August 8, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,
Times are looking better. We had a whole bunch of tiny miracles all week. We did a lot of tracting. We had a couple people listen to us. We even gave a couple people some copies of the Book of Mormon. Unfortunately we had to drop someone due to their sanity...or lack thereof...

So something funny though, contacting has gotten really entertaining. Not because of people we talk to but because of the things that go on in the square. More than once there has been camera crews or companies shooting comercials and we always are trying to get in the background holding a Book of Mormon. So if you see a random missionary in a vest...ya :). We are also teaching a lot of good people. It seems the crazy wave is subsided for the moment. We still get people yelling at us to go back to Utah (So I appropriately told him I was from Idaho). And also people who come up and tell us that we're wrong. Fortunately the spirit is always with us when this happens because as the scriptures say, we confound them with our words of simplicity.

So speaking of the Spirit...me and my companion had a miracle. We had been tracting for about an hour and a half (or two hours...time sort of just starts to meld together) when we decided to do a look up of a less active member. We took a couple trains to get to his house, then we had to wait for someone who had a key to the apartment to come open the main doors. Then we ended up following this little old lady up the stairs and to the door. She seemed a little scared because here were these two dudes in shirts and ties coming to talk to her. We found out however that the referral was for her grandson Albert (what a gent). Now normally when we do look ups we knock on the door and the person just says that they aren't interested or sometimes even pretend not to be home (which is funny when you see them look out the peep hole). But with him it was way different. He saw us in the door way and said "Elders! I can't believe you're here! I was about to call you guys!"................That shook me a little. Definitely not what we expected, but it was way cool. We talked to him and then set up another time we could visit him and help him on the way to full activity. He was one of the coolest guys I've meet thus far.

I've found out something funny though...almost all of the younger generation of Spanish speakers speak English. And they prefer to speak English. When they do speak Spanish it is usually to talk about us...but then they see my name tag and stop speaking all together. I get a kick out of seeing them realize that I speak Spanish.

So I can now die happy because something happened.....I went to Nintendo World :) Best place ever. Never mind that it's a glorified gift shop. Never mind that there are Wiis everywhere and temptation is rampant....not really I'm being sort of Dramatic...But they have an entire section devoted to.....Pokemon..... and Zelda...and I got some awesome stuff....so interpret that as you will. :)

So those are all the adventures that are going on in South Manhattan. Keep writing and stuff. I love getting letters. Tanner! If you are reading this...tell me where you're going!

Love you all and thanks for the blessings. They really help.
Love, Elder Sherman