Can I just say how awesome the weather has been out here!! It hit 70 degrees a couple of times this week! We were driving with the windows rolled down and everything! It is weird preparing for Christmas when it is this kind of weather but we will take it! This week Elder Wilkins and I set a goal of listening to promptings and then acting on them. On Tuesday night a couple of our plans fell through so we were looking through some of our back up plans to see who we should go see. We both felt like we needed to go stop by an investigator that we haven't been able to get in contact with for quite some time. When we got to her house we saw a lady down the street sitting on her porch so we decided to go and talk to her. We showed her the new Christmas video and she really liked it! She said to come over again so we could see her again! After that conversation it was 8:40 and we still hadn't tried the investigator we had planned to go and see. It was getting late and we had a little bit of a drive back but we felt like we needed to try her! When we knocked on her door she was happy to see us. She said she has been praying and us coming over was an answer to her prayers. She had been going through some pretty hard times and she said she felt so much better when we came over. We set up an appointment with her for the next day and she told us that we better make sure to be there haha. That is one of the greatest feelings as a missionary. I love when you and your companion feel prompted to do something and when you act on that prompting you understand why! I know God loves every single one of us. If we can humble ourselves and turn our will over to His, we will be able live our lives to the fullest and accomplish all the things he has in store for us. I love Alma 5:14 "Have you received his image in your countenance?" When people look at us do they see a light? As we strive to do the best we can and humble ourselves, we can truly receive his image in our countenances and others will recognize that. Thank you for all he support!

Like always this was another great week here in Pittsburgh! The best part has been the weather! It looks like we are going to be having a 67 degree weather day coming up here! I am definitely complaining. The longer that we can go with warm weather the better haha.

On Monday my companion and I got to play tennis! It was super fun! There is a court really close to our house so we were able to go and play as long as we wanted. I had to use a pink racket but it had some serious power haha.

We were able to teach a lot of our investigators again this week! Alex ( the one from the Congo) was able to make it to church on Sunday. We got him a Swahili Book of Mormon and he said that he is going to share it with his whole family. He is awesome! As we were walking down the street we met a lady and began talking to her. Apparently she had missionaries come by in the past and she wanted us to come by and see her again! We set up a time and then she asked us what our favorite kind of cookie was. She told us when we came by on Thursday she would have 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies cooked up for us!!! That is a lot of cookies, maybe we can find someone to share them with! The only problem is when people think that Elders made the food, they tend not to eat it haha!

I was thinking a lot this week about the Holy Ghost and how we are promised that we may Always have his spirit to be with us. As missionaries we pray for the spirit all the time in everything that we do. But I was thinking, how often do I actually stop and take the time to listen to the still, small, subtle promptings that do come from the spirit... And I don't think it is very much. Sometimes I feel like I am not receiving guidance from the spirit, but am I actually taking the time to try and listen? We are all promised that we may have His spirit to be with us, maybe we just need to take sometime to listen to it! Thank you for all the support. Try not to freeze out there! Maybe I will pull out the short sleeve shirts again for this week!

Elder May

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We had an awesome turkey bowl and I got to have thanksgiving with the same family that I did last year! This was such an awesome week! Awesome things are happening over here in Pittsburgh! The ward is still awesome and we have been blessed to teach people this week who are ready to come to Christ. There is a man in our ward named Brother Tarr and he moved to America from Liberia. He has been bringing one of his friends to church named Alex who is from the Congo. He doesn't speak too much English but we can understand him pretty well and he understands us for the most part. But we were able to teach him and Brother Tarr came with us. Brother Tarr was able to explain things to him that really helped him understand. As we were talking about the apostasy he talked about how in Africa there were so many churches that were trying to tell him that they were right. He explained how he just wanted to know which church was true! Well we could definitely answer that question for him! He agreed to be baptized as well! It was awesome. We also were able to go teach a less active couple. She has been wanting to come to church for a little bit now but he has been really resentful towards the church. We saw them this week and invited them to church and they came on Sunday! After church they were talking to everyone and we're having a good time, they even said that they would come next week! Being a missionary is awesome and I love it! Thank you for all the support!

Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a great week! This week has honestly probably been the best week of my mission! I was able to get my new companion this week. His name is Elder Wilkins and he has a whole week under his belt now haha. He is such a solid missionary already and I am excited for this chance to serve with him, I know I will learn a lot from him. He is from Saratoga Springs. It has been so amazing being able to come back to my first area and see the people in this ward who I love so much! Especially because you never know when, or if ever, you will get the chance to see them again. It has truly been a special blessing of my mission. We were able to see a lot of people this week and some former investigators that Elder Taylor and I were able to teach. One of them was the Clark family. They are some of the most loving Christ like people I have ever met. We had an awesome lesson on the atonement of Christ and how he is a source of light in the dark world we live. I love testifying of Christ and all that he has done for us. After one lesson we had with an investigator we went to get in the car and it wasn't working right. The check engine light was on and it had no power when we would try to get up the hills out here. So we pulled over and checked under the hood for anything but we couldn't see anything wrong with it. Elder Wilkins suggested that we pray. So he said a prayer and we went on our way. We went to teach someone else and when we got back in the car the check engine light was gone and it was running perfectly. It was so cool and very humbling. That was Elder Wilkins first idea of what we should do and we were able to see a miracle happen because of it. To end off the week we had a stake priesthood meeting. It was a stake meeting so that meant some people from Wheeling were going to be there as well! Tons of people from Wheeling were there as well including Josh, one of the people we were able to teach when we were there. He has gone to the temple, received his patriarchal blessing and is working on getting the Melchizedek priesthood! What makes a mission special is the people you meet and the way that they change your life. It was a blessing to see all these people who have made my mission what it is. I am eternally grateful for the people I have met and for my mission. I have never been more truly happy in my life then I have been this last year. Thank you for all that you do. Have a great week everyone.
Elder May

Man what a crazy week!! I have been in York, PA for about 6 months now! On Saturday I got a call from President Johnson that I would be getting transferred. The awesome part is that I am going back to Pittsburgh serving in the 6th ward. That is the same area that I spent the first 3 months of my mission now I get to go back!! I am so excited about it. I was just thinking the other day that I hoped I would get to serve there again at some point of my mission! The funny thing is I will be spending both of my Thanksgivings and Christmas in the same area. I am so grateful to be serving there again and I can't wait to go and serve the Lord with everything that I have.

This week was great. We were able to see a lot and teach a lot of people. The biggest blessing of this area has been the Grove family and Brother Hollinger. None of them have been to church in years, but they all have recently started coming back to church. It makes everything so worth it when you see the people you love choose to follow the Savior and to renew their covenants with Him. As they do so I have noticed a different light about them that wasn't there before. They are so much happier and optimistic about the things in their life. It is such a testimony builder to me of the truthfulness of this Gospel. I think of Matthew 7:20, "Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them."

I know that this church and Christ's Gospel is true. I know because of the happiness that I feel as I do my best to do as the Savior would do and live and serve the way he expects. And it has been amazing to see as a missionary that no matter what you have done, there is a way for anyone to come back and to feel of that love and joy again. Thank you for all the support out here. Pittsburgh here I come.

Elder May

Hey everyone!

It was an awesome week here in York! This week we had a couple of days that got into the mid 70's! I couldn't believe that it was November with such warm weather. Hopefully that means we are in for a mild winter. I wouldn't mind that haha. We had an awesome lesson with Eman and David this week. They are a young family from Egypt. They have 3 kids who are triplets! That's pretty cool. I’ve never seen triplets before. They are an awesome family who want to grow closer to Jesus Christ and we are able to go in and have an awesome lesson about his atonement and that peace that we are able to feel because of that. I don't know what it is but we have a knack for finding all the Egyptians out here. They are very sincere and I am excited to teach them. On Friday and Saturday we had meetings all day long in Harrisburg. There were about 20 missionaries there, and in between our meetings all the missionaries would go to downtown Harrisburg and talk to people. It was so fun and super cool to see all these missionaries going out there and finding people to teach. The missionaries in the Harrisburg area are probably super grateful for all the new people that they have to teach ha ha. On Sunday the Grove family came to church again. It is so awesome seeing that family come to church together. We were sitting behind them and I was filled with so much happiness seeing their family there together, and you could see the happiness that they had as well. I love being a missionary. I love seeing others come unto Christ and feel peace and comfort they haven't felt in a long time. The church is true and I know that we are led by a prophet of God today. Thank you for all of the support.

Hey Everyone!! Well it is officially getting cold out here, I even had to pull the wool socks this week! Pennsylvania is so beautiful this time of year though. We were able to go on a hike last week and I think we caught the leaves in their prime. I am so grateful to be here, I definitely know that Pennsylvania is where I need to be at this time.

This week was great! On Tuesday was our ward Halloween Party. Our investigator Domonic was there and he brought his Grandma and his Cousin as well! They really enjoyed themselves so that was great. It was fun seeing all the kids in their costumes and how proud  they we're of them haha. Towards the end all of the Elsa's, which there were a lot of, got on he stage and sang "Let it go". It was pretty funny, especially when all the little boys got up with them and started singing louder than all of the girls.

We talked to a lady named Eman Saed this week. She just recently moved here from Egypt with her family. I don't know what it is but, we just have a knack for finding all of the Egyptians out here. We only have so many Arabic Book of Mormons haha. But she wants is to come over and to teach her family, we are excited, it is going to be awesome. This Sunday a less active lady named Julia Grove that missionaries have been working with forever came to church!! I was so happy to see her there a long with her Sister. That is what makes everything worth it as a missionary. Just one person accepting what you teach brings so much joy. I don't care how many people reject as long as we can help just that one person. 

I found a quote his week that I really love. It is by David O. McKay and it says:

What is the crowning glory of man in this earth so far as his individual achievement is concerned? It is character--character developed through obedience to the laws of life as revealed through the gospel of Jesus Christ, who came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Man’s chief concern in life should not be the acquiring of gold, or of fame, or of material possessions. It should not be the development of physical prowess, nor of intellectual strength, but his aim, the highest in life, should be the development of a Christ-like character. 

I love that quote. Is that what we are striving for and becoming through our actions? I love the Savior and I know that he has made it possible for us to be like him. We will have a light about us that people will notice and want to be around. We will start to think about others over ourselves and we will find that we are truly happy and at peace. I know that is true. Thank you for all that you guys do. 

Elder May