It's Raining! It's Pouring!

Hey y'all.

Rain, rain, go away,

Come again... Never.

Haha. It's been raining SO much. Too much. Being from the desert, I'm just not used to it.

Here's a TOP 10 for you to enjoy:

"Top 10 ways you know it's REALLY raining in New York City"

10.) You have no need to use an umbrella anymore. It's become completely pointless.

9.) There isn't a single pigeon in sight…ANYWHERE. (Unless you're under a bridge...in that case, you might want to pick up that useless umbrella of yours, being soaked in rain is one thing...bird crap is another. Haha. Elder Nielson took the hit this week.)

8.) You can wet yourself and no one will notice...(Sister Mann...)

7.) You have to wring your skirt out before you go into someone's home.

6.) You and your two missionary companion's are the ONLY people outside. (On purpose!)

5.) The Taxi's don't even attempt to pick you up. In fact, they avoid you because you're so soaked that they'd rather not have you ruin their upholstery.

4.) "Waiting out the storm" would require a sleeping bag because it will NEVER stop raining.

3.) The local Rastafarians all have trash bags on their heads to protect their dreads.

2.) The disgusting, rat-infested sub-way stations suddenly become some kind of safe-haven.

1.) Sister Franklin is wearing Crocs. Yes, It's true.

Well, All these things are based on actual events. (I promise the crocs were actually kind of cute... like, not the typical CROC...You know, like the... Okay, I'll quit trying to justify my newest fashion necessity. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Haha.)

This week was a little rained out. But you know what, I LOVE helping people. And rain, as much as I despise it sometimes brings GREAT opportunities to help people. For example, one night when the rain was particularly bad, we knew the Astoria Elders really needed some help... They'd been given a HUGE assignment to find and contact all the less actives on their ward list in one week... and let's just say, there were A LOT. They'd been outin it all day long, and we decided to take on a few names that were the furthest out of their way, to take help ease the workload. And you know what. We had a blast. We got soaked and tracked down quite a few people in the process.

Sister Mann also had a mishap with her scriptures because of the rain. She wrapped all of her books in plastic bags to protect them from the rain, but her scriptures still managed to become SOAKED. We spent a couple hours drying them out with a blow dryer. It felt good to help my companion with that... So, thank you rain, for giving me that opportunity.

Complete turn in topic:

I don't know if I've mentioned Luz Marina in my weekly emails before, but either way...

here's her story:

She's a woman who was baptized as a young teenager, but was inactive for most of her life. She began attending an Evangelical church about 25 years ago, and was quite active in that church for the past couple decades. This is where it gets good. About 3 months ago, in March (right before I arrived in New York), she had an experience at the evangelical church. She said it was almost like her heart rejected the doctrine. She just had a huge realization that this was not where she should be. She walked out of the church services and never returned. She came to church with us the first week I was here. And she's come every Sunday ever since. She gave up coffee and hasn't touched it for over a month. She's working on getting a temple recommend to go to the temple with some family names. She asks for help with sharing the gospel with her less active and non-member children. She has been called as a Ward Missionary! I'm honored to serve alongside her. The best part about it is that she did it all on her own. The spirit and her faith made that change... Not us. As we've invited her to make changes in her life, she has agreed not out of obligation to us, but because she loves the Lord more than herself. Luz herself is a miracle.

We talk about "change" all the time in this mission... Our mission culture is "Forever Changed"...We are forever changed by the Doctrine of Christ. And it is evident that we have been changed and have become converted to the Doctrine of Christ by our obedience.

I hope that one day I will be an example of what it means to be "Forever Changed".  Just like Luz Marina. :) She, and people like her, have taught me more about true conversion than I ever thought possible.

Pocahontas really was right when she said, "When you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you learn things you never knew, you never knew!"

I hope everyone will join me becoming "Forever Changed" and be "forever changing" for the better! Remember, obedience to the commandments is evidence of our conversion.

Thanks for your love and support. Remember that you've got more power than you think. :)

Love Always,

Your soaking wet missionary,

Hermana Franklin

P.S. There are a few pictures of one of our last ward activities... A few ward members/investigators. Me and my companions eating Serrano Chiles (lit my entire digestive system on fire and nearly died. Enjoy!)