Week 31: Bautismo!

Benito! Always has new hats for us to try on!

Tons of homeade guacamole from Benito. The best ever tbh.

Que lo que everyone!

             It’s been an amazing week here in Harlem. We've had so much happening and the work is just going awesome. 

One of the many random churches lol.

So first off, our investigator named Tamara is like the coolest. She texts us everyday asking for a scripture to read or something to watch because she loves the spirit she feels when doing things that God wants us to do! She told us that she is the happiest when she is talking about God. So, we have been Skype calling her and going over to teach her family, and she had a baptismal date for next Saturday, the 27th. She came to church this past Sunday, and we walked her to the bus stop, and as we were standing there we asked her if she felt ready enough to be baptized this Saturday, and she got so happy and said yes! So in 3 days we will have a baptism for Tamara! It is so cool. This week has been awesome meeting with her. She just keeps telling us how happy she is now, and how grateful she is to have the gospel in her life. She is so excited to raise her little boy in the church and make sure that he has good standards to fall back on. 

President and Sister Smith and their kids took a picture with our banner! It's gonna be one of their "mission treasures".

During zone conference on Monday, we were talking about why we are sent to certain areas of the mission, and how we need to find people that are waiting for us. We had a Skype call yesterday with Tamara, and she just started telling us how so many missionaries had been to their house before, but it had to be Elder Cid and I. She said she just knew the message was true, and that God had put us in her path right when she was looking for a church, and direction in her life. She also told us that we are her best friends forever so that was dope too haha. She is just so cool, and I know that Harlem is where I needed to get sent to in order to find her. She also texted us something awesome after the Skype call, and I’ll put that in the end.

             

Text from Tamara (autocorrect on some words haha)

On Friday, we got to watch the funeral services for President Monson, and they were great. All the missionaries in the zone gathered for it. It was so cool to hear his daughter share about what a great man he was. His sense of humor was so awesome, and the things I have learned from him will be applied throughout my life. We also got to watch the announcement yesterday of the new first presidency. It was so cool to be able to see that! President Nelson is so awesome and it’s so crazy that I got to meet him in September. I’m just super excited for the next General Conference to hear these three men speak to us. 

             My first District Leader from Olmstead, Elder Wilson. Goes home this cycle.

At zone conference on Monday we had an awesome invitation from President Smith. He asked us to “do something daily to strengthen your testimony of the atonement.” I want to invite all of you to do the same. Read the scriptures, say a more sincere prayer, serve just one more person; whatever you do, just remember the atonement, and how amazing it is. I’ve been thinking a lot about that recently and just how impossible it seems for one man to take the sins of the world on him. But he wasn’t just a man! He was the literal Son of God, and he was sent here for that purpose. He would have performed that sacrifice for any one of us, but he did it for EVERYONE. It is so awesome and so humbling to be able to teach that to people everyday. I know God loves each one of us, and that through Jesus Christ we can find peace and joy! 

Love you all so much, have an amazing week! 

Elder Adam Ray Allen
New York New York North Mission
700 White Plains Rd Ste 315 Scarsdale, NY 10583