It was so sweet to see Manhattan!

Hola Todos!                                                   

1st off, thank you SO much for the letters and package this week. Thank you for reminding me that I am loved and missed :)

Today was an exciting day. We got permission from our mission president to go to the Statue of Liberty and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Wow, it was amazing. 1st off, it was really nice to get on a boat and get away from the city, get some fresh air and relax a little. It also was really neat to enjoy and remember how amazing it is to be an American. You know, I have always seen myself as a patriotic person. I have always felt strongly about the principles of freedom, goodness, justice and liberty. I also feel very strongly about God's hand in the history of this country. Since being on my mission, I have thought a lot about where I come from. Where we are from, almost everyone is an American and their families have been American for a long time. Also, many members of the church have ancestors that crossed the plains. Here, I often find myself being the only American. People ask all of the time how long my family has been in the United States or how long my family has been in the church. It is neat to be able to say that my family was some of the first Europeans to settle here, and some of the first people to join the church. It also is neat to see people's reactions and how they think it is really cool. 1st they think it’s cool that I know so much about my pedigree (it’s a great missionary opportunity :) ), and second, it’s cool that other people think it's cool. Of course it isn't about what other people think, but it has helped me gain a greater appreciation for my ancestors. For how they lived and what they built for me. Makes me to want to contribute to that lineage. It also makes me so grateful for this country. For it's religious freedom, and opportunity. I know that this country has a lot of problems, and a lot of differences, but there still is a lot of Good. I believe firmly in that and it was a powerful and in some ways a sacred opportunity to take a second today and remember what this country is all about and what our family, and countless other families have lived and died for.

It was also SWEET to see Manhattan. WOW! Such an awesome place, I now see why so many people travel here. We just got to walk around just a little bit from the Battery Park to the subways and to the Brooklyn Bridge. I am glad to report that I am finally getting my train and bus legs under me (not challenging the thought). When I first got here, I felt like I was flailing and sliding all over the place every time the train stopped ha-ha. Last night I got on a bus, swiped my card, carried my bag, walked and found my seat on the bus, while talking on the phone with an investigator and writing down some info....all successfully and while the bus was moving (I was the last to get on at the stop)...call me a New Yorker ha-ha.

I also was told this week by an Elder from Mexico City I have a Portuguese accent when I speak Spanish, when he pointed it out, we were both really confused and wondered why that would be the case, I then remembered that I have a Brazilian trainer. It was funny, and I guess that is a good sign right? Better than a "gringa" accent I guess ha-ha.

I don't know if I can emphasize how many different people are here. One day, my companion and I taught 3 lessons, in 3 different languages. English, Spanish and Portuguese (it was a family from Mozambique). Also this week I have shared the gospel with people from Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Philippines, India, Mexico, Guiana, Egypt, a place in SE Asia that I never heard of before, Morocco, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, New York, Denver :), China....and other places that I can't think of off of the top of my head. And these are just people I have met on the streets, in the subways or trains or through referrals. It's humbling to remember and think that God has called me to be here now and to witness and be apart of the gospel spreading to the 4 corners of the earth.

The work with our investigators is.....coming. Wow does Satan work hard to keep people from going to church on Sunday (Hermano Galvez, if you are reading this, I believed you when you said this in the MTC and I now know what you are talking about.) We had Anita y Saul committed to come with both their kids. They even worked extra hard on Sat. so they could close down their business on Sunday, and they did, and when we went to pick them up, they weren't there. Only their son was there and said they were all on their way. My companion went with a member to pick up another investigator (Mirian). Mirian had slept in but said that they were on their way. We also had an inactive family committed to come who had been working and planning all week to make it happen. When church started....nada. None of them came. Boy, it just breaks your heart because you see, feel and realize how much they need this. Makes me just want to take their hands and drag them to church, but that would take away agency. Somehow, we need to help them feel the urgency of this work and of the gospel.

I know this church is true. I know it with all my heart. It is a bold assertion to state, especially as I am surrounded by so many religions, but I make it and stand by this testimony. There are miracles that occur each and everyday here, and I wish I had more time to write them to you, or even write them all down. The work here is hard, but I feel honored, humbled and privileged to be apart of it.

Love and miss you! I hope grandpa starts feeling better!

Megan