Mis Experiencias Caras...

Hello!

Another week gone by- crazy crazy.  This week, however, has been really slow.  We live with two other Elders who work in the Manhattan 2nd Ward (Upper East Side), and so one of them got sick, and Elder Topham was a little sick too during a good part of this week.  On top of that, it snowed pretty good Saturday, and we were to be inside at 6:00 on New Years Eve, so we just didn't go out a ton, so I feel like I haven't really had too many good spiritual experiences this past week.  I was able to get some good organizing done, so that was good, but it definitely doesn't feel as satisfying as teaching and seeing others progress.  I'm really excited to move forward from the holiday season and just get into the routine of regular life, teaching and finding and so on.

In the meantime, though, I had some great temporal experiences, I guess you could say.  After writing you, we went and saw the tree at the Rockefeller Center then walked around Time Square a little and then went to Grand Central Station to take the train home (the green line that runs through our area conveniently goes through Grand Central).  Being there in that part of the city really did exceed my expectations.  I guess I'm used to hearing people talk up certain things and places, but seeing that part of the city was grand!  It was breath taking and just really big and bright and just a lot to take in.  So yeah I can't wait to be able to come back as a normal person and be able to experience it in a different way.  And in Grand Central, we stopped by and picked up a cheesecake from Juniors and it was incredible.  It's supposed to be the best cheesecake in New York and yeah it was great!

Nothing much happened Thursday or Friday- just a couple appointments/member look ups and English class.  Saturday we went to English Class, came back and then it started snowing pretty good, and with Elder Topham being sick, we stayed inside for a bit.  Elder Stevens (Apartment mate) wasn't feeling good either,  so Elder Orellena (Other apartment mate that got here the same time I did) went out and did some street contacting with some sisters in the singles ward during which we had an encounter with the famous spitting lady of the Upper East Side (you could probably find something about her if you searched her on google).  After that we went to their dinner appointment.  It was crazy.  We met the members up at a French Restaurant and I got a $42 steak- probably one of the best meals I've had in my life.  That's just a taste of what happens when you work with the members in the Upper East Side.  But yeah it was a good experience getting to know some new people in English and stuff.  Sunday wasn't too exciting- church and then dinner at a  member's house.  Monday we did studies, went to district meeting and then I stayed at our apartment with Elder Stevens as Elder Topham and Elder Orellana went out.  I did some organizing, and then Elder Stevens woke up hungry, and so after some phone calls, he had a member order us all nice burgers and fries and cheesecake from a restaurant for dinner since we were supposed to be in by 6:00, so that was great.  Another taste of the Upper Eastside life.  Yesterday we did studies, went to a members house for lunch, walk across town (weren't many buses running) to an appointment with a less active, then went to a member appointment, then to English class.  Now here we are today.  We're planning on doing some shopping and then going back to clean up a little and write some letters and stuff, so that'll be good.

So that's about it!  This week should be good as we jump back into things.  We're also going down to the Rockaways this Saturday as a mission to do some more service, so that will be great!  And I think we'll be meeting up with missionaries from the South mission, so hopefully I'll see some of my friends that are serving there.  Thanks for all the support back home- hope you all have a Happy New Year!

-Elder Griffiths

p.s.  Oh and here's a video of a great member in our ward- Mama Daysi!  We found this today.  They are super supportive of the missionaries and have us over often.  We went there on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve- she's great!  And our building and some of the members in our ward are in the video so it was exciting seeing all of that.  So check it out...

http://bcove.me/p1vkh2c3