I have a little time to write you so don't worry. I dropped off Elder Olaveson at the mission home today and I don't think I will see him again. Tomorrow I get a new companion so as of right now, I am with another missionary whose companion went home. I am in New Jersey for the day and tomorrow I will receive a new companion. I can't wait to see who he is. I know we are going to get a long great because honestly, who can look at this face and be angry. I just hope he doesn't cry when he gets emotional or when he teaches. I think we both know how much I don't like tears.
Okay so I don't know if I told you about Bob but he is the neighbor to the set of Elders that live really close to us. He usually takes us shopping on P-Day and it is often that he feeds us dinner on Monday nights. He is 80 and had a stroke about 6 years ago. He still drives, talks very well, and is super witty. He always has a quick response to tease us. He is pretty much awesome. Yesterday he gave me a safety razor! I have wanted one because I know how close they shave, not that I have much facial hair. It is pretty cool and I am excited to use it. Hopefully I don't cut my face open. I think I'll be fine but I don't want to hurt my money maker. Well, have a good week :)
I am so sure this is where I am meant to be! It is weird how well I fit this place. I love the people and there are some pretty cool missionaries.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
May 5, 2013
I have the same companion for now. He will be going home on the
18th but I'll get a new companion on the 13th or 14th. I hope I stay in
this area for awhile because I love it! Elder Olaveson and I fasted to
be able to find less active members that we could talk to or help out.
This week we totally saw those prayers get answered! On Saturday we got
to talk to 2 less-active members and we were able to teach one of them.
It was pretty cool because I wasn't even thinking about the fact that we
had fasted for it. Elder Olaveson reminded me later that night. The
Lord hears our prayers and if we are listening and watching for them, we
can receive answers.
Love,
Love,
Elder Engelman
April 29, 203
So the coolest thing about this last week was Mormon
Helping Hands. It was pretty spectacular. Not only did we get to put on
regular clothes, but we also got to do manual labor. It was so much
fun. I ended up working on clearing off a sidewalk. It sounds lame but
it was definitely really tough. we were working for about 3 hours and
there were probably 50 people working where I was. This stretch of
sidewalk was approximately a yard and a half wide and probably 200 yards
long. There was trees that had grown over it and nobody had touched it
for, it seemed like, years. The dirt and roots were about 6 inches deep
over the entire thing so we had to cut the roots and basically roll it
off the sidewalk. The hard part was that a lot of the roots had grown
into the crack of the sidewalk of were just so thick that they were
almost impervious to any cutting tool we had. The only chainsaw there
died after about an hour. It was tough work because there was about a
foot of leaves on top that wwe had to clear off first. It was incredibly
fun. We got to get dirty and get all cut up. I was sooooo sore the next
day! My back and legs hurt but it is a good hurt. One of our
investigator came and she had a good time. It was pretty much just
awesome. I forgot to mention that I was standing in a lot of poison ivy.
Pretty cool, huh?
We had to rush to an appointment afterward so we got to take
three minute showers and the shower was just covered in dirt. It turned
out the person wasn't home so we ate because we were both dying. We
didn't end up having any lessons that night but it was still a great
day.
Yesterday ws fast Sunday and I was dying. It felt like my
stomach was eating itself but we had a super cool experience, Elder O
and I were fasting to be able to find some less active members to teach
and then one came to church today. He is 19 and he decided top come
today. The best part is that he went up and bore his testimoony.
Miracles happen all the time and God truly answers our prayers.
We-we-we-we-well Th-That's All Folks.
Love,
Elder Engelman
April 22, 2013
Did I tell you that I missed the first session
of General Conference? We were having a lesson and we watched part of it
with them but we ended up missing the whole thing by the time we got
back to the church. The priesthood session was killer!
Gertrude, our Haitian investigator moved still within the branch boundaries but out of my area. She now has a different set of Elders that are awesome but I am going to miss her(and her cooking). On Saturday we had Congolie food. It was interesting. I kind of liked it. Do you recall how I always have a stupid habit of heating really hot stuff despite the warnings I get from people? Well I have yet to break that habit. They had some really hot peppers and so I ate a spoonful. It didn't burn at all for almost a minute. The spice pretty much hit me all at once. The best part is that when Jo Jo(the 15 year old boy from Congo) ate some he was crying. It was pretty entertaining.
This month, our zone's focus is to rid our selves of pride. We read a talk by Ezra Taft Benson called Beware of Pride(I think that's the title) and it basically punched me in the face. It tells us how people often think pride is a sin committed only by the wealthy but it consists of a lot more. Pride is what keeps people from opening their mouth about the gospel because they are afraid of what others will think. He said that a proud man cares more about what man thinks than what God thinks. It is some pretty heavy stuff.
I have been having a lot of fun. I have realized that hard work can be synonymous with fun. I have always had fun no matter what but this last week has been a blast and every day was productive. It was pretty cool.
Yours Truly,
Elder Joseph Richard Engelman
Gertrude, our Haitian investigator moved still within the branch boundaries but out of my area. She now has a different set of Elders that are awesome but I am going to miss her(and her cooking). On Saturday we had Congolie food. It was interesting. I kind of liked it. Do you recall how I always have a stupid habit of heating really hot stuff despite the warnings I get from people? Well I have yet to break that habit. They had some really hot peppers and so I ate a spoonful. It didn't burn at all for almost a minute. The spice pretty much hit me all at once. The best part is that when Jo Jo(the 15 year old boy from Congo) ate some he was crying. It was pretty entertaining.
This month, our zone's focus is to rid our selves of pride. We read a talk by Ezra Taft Benson called Beware of Pride(I think that's the title) and it basically punched me in the face. It tells us how people often think pride is a sin committed only by the wealthy but it consists of a lot more. Pride is what keeps people from opening their mouth about the gospel because they are afraid of what others will think. He said that a proud man cares more about what man thinks than what God thinks. It is some pretty heavy stuff.
I have been having a lot of fun. I have realized that hard work can be synonymous with fun. I have always had fun no matter what but this last week has been a blast and every day was productive. It was pretty cool.
Yours Truly,
Elder Joseph Richard Engelman
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
April 15, 2013
A lot of members here are from Congo. Kind of unexpected right? The branch president is from Congo and when we shake hands we always do this cool snap thing. It's pretty much impossible to explain.
Proselyting is going well. We talk to a lot of people on the street because unlike at home, there are a TON of people walking around. The main mode of transportation is SEPTA(buses and trains) and walking. We have been having poor numbers lately(i.e. lessons, member present lessons, recent convert/less active lesssons) so yesterday we set a goal to have 10 lessons. What was cool is that we ended up having way less time than usual and we met our goal. In a few hours we managed to have 10 lessons with people on the street. It is just awesome to see that when we set righteous goals the Lord will help us attain them.
Sorry, this is going to be a REALLY short email today :(
Just remember that the best way to be a missionary is to be a good example. Preach My Gospel tells us that it doesn't matter as much what you say but who you are. That is why there is a section teaching us how to have more Christlike attributes.
Much Love,
Elder Joseph RIchard Engelman
Proselyting is going well. We talk to a lot of people on the street because unlike at home, there are a TON of people walking around. The main mode of transportation is SEPTA(buses and trains) and walking. We have been having poor numbers lately(i.e. lessons, member present lessons, recent convert/less active lesssons) so yesterday we set a goal to have 10 lessons. What was cool is that we ended up having way less time than usual and we met our goal. In a few hours we managed to have 10 lessons with people on the street. It is just awesome to see that when we set righteous goals the Lord will help us attain them.
Sorry, this is going to be a REALLY short email today :(
Just remember that the best way to be a missionary is to be a good example. Preach My Gospel tells us that it doesn't matter as much what you say but who you are. That is why there is a section teaching us how to have more Christlike attributes.
Much Love,
Elder Joseph RIchard Engelman
April 8, 2013
We have barely been able to meet with Carlos and Samantha and we haven't been able to meet with Wanda again. It is a little disheartening but we always get to teach a few lessons to people on the street so we are slways smiling. Carlos and Samantha are moving soon and we haven't been able to teach them enough to baptize them. Hopefully the missionaries wherever they are moving to are as good as Elder Olaveson. It's going to be really cool when their daughter grows up with a foundation in Christ.
Conference was off the chain! During the first session on Saturday we had a lesson so we didn't get to see very much of it. We were teaching a family and we ended up watching the first 30 minutes of conference with them. They seemed to enjoy it. I'm sure it was a bit harder to focus with Phoebe.
The really tall missionary is Elder Olaveson. And yes, that is him on the toilet. Just ignore that one. I'm glad you finally got all of those. I did get the chance to make the birthday dinner and it was pretty dang good. Elder O was pretty much flabbergasted.
Oh yeah, he messed up his ankle really badly! Luckily, I had an ankle wrap, ice, and Aleve(all thanks to you, Mother).
Unless Dad wrote me about Tanner, nobody did. I am sooo excited for him. You need to get me his address too!
Love,
Elder Joseph Engelman
Conference was off the chain! During the first session on Saturday we had a lesson so we didn't get to see very much of it. We were teaching a family and we ended up watching the first 30 minutes of conference with them. They seemed to enjoy it. I'm sure it was a bit harder to focus with Phoebe.
The really tall missionary is Elder Olaveson. And yes, that is him on the toilet. Just ignore that one. I'm glad you finally got all of those. I did get the chance to make the birthday dinner and it was pretty dang good. Elder O was pretty much flabbergasted.
Oh yeah, he messed up his ankle really badly! Luckily, I had an ankle wrap, ice, and Aleve(all thanks to you, Mother).
Unless Dad wrote me about Tanner, nobody did. I am sooo excited for him. You need to get me his address too!
Love,
Elder Joseph Engelman
Monday, April 1, 2013
Easter Sunday
I wish I could hear Sister Mascio and the choir sing. This ward
has a lot of people that love to sing just don't hear very well. It is
really making me a lot more resilient. By that, I mean that I am getting
a lot more used to harsh noises.
Easter was pretty much awesome. We went to church and during the
third hour we watched a few of the Bible Videos the church has produced.
We saw clips about the Atonement and Christ's resurrection. It was
really cool because after we watched them the branch leader asked for a
volunteer to summarize what we just watched. An old man was already
standing and so he started summarizing it. He did a really wonderful job
becuase he stated everything so simply that you could see the pure
beauty of the Atonement. It was really amazing.
After church was over we headed to a few members' and
investigators' homes. We brought them cookies! It ended up raining on
the suits we had just picked up from the dry cleaners the day before but
whatever. We didn't end up having a lesson with anyone like we had
planned but we definitely built some trust and love with some of our
members and investigators.
We didn't end up getting to meet with Wanda yesterday like we had
planned because she was sick. We are going to meet with Carlos and Sam
this week hopefully. Unfortunately we haven't been able to stay in
contact with the twins :(
Why is Pheobe so adorable?!
Monday, March 25, 2013
March 25, 2013
This is crazy that Easter is already here! I am going to miss dying
eggs but I think I can handle not having to clean up the spilled dye.
Easter is so awesome! We get to watch General Conference with the branch
and I am so excited. Although I won't have monkey bread or be able to
wear sweats and a t-shirt, I know that I am going to love this General
Conference. This branch is pretty close knit and although there are loud
personalities, everyone gets along. I love that I already know most of
the branch pretty personally.
Yesterday we got to teach a lady named Wanda. She had both of her
parents die by the time she was 26 and she was diagnosed HIV positive by
the time she was 40 and she is in her 50s. She told us that right now
she is starting to relate to the story of Job because of all the things
going on in her life. As a result of all the tragedies, Wanda is really
humble. We went over there with a member and started teaching her a
little bit. We had brought a member that ended up helping a lot. He had
similar experiences to what she was going through right now and she was
very thankful for us coming over. We asked her to come to church and she
was excited and immediately asked where it was and what time. She wants
to come closer to Jesus Christ so we talked about the Book of Mormon
and asked her to read the 31st chapter of 2nd Nephi. It talks about the
way to come closer to our Savior and she seemed very excited. When we
contacted her on the street I didn't think anything would come of it but
it turns out I was wrong.
We got to meet with Carlos and Samantha again!!! Carlos came to
the scripture study class we held on Wednesday night. He was trying to
remember everything for Samantha so we just wrote down all the
scriptures for him. We got to meet with them on Friday and they aren't
moving till the end of April. I am so glad because that means we can
continue to teach them. Their little girl is adorable!
Well, toodle ooo. I love you! This time is just flying by!
Love,
Elder Joseph Richard Engelman
Sunday, March 24, 2013
March 17th
We are on out way to play basketball and I'm sure you know how much missionaries treasure that time. This week has been a little tough when it comes to appointments. Almost all of them fell through. We had about 2 per day scheduled and we were lucky to have one. Nevertheless we met our weekly goal of 25 lessons. Actually, we exceeded it. We have been talking to more people and although it can be awkward sometimes it can also be fun. There are quite a few, for lack of a better word, crazy people out here. They aren't super insane, but nutty. We discovered that I was right. Carlos and Samantha are moving really soon. Because of a series of (seemingly)unfortunate events we ran into Carlos. He said they have just been busy packing and he has felt like he has been missing something. They haven't been reading as much this last week because they don't understand all of it. We are going to help them move sometime soon. Unfortunately they are moving to Florida so we aren't going to be able to continue teaching them.
We ended up running into a family tracting that let us come in. The father came downstairs and let us share a couple of scriptures. He started crying and saying "God is great". His name is Miguel and he welcomed us back any time. I don't remember his wife's name because it was weird. They are from Puerto Rico so it was hard to say. They ended up sending us away with some granola bars, fruit, and soda. I love them! It was interesting because as we were leaving he told us that he doesn't normally come talk to people like us but he felt like he needed to.
We ended up running into a family tracting that let us come in. The father came downstairs and let us share a couple of scriptures. He started crying and saying "God is great". His name is Miguel and he welcomed us back any time. I don't remember his wife's name because it was weird. They are from Puerto Rico so it was hard to say. They ended up sending us away with some granola bars, fruit, and soda. I love them! It was interesting because as we were leaving he told us that he doesn't normally come talk to people like us but he felt like he needed to.
March 4th, 2013
Mother,
I wish I could have helped Billy do some demolition. I can't wait to see the house when I get back, not to mention my two nieces. David says he's getting a speedo tan so I just can't wait to get pictures of that :P Oh, and I think I can remember the 12th of March. I like the name Wyatt.
So we mainly walk here. Also we take the public transportation called SEPTA which includes buses, subways, and trains. I hasn't been raining very much but it is humid here so I'm glad I have gloves, scarves, and a beanie. If I didn't I would often find myself with numb ears, lips, and fingers. Just a few things you should know about Philly: there are no mothers, fathers, white people, or water. There are baby fathers, baby mamas, and wooder(yes, that's how they say it here), almost everyone smokes, and this is probably the Muslim capital of the USA. Oh, and every person is a young bull or an old bull(instead of guy).
We have had a lot of plans fall through this week. It is a little disheartening but we end up contacting someone on the street that is a little interested or we at least have the opportunity to bear our testimony about the truth of what we share. It is cool because when you tell someone, "I KNOW that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that his church has been restored on the earth, that he calls prophets today, that the Book of Mormon can help you build a relationship with Him, and that the authority to organize his church and perform miracles has been restored to the earth. And I know this because I have prayed and felt the Holy Spirit give me an answer" it is pretty powerful. When you tell someone you know something and it is the truth, it is pretty powerful.
We got to meet with Carlos and Samantha briefly this week and we taught them how to study the scriptures rather than read them. We went through 1st Nephi Chapter 1 and read it slowly. We talked about each verse and they were able to better understand and draw more out of the scriptures that way. We challenged them to read every day together and they were really excited to do so. When we texted them yesterday Samantha said she keeps reading chapters over and over again to better understand them. I can't wait to see them on Thursday and teach them the Plan of Salvation. They are so amazing because they are doing all of this not only for them but mainly for Carli.
The Frankford Branch is pretty small and not everyone is active but I seriously love it here. It is nice to see people that aren't striving to be perfectly mannered but know how to talk to people, laugh, and feel the Spirit of the Lord. During the Fast and Testimony meeting yesterday, a reoccurring theme was that we need to follow our heart because we won't ever be led wrong. It is so true because the Spirit speaks to our heart.
So a few days ago we talked to this guy on the street. It was going good and he seemed slightly/not really interested. We had been asking him some questions and he said that he wasn't 100% sure there is a god. That is when the Elder O(who will henceforth be referred to as baby daddy) made the unfortunate error of asking him," If Jesus Christ were standing here and you could ask him one question, what would it be?" His response,"Is smoking weed a bad thing? Cuz, I mean, it's a natural plant." He then walked away. We were laughing for the next two days about it.
At our Zone Training I ended up singing Come Thou Fount with another elder as the special musical number. It was pretty fun. Baby daddy was like,"I'm proud of you son." Because of that, I am now singing at the Zone Conference with multiple zones tomorrow. My Zone Leader is good and he told me to get warmed up because we are singing together. I'm actually kind of excited.
Thanks for the letter!
Love,
Elder Engelman
p.s. I'm going to try to send you pictures this way, tell me if it works.
I wish I could have helped Billy do some demolition. I can't wait to see the house when I get back, not to mention my two nieces. David says he's getting a speedo tan so I just can't wait to get pictures of that :P Oh, and I think I can remember the 12th of March. I like the name Wyatt.
So we mainly walk here. Also we take the public transportation called SEPTA which includes buses, subways, and trains. I hasn't been raining very much but it is humid here so I'm glad I have gloves, scarves, and a beanie. If I didn't I would often find myself with numb ears, lips, and fingers. Just a few things you should know about Philly: there are no mothers, fathers, white people, or water. There are baby fathers, baby mamas, and wooder(yes, that's how they say it here), almost everyone smokes, and this is probably the Muslim capital of the USA. Oh, and every person is a young bull or an old bull(instead of guy).
We have had a lot of plans fall through this week. It is a little disheartening but we end up contacting someone on the street that is a little interested or we at least have the opportunity to bear our testimony about the truth of what we share. It is cool because when you tell someone, "I KNOW that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that his church has been restored on the earth, that he calls prophets today, that the Book of Mormon can help you build a relationship with Him, and that the authority to organize his church and perform miracles has been restored to the earth. And I know this because I have prayed and felt the Holy Spirit give me an answer" it is pretty powerful. When you tell someone you know something and it is the truth, it is pretty powerful.
We got to meet with Carlos and Samantha briefly this week and we taught them how to study the scriptures rather than read them. We went through 1st Nephi Chapter 1 and read it slowly. We talked about each verse and they were able to better understand and draw more out of the scriptures that way. We challenged them to read every day together and they were really excited to do so. When we texted them yesterday Samantha said she keeps reading chapters over and over again to better understand them. I can't wait to see them on Thursday and teach them the Plan of Salvation. They are so amazing because they are doing all of this not only for them but mainly for Carli.
The Frankford Branch is pretty small and not everyone is active but I seriously love it here. It is nice to see people that aren't striving to be perfectly mannered but know how to talk to people, laugh, and feel the Spirit of the Lord. During the Fast and Testimony meeting yesterday, a reoccurring theme was that we need to follow our heart because we won't ever be led wrong. It is so true because the Spirit speaks to our heart.
So a few days ago we talked to this guy on the street. It was going good and he seemed slightly/not really interested. We had been asking him some questions and he said that he wasn't 100% sure there is a god. That is when the Elder O(who will henceforth be referred to as baby daddy) made the unfortunate error of asking him," If Jesus Christ were standing here and you could ask him one question, what would it be?" His response,"Is smoking weed a bad thing? Cuz, I mean, it's a natural plant." He then walked away. We were laughing for the next two days about it.
At our Zone Training I ended up singing Come Thou Fount with another elder as the special musical number. It was pretty fun. Baby daddy was like,"I'm proud of you son." Because of that, I am now singing at the Zone Conference with multiple zones tomorrow. My Zone Leader is good and he told me to get warmed up because we are singing together. I'm actually kind of excited.
Thanks for the letter!
Love,
Elder Engelman
p.s. I'm going to try to send you pictures this way, tell me if it works.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
March 11, 2013
Elder Olaveson jumped on me early this morning. Don't worry, I'm having a great birthday Yesterday, I totally forgot that it was going to be my birthday.
We haven't been able to meet with Carlos and Samantha since my last email and they didn't come to church. They are planning on moving to Florida soon because her grandmother is sick. Samantha said they might be moving sooner and I think that's why we haven't been able to meet with them. She said they have been reading everyday and she wants to meet because she doesn't understand everything all the time.
We have had the chance to also meet with a lady named Gertrude. She's 30 but I swear she looks like she is only 22ish. She is from Haiti and she speaks three languages(Creole, French, and English). The first time we met with her we didn't get to teach much because her kids are crazy but she came to church yesterday. I was kind of afraid that she wasn't liking it because she had a really straight face most of the time but after church she was saying that she wants to bring her friend next week. We are pretty excited!
Yesterday, in sacrament meeting, the relief society presidency gave talks on the relief society. Two of them were pretty good and the other one was just downright boring. The lady gave a talk about the HISTORY of relief society. Don't get me wrong, I like history but not in church. Elder O pointed out later that the other talks were good because they connected them to Christ. Every time we talk in church or about any subject relating to the gospel we should talk about how it connects to Christ. People often talk about family history work but without connecting it to Jesus Christ and His gospel family history work is just researching a bunch of old peoples names. Christ needs to be the central focus of every talk or lesson.
Sis Matthews is the best. She probably didn't think so but she was awesome when she was my teacher. We really do need to allow time for the Spirit. We met a lady yesterday named Luz(pronounced as loose). She was slightly handicapped and told us how she had been beaten. It looked like her face had never healed right and she walked with a cane but she was telling us how excited she is to know that one day she can live with Christ and have a beautiful body again. She was pretty cool and extremely sweet.
On Saturday, a preacher started talking to us on the street. He told us that he never messes up or yields to temptations. I was taken back by this a little bit because that would mean he is perfect. Weird.
Your Missionary
Elder Engelman
We haven't been able to meet with Carlos and Samantha since my last email and they didn't come to church. They are planning on moving to Florida soon because her grandmother is sick. Samantha said they might be moving sooner and I think that's why we haven't been able to meet with them. She said they have been reading everyday and she wants to meet because she doesn't understand everything all the time.
We have had the chance to also meet with a lady named Gertrude. She's 30 but I swear she looks like she is only 22ish. She is from Haiti and she speaks three languages(Creole, French, and English). The first time we met with her we didn't get to teach much because her kids are crazy but she came to church yesterday. I was kind of afraid that she wasn't liking it because she had a really straight face most of the time but after church she was saying that she wants to bring her friend next week. We are pretty excited!
Yesterday, in sacrament meeting, the relief society presidency gave talks on the relief society. Two of them were pretty good and the other one was just downright boring. The lady gave a talk about the HISTORY of relief society. Don't get me wrong, I like history but not in church. Elder O pointed out later that the other talks were good because they connected them to Christ. Every time we talk in church or about any subject relating to the gospel we should talk about how it connects to Christ. People often talk about family history work but without connecting it to Jesus Christ and His gospel family history work is just researching a bunch of old peoples names. Christ needs to be the central focus of every talk or lesson.
Sis Matthews is the best. She probably didn't think so but she was awesome when she was my teacher. We really do need to allow time for the Spirit. We met a lady yesterday named Luz(pronounced as loose). She was slightly handicapped and told us how she had been beaten. It looked like her face had never healed right and she walked with a cane but she was telling us how excited she is to know that one day she can live with Christ and have a beautiful body again. She was pretty cool and extremely sweet.
On Saturday, a preacher started talking to us on the street. He told us that he never messes up or yields to temptations. I was taken back by this a little bit because that would mean he is perfect. Weird.
Your Missionary
Elder Engelman
Monday, February 25, 2013
1st Week
Mother,
I am doing great! My companion, Elder Olaveson, is from Idaho and is a blast. He talks to almost everyone and I am starting to pick it up. It's something I never thought I would be afraid of but it's pretty intimidating. We have contacted a few people on the streets that we are meeting with and I am sooo excited!
We had a baptism on Sunday! Ramphis is from Jamaica and he is a cook. I only taught him one lesson but he really gets it. I could tell that the elders teaching him before were awesome. We talked about faith, coincidentally, and he has a great understanding of it. He definitely has a lot of faith. After he got dunked he told Elder O that he felt really good. It is pretty awesome that I got to see this right off the bat.
We met with Carlos and Samantha, a young couple in their 20's, and had a great lesson on the Restoration. They were both just staring at their little girl who is a few months old. They were really receptive and they kept saying they want to set an example for their little girl. It was amazing to see how much they love her. At the end I invited them to be baptized and they said yes. It was pretty cool because they seemed pretty excited. They came to church the next day all dressed up and it turns out Carlos already knows one of the members of the branch so they have a friend.
One person we met on the street is named Pedro. We started teaching him on Friday and it turned out that his twin brother was just up the street. We got the opportunity to teach both of them and they loved it. They agreed to be baptized and I'm super excited.
Saturday night we rapped with some guys on the street. I schooled them...
We don't actually share the apartment with anyone!
Anyway, I love you and I'll talk to you next week.
Your missionary,
Elder Engelman
I am doing great! My companion, Elder Olaveson, is from Idaho and is a blast. He talks to almost everyone and I am starting to pick it up. It's something I never thought I would be afraid of but it's pretty intimidating. We have contacted a few people on the streets that we are meeting with and I am sooo excited!
We had a baptism on Sunday! Ramphis is from Jamaica and he is a cook. I only taught him one lesson but he really gets it. I could tell that the elders teaching him before were awesome. We talked about faith, coincidentally, and he has a great understanding of it. He definitely has a lot of faith. After he got dunked he told Elder O that he felt really good. It is pretty awesome that I got to see this right off the bat.
We met with Carlos and Samantha, a young couple in their 20's, and had a great lesson on the Restoration. They were both just staring at their little girl who is a few months old. They were really receptive and they kept saying they want to set an example for their little girl. It was amazing to see how much they love her. At the end I invited them to be baptized and they said yes. It was pretty cool because they seemed pretty excited. They came to church the next day all dressed up and it turns out Carlos already knows one of the members of the branch so they have a friend.
One person we met on the street is named Pedro. We started teaching him on Friday and it turned out that his twin brother was just up the street. We got the opportunity to teach both of them and they loved it. They agreed to be baptized and I'm super excited.
Saturday night we rapped with some guys on the street. I schooled them...
We don't actually share the apartment with anyone!
Anyway, I love you and I'll talk to you next week.
Your missionary,
Elder Engelman
Friday, February 22, 2013
Arrival to the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Onward to Philadelphia
It has been great! I have learned way more than I thought was possible. One of my companions found this scripture that says, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." He related it to Christ and how much he treasures us. Pretty awesome, right? His name is Elder Lenzinger and he's from Sacramento. Awesome guy. He has the best one-liners I've ever heard. SUPER FUNNY. My other campanion is from Utah and is incredibly nice. He snowboards and skis. Oh, and he is super buff and plays lacrosse. I got make the D.L.
Mission Training Center
February 12th, 2013
The MTC has been hard but really rewarding. I have been made a District Leader and it is really hard. I have seriously learned way too much. Every day I go to bed with my mind destroyed with the knowledge my teachers have given me. It is crazy because I like it.
The MTC has been hard but really rewarding. I have been made a District Leader and it is really hard. I have seriously learned way too much. Every day I go to bed with my mind destroyed with the knowledge my teachers have given me. It is crazy because I like it.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
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