I can't believe how long I have already been out on my mission! Time sure has flown by. I was just reminiscing on earlier things in life and seeing how I graduated high school a year ago and I am already on a mission- almost 1/4th of the way through. Life goes so fast!
I absolutely love the Bushwick 1st Branch. Never before have I just felt so loved and connected with an LDS congregation. They are all becoming some of my best friends (Mom, I might move out here so I can live in this branch after my mission. Just kidding I wouldn't do that too you). My companion and I had the opportunity to speak in church on Sunday on the Doctrine of Christ. It went really well (If any of you want to read it, I will send a copy of it home so ask my parents to put it on the blog). People really enjoyed our talks and we had a lot of compliments afterwards. I also had two of my investigators come to church for the first time on Sunday! I definitely made my day when I saw both Dez and Edwin there! They both really enjoyed it and it also was a nice touch to have my companion and I speak too. Edwin (17) enjoyed the Aaronic Priesthood class too. Brother Lee, who taught the class, said there was a really strong spirit in the class and they had many good testimonies that were born too. Dez said he really enjoyed just how the gospel was very personal to everyone. He liked that we all shared personal experiences which helped him relate the things that were taught to himself.
The work out in New York is still going very well. We are shifting to a lot of Less-Active work and trying to find those people who haven't been coming to church recently. It has been difficult to find them since everyone is so busy! Edwin and his dad are being taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ now and are both doing really well. Dez is a great guy and is very intelligent and is understanding all of the things we are teaching him. We are on to the commandments with him. I love how all of my investigators are becoming my best friends. I love them all individually and pray for them daily. I learn so much from them as I study and think about them. Being a missionary is just the best experience I could ever have.
We are having a Branch Temple Trip May 2nd! All of the recent converts and the youth are going as well. Since it will be Matt's first time, I get to go with him! I am so excited to go. The temple is the one thing that I miss so much. I miss being able to go whenever I wanted to do or needed to. I miss being inside and pondering and feeling so close to my Heavenly Father. I am very excited to go in two weeks.
We met with a member Mark and his wife early last week and had dinner with them. Mark is a musician and books musicians in gigs and also makes is own music. He showed us one of his songs and it was awesome! It was like indy, classical, and electronic all in one! He made all sounds and sang too. It was super cool. He has all these exotic instruments, one being a finger piano too! I wish I could have stayed there and played with all his instrument and sound equipment all day.
So on Saturday night, I asked my companion if I could see the phone for a second and he said he didn't have it. I didn't have it either so we were both like searching our bags and pockets and found nothing! Then Elder Lewis remembered that some lady bumped into him on the train and he though he pick-pocketed him! We spent the next 24 hours out of touch with our investigators and other missionaries. We went down to the office with a senior couple to get a new phone. This morning we got a text from our District Leader saying the members that we visited that night found our phone. So he didn't actually get pick pocketed! It would have been a cool story if he did :D.
Anyway, I am out of time so I apologize there isn't a lot of stories in this week's letter. We are having a zone activity in a few minutes playing football, volleyball, and handbal so I have to gol!
Thank you for those who sent letters this week!
Love,
Elder Hooper
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