August 10

DEAR Home!
Hello! Another week has flown by!

Today was a great P-day! We went down to CHINATOWN to deliver some simplified Chinese copies of the Book of Mormon to the Chinese Sisters- and stopped by a Chinese soup place and ate with some of the Chinatown Elders! It was great. The ONLY thing that I CANNOT STAND is Manhattan TRAFFIC. It's so INFURIATING trying to get out of that city!! It's like a mad house on some of those intersections- people screaming and arms flailing and cops trying in vain to keep some sense of order... man it's BAD! Our GPS said we'd arrive back to Scarsdale at 4:30ish.... we just got back and it's 5:45!! It IS, however, a beautiful drive on the Henry Hudson Parkway up the west side of the island. That's a plus!

Elder McMullin and I are still trying to get over the fact that we aren't in the Spanish branch anymore... but we still practice our Spanish to keep it up! We have truly seen some amazing miracles in the English program already. We met a woman named Carol on Friday- originally the Sister Missionaries found her and passed her off to us. She is amazing. The five of us 5 (Carol, the sister Missionaries, and Elder McMullin and myself) sat on her deck as she just told us her entire life story. She's going through some very difficult times right now- and has her whole life- but she read entirely the pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation that the sisters left her previously, and very enthusiastically told us "I want to go the Celestial Kingdom!!" She is such a sweet lady- and she's very excited to come to church on Sunday.

Also, a man that has been coming to church for quite some time is getting baptized in a few weeks! His wife and kids are members and have been since birth. He's always been involved in church programs and has always been very supportive of his family and their chuch attendance. He has recently been coming to church consistantly, and he met with us this last week and told us that he wants to be baptized! In a year, he and his family will sealed in the Manhattan Temple! It's such a great story! I think one of the coolest parts is that his son is going to be the one to baptize him. The family is so excited.

I just love being a Missionary. I love being a member of the Church and seeing the way it changes and blesses the people that invite the Gospel into their lives. I have every confidence that what I am doing right now and where I am is exactly what and where the Lord wants me to do and be. Thanks so much to all of you who are such examples! Keep being amazing.

All my Love!
B Patient in Traffic! B Blessed!
Elder Hellberg