September 14, 2016 Busy Weeks Are The Best Weeks

We had a great week this week. The mission is on the zone study & interviews transfer, which means that we get to visit all 11 zones. While President is interviewing missionaries we have a little leadership council with the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders so that we can get some feedback and council with them about their zone. 

After the first 2 hours of interviews are over the whole zone gets together for a "Zone Study" which is basically President leading a discussion about Joseph Smith History 1:1-20. It's pretty awesome and it's still awesome even after being there for 6 of them. To end there's always a short testimony meeting where everybody that wants to stands up and bears a 30-60 second testimony about Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ. The Spirit is really strong every time. 

This last week we visited the Olmstead Zone on Thursday, Manhattan North Zone on Monday and yesterday we went up to Stamford to have it with the Stamford Zone. It was cool, the meeting was held in our old chapel. It's eerily familiar every time I go there. 

During the zone studies President always asks somebody where and when they were when they started to pray out loud, in order to emphasize that young Joseph had never attempted to pray vocally before. He always picks someone born in the church and usually they can't remember but yesterday when he asked someone I realized that I totally had been taught to pray either in that chapel or at home just a mile or so up the street. Haha it's a small world. 

We had a great Sunday this week. We had 3 investigators at church. We didn't even have time to teach 3 investigators last week, but a young man from the local college walked into priesthood because he was brand new to the area and was looking for a place to worship God. It was a super cool miracle. The Lord blesses us when we do our best.

It was great to read about Isaac, what a stud. What a successful week, pinewood derby 3rd place and won an election. Keep going with the Book of Mormon reading. I love that book. You're great family. I love you!

Con Amor,
Elder Sam McBride

1. A slice of Pizza that we bought from Cross Bronx Pizza. It's about
a 5 minute walk away from the Olmstead (East Bronx) Chapel.

2. Sunrise over Long Island Sound. This view is from the apartment of
the other Elders in our District. Our view isn't so great.

3. Awkward picture of a family we got out to church this week. The man
is a member from Guyana, the women aren't... yet. The older woman is
the members wife, she is from Ghana and the younger girl is their
daughter.