4-5-10 #3

Wow! What a GREAT DAY to be a missionary. Have I said lately how much I LOVE being a missionary. I love New York, I love the people, I just...LOVE! The signs of spring are in full bloom.

Next week is transfers week-we are pretty sure that Hermana Crandell is going to be transferring. She has been here for 6 mo already and that's a pretty long time to be in THIS area. I'm excited for her to move on because she is itching for a new scene (I can't spell any more with Spanish) but at the same time I'm a little nervous for a new companion. I know they will be great.

On Friday we had another Street Sweep which is after Zone Conference all of us-about 20 go out to main street and "fearless" as many people we can and talk to them about conference. I LOVED it! Not many missionaries do but for some crazy reason I do. I have to swallow up my fear and GO! I had some really neat experiences. Hermana Crandell was off to the side writing a thank you card for someone in Spanish which we were going to drop off at the end of the street sweep. I was standing there and thought, the next person that comes by that speaks Spanish I'm going to talk with them. I can do it and I don't need Hermana Crandell (I always do but...you know what I mean.) Two older women walked by and I stared talking with them IN SPANISH, gave them a pass-along-card and testified that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer ( I love Easter time!) After I told them about General Conference and about how we have a living Prophet on the earth today. They loved it. They thought it was cute I was trying so hard to speak Spanish. Either people think I'm cute or they tell me I need to work harder. Then the people I was talking to told me to run up and talk to the people up the street. I asked, are they your friends or...why should I talk with them? They were their friends. I ran up the street and talked with them. I had a full fledged conversation with them and one of the ladies said her brother was member. I said, "Here? In NY" She said yes and pointed to the direction of the Church. I asked what his name was. She said B*...Hmm...how do I know that name. After I went back and told Hermana Crandell she should be proud. Her hard work with my thick brain and Spanish is going somewhere. It was clearly the gift of tongues and I was just humbled that I was able to talk with these people. I told Hna Crandell about B*. He use to be one of our investigators but left for Ecuador for 2 mo's He was so close to being baptised. We're not sure if he is a member now or not, if he found the Church in his country but either way it was a neat conversation.

I love the people here. My heart just burst for them. Y* is doing really well. Last week we had a great time with her and she feels that the Book of Mormon is a good book and isn't afraid to read from it any more. She said she was going to read from it every day. To help her out I texted her IN SPANISH words of encouragement and a scripture to read for the day.

More and More I am feeling like myself. It feels good. I am still continually being humbled. Humbled that I have the blessing of being a missionary, humbled with all of my great weaknesses and sins, humbled that our Father in Heaven loves us so much He sent His only begotten son to live, die, and live again for US. I am humbled that Christ loves us so much He suffered and bleed for us and now LIVES. This week was amazing for many reasons. One because of the season. The season of new birth, the season or remembering our Savior Jesus Christ. It is a common ground for many people here.

One experience that has been very humbling for me is people recognizing us as missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Random people will ask us who we are or if we are the Mormons. We happily said yes, not knowing what the outcome will be. Most people have seen or met the missionaries in there country and have now moved to NY. They recognize us because of the example of other missionaries working hard.

I love seeing people smile. There are MANY times we are walking on the streets and some one walks by, their face sad or worried. I do my best at saying hello in whatever language I think they speak and then wait for them to look up so I can smile at them. There are times when they just think I'm crazy or just have a blank stare on there face but other times, these precious children of the Lord look up, see a smiling face and then-it feels like a miracle every time-they smile back. I think, if that's all I did today, at least someone smiled. I always pray that they will feel the love that their Father in Heaven has for them through a simple smile. If anything I know when they smile back it make all the difference in my life.

The work is still hard but it is amazing. I can not even begin to describe the love I have for these people. My heart bursts for them.

I love all of you so very much. You are in my thoughts and prayers so very often. Oh how I love you. I pray that when I return home I may be a better friend, a better family member, a better daughter of God.

I love you so very much,

Hermana Banaszewski