Hello Family,

How is everyone doing? This week I feel like I have a LONG time to write letters compared to the last couple weeks but I really don't. We are going to be running all over the place today and already have been. This week has been really good. It was yet again, another GREAT week to be a missionary. I love being a missionary and doing this work. Anyone can really do this work and feel the joy that comes from it. The best part for me right now is that is what I get to do 24/7 and don't have to worry about my personal life.

This week has been really fun. I am training Hermana Porter from Mesa, Az. She is really fun. She is just how I was when I got here. She doesn't think she can speak Spanish but her Spanish is already better than mine was coming out here. She is a little petite girl but she can hold her own. She's always dreamed about going on a mission which is really different from me BUT the best thing is that because of that she wants to work hard so that is exactly what we are doing. We are working our hardest, being as obedient as we can be, continually seeking for more faith, and just crushing the work. It has been really fun to train again though. I have been A LOT more calm about it this time than I was last time. I think some of that is because I need to be calm for my companion. She is learning a lot and taking a lot in. She has a great desire to serve though which is the most important.

It has been incredible to me how the work had been going here. Its been really neat for me to be in this are for a longer time than I normally am. I am baffled everyday with the changes that are taking place with the people here. Yesterday at church there were two members that brought friends that really want to learn more about the church!!! So neat!!! The chapel was almost completely full yesterday and there were a lot of people there that we are working with. Oh! Guess what!? Hermana & Hermano Sanchez from FLUSHING came to Richmond Hill to see me!!! Guess what?!!! She brought me about 30 pupusas as well!!! MMMMMMmmmm!!! What a fun surprise hu? She is really hoping that I will end my mission in Flushing where I started but we shall see. I can't have an opinion on any of that. I love the people and am just praying that I will either go to where I need to be or stay if that is where I need to be. I love the people here in Richmond Hill so much. They are everything to me.

Hermano Agular gave us a referral this week for someone who is interested in the church and we met him on Wed night. His name is Mo*. We are really excited to teach him. He wasn't able to make it to our first apt but have high hopes for him. As a district we have been fasting and praying for our baptismal goal. Right now we have a few people that could be baptized at anytime, they just have to make the decision and move forward.

The Mi* family is doing pretty well. They are having a hard time reading in the Book of Mormon. When they do ready they change. Hermana Mi* has changed a LOT since I have been here. They are ready for baptism. This morning I was thinking about them a lot and just sat and pondered on how we could help this family. After much prayer, asking questions and writing some things down I think we have a plan on how we can help them progress more. We are going to continue to read in the Book of Mormon with them and help them to read on there own but we want to show them a line of progression. What progression is like in the gospel and that Baptism is in the middle. They need to 1 have a desire to learn 2 keep commitments like reading, praying, keeping the commandments, and attending church, 3 a change of heart 4 baptism, 5 temple 6 enduring to the end 7 spirit world, resurrection, and judgement 8 celestial kingdom. There is so much more to it. We are just going to do our best and pray our hearts out for the guidance of the spirit. Overall they are doing well, we just need prayers to help them read.

We had an amazing mission conference on Saturday with Elder Peirson. It was incredible. I'll do my best to sum it up. We talked a lot about the importance of diligence. When we want an increase of faith it comes as we are increasingly obedient. When we increase our obedience which increases our faith we receive an increase of spiritual power. Wow! I need all of those things VERY much. We also talked about having the Holy Ghost. When we are lack having the Holy Ghost it is because we need to repent. He said we can have the Holy Ghost with us 24/7, continually be praying and having a member of the Godhead with us as we do everything we do. Also, he talked about our identity. Many people say, Hello, I am Bob and I am a manager at company X but in all reality that is not who Bob is. There are reasons why the first principle we teach is that God is our Loving Heavenly Father. We are not who we are. We are disciples, disciples of Jesus Christ, followers of Him if we chose. All of us knew who we were in the pre-earth life but because of our mortal bodies and the need to have faith we have forgotten who we really are. We are truly sons and daughters of God, our loving Heavenly Father. Neat hu? I'm sure you had to be there to get it all but I did my best to explain it to you.

We are still working with Ol* and St*. Ol* is 10. We went over on Friday and talked to him about who his is and how the gospel can bless his family. Some how we ended up talking about baptism and he said he wanted to be baptized in our church!!! What?! Yep!!! We still have a lot of work ahead of us before he is able to be baptized. He first needs to get permission from his parents and we still need to teach him a lot. We really want to start teaching his Father. We're praying hard that we will be able to teach all of them together as a family. His mother is a less-active member so she is open to us teaching her children.

I love being here right now. My testimony of good hard work, love, obedience, faith, and humility have really grown. I can not even describe the miracles I have seen in the people here, in my self, with my companions, with the members, and those we teach. I know all that we have is directly from Heavenly Father. We can work and work and work and if it wasn't with the Hand of God nothing would happen. He is blessing us. He is aware of what these people need and through the Holy Ghost we are guided to teach them. It is extremely humbling that He would have me be called as one of His servants here. Because of that I recognize that none of this comes from my hard work. My job is is have the spirit, to listen and act, and do as the Savior would do.

This coming week is going to be fun. We have a lot of good apt set up, we are going to be working hard, and we also have Zone Conference tomorrow.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. I need them, the people need them. I love all of you very much. Have a great week and know that I am praying for you.

Love,

Hermana Banaszewski