Transfers! Westchester!

Last pday was a fun one! We went and did lots of things! We saw where Broadway is, the Trump tower, Radio City, Little Island, the Highline, and Chelsea Market.

I found out that I will be transferred to Westchester tomorrow and will be an stl(sister training leader). I'm very sad to be leaving Manhattan but I know Westchester is where the Lord needs me. I also have randomly been learning a little bit of Spanish as my companion studies her Japanese and I've started trying to pray in Spanish. My new companion, Sister Vera, in Westchester speaks Spanish and a lot of my zone does, so I'm excited to be around others who are speaking it and hopefully learn more! 

We also had another one of our recent converts reply to us this week! Missionaries have been trying to get in touch with her through Facebook, knocking and about any other way you could think of since February and she reached out to us this last week! We are planning to meet with her tonight so I'm really excited! 

We sadly were not able to meet with the random guy who showed up to church last week but we did meet a super cool guy while street contacting named Rodd! We were walking down by the Hudson and decided to turn around and walk the other way instead, then there was Rodd! We simply just said hello but he stopped and continued talking with us and we found out he was Christian and interested in meeting. We met the next day and the day after. He sadly wasn't able to make it to church this weekend, but he is one of the most prepared people I have ever met! That's about it for this week! Love you a

Spiritual Thought: 

I loved reading 2 Nephi 4:20 this week. 

"20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep."

I love this because Nephi knew that it was because of God that he was able to do all that he did. I know that it is because of the Lord that I am able to do all that I can do. I know that you all can do anything through the Lord! I invite you all to think about how in your life, you can trust in the Lord more and allow Him to be your strength and support. 

**Pictures:

1. The district, one last time. 

2. Little Island! 

3. Radio City! 

4. Trump Tower 

5. Best family ×a million!

6. Central park and pretty fall leaves! 

The Weekly!

This week was full of lots of ups and downs! On Monday I went on the Staten Island Ferry for the 3rd time because Sister Rasband really wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. After the ferry we went to the 9/11 memorial pools and the world trade center. And as always we hit the souvenir shops! 

On Tuesday some awesome members in the ward ordered us shawarma and falafel. I'm not a huge fan of falafel but shawarma was pretty good! We also got gyros again at the gyro truck by the temple so lots of lamb this week! We also decided to try contacting at a different park, called Riverside this week which runs right along the Hudson. We met lots of cool people there and were able to get quite a few numbers so that was exciting. There are a lot more locals there than at central park 😂

We got to go in the Manhattan Temple this week as well and it was so amazing! I love the temple! Right after the temple we had an amazing lesson with Megan and we had one of my recent convert friends from staten island join our lesson and share his testimony. It was exactly what Megan needed to hear. We also shared with her that there are misconceptions about our church and she asked about what Latter Day Saints meant so we explained that to her and she said it all made sense, we also warned her about Satan and how he tries even harder to pull us away when we are getting closer to God. At the end we asked her if she had any questions and she said, "Nope, but I'm getting baptized!" It was the sweetest thing and we were so excited...but the next day she texted us and said that she doesn't feel like she can get baptized and become a "Latter Day Saint" or be "Mormon". I cannot stress enough as President Nelson, Elder Andersen and others have, how important it is to use the correct name of the church. We are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we are Christ's church on the earth today! It is so important that we help others realize who we are and what we are about. I invite all of you to do all you can to help others know who we really are and remember to use to correct name of the church always. As President Nelson has said, "The name of the church is non-negotiable." He also has mentioned that when we leave Christ out of it we let Satan win. 

We had ysa stake conference this week which was really good. We had one of my random Facebook friends show up for like the last 10 minutes because she got a little lost on the subway 😬 and we found out she lives in Jersey, but we were glad she came! We also had some random guy show up at church for the Manhattan 1st ward. His name is Seymour and he's so cool! We are planning to meet with him Tuesday and are hoping things go well! We didn't know him before and he said he wasn't invited by anyone, he just came. 

That was about it for this week! Love you all! 

**Pictures:

1. Statue of Liberty 

2. 9/11 Memorial

3. The Oculus 

4.Gyros!

Chinatown! MEGAN IS ON DATE!

 Hello Everyone!

Last pday we went to Chinatown with our district and got some yummy food! We went for soup dumplings, but we did things family style and I was just eating what was in front of me so to be honest half the time I didn't know what anything was😅 it was all delicious though! We also went around to some souvenir shops and they love to make you negotiate there. They don't put prices on anything and a lot of the people just stand at the street and try to get you to come into their store. After that we went and got mochi donuts which were kind of weird but good! 

This week we got to meet with Megan which went well. We have started to teach the commandments and so far she has been good with things, but this week we are planning to teach the word of wisdom and law of tithing so we're hoping that goes well. She also came to a baptism on Sunday! Sadly we didn't get her to church, but she did come to the baptism and she loved it. We had a member come and watch it with us and then had a talk with her and the member afterwards. She asked if she decided to get baptized if it would have to be on a Saturday or Sunday and we told her no, and asked if she had a day in mind since she asked that question. She then said if she were were get baptized she would want to get baptized on November 19th. Her golden birthday! So she put herself on date right then and we are so excited to keep helping her prepare for that! Thank you for all of your prayers for her, please keep praying for her to have strength to overcome her concerns🙏

We also got to do some family history this week so that's always a good time! The older man we randomly met on the street came in and it was pretty cool because we found out his wife was Japanese American and Sister Rasband was able to see all of the Japanese names and help find these people. I thought it was a pretty cool experience for her to be able to do that as she isn't able to be in Japan right now. He sadly was kind of offended when we asked if we could pray at the start though because he's Jewish, so sadly after meeting with him he didn't seem to want to set something up again, but we're still so glad we were able to help him start building his family tree! 

After we were done with family history one day this week, one of the security guards at the temple who has a very cool story but has had some struggles with people in the church talked to us about family history! He recently lost his father and is planning to go to Africa to see family and remember his father and he said he wants to talk to his family members over there and get all the information he needs to be able to do their work. And he mentioned that he is like 85% there with baptism and thinks within the next year he will be ready to be baptized! It was some of the best news because he is a better missionary than all of us and literally hands out pass along cards and Book of Mormons on the subway and now it's his turn to be able to make these covenants and receive the blessing that he can receive! 

I also started reading The Book of Mormon again this week and I loved the first verse so much, it hit me in a different way than ever before. 

1 Nephi 1:1 

"1. I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days." 

Nephi was highly favored of the Lord and he still had trials and afflictions come in his life. It made me think that when we have trials and afflictions, it is not the Lord punishing us or trying to make our lives horrible but we are favored of the Lord and these trials and afflictions, just like they did for Nephi, can shape us into the people the Lord knows we can become and help us become stronger. ❤

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Love you all!

**Pictures!:

1. Chinatown! 

Conference! It's October!

This week was a good week! On Monday we played kickball with our whole zone and it was a super fun time! 

Tuesday and Wednesday were very busy for us! We were able to meet someone named Greg who was previously in contact with missionaries for a short time and he is so cool! We're excited to keep meeting with him! We also were able to meet with some more members which is always a good time! And we met with Megan! Megan is doing well. We had a very spirit filled lesson on Wednesday and invited her to be baptized on the 23d of this month. There has always seemed like there was something holding her back and this lesson she finally started expressing her concerns about baptism and now we know her needs so we can start helping resolve her concerns to help her prepare to get baptized! If you could include her in your prayers it would be greatly appreciated! 

On Wednesday we also were standing outside of the church deciding if we were going to take the train or the bus home and this older man started talking to us and asked where we were going. He then told us he knew a member of the church once and that he used to do family history at our church. We right then set up a lesson to meet with him the next day and we were able to find the documents he was looking for. He was the cutest old man! 

Thursday night we had 4 friends planning to attend ysa volleyball and 2 of them ended up coming! There also were 2 others there that a member invited who were not members and we were able to talk with them so that was awesome! The Lord truly is placing people in our path. 

Conference was the best as always! SOOO many good talks!! We had quite a few friends watch so that was awesome! By far the best church week on the mission haha. One of my favorite talks was the one by President Oaks. He focused on the importance of sabbath day observance. I love the opportunity we have to have a personal relationship with God and feel that it is very important to study and ponder on our own, but how important is it that we also worship with others! And that we go to church to be able to partake of the sacrament and become better through our Savior, Jesus Christ! I testify that we need each other and we need our Savior, just as much as we need that personal relationship. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

**Pictures:

1. The Zone! 

2. Random public transportation pictures! 

3.I have the best family! 

Zone Conference! The Book of Mormon is True!

This week was a little bit of a slow one again. We had pday with the district last week and played ultimate frisbee and that was about it. 

We were able to meet with our friend Megan again though and she is doing so well! She is a little nervous to come back to church, but we are hoping to put her on date soon! She said she feels like God really has a greater purpose for her and we know that, that purpose is baptism and becoming more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are planning to hopefully put her on date soon so if you could all keep her in your prayers that would be much appreciated! 

We also had zone conference this week which is always so good! It was a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ as well as using the Lords time well and effectively. It made me want to be a better missionary and change some things I'm doing as a missionary as zone conference always does! The same day we had interviews with President Holmes which were very good! 

We sadly had to drop a few of our friends this week, who haven't been progressing very well... but we were able to meet some cool people too! We had 3 people who referred themselves to the missionaries all answer when we called them and they are all interested in meeting with us so were excited to meet with them this week! 

We also had a lot of member lessons this weekend so that was fun and hopefully we can start helping them be normal and natural missionaries! I have such a testimony of member missionaries! We as full time missionaries are so transient and aren't able to make lasting connections with people. But you as members can!! You are the most important missionaries there are! 

I finished The Book of Mormon again this week as well! I love The Book of Mormon and I love this Gospel! I just want to share my testimony of The Book of Mormon-

The Book of Mormon is SO true! It truly is the most correct book on the Earth today! I don't only know that because someone told me so, but because I have read and pondered it multiple times and have sincerely prayed to know! I have found it for myself and had it confirmed to me by the power of the Holy Ghost. As I read The Book of Mormon this past time I was humbled to see how much the Godhead is mentioned. I truly am grateful for the role they played in ancient times and the role they continue to play in my life. I don't think I've ever noticed the role they play more than since I've been here in New York City! I love my Heavenly Father, I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I love the Holy Ghost! I'm so grateful for Joseph Smith and all he went through so we can have The Book of Mormon today. I'm grateful for all of those in The Book of Mormon and the things they did to preserve the plates so we can have The Book of Mormon today. I'm grateful for the experiences of those in the Book of Mormon as well and the relevance they have to my life and the things I struggle with. I know we have a living prophet today who leads and guides this church, President Russell M. Nelson and I can't wait to hear from him and our Apostles as well this weekend in General Conference! I'm so grateful for this Gospel and all it has and continues to bring to my life! ❤

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Love you all! 

Sister Reynolds (: 

**Pictures: (not too many this week, sorry :/)

1. The District! 

2. Cinnamon Roll from Breads Bakery!

The Edge, 4G and the Coolest Miracles

Last Monday we decided to go to something called The Edge with the Sisters from the East Side! It was a super good time and a super good view! After the edge we went and got some good Thai food! One of my most favorite things about being in New York is all of the fun food options! 

This week was one of the coolest weeks and we saw SO many amazing miracles! The first one was on Tuesday night when we decided to go knock a formers door (someone the sisters before us had previously taught). The only problem was we didn't have the apartment #... my companion and I were both kind of questioning going to knock because of that but we decided to go anyways. We got to the apartment and a lady luckily was going in at the same time so we were able to get into the building but we still didn't know what apartment number we were supposed to go to, so we decided to say a prayer. After the prayer my companion told me she was feeling the 4th floor and right after that I looked at the mailboxes and the first one I looked at was 4G so we decided to go knock it. IT WAS HER APARTMENT! Sadly she was sleeping but we talked to her grandma. It didn't really go anywhere, but it was the coolest thing that we were able to be led by the spirit to find her apartment. Right after that we were able to get a lady on the streets # and got in contact with another former while knocking. It was one of the best nights I have had on the mission so far! 

Wednesday we were able to meet a lady named Olga who has come to church like 4 times with her friend who has been a member for 4 years and we'd seen her at church but had no idea she wasn't a member. We found out she also was meeting with the elders and a senior couple so things with that got a little crazy, but we are excited to see where things go for her! I also was able to go on an exchange with Sister Stratford and I learned a ton from her! We also went door knocking for one of their formers and sadly weren't able to find her but we knocked on a deaf persons door and luckily Sister Stratford took ASL in High School so she was able to talk to him and he was interested in meeting with missionaries! We also were able to find some others that were interested but a lot of them were males who don't have a women in the home so we had to pass them off to the Elders. When we exchanged back we met at Grand Central Station which was super cool! 

Our friend Megan who was praying about Baptism and dropped us last week was supposed to have some surgery done this week so even though she had dropped us we asked if she would like a Priesthood blessing before her surgery and she said she would like that. So we had a guy from the YSA ward meet us at the church on Thursday and it was an interesting but amazing blessing. At the start of the blessing he told a personal experience about how when he was on his mission there was a guy who was seriously injured and unable to walk, but needed to work for his family and he gave him a blessing and the next day he was able to walk and do what he needed to. He also blessed her for things he didn't know about but we did and we knew he was very in-tune with the spirit. The next day we messaged Megan about her surgery and wished her well. Not long after we messaged her she let us know that she went in for surgery and they told her that she didn't need it anymore and that her eyes were healed. It was amazing and now she wants to continue meeting with us. The Priesthood, God's power on the Earth, is so real. ❤

We also were able to get some awesome friends to church on Sunday, one being a recent convert who has not been to church in a long time! It was very cool to see her back at church. 

The Lord loves each and everyone of us and is aware of what we need and when we need it. I love you all and hope you have the best week! 

**Pictures:

1-3. The Edge! 

4-5. Grand Central Station! 

6. The Vessel

7. Exchange w Sister Stratford! 

8. New York things🤷‍♀️

Mission Tour! 6 months as a missionary!

Last pday Sister Rasband and I went to the Empire State building! We didn't go up in it or anything but it was still super cool to see! 

We also went to a place called Magnolia's Bakery and got some yummy banana pudding and cheesecake! 

Wednesday through Friday we had a mission tour and Elder Bassett from the 70 and his wife were here and we got to learn lots of awesome things from them. They talked a lot about The Book of Mormon and The Atonement of Jesus Christ. It was super good and I learned and gained a lot of things that are already helping me be a better missionary! 

Other than the mission tour, this week was pretty rough. We found out the family we were planning to meet with this week is actually in Harlem and not in our area so we were super bummed about that but we're so exited for the other sisters to be able to meet with them. We also just had a lot fall through and our friend Megan who was praying about Baptism told us that she wants some space and doesn't want to meet with us right now. 

But we were able to still contact some really cool people this week and we are hoping to be able to study with them soon! The Lord truly is putting people in our path. We had some sisters from another area meet someone on the subway and we had a pass off lesson with them on Saturday night! She is a journalist so I kind of felt like she was trying to interview us for something to write but it was good! We aren't sure how interested she is but she is willing to meet again and we all felt the spirit in the lesson so we are hoping we can continue to meet with her! 

I also have now been a missionary for 6 months! To celebrate Sister Rasband and I went to a super yummy place called Jacob's Pickles. It a southern soul food place and was very good. 

That was about all for this week! 

Spiritual Thought: 

Helaman 5:12 

"12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

Sister Reynolds (: 

**Pictures: 

1. Empire State Building 

2. Magnolia 

3. Jacob's Pickles 

4. My mom sent me peaches! 

5. Matching peach days shirts! 

The Real Hurricane?

This week was a little rough, but we also saw so many miracles and good things are to come in this area! A lot of our friends we were supposed to find canceled their lessons which was super sad. 

This week we were able to meet with our friend Paris again though and he is super excited to start reading The Book of Mormon! He was supposed to come to church this Sunday but didn't end up making it. 

Our friend Megan was at church again and she loved it! She is also currently praying about Baptism and we are SO excited for her! She is progressing a ton and has some amazing fellowshipers which has been a huge help. 

There also is an older lady who was referred to us to go and visit and she collects a ton of cool things so her apartment was crazy and she was just the funest little lady to talk to! I'll attach some pictures of her apartment to the email! 

We also were able to meet a really cool lady on the streets who was baptized when she was like 15 or 16 and she has 3 kids-2 of which are of age to be baptized- and her husband is a none member as well. We originally thought she lived in Harlem but we found out she lives just a block from the church so we are super excited to go see her and her family this week and hopefully get them to church! We asked her when we were setting up the lesson if there was anything we could bring for her and she said a Book of Mormon so that was pretty cool to hear that she wanted to be able to start reading it again! And she mentioned that we really were an answer to her prayers because she has been kind of struggling recently. THE COOLEST MIRACLE THIS WEEK! 

There was a crazy storm this week on Wednesday and we got soaked when we were going back from the church. There was lots of flooding as well in the subways and peoples apartments. We were luckily not affected, but it was a crazy storm and I think we got the Hurricane a few weeks late. 

The members here also LOVE to feed the missionaries so we got some yummy food a few days this week! 

Spiritual Thought: 

Alma 62:48-51

48 And the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land, and began to multiply and to wax exceedingly strong again in the land. And they began to grow exceedingly rich.

49 But notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him.

50 Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.

51 And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land.

That's all from this week! Love you all!

Sister Alison Reynolds 

**Pictures: 

1. We were soaked haha 

2.The older ladies cool apartment! 

3. District pday last monday! 

Post Office Miracles

This week was another good one! Last pday we had the chance to go to the Color Factory with the east side sisters! We took tons of pictures and it was a good time! We also went to a sushi place after, and anyone who knows me knows I hate sushi😅 but now I don't haha. I actually really liked the sushi and I think the mission has changed me when it comes to foods I like and don't like. 

We also were able to meet with some cool people this week! We had lots of member lessons so that was good and we are starting to get to know some of the ward finally. We got to actually have a lesson with a guy we pass on the street all the time as well! We have passed him a million times and always kind of talked about the Gospel, but we were able to set up a real lesson with him this week! We aren't sure how engaged and interested he is yet, but it was good to have an actual lesson with him! We met with our amazing friend Megan and started teaching The Gospel of Jesus Christ and she came to church and loved it! After church she said she really wants to keep coming and that she knew it was where God wanted her to be. She also had an amazing fellowshipper at church so we're super grateful for that! 

Thursday morning we were at the post office because I had somethings to do and Sister Rasband was just there so she wasn't waiting in line with me and she had this guy walk up to her and say, "Elder?" She explained to him that she was a Sister but same idea and he said he used to meet with Elders and they just quit coming and he wasn't even able to get baptized. It was a super huge miracle because we were like 20 minutes earlier than we actually needed to be and he was heading out when we got there. 

Church was good yesterday for sure because of Megan, but we also had another friend named Elaine come! She is someone we have been doing service with and we gave her a church and art tour a few weeks ago, but promised us she would come to church, so she did yesterday! We aren't sure how interested she is in coming again or really meeting with us but she had a really good experience at church! 

We also have a friend named Cathy who we were helping prepare for Baptism who moved back to Colorado a few weeks ago and she was baptized last night! We were able to watch over zoom which was awesome and we are so happy for her! She is planning to move back to New York in a few months so we are excited to help teach her the recent convert lessons! 

Spiritual Thought: 

Alma 42:29

"29 And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance." 

I really liked this scripture when I read it this week. I think it's so important that we are troubled by our sins, because that's what allows and helps us want to repent. But after we repent is when we need to not let them trouble us! The Atonement of Jesus Christ is there for us and when we truly repent the Lord remembers our sins no more and we need to do the same for ourselves. I invite all of you who may struggle holding onto things of the past, to remember them no more and know that the Atonement is there for you! ❤

Love you all, have the best week! 

**Pictures:

1. Color Factory! 

2. Some cake that our friend Megan brought us! 

3.Sesame street! 

4.There are rats everywhere here😂

Hurricane?

Last Monday we went to the MET! It was pretty cool, but we didn't get through like even half of the museum because there's so much to see and we didn't have enough time. We also got some pizza at Mamas with a few of the other sisters! 

We were able to meet with our most progressing friend Megan this week so that was good! We taught her the plan of salvation and she loved it! She was also planning to come to church but we had a hurricane warning so sadly church was moved to zoom. So yesterday we didn't leave the apartment all day and it rained all day. 

There also was a wedding reception at our church and we were invited to go and eat some Olive Garden so that was probably the best thing that happened this week, I love Olive Garden! 

We decided one day to go on the roof of the apartments by the temple because we heard that a lot of missionaries have gone up there. It's 37 floors, so that was pretty sweet and had a way good view of the whole city! 

That's about all that happened this week! 

Spiritual thought... 

This week as I was reading in Alma this verse is one that I loved! 

Alma 26:16 

"16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

Have a good week! Love you all! 

Sister Reynolds (:

**Pictures:

1.The MET

2.Temple apartments roof top view

3. My name in Japanese! 

4. Us getting rained on.