September 15, 2010

Hello and greetings from a big comfy black laz-ee-boy chair in the Fordham Library, Bronx NY!

Let's see... what's happening here...

It's finally getting chillier! I THRIVE in the colder weather- the heat can be miserable! Finally the light jackets are coming back on, the fire hydrants are closing, and the sweet smell of roasted peanuts and the magic of Christmas-on-its-way fill the air! I'm a fan of FALL! Haha already Elder Peine and I have a contacting tactic... I pull out my Spanish hymn book and belt Christmas Hymns at full volume to a bus or train full of people and he goes and talks to the passengers and gives pass along cards and sees if anyone is interested in having us come visit them! Haha already we're seeing results! Sometimes it's helpful to be loud and obnoxious in public (Hellberg: 1 point)!

We had a really great Mission Conference on Tuesday! All the city Missionaries (North and South Manhattan Zones and Kingsbridge in the Bronx) met up the Manhattan Temple (the Chapel Side) and had a great meeting with President and Sister Smith and President's counselors, President Darger and President Hunt. It's always so neat to get to be with these great men. They put so much time and effort and love into everything they do and prepare for us. Great trainings, great talks, it was just a really good experience. For the Musical number, Sister Walker and I sang "The Olive Tree" while Sister Babb accompanied us. Then we got fed by the local relief society and had a testimony meeting. It's tradition that all the Missionaries going home at the end of the cycle bear their testimonies at Mission Conference, and I am always impressed and touched by the love and growth that the leaving Missionaries have for the people here in New York and for all those they serve with. It's a blessing to be able to serve with such valiant young men and women.

We are teaching a lady named Venecia from the Dominican Republic- and she is getting baptized this Saturday! One day we were about to climb up 6 flights of stairs to see if a family was home, and I saw her at her door with a little baby and decided to talk to her. (Hellberg: 2 points). (I think I've mentioned her in past e-mails…) Such great things have been happening to her since she accepted the lessons and came to church. And last Sunday I had such a tender and sweet experience with her. It was about 10 minutes before Sacrament started, and I was (as usual) fretting about investigators coming or not coming- the typical pre-Sacrament panic attack for most missionaries... and I couldn't see Venecia anywhere. I was very worried, because her baptism is this coming Saturday, and she really needed to be at Church so she could go through with the Baptism. I worriedly asked Elder Otuafi if he had seen her- and he said "Yeah man, she's already here- up on the stand." I turned quickly and saw her- in a black skirt and white blouse- with big golden earrings and hair all dolled-up.. sitting with the rest of the relief society, waiting to sing a song with them for the meeting. She had a huge smile on her face as she laughed with the rest of the relief society sisters. She looked so happy and beautiful. She looked like a different person- she was basically glowing. I had to restrain myself from running up there and hugging her! It was so special. Big tears welled up in my eyes as I sang next to her for the Relief Society/Missionary musical number- Scatter Sunshine. She has been through so many hardships back in the DR and starting off here in the Bronx- but over the past few weeks she has truly found a new family here in the Kingsbridge ward and is loving and embracing the Gospel. She is truly happy and is anxiously awaiting her Baptism this coming Saturday!

We had a freak storm on Monday, (infinitely more powerful that the pansy "Hurricane" that we 'didn't' have, may I add...)! It hit from nowhere! Millions of gallons of water just buffeting the city! It was crazy! Luckily, Elder Peine and I were right next to Polombo's famous Italian pastry shop (convenient, right?) in Little Italy! We sat down and waited out the storm for about 45 minutes, while sipping on INCREDIBLE Italian hot chocolate and Nutella and Melon Gelato... Mmmmm! (Hellberg: 3 points) PLUS we had a few funny conversations with some old ITALIAN men- such fun! PLUS Polombo's was founded by a man named GIOVANNI Polombo! Haha so great. :) Afterwards we ran through what was left of the Thunderstorm (we had not thought to bring umbrellas) and took shelter at Maria's house- a member in Kingsbridge. She and her family are so awesome! They had big ears of corn boiling for us and we all ate ELOTE- one of the things that I now LIVE for here in the Bronx. It's a cob of corn SMOTHERED in Mayo and dipped in a Mexican white powdered cheese (looks like Parmesan) and then coated in sPiCy Chili powder...! It's A M A Z I N G. Often little Hispanic ladies from Puebla or Guevarra Mexico will have carts with coolers full of corn around our area- and it's usually a buck 50 for one- and it's so WORTH IT! Usually I'll try to get at least one a week!! Mmmmm.

I got your packages – thank you so much!! AH MA! I LOVE THE RAZORS YOU BOUGHT ME. They are perfect. I love them! Such a close shave and easy to use and quick and wonderful! And I got the tape Carlie sent me! The silly funny tape from Cedar City and you and Dad at Pagoda and then Carlie at BYU! HaHa! I loved it! I cried and laughed and cried laughing! It was wonderful!

Well I better get going! We have some fun plans for today's P-day! There is a BIG MASSIVE SUPER END-OF-SUMMER-SALES EVENT in Fordham plaza today- and I just must splurge and spoil myself with some souvenirs and things for my birthday! Bahaha! I love you all so much. Thanks for all you do!

CHURCH IS TRUE!!

B safe! B happy! B singing to random strangers at full blast !!!!

Love you all.

Always,

Elder Brandon Hellberg