Kingsbridge #2

Hey family!!

How are you doing? So this week has been awesome! Miriam is being baptized this Saturday! We are so, so, so excited for her! She met with missionaries 2 years ago and she wanted to be baptized really bad but she hadn't quite met all the qualifications. She was so devastated and hurt that she stopped meeting with missionaries or going to church. She fell back into her old ways and habits. Then she was found again and started taking the lessons again from the sister missionaries. She has entirely changed her life around but this times he says she never ever wants to go back to her old life. She is willing to do anything she must to be baptized. She has a strong faith and although I've only known her for two weeks, my heart swells up with love, joy and pride as I look at all the obstacles she has overcome in her life with the help of the missionaries and most importantly, her Savior. She is a different person now and you can see it by the way her face just shines.

Well we've been having crazy weather here! People say it is the worst winter NY has had in over 20 years. We were hit with one big storm with about a foot of snow and then a few storms with 4 inches here and there. The worst thing ever is Walking through the slush.

Things I've learned from this crazy weather we have been having:

1. It's very difficult to walk a mile to the church in 6 inches of snow

2. It's even more difficult to walk in 6 inches of snow that has been rained on for a few hours....it's very, VERY slick! There was a young lady who was trying to walk down the stairs to the subway and she fell all the was down!

3. NEVER trust the snow/slush in front of you to be solid.... Especially the snow/slush in front of walkway to cross a street. It very likely is actually a foot deep of watery, muddy slush. My boots

are still wet from that one.

4. Always bring a hat, gloves and scarf. But if you are walking long distances with your NY speed walk... Be prepared to take some layers off! It gets toasty! (Minus your wet feet. Those will always be cold)

5. It's a great day if you don't fall and if you are able to catch lots of buses on the way!

Well as sister training leaders we have had interviews with all the sister companionships in Kingsbridge and Olmstead. We have been on one split so far with the Spanish sisters from Kingsbridge. The APs came this week to give us a little more training on how to fulfill our

calling because neither sister Crawford or I have any experience as an STL. We had women's conference yesterday with all of the sisters in the mission (about 122) sister Crawford and I were asked to speak on obedience. We focused our talk on how to be obedient by strictly using

the iPad and Facebook as an online proselyting tool. The other talks were all given were really great and it really inspired me to do a little better as a representative of Christ.

It was sooooo fun to see all the sisters in the mission! It is so great to catch up with past companions, past areas and to hear the updates on how people are progressing. I had so much fun! Sister Awerkamp is still a sister training leader (she has been a STL in south manhattan since she left me in Yonkers!!) so that means that I will get to see her at leadership meetings in Scarsdale. I am so happy!!! I love that girl so much and I am always so happy to see her and catch up with her.

Well we are on the train to the city right now! We were Going to go to the Empire State Building but it is really rainy and gross. I'm not sure what we will do. We are going down with the Spanish elders. I think we might do a little shopping and find somewhere yummy to eat.

Well that's all for now! I love you all so much and hope you have a

lovely week!

Love sister Lounsbury

Kingsbridge #1

Hello my most wonderful family!! 

So I am finally here in the Bronx!! I live in Kingsbridge and I am loving it so much!! It reminds me of my birthplace in Yonkers except it is more busy here. There is so much diversity! Our ward is mostly made up of people from Africa, South America and Jamaica. White people are definitely the minority. There is no where like the Bronx and I feel so privileged and blessed to be
serving here. I am just so happy to be in this new area! My companion is awesome and is willing to work hard with me. We actually have progressing investigators which is awesome!! This week we just started teaching a whole family! There is a mom, dad, son, and 2 daughters. They aren't married yet but they said that they want to. The mom was super sick. The dad came home with a Plan of Salvation pamphlet that he got from a missionary. He set it down, she found it and started reading it. Ever since she started reading it, she said she started feeling much, much better. She was captivated by it and called the Elder's number on the back. They came over and taught a lesson and then handed them off to us. We've had two lessons with them so far. They are absorbing it all like a sponge! They feel that everything we've taught it true. They have already felt their family grow stronger and they feel that they have finally found what's been missing in their life. The mom feels that it is a miracle that her health has been approving. They've come late to church twice now, we hope that next Sunday they make it all three hours. They accepted baptism on March 15th and will be married before then! 

Then we have this other sweet investigator who's in her 50's. She is so unbelievably ready for the gospel. Her life story is unbelievable. She had no support from her family and basically had to figure out life on her own. She got into everything you shouldn't-- drugs, alcohol, sleeping around. Then the missionaries came knocking on her door. At first she didn't want to have them continue to come over. But she started feeling some thing special as she met with them. She slowly started making changes in her life. She gave up the bad and started replacing it with good. She is making restitution for all the wrong she has done in the past. She is going to be baptize on the 22nd of this month! She is so awesome! I feel so much love for her. The gospel has changed her life and will continue to, my heart is so full that I get to be a part of this wonderful work! 

Well as a sister training leader we are over 3 sister companionships in Kingsbridge and 2 sister companionships in Olmstead. We are also over 2 senior missionary sisters. We did interviews with all of them this week. It took quite a few hours but it was good. We got to know everyone and we asked them to come with the goals they hope to accomplish for the cycle. We will be holding them accountable to those goals throughout the cycle. We'll also be going on splits with all the sisters throughout the cycle. I found out that there is a good chance that I am going to be taking over the area in 6 weeks so I am trying to learn the streets, bus routes, trains as fast as I can! 

Oh yeah, so we walk everywhere! Which is really tiring, but it's really nice. I am hungry all the time because I am burning way more calories! The church is about a mile away. We try to catch the bus if We can, if not we just walk. 

Well, our district is playing soccer, and I can't hold off any longer! I want to go play with them! So mom I hope this is long enough for you! I love you all!! 

Love sister Lounsbury

Photos

Newburgh #17

Hello family! 

So currently, I am still  in Newburgh. Transfers are today but because of the snow, it has been postponed til later today. Last Saturday I got a call from the mission president
telling me that I have been called to serve as a sister training
leader in the Bronx! I will be over the sisters in the kingsbridge and
olmstead area. I am so excited! Man, things have been hard at times here in
Newburgh. But I have learned so much. I am so excited For this next
stage of my mission. My companion's name is sister Crawford. I haven't met her before, but I heard she is awesome! I've been asking missionaries who have served in The Bronx how they like it. It sounds awesome!! I can't wait to go there! From what I heard, it is pretty ghetto. I will be serving in one of the better more functioning wards, so that's good :) we have a HUGE zone. 28 missionaries is what I heard. So that should be fun. I will be living with another sister companionship. I miss having roommates, so I am looking forward to that.

I will be sad to leave behind the ward and investigators. I have
hardly had any investigators my whole mission. Things recently have
started picking up. We started teaching a former investigator. We
found a lady tracting and she called us saying she wanted to
meet. she's been really progressing. we found some part member
families and started teaching them. We have recently started teaching a
whole family who is investigating the church! That never happens in NY!  And now I have to go! Ah! Well, I know what ever The Lord has in store will be the best possible thing for me.

To answer you question mom, last week we were late to our online discussion because first off, our less active member wouldn't let us go! And then second, once we finally were able to go, we realized we had switched keys with the elders. We needed the key they had to get into the family history center with the computers. So we had to meet up with them and then drive as quick as we could to the church. I was really bummed that we were  late because maybe more people would've joined. But I know that some investigators were able to read the comments/ participate in the conversation.

Well I just got the news that we are permitted to drive so I am going to head down to transfers right now! I will keep you all posted on my new companion a new area! I love you all! 

Love sister lounsbury 

Sent from my iPad

Newburgh #16

Hello family! It's been another great week! 

We had some great lessons with investigators this week. We met with Fred and talked about forgiveness and the power of the atonement. He has been really progressing and told us that a lot of his questions are being answered through our discussions. He is really grateful that we are able to discuss his concerns and he feels himself coming closer to God. Without us having to ask, he said that he would come to church this week! Linda got sick this week and Betsy and canceled but We're hoping to see both of them again before this week is over. 

We also had a great lesson with an investigator named brother ________. His wife is a member and he has been around missionaries for a long time but never wanted to get baptized. We talked the plan of salvation and taught about how baptism is necessary to get into the Celestial kingdom. We asked him which Kingdom he would want to go to And what was keeping him from being baptized. He gave a long roundabout answer and said that once he's baptized he doesn't want the church telling him what to do. Although he is still refuse baptism, the lesson really seem to impact him and he was thinking deeply about it so we were happy about that. 

We've been working more on putting posts on Facebook and having the online discussions. Facebook is a fun new way to do missionary work. We've been able to reach and talk to people that we never would have been able to meet except through the online. I have received friend request from Pakistan, India, China, Africa, South America, throughout the United States and all over the world. I'm not really sure how these people are finding me or why they want to add me, but I've been adding them and trying to share the gospel with them. Some of them have been interested and willing to participate in the online discussions. So that has been really cool and exciting. 

Thank you to everyone who has joined in and contributed to the online discussions that we've been having. It's so important to have active members of the church joining in and commenting so that the lessons can go smoothly. On average we have had 2 investigators at every online discussion. I just think it is awesome that all you lovely people can join in and help these investigators come closer to christ and help them receive the fullness of the gospel! Thank you again for your support! If you have enjoyed the conversations, then please add your friends to join the next online discussion. The topic is "what do Mormons believe?" It is geared towards people who are curious in learning more about our beliefs. If you've ever had someone ask you about your faith or show interest, this is a perfect chance to share with them! It's a simple easy way to invite your friends to learn more about the gospel! We also need some solid members participating so they can answer questions and share their testimony! I hope you all can join in!

Well that's all for now! I love you all so much! I hope you have a wonderful week! 

Love, Sister Lounsbury