May the 4th Be With You

HOORAY! MAY 4th!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! You are 29!... AGAIN!! ...YAY!!

AHH! It's MAY! What's that they say about April showers and May flowers? Yeah- it's still raining. But it's beautiful nonetheless!

THIS morning was an ADVENTURE that's for sure. We had to get up at 3:15 AM this morning to be at the Mission Home at 4 to take 3 Missionaries to JFK and LaGuardia Airports- OUTSIDE of Mission Boundaries! haha! The 3 Elders were coming home from thier Mission in Croatia/Slovenia (spelling?) and there was flight delay so they had to spend the night here in NY up at President Smith's house. All the departing Missionaries (all 18 of them!! whoa!) have their final Manhattan Temple trip today so President asked ME to drive them down to the airports!! It was so fun! All 3 Elders were great guys- happy and excited to see their families. We crossed the BIG bridges across onto Long Island and wished them luck as they strolled off to catch planes to go home. We were SO tired upon returning to Westchester County- we just took a NAP right there inside the Church! haha! It's alright, it's P-day Anyway!

I can't believe this cycle is ALREADY coming to a close. This is the last week of cycle 11 for me. It's absurd! Elder Clark, my greenie, is basically not even a greenie anymore! He's doing grand! We are working hard and loving it up here. Yonkers is a TRIP, man- 2 nights ago nobody could use the water- there was a break in the line and only DARK BROWN NASTY water came from the sink and shower! BLEGH!! haha! THAT, my friends, is why ALL Missionary apartments have 20 Gallons of storage water... Good call. We love Sleepy Hollow and the little Branch we meet at every sunday in Scarsdale. We are small, but we are strong- and growing! It's such a wonderful thing to see such great people band together in such a great cause.

We had an AWESOME zone Conference last Thursday. It was such a special one! 10 of the Missionaries from the big group going home got up and bore their testimonies- it was such a sweet experience to see the massive and incredible changes made in so many of these wonderful people. I feel blessed to count many of them among my great friends. We watched a talk my Elder Holland that he gave in January in the MTC- it was so POWERFUL. If you have a way of watching it, do! It feels like FIRE was just re-lit in the Mission. I feel SO lucky to be a part of the Missionary work at this time and in this place full of amazing people. I have come to LOVE New York- and have come to better know the Lord here as well. I have come to know for myself that He Lives.

I wish I had more time... but we are OFF to Peekskill.. I have been asked to dedicate a grave and give a talk at a funeral! More next week!

The Church is TRUE!
All is well!
Elder Hellberg

"B"