This has been another great week here in PA! This week we have spent a lot of time transferring over all of the records from our paper area books to our ipads. It has been a long process but it feels really good to have it all done with. We had to finish that all up this week so we spent a lot of time doing it so getting out doing missionary work felt super good every time we got the opportunity to do so. 

We had some really awesome experiences this week! On Monday a member took us fishing at the Susquehanna river. It was really cool! We were fishing for catch fish but we didn't end up having any luck, but I did catch a turtle. I was trying to real in and it was really hard, I thought I was stuck on a log for sure but. But I just kept going and eventually my line got within 10 feet of the shore and it ran into a rock and this huge snapping turtle was on my line! I reeled it on top of the rock and when it saw us in snapped the line and swam away. I know that this is just like all of the other fishing stories out there but this one is true. It was lucky to get away, I'll be sending a picture of me wrangling a snapping turtle in no time.

On Wednesday we went on exchanges and I was able to stay here in York. We felt prompted to knock on a certain door we passing and when the man answered it we found out that he had actually had been to Nauvoo a couple of times and he really liked it. He loved the feeling he had there and he said that we could come back sometime. I love being able to see the Lord's hand guiding us every single day. Little things like that prove that he is always there watching over us.

We had a really good lesson with our investigators from India. They don't have a Christian background at all so we had a lesson just about Jesus Christ and who he is. I loved being able to bear my testimony of Jesus Christ. They said they were able to feel peace as we testified of him. I am so grateful for the knowledge of my Savior. That knowledge has completely changed my life so being able to teach someone who knows nothing about him has been so cool! I know that as they grow closer to him it will change their lives.

On Saturday we were teaching a lady and her 3 year old son came up to me and said "Your cheeks are red." It was pretty funny. He then said it was probably because I was smiling too much. So he told me that if I wanted to not have red cheeks that I couldn’t smile as much. Then for the rest of the lesson he would come up to me with the biggest smile and ask if his cheeks were red haha. It was really funny. 

Today I was reading in Helaman 5. It talks a lot at the beginning about remembering. That really stuck out to me. We all have had spiritual experiences or something that we have learned that has been really important to us. We need to always remember those experiences we have had. Remember your testimonies and most importantly remember the Savior. We haven't been left to get through this life alone, we just need to always remember what he has done for us because he has been there every step of the way. Have a great week everyone.

Elder May   

Hey Everyone!! So this has been another great week here in York! I am starting to get the area down and feel like I actually know what I am doing which is really nice! I have really enjoyed the work that we have been able to do out here. We have been able to pick up 3 new investigators from Egypt. Their names are Joseph, Akrum and Shenouda. We have been able to teach them a couple of times now. We’ve been able to testify Joseph Smith and the reality of the Book of Mormon. Something I've grown to really love on my mission is being able to testify of what I know to be true. Regardless of whether or not they accept, it strengthens my testimony as I am able to do so. I've learned how powerful a testimony can be and so grateful for the opportunity I have to share mine.

I was also able to go on exchanges last week. I was in a walk area so that was great to go around and talk to as many people as we could. One of the best parts of the mission is all the awesome people you 

meet! I have loved to meet the very wide variety of people that Pennsylvania has to offer. Elder Liston and I were playing basketball with some people we met and Elder Liston threw down a pretty sweet dunk on them! That was pretty sweet. They said that we should come back and play them again sometime. They also talked to us a lot about what we do so we were able to talk about that as well! Maybe next time I'll be the one throwing down the dunks haha. Thank you for all the support. The
church is true, there is no doubt about it in my mind. The Savior lives and because he does we have no need to fear. Have a great week everyone.

Two missionaries who lived in a shoe?

Hey everyone! This has been a crazy week with getting transferred and everything but it has been great! I am serving in York Pennsylvania now and I am serving with Elder Liston who is someone that I came out with so I am super excited for that! He is already a great friend and I am excited to just work hard and see miracles happen!

I have had to learn a lot with the new area and everything so it has been a pretty crazy week. But we were able to get two new investigators. Their names are Joseph and Akrum. They are both from Egypt so that is super awesome. We are also teaching someone from Puerto Rico, India and Liberia. It is pretty cool to see everyone's different beliefs, but to see how the spirit works the same in everyone.

Saturday we played some Futsal in the morning with some of our investigators. That was fun to be able to play some sports with them and to build our relationship with them even more. 

Thanks for all that you guys do. Have a great week.

So I am going to be getting Transferred tomorrow! I have loved serving in Wheeling. I am pretty sure that it is the Promised Land haha. The members here have been amazing. I almost feel like I did when I left for the MTC, like I am leaving home. But I know my knew area is exactly where I need to go. I am excited for all of the experiences that I will have there.

On Monday we went bowling for P-day. I wont don't want anyone to feel bad so I won't say my score, but lets just say it was almost to 50! I guess bowling isn't one of my strengths haha. Tuesday we were able to go see our investigators Reggie and Jimmy. We were teaching and Reggie's fiance who never was interested, sat down and just listened. We showed them a Mormon Message and when it was over she started talking about how much she like it. Hopefully here heart will soften in the future.

Wednesday we went teaching with Josh who is one of the people we were able to baptize in March. While we were driving he bore his testimony to us of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. You would have thought he was a member his whole life with the testimony he has. He has even started thinking about a mission. We didn't even do anything to help Josh get baptized, he was just so prepared. That is why missions are so amazing, you get to see people change their lives forever because of our Savior Jesus Christ. If you are trying to decide if you should serve, serve! It will change your life and the lives of those you meet out here.

We have been going to physical therapy for Elder Hoyt's ankle and I love going there. The workers there are awesome and we have had some great conversations about Jesus Christ and what we believe in. I even got my picture on their Wall of Fame because I broke the record for this plank type challenge they have. So yeah I am pretty much famous out here now. ;)

Saturday I got the transfer call and Sunday was saying good bye to everyone. I am excited to find more people whom the Lord has prepared. I know this is Jesus Christ church and I am eternally grateful for all that he has done for me. Have a great week everyone!

Elder May is famous

Well this has been one crazy week, it has just flown by! Tuesday we had our zone training on teaching and planning. I never thought that learning about planning could be so awesome. But we had a great training and the spirit was really strong. After that we went on exchanges and I was there for two days! So I can't tell you too much about what happened in my area, but the Washington area is doing great haha. Thursday was definitely the highlight of the week. That was the day that we got our iPads, but that wasn't even that big of a deal for me. The best part of it was having the whole mission get together able
to see all of my friends that I came out with from the MTC. I was so happy to see all of them again! That was the highlight of the day! At the end of the meeting all of the missionaries stood and sang Now Let Us Rejoice. The spirit was so strong as all the missionaries stood and sang together. I am so grateful to be apart of this mission. In the training learned how iPads are just another tool in helping others come unto Christ. They didn't even really talk about what we were going to do with them which I liked. Everything we do is centered on
bringing others closer to Christ . So I did something that is probably no surprise to all of you. So after we got our iPads, I set mine down to take a picture with someone. After, I was talking to people and I realized that I had no idea where my iPad was. I looked all over the
place and couldn't find it. So I had to get up in front of everyone with a Mic and announce that I had lost my iPad and that if anyone found it to please bring it to me. That was pretty embarrassing, especially since we had only had them for about 5 min. Someone else
accidentally took mine so they had to get me a different one. But I was he only one out of two hundred missionaries to lose mine. If anyone was going to do it, it would be me haha
Well I am so grateful for all of the support from all of you. I KNOW the savior lives. I am so grateful for the love he has not only for me but for all. I am grateful that I can have hope because of him. Have a good one!
Elder May

Mission Picture

Hey everyone! This has been another great week! I have some great news, I caught a fish last p-day!! Finally after like a month of trying I finally got it. It wasn't the biggest, but that is okay. I am just trying to save the big fish for other people to catch.

On Tuesday I was able to go on Exchanges with Elder Miller. He is one of the coolest guys ever (even though he is from Canada). We were able to talk to so many people on the streets, it was great. We had a lesson with our investigator Reggie and at the end when he said he prayer, he started to cry. He said that he knew that Heavenly Father heard his prayer. I know that Heavenly Father did and it is amazing when others can truly recognize that love He has for them.

Friday we picked up a new investigator on the way up to check the mail. She is our neighbor and is Super awesome. We talked about what we do as missionaries and she couldn't believe that we would do that. She then asked us what we believed in anyway. Well that was like the best question ever! We were more then happy to fill her in. We taught her the restoration and she is SO excited to read the Book of Mormon. She kept saying she felt something the whole time we were there. The spirit is so important in everything we do. If they can just feel that, that is when conversion WILL take place!

Friday we had a dinner apointment and there were a bunch of kids there. We got to play tag and Duck, Duck Goose. I was pretty rusty on those skills for sure. But it was a blast. On Saturday we had a ward party at Brother and Sister Lawsons house. We had an awesome turn out, the only problem was it poured rain the whole entire time! Their house wasn't big enough for everyone there and they only had a couple of canopy's up outside. So Elder Hoyt and I stood outside eating our soggy chips in the rain! It was awesome. There wasn't one dry spot on me! Sunday on the Less active people we have been working with came to church for the first time in years!! That was awesome. His name is Carl White and one of our lessons with him that week he even shined my shoes for me! He was in the military so he got them looking pretty nice.

Well I hope everyone has a great week. This church is true, I know it! It is so important that we hold onto the faith we have and never let it go. And because we have faith, what are we going to do to show our faith. Love you all.

Elder May

Elder May and his fish named Buck

This has been such an amazing week!! We were able to be apart of so many miracles!! April was a harder month for both us and the sister missionaries (which is okay, hard times are when we get to rely on the Lord more then we ever have before) so our ward decided to do a 40 day fast for missionary work! It has been crazy, as soon as the fast has started we have been able to find 3 new investigators, and we found two of them yesterday! I love being able to see the Lord's hand blessing this ward and this area. I know that just showing the faith that we have and the going out and acting on that faith brings miracles! Faith is a real power and when we put our faith in the Savior we have no need to fear! Everything will work out the way he wants. And hey, I don't know about you, but that is good enough for me!

On Wednesday I got a call from President Johnson asking me if I would come to MLC the next day in Pittsburgh. That was a random call but I was super excited. Elder Baker and I went on a companion exchange that day so we could go up to Pittsburgh for the meeting. It was one of the best days ever! President Donaldson for The District 2 was the one giving the training a long with Brother Gonzalez. It went all day long but I learned so much. I learned that I have sooooo much I need to work on as a missionary. I was a little overwhelmed at first but I know that Heavenly Father doesn't expect me to be perfect right away. All he asks for is progress. I love going up to Pittsburgh because I get to be in my first area the whole time. It was so awesome.

Also on Wednesday we got a text from our Investigator Paloma saying that she was in the Hospital. She is the one who speaks mostly all spanish. We had thought she had moved to Nebraska but apparently she moved back because she needed to be in the Hospital. We were able to go up there and talk to her for a while and then give her a blessing. I love the spirit that comes as we are able to use the Priesthood. I have been able to give lots of blessings out here and it is really humbling to be able to help these people with the power that Heavenly Father has given us.

Sunday was amazing. We were able to give another blessing to a member of our ward. After the blessing we asked if there was anything else we could do for them. As we asked she looked in the corner and she yelled BEE! Apparently she is really scared of them so I took my shoe off and was chasing it down trying to kill it. It was a pretty agile bee though and it took a while, but eventually I was able to kill it. We told her that if she ever found another Bee in her apartment to let us know and we would come kill it as fast as we could.

We also we able to have an amazing lesson with Dorothy. We talked to her on the street and she said that we could come back sometime. We went back yesterday and we were able to talk to her on her porch. The spirit was really strong as we testified of Christ. One of the best parts was she was the one sharing her testimony most of the time. She is such an amazing good hearted person. I know that as she reads and prays about the Book of Mormon she will receive her answer. I know she will. I am so grateful to be here in Wheeling WV, at this time. It is such a beautiful place. I love being a missionary. I have learned so much and I would never trade these experiences for anything else in the world. Jesus Christ lives and he is our Savior. If you ever are going through anything, have faith, it will all be okay. I hope you all have a great week.

Elder May