February 1, 2010 Carlos Bakery

Family!

So! I have a few really exciting things to write about this week. There have been lots of baptisms going on in the branch lately, but there was an extra special one on Saturday! My good friend Cierra got baptized! She is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! I know that Sister Black and I weren't the ones that officially taught her, but we definitely have a special connection with her. I love her! Her testimony is incredible. She has such a desire to do God's will. Her baptism was amazing. Sister Black and I sang. Apparently, I am just a little prima donna these days. Sorry I don't sing better everyone! Oh well. Also! I was able to go on an exchange to Jersey City which was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fun! I was with a sister who has only been here as long as Sister Black named Sister Tupa. She is from Tonga and didn't know ANY English before she got here. Her English is amazing. It's better than people in the branch who have been in America for years. Gift of tongues:) God really does help his missionaries. It was fun to be in Jersey City because there are SO many people. The Hoboken area is supposed to be like mini-Manhattan. I got a picture of Carlo's Bakery just for Daniel. :) We got to teach some amazing investigators that they have. I got to talk to so many people! It kind of reminded me of the good ol Visitor Center days when there are people every where that you have to go say hi to. I would keep smiling and saying, “HI!” to everyone that we saw. I'm pretty sure that they thought we were crazy, especially when they saw the missionary tags. This guy tried to sell me some perfume, so I gave him a passalong card and said that I wasn't allowed to wear perfume. :) I tried to help this old lady at the post office and she yelled at me. Oh I LOVE IT! I'm being serious. I really am. I was so happy that whole entire day. Oh! It's a walking area there. The only one for sisters. And it's approximately 2 degrees outside. Right on the Hudson. Sister Tupa calls it “Faith Island” because only missionaries with lots of faith can be there. I told her I must've only had enough faith for one day:) I had these hand warmers the Elders gave me to use (after they made fun of me for going on an exchange to a walking area the coldest day of the year). I put about five in each mitten because it was so cold. It was fun to walk around. And ride the bus. I was all urban:) ha! Being a missionary is really the best thing in the whole world. Before we came to the library we got to go practice with the mission choir for one of the stake conferences on Sunday. It was so fun to be around all those missionaries. There is such a good spirit every time so many of us get together. Even if the music isn't the best, the Spirit is SO strong when a whole bunch of missionaries sing. I'm going to miss being here so much. So I'm trying to not think about it. But- I'm sure going back to Nauvoo will be good too. Bleh. Not thinking about it. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep being good. I miss you and love you lots!

Sister Picard