ready for a long email!
On Saturday it was super busy and the parking lot underneath the
temple was full so we had to park at in the Broad and Noble parking
lot and walk to the temple. It's not that far. After our shift though
the parking lot was still full and they don't want us walking alone in
philly at night so the Assistants came and walked a group of sisters
to the other parking lot. Awkward and funny. We were in the reception
area that day and it was packed all day. We saw Philly Jesus. He is a
guy who dresses up and looks like Jesus and he walks around Philly all
the time I guess. He was taking pictures with the christus and the
people in the room were crowding around taking pictures with their
phones. He started taking selfies too. It was so funny. One of the
sister training leaders took a picture with him hahaha. 😂
Also I saw some less actives from Newark 3rd!! The Olivers and Pat and
Clayton! It was so awesome. There was a senior couple missionary in
the reception area who's last name I recognized and turns out, their
nephew served in my home ward at one point! Isn't that crazy!
Mostly in the reception area I stood by the table with the comment
cards and said "we would love to hear your comments on one of these
comment cards!" There was a bunch of cards filled out! We've gotten
some referrals but we have like no time to contact them. Sister Van
Arsdale and Sister Kelsey got one and the number was for Pizza Hut 😂
we have been trying to contact this one guy but he's never home. This
other lady wanted a Book of Mormon. We stopped by and we met a lady
who lives with her. The referral is a retired nun. She was sleeping
because they get up at 5 everyday.
Sunday we went to church. In relief society we talked about having a
happy successful marriage. Awkward thing to talk about when you are a
missionary and you can't even think about dating! 😂😂 After church we
stopped by some less actives and investigators and NOBODY WAS HOME. We
thought we had a new investigator. Turns out she isn't interested in
changing her beliefs and she has a church she goes to. Okay then.
Monday we work from 12-5:30. After our shift, at 7, we had another
sister temple training. They talked about flexibility, diligence,
positivity. They also talked more about the dress and grooming
guidelines. The sister training leaders also mentioned that we now
have another part added to our talking points for the video room!
After the meeting Sister Nielson asked president if she could go to
Matt's baptism on the 4th and he said yes! Here is the story about
Miracle Matt! Her and Sister Ashcraft met him on July 24th, the day
the missionaries were able to bring their investigators to the temple.
They were outside passing out open house cards, trying to get people
to come. Matt was on his bike and he stopped and looked at the temple.
They asked if he wanted to come inside. He said he needed to change
because his tattoos were showing and he didn't feel comfortable. They
told him it's okay. He started riding his bike to his house to change
but instead he decided it was going to take to long and once he was
home he wouldn't want to come back so he turned around and came back
and took a tour with Sister Ashcraft and Sister Nielson. There was a
lady in their group that had tattoos showing so he felt more
comfortable with his tattoos showing. He said to them that he would
like to be baptized!! The missionaries who were over the ysa happened
to be there that night and they were on the roof top so they took him
up to the roof top and he started talking to this elder who is like
6'10" and played basketball for byu. Matt likes to play basketball as
well so the elder invited him to play basketball with him and Matt
said "I'm afraid you will dunk on me" and Sister Nielson said "don't
worry Matt the only time we will dunk on you is when we dunk you in
the baptismal font" 😂 he has been going to the ysa ward every Sunday
and has been inviting some of his friends. He is always at the temple.
After we got permission to go, the elders told him that Sister Nielson
and Sister Ashcraft were coming to his baptism and he believed Sister
Ashcraft was going but not Sister Nielson so on Wednesday he came to
the temple and found us and asked her if it was true hahaha. We asked
him what time and he said "you tell me what time you can make it and
we will plan for that time" we were like "no, you tell us what time
you would like us to come" haha. He looked at me and said " you are
coming too then right? you would have to. I bet you are excited" and I
said "yes I am so excited!" Sister Nielson is just in heaven right
now!
We also have Parker and Benson Li who are ages 8 and 9 getting
baptized this Sunday!
There are 6 people scheduled to be baptized on Sunday ... But I think
the Spanish elders in our ward moved them to next Sunday. That would
be crazy!!
Tuesday we had a specialized zone training in Broomall. It was super
good. They talked about online proselyting and new planning
guidelines. I decided I wasn't going to add any family and friends
because it is too much of a distraction! I believe you can all be able
to see my posts still though! President Randall said we are welcome to
attend all three sessions of the temple dedication on September 18th!
😊 he interviewed us all individually and gave us a temple dedication
recommend. I also got my wawa card I earned a couple of transfers ago
for having my apartment clean! I got to bare a one sentence testimony
on the temple and I said "because of the temple I know that families
can be together forever and that is what brought my mom and sister in
law to the gospel" after the meeting we ate our lunch in the kitchen
and headed to the temple for our shift!
On Wednesday we had to park at broad and noble because it was pretty
busy that day. The assistants came that night (they were on exchanges
so it was Elder Weisler and another elder) three sets of sisters and
the elders walked over to the broad and noble parking lot. They needed
sisters to drive cars to the other parking lot. At first I told them
that I didn't want to drive in the dark in Philly by myself. Sister
Ashcraft couldn't drive, so Sister Nielson offered for me to drive
with Sister Ashcraft and I said okay, I should be able to do that. We
were supposed to follow Sister Nielson but there was a time where she
turned and we went straight. Sister Ashcraft told me that she was in
the wrong lane and I needed to go straight. We got lost a couple
times. The elders were calling us. We made it to the temple parking
lot and everyone's faces were hilarious. Elder Weisler was kinda
freaking out. I tried to park and almost hit a car. I parked and got
out and Elder Weisler said "I am so glad you are alive!" I said "me
too, thanks" 😂 probably the most awkwardest and embarrassing moment
in my life. I said to Elder Weisler "this is why I am not the
designated driver" and he had a blank stare on his face. We were
leaving and he shook my hand and said "glad you are alive" or
something like that. It was funny. Tiwi didn't yell at me. I didn't
die. Only got honked at a couple times. Just taking a tour around
philly. No big deal. It would have been way worse if I was by myself.
Heavenly Father is watching out for his missionaries! The assistants
are probably never going to let me drive again 😂 I felt so bad for
Sister Ashcraft because in the beginning of her mission she got in an
accident so she gets shooken up sometimes so she was probably really
nervous.
Thursday the morning shift had to go to the training in Broomall and
so they asked us if we could work the morning shift and we said yes.
So we went from working the evening shift on Wednesday to working
bright and early on Thursday. We had to wake up at 5:15😑 I was so
tired.
The morning was a little slow at first but then it kicked up. We did a
Spanish tour and we just sat down while the usher introduced the video
haha. I love listening to people speak Spanish. Their was only two
people in the room haha. We had a lesson with Ryan that night. It was
well. We talked about the plan of salvation and patriarchal blessings.
We went to Lorenzo and sons or whatever it's called and got a huge
pizza slice. I was craving pizza allll week!!
Every transfer we get a scripture we recite every morning with our
purpose before comp study. This transfer it is 3 Nephi 5:13
"Behold I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the son of God. I have been
called of him to declare his word among his people. That they might
have everlasting life." Powerful huh! I love it.
I love you all so much!!
Love,
Sister Gronning
