Taking it to the Streets... Again!

We will once again be taking the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the streets! We had some donations of chalk from locals, and figured we would put it to good use! Also, since Jesus Christ is symbolized in scripture as the fount of living water, that played into our choice of location (: Stay tuned for what goes down!

Something Good to Give!

Here is an experience that was had by some of the Sister Missionaries who serve in our district! This is what they sent to us...

Our train story:

"You are here, You are still alive, The sun shines when we don't. Keep hope alive."

On the train ride home from one of our lessons, we found ourselves next to a very sad young woman. I heard her sniffing, and when I looked up she had tears streaming down her face. I instantly thought of the kindness cards and we both dove through our bags looking for one to give her. We found a particularly good one and handed it to her. She looked down for a second, looked up, smiled and then said thank you. It wasn't much at all. We didn't even write the card. But we helped a stranger in the park brighten a stranger on the train's day. And that was definitely a cool experience. :D

Helping strangers help strangers. It's what we do. NYC is so full of sad and lonely people and what an incredible opportunity it is to have something even slightly more than just a sympathetic glance to give!

More Reasons to Smile!

Here are some more pictures of the index cards that we have decided to dub Kindnesskards!
(Remember, we didn't tell anyone to write anything specific, just what they would say to someone who was going through a rough time. This is just what people in New York thought to write!)

 It's a wonderful way to involve others in service and help us all to feel the spirit that comes with doing good! Let's all go and make someone's day brighter! Stay tuned for more good experiences we've had with these!

 

"1 New Message"

We know that we have been missionaries for quite some time now, but we both remember the feeling of excitement you get when you receive an unexpected text message. When you feel that vibrate or hear that chime that lets you know that someone actually cares enough about you to send you an electronic letter. We all know the feeling. It's amazing to see the effect a small message of "good news" can have on someone to brighten their day. We as human beings are in constant interaction with one another. Facebooking, Tweeting, texting, Instagramming, Pinning, and we're sure the list probably goes on (forgive us we don't know all the hip trends right now haha) But we are always in a position to make someone's day, or possibly, someone's life. How much of an impact could you make on someone today? As members of the church, in these latter days, we are so blessed to live in a time where sharing the Gospel has been made so easy. With the mere movement of our thumbs on a small glass box we can share an inspiring message with our dearest friends and family. That is what is most important. Sharing a message with those you love in a way that conveys the love their Heavenly Father feels for them. The Gospel changes lives and it can happen in the blink of an eye. So what will the 1 New Message the people in your life see? Watch this video and pray for further inspiration on how you can share the glad message that is spreading throughout this world at a faster pace than ever before! "1 New Message"

The Sweetest Treat of All

Happy Halloween! Just in case anyone was wondering, Mormons do celebrate Halloween! Of course, that doesn't mean that missionaries are looking for candy every time they knock on a door. We're generally just looking to share the treat of the gospel! The Sweetest Treat of All!

And just on a personal note, Elder Potter and I love Halloween! Some great family memories come from this Holiday. As you celebrate this holiday, please do remember to celebrate wholesomely (: 

Maybe Thinking a Little More Inside The Box...

So... our original idea, a flash-mob in front of the Book of Mormon the musical play ended up not quite working out. Fortunately, like any good missionary does, we had back-up plans! So that's what we ended up going with.

Plan B-
Interestingly enough, it turns out that we weren't the only religious group going to Times Square on Saturday! BUT, we were the first! We went to Times Square with our Zone of 20 missionaries and some friends from our local congregation, and we sang a bunch of hymns! As we did so, we had several of us go out and invite any who were interested in learning more about the gospel to do so!

The whole event was made even more amazing as a group of Mennonites appeared, going to share the gospel with others as well. A non-denominational group, God In The City, had a walk for God scheduled for a little later in the day, and they were going to be following the same path we took to get from our meeting place to Times Square! It was awesome, and hopefully helped open some eyes to the fact that there are many good people around us, looking for a strong connection with God.

We had quite a bit of fun singing some of our favorite hymns in one of our favorite places. Don't worry, pictures will soon follow.

We know that music is a wonderful way to feel the spirit, and invite all who read this to try to see what music can do to help bring them nearer to God. (See D&C 25:12 http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/25.12)

Thinking Outside the Box

In continuing the pattern of sharing the Gospel by every honorable means, we've come up with another activity of sharing the gospel. We won't be sharing it just yet, so you'll have to check in later to find out what it will be. Its something that every missionary/member has thought of and wanted to do... but to our knowledge hasn't. But do enjoy the other posts, videos, and photos until then. We were told to think outside the box... so we are going to do just that!