began our long road of meetings. And though not as thrilling as girls gone wild it was at least educational... I gave my worst district meeting yet and of course one of the zone leaders just so happened to sit in on this one :/. However it was something I needed since it gave me the opportunity to know what I could improve upon and stay away from. Friday we had a super good Zone Conference, though we got out late. We watched an MTC only talk by President Uchtdorf which was amazing! I will have to find the stories he shared so that I can send them to you and give greater detail. Afterwards we went and gained a new investigator through media referral and the "He Lives" video before we went to see Jen. It was the second most quite time at that house which was scary since there's been so much drama lately. We had a really good lesson on Gods will. Then unfortunately, a friend came by at the end and it all kinda went capoot from there :/. General Conference was really good. I would have to say that my favorite talks were givin by Elder Oaks, Elder Bednar, and Wilford Wilson. Y'all notice the big emphasis on family and marriage :3? Well that about sums up the week,

Elder Crawther and coloring Easter Eggs