What if I don't talk to them? What if I do?

Hello,

It has been a veritable eternity since I have last written. Since the temple trip (and we have another one next Tuesday to celebrate our one-year-anniversary) much has happened. For example: I received a lovely one-year-old card from my family. It says I am "special and sweet and cute," which is nice.

Sister Platt and I at church the day I gave a talk on charity.

Moreover, I visited Great Neck yesterday in Mineola's area for a doctor's appointment. And let me say: there is a reason that Mineola is a car area. We went from a 7 train so rickety I worried it might fall off the tracks to the N20G bus to Great Neck. While the bright orange bus presented less of a threatening ambiance than the train, it zoomed by half of the stops without hesitating, leaving us to scramble to assure our stop was pushed. The half mile interval between each of the stops left us a bit unwilling to wait until the next. The appointment went well and I met a woman named Maryn (who pronounced it Maren like my mother) in the waiting area who was very kind. The lady who took my blood must have been a bit more intense than the others because the spot from which she took blood bled quite a bit more than normal. I took the gauze off of my arm and saw enough blood for a bullet wound (probably not that much, but a decent amount all the same). Perhaps it was because I was tense?

Interviews took place in the mission office yesterday. As I sat in the office, pictures of Mission Presidents gone by and the current Mission President drew me to think a bit more than I usually do. President had me reflect on my mission and the attributes I have acquired therein. It was a wonderful opportunity for me. Two-thirds of the way into my mission, but it already feels like in some ways it is coming to a close. Now I have to work my behind off in these last 20 weeks to make sure I have done all that I possibly can.

The Mission Office is the only place that has AC in Rego. Thus all

the missionaries. 

Skyping with Bermuda is not as fun as going to Bermuda but still nice.

We didn't sail the seven seas but we ate there! 

The sunset over the METS stadium.

We had three exchanges this week, with the Bermuda sisters (Skype exchange), the Far Rockaway sisters, and the Rego sisters. Sister Persinger has an obsession with Hamilton and goes to ComicCon every year which is awesome, and Sister Allen loves Disney. Sister Thomas inspires me to go to Hawaii, and Sister Grimsman inspires me to become an artist. Sisters Wuthrich and Maldonado just look like they are on vacation every day, which is cool.

Tornado Crepe deliciousness in Corona. 

People let the fire hydrants go free here.

Which sadly wastes a lot of water but it is for a good purpose, right...?

One tender mercy happened two Fridays ago. We were fruitlessly knocking with a member before a lesson and I saw a family walking past on the street behind us. I let them walk away and got this feeling that I should talk to them but I ignored it for a bit. I kept feeling it but we were knocking doors which I thought was what the Lord wanted from me at that moment so I simply put off the feeling (also known as ignoring the prompting of the Holy Ghost). And then they stopped, the little girl got something stuck and they paused. They were a good bit away at this point and I had a panicked feeling (the "what if I go to God after I die and have to account for not talking to this perfect little Hispanic family and I could have helped them change their lives" feeling) and then I just ran like a bullet to them and said, "¡Hola! ¿Ustedes han visto a los misioneros antes?" The mom looked shocked, then admitted she was a member who hadn't been to church since coming to this country.

We went to visit her on the following Monday night and as we were talking she admitted that the two days prior to us approaching her she had been praying harder than ever before in her life due to several severe trials in her life. She had seen us missionaries as they were passing by and not said a word, but "YOU came up to ME," she stated several times. She said that she knew that God had answered her prayers and that she needed the church back in her life. She shared her testimony of how God will answer our prayers in the exact moment He knows that we need an answer. It strengthened my testimony, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach her and her family. I know that God knows each of you and wants to answer your prayers.

I hope your next week is beautiful,

Hermana Ally Voss