Sister Kristin McGuire: First Area!!

Sorry everyone! I have been slammed all week! Here is the latest and greatest from our missionary! She even sent pictures!!!

Hello everyone!!! I am here in my very first area in the field! So,
here was my week.
On Tuesday we flew into Philly. We got there two hours late, because
we had been delayed at the airport. We met President and Sister
Anderson. They are the best! Then we piled into two cars and drove to
the mission home where we spent the night. In the morning we woke up
and drove to the mission office. There, they gave us each an iPad and
a binder with info. Then we were assigned to our areas and companions.
I was assigned to Whitehall PA and my trainer is named Sister Clark.
She is the best and we are already having so much fun together!!! The
next thing I was told was that Sister Clark is no longer allowed to
drive mission vehicles because of an accident she was in. That meant
that I am the driver!!!! Most missionaries don't get to drive until
later on it their mission, but I got to start and I love it! Plus the
car is a Subaru legacy! Hahaha, so I love it even more!
So, we left the meeting and drove about an hour to get to our area. We
live in the basement of a gorgeous house! This lady who we live with
is named Sister Britto and she is 60 and single. She is amazing
though, and we love her to death!!! She is so cute and calls us the
angels in her basement. We had no time to unpack, so we ran off to
teach lessons and visit people all night.
Then, on Thursday I had a little bit of time to unpack, but not much!
We had district meeting and planning that lasted almost all day! But
then we spent the rest of the night visiting and teaching people.
The rest of the week was pretty much a blur until yesterday. Sunday
was so great! We attended PEC and reported on our work for the week.
Then we went to sacrament meeting and I met so many people. In our
ward, we only have two members that can play the piano and no one
knows how to play the organ. So, lucky little me got to play the organ
in Sacrament meeting! The bishop told me that they haven't heard the
organ be played in over 6 months! I almost died and I wanted to teach
everyone in the ward how to play right then and there! Our ward is
also very small and so Sister Clark and I taught Sunday School and
Relief Society. It all went really well though. The best part about
church was that we had one investigator, Ricardo and two less actives
come to church!
After church, we the baptism of an 8 year old girl named Malia. She is
sister Britto's granddaughter. It was a special experience and Ricardo
was even able to stay and watch. He loved it and is getting so excited
for his baptism in August. We have two other awesome investigators who
have committed to baptism and one more that is so close. This work is
truly so incredible! I love it!
Also, Jeanette, Amelia's sister, is totally in my ward!!! Hahahaha! It
was so nuts! Her husband came up to me and asked, "are you Dan
McGuire's sister?" And I was so confused because how on Earth would
this random guy know Dan. But then he said, Jeanette Kolts is my wife!
I almost fell off my chair! Hahaha! I still can't believe what a small
world it is!
So, fun facts of the week: I see firefly's every night and I love it!
Our ward boundaries are huge! There is a pair of Elders that work in
our ward as well, so my entire area only takes up half of the ward.
People in Allentown are really weird! (Like Doug said) Hahaha! And our
ward is very ethnically diverse. Most of our ward in Puerto Rican or
Dominican. Another large chunk is African American, and whatever is
left is white. Rita's water ice is the best stuff in the entire
world!!!!! There's a place out here called Wawa's. It's a gas station,
but they make the best hoagies you will ever eat in your entire life!
They even blow Spanky's out of the water! Also, my bishops wife is
from Bountiful! And so is my District Leader and so is my Zone Leader!
Haha! So I'm not lonely at all.
I'm so glad that you all got to go to the sealing yesterday. I wish
that I could have gone. I love you all! Have fun at the reunion this
week!

Love, Sister McGuire