Sister Dahl: New Jersey Morristown Mission: I am just loving every minute of this experience...

Wow! That is all I can say! We had quite the week over here in New Jersey! So much info to tell you! :) I am just loving every minute of this experience I am going through! Only thing that would make it better is if all of you were here with me! :)

Monday: First, this is a super embarrassing, but after we were done emailing on Monday we went to practice our skit we did for our mission conference with our whole zone… so we brought our jeans to change into... So we get over to the church and I go to change into my jeans and I am like... "man… this things are getting a little tight..." so of course I do some stretches to get them loosened up and they RIP!!!!! :( haha the dryer must of shrinked them or something... but that’s just my excuse! The real story is that I AM GETTING FAT... :( hahah but don't you worry because one of the Elders in our Zone knows how to sew... So he stitched them up for me… only problem is I still can't fit into them... hahahahhaha. Missions do bad things to sisters bodies... haha but it's okay because we found a “good will” here so I went and found some new pants for $3 :) and a couple of sweet old grandma light weight skirts that will be awesome for the summer! They are pretty ugly but they work! :) I'm fat now… my clothes don't fit... my hair is a mess…I just don't care anymore! :) hahah

Tuesday: Well Tuesday we had District meeting then the rest of the day we spent making a cake for our mission activity... made it with a less active so we got a lesson in! :) haha it was fun though! A couple people from our zone came over and helped out! It was full of gluten so I didn't really care that much about it hahah

Wednesday: This was a great day! We woke up and went down to Morristown and had a giant mission activity!! Our whole mission was there and it was so much fun! We played games-kick ball, dodge ball, volley ball, soccer! It was a blast! Afterwards we went to the chapel and ate and then every zone did a skit! Ours was the best one... not even joking! We did a remake of ICE ICE BABY! But said "IT'S THE BOOK OF MORMON!!" It was great! Then we did have a spiritual side of things and the Manhattan Temple President and his wife came and talked to us and that was really good! All about family history work and how important the temples are! :) After that they judged all our cakes… yeah ours didn't win.. haha but then we were able to take a mission picture and we got mission tee shirts! Yeah our mission is the best mission ever! :) President and Sister Jeppson are the BEST! :)

Thursday!!! AHHH GUESS WHAT WE DID THURSDAY!!! I was in NEW YORK CITY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE!!!!! :) We woke up bright and early and went to the train station... first crazy experience... haha I’ve never rode a train before... but I sat next to this man that was so nice he worked on wall street and I pretty much forced him to get off his phone and talk to me... haha. He ended up telling me about his life and I got to tell him that I was going to the temple and that turned into a great conversation! :) Power of one! Well anyways we got off the train and there were people everywhere!! Just like in the movies!!! HOLY MOLY! We got off on Penn Station which is on 32nd I think and we walked up 7th ave and Broadway to get to the temple 30 blocks away! It was such a long walk but sooo cool! :) The buildings are crazy! I was just super overwhelmed not gonna lie... and a little nervous... (Now that we got back safe I can tell you mom that it was just us three girls walking the streets of NYC... haha I was a little nervous but don't worry the Lord has about 20 guardian angles around us all the time! :) so we were safe!) I guess we kinda stuck out like a sore thumb because randomly people would walk past and say HI SISTERS! :) haha. Finally the last guy that said it I stopped him and was like WAIT! We are a little lost! Where is the temple!! haha And so he walked us to the temple and told us he worked across the street and he served his mission in London! :) The Lord really was looking out for us because I don't think we would have found the temple without him! Haha. Well we found the temple and it was amazing! :) I don't think I have ever wanted to get inside the temple more in my entire life! :) But once we walked into the doors it was so cool how it went dead silent! NY is so loud but inside the temple walls it was soo quiet and peaceful! Such a cool experience!! I was so happy to be inside a temple again! I was able to talk to a French man inside the temple and I got to ask him if Marseille was a safe place... He kinda was beating around the bush I think… but I am not really sure… I couldn't really understand him... hah hopefully I can understand Cade when he gets back… :/ haha But it was great! I LOVE THE TEMPLE! :) It is a small one with a couple floors! But after we were done with the session, we were able to walk back on 5th ave and see lots of cool stores, central park, Rockefeller center! WOW! What a great day! :) We were sure tired when we got back though... like super tired! Lots of walking! I know why NY people are so skinny! But hopefully I walked off enough to fit into my jeans… hahahha. But it was great! NY is a great place to visit... I sure don't ever want to live there...it was still great to experience for my first time though! :)

Friday: Now Friday we were back to having a normal missionary schedule! I have to say... I missed it! I was excited to get back to being a real missionary again! :) We had a great lesson with our Recent Convert and with a Less Active! :) We also had a dinner appt with a family and they got me gluten free hamburger buns! Sweetest Family ever! :)

Saturday: Another great day! We had a lesson with a less active and the teen age girl told me she was super sad because she doesn't want us to leave... but she said that she will just jump in my suit case and come along with me where ever I go! :) It was sweet! I didn't know I had that big of an influence in her life! Her and her Grandma have been coming back to church every week now and it has been so great for them all! :) We also had a funny lesson... we went over to see if an investigator was home but she wasn't... her roommate was there! So we decided to have a lesson with him! After we asked if we could pray with him and he said "Sure! But can I light a cigarette first?" and we were like uh... can it wait? and he said no!!! haha So we started praying and half way through the prayer he yells "OH Next time you come over I’ll put my tooth in for you!!" haha we didn't know what to say... so we just kept praying… and when we finished he acted like he didn't say anything at all... haha it was so weird... so we just left! hahah Then we had a lesson with our Less Active who has changed her name to Banana... yes Banana! She is a sweetheart though and so funny! She is really progressing though!! :) She comes to church every week now too!!! Then we had correlation meeting with our mission leader after that! Great day!

Sunday: Church is the best thing ever! :) I love it so much! That’s all. We studied afterwards and then had a dinner appt with an awesome member family! YES WE EAT A LOT!! :) haha

Monday: We woke up and drove to ELLIS ISLAND and had a giant training! :) Starting next week we will be going to the Statue of Liberty every other week and we will be able to help people with family history work on the island! I cannot wait! :) It was so cool to see it! But I forgot to tell you... on the way there this morning... there was a FLASH FLOOD WARNING! It was raining soo hard! The streets were literally rivers!! Things were floating everywhere... it was scary! but we made it out alive! :) don't worry! haha

But that is our week! Cool huh?!?! NYC, TEMPLE, and The Statue OF LIBERTY all in one week! WOW! Talk about the best mission ever!! :) I am excited for this next week to be more productive and to be able to share the gospel a little more! :) That is really what I am here for! Telling people about Jesus Christ! The Great Redeemer! Where and from who Salvation comes! I love you all! :) Have a great week! And remember to be a member Missionary! We can't do this without you! :)

Love, Sister Dahl!!!