"Between the Lions"

¡Hola!

¿Cómo están? I hope everyone is doing well! So I'm writing this email
from THEE New York Public Library... Like with the lions?? A little
while ago (in Inwood) we figured out the connection to "Between the
lions" and "reading between the lines" ....clever people. Anyway I'm
currently emailing between the lions so to speak! Haha pretty cool
right? have I told you how much I Love New York ?

This week was yet another adventure here in the big apple! Last week
after we emailed we had a dinner appointment at the home of an
adorable Brazilian family who recently moved here. And surprisingly I
understand some Portuguese! Which is kind of cool. Must mean my
Spanish is improving slightly. Also lasagna with rice is DELICIOUS. It
was a great night needless to say. We've been able to be in members
homes quite a bit lately and I love it! They are such a light and
strength to our days.

So we did some "bench contacting" in Washington square park this week
which was exciting. When it's sunny outside New York comes alive! It's
incredible. The parks are amazing places to talk to
people....especially if they're sitting on a bench and can't walk
away? Haha. Today it's pretty cold and rainy but hopefully more
sunshine and spring weather is in our future!

This week we also found what we like to call the "Chinatown gym". So
right next to the water there is like a mini park but instead of toys
it's workout equipment for adults! I think draper park has something
similar....but it's so fun! So we've been jogging down by the Brooklyn
and Manhattan Bridges in the morning with the other sisters, doing a
workout, and jogging back. It's incredible. Sunrise on the water, and
the bridges....sometimes it's amazing to just stop and realize what an
incredible place I am living in!!

We had an amazing member present lesson this week too! Larry came with
us to Patricia, she really opened up to us. She told us that she read
the Book of Mormon TWICE when her siblings were joining the church AND
she knows it's true!!!! It was the biggest miracle. She wants to make
the decision as a family...and her husband still lives in the DR so it
might take some time. But it was just such an amazing blessing to hear
that she has a testimony, we just have to help her to ACT.

We've been trying to do a lot more finding this week (via tracting and
lookups) and just the other day we had a really cool experience! We
were doing a lookup that ended up not being home...so we prayed and
we're trying to decide where to go next. The 8th floor stood out to
me. So we got back in the elevator and the 13th and 2nd floor were
randomly lite up too. So we went to them too! We ended up finding and
amazing family that is so curious on the 8th floor and had a really
cool lesson showing Because of Him. Then we found a possible Chinese
lady on the 13th floor...she didn't speak English but got so excited!
Haha THEN on the 2nd floor a lady who had a cousin that is a member
said we could come back. It was a miracle day for sure! Sometimes you
definitely don't see the immediate results of hard work in "good
old-fashioned missionary work" until much later....but then there are
days where you just get a little boost and it's incredible! The Lord
is definitely in the details of our everyday lives.

I feel like I'm definitely falling in love with New York more and more
everyday. The members here are incredible. The beauty is amazing. The
people we met from crazy to normal and everywhere in between. The
people we get to share our testimony with and teach. And it's all
because we have a little black name tag and a call from a Prophet of
God. I feel so blessed to be serving as a representative of Jesus
Christ in one of the biggest, most crazy, amazing cities.

Well I'm sure a lot more things happened this week, but we're running
low on time. I hope everyone has an amazing last week of March! I love
you all!

Con Amor,
Hermana Smart