Familia-

I just have SO much to talk about. I don't even know where to start. It may be brief because I may get kicked off of the computer. The reason is because this is the only library with power and the internet in the area. The reason for that is because of the big storms we had last week. I don't know if it was on the news- well probably not in Utah because I am in NJ- but! We've been having some crazy storms here lately. Lots of rain and lots of wind. The lightning here was so weird. I've been in lots of lightning storms but this lightning was weird because it was so cloudy and overcast and the lightning would just light up whole sections of the sky. It was all different colors. It was crazy. It was really windy as well. We kept going to appointments and as soon as we'd leave the power would go out. I'm not even joking, it would be literally as we were walking out of the door. Kind of funny huh? We didn't have power for awhile, but we were fine. We went to bed as soon as we were done planning since there was no light. :) People still don't have power and it was crazy last Saturday. Then, on Sunday church was cancelled because there were power lines down and huge trees in the middle of the road on both sides of the chapel. We were able to go to the Elders ward right next to our area. We spent the day trying to see people. It took FOREVER to get anywhere because all of the roads were blocked off because of trees (HUGE trees) and power lines and flooding. Needless to say, I am not so much a fan of driving in Jersey anymore. Or driving in general really. I may need to get a chauffeur. :) But! Things are good. My comp is awesome. She teaches me cool slang words in Portuguese. I told her if I ever go to Brazil I have to make sure people think I'm cool. So then yesterday I went on the departing missionary trip with all the departing missionaries (by the way, I felt like a fake because the Elders had been out a year longer than I have:) ). There is an Elder that is leaving that is from Brazil. I used all my cool Portuguese words. He thinks I'm cool now. I sounded pretty legit if I do say so myself :) The trip was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fun! We went to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Usually, we go from the Jersey side on the ferry out to the Island. But! When we arrived we found out that like much of Jersey the power was out on the Jersey side. So! Instead we got special permission from the Mission President to go into New York and come from the NY side!!!!! Woohoo! I love being in the city:) Except that we had to go through the Holland Tunnel and that always freaks me out thinking about being under the Hudson. Bleh- icky water. It was really raining and stormy. Welp- I have to go. Lame love you!

Sister Picard