Week 33: Encontrar para Enseñar

Hola muchachos! It's been an awesome week here in NYC with just about every type of weather possible. We've gotten soaked by rain, snow yesterday, and then we were out in short sleeve shirts a few days ago. Basically it's Idaho weather x10 out here.

          We had an awesome day on Friday. We've been trying really hard to find new people to teach, and that is always a big struggle because we find people through bus contacts and knocking doors, and then we never see them again because they always say "tengo una cita" (I have an appointment). But, Friday we had such a good day with finding people. For once, we didn't get yelled at or the door slammed in our face, and literally every body that we talked too loved our message and just really wanted to hear what we had to say. The coolest thing that happened was when we knocked this door in the projects, and this 25 year old kid opened the door. Basically looked like your average skater boy, but from mexico. We started talking to him and he didn't seem interested at all until we found out that he used to meet with missionaries! He said they were super good friends and that he wanted us to come back on Saturday and that he would tell his mom and brothers to all come to church on Sunday. He has been going through a rough time with some nightmares and things like that, and so we offered to say a prayer with him. It was so awesome because after we prayed with him he just gave us huge hugs. It's so cool to see how people recognize missionaries as representatives of the Lord. 

          Another cool experience that I had on Monday was with a bus contact. These contacts are sometimes super awkward, because you get on the bus, and everyone just looks at you because you're white in Harlem with a white shirt and name tag on haha. But, there's always people to talk to and that's the awesome part of it. I sat across from this guy on our way home, and he noticed my tag. He asked if I was out here working and we got to talking about missionary work and why I'm out here. It was so cool to see his face light up as I explained that we give up 2 years of our lives in order to serve the Lord and just give service to people. He was mind blown that it was voluntary service and that we left school and family and work for it. He said he wants to check the church out so I got his number, and gave him a card with all the info. Then he actually asked me if I played ball, and we got to talking about the NBA, which was awesome cause he gave me a pretty good update on my Knicks ;) It was just so cool to be able to see someone's perspective of the church change just by explaining what we do as missionaries. We don't realize how big of an impact we have on people through our small actions. 

          I just wanted to end this email with a quote from Elder Quinten L. Cook, from his talk this last general conference titled "The Eternal Everyday." He says, "The Savior, even as a member of the Godhead, was willing to come to earth as a lowly infant and begin an existence that included teaching and healing His brothers and sisters and ultimately suffering indescribable pain in Gethsemane and on the cross in order to perfect His Atonement. This act of love and humility on the part of Christ is known as His condescension. He did this for every man and woman God has created or will create." The Savior of the world literally gave up his place next to our heavenly father for a time, in order to come down here and perform the greatest act of all time, The Atonement. I know that through that Atonement we can be healed from all of our heart ache, because I have seen it! God loves us, and he wants the best for us. Remember that as you go throughout your week! Love you all so much! Have an awesome week! 

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