Exchanges, Mini Missionaries, and T-texts. Oh My!

Hey, so this week was great! 

Sister Batschi and I fulfilled our duties as Sister Training Leaders and went on exchanges with the Portuguese and Spanish Sisters! It was super fun :) Exchanges are always a blast! Took lots of pictahs and ate yummy food and preached the gospel. Oh. Yeah. But like all good things, they come to an end. We received T-texts (transfer texts) on Friday and Sister Batschi is leaving me and I'm being released! Woooooot! It's exciting and bittersweet. Leadership is always fun, but I'm excited to be able to focus 100% on the Boston 1st Ward with Sister Thompson (la nueva). Also, we had 2 mini missionaries with us in our apartment this week! The Por Sisters had one Mon-Fri and we had one Fri-Sun. It was so much fun to have them along and teach 'em the ropes of missionary work in the freezing cold. Haha. Good times. 

Our most exciting and progressing new investigator is Harry! He is a student at Northeastern University studying computer science and he is Chinese! Like Chinese, Chinese. Not like Ashley Frei Chinese (hahaha love ya, Ash). He is AWESOME. He was a media referral that the Elders contacted and Sister Batschi and I met him at church yesterday. Super smart, adorable, and super excited to share the gospel with his friends. We are so stoked. 

Anyways, one thing that I have learned this week is that God answers prayers, and even more: that he knows our thoughts and the desires of our hearts. It was such an amazing opportunity to be an STL, and I was so happy to fulfill my calling to the best of my abilities. But He knows what I need at this moment and what this area needs. I'm so excited to focus on all of the new investigators we have found lately. They need the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives and they need my focus. It takes a lot of hard work to teach someone the patterns of Christian discipleship. Holy cow. Good thing I'm not doing this alone. Ya feel me? 

I love this gospel. And I know that God knows me. I am so grateful to have served with Sister Batschi, and I am so stoked to serve with Sister Thompson. It's gonna be good :) I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it brings so much peace and light into our lives if we just open it up and read it. It's as plain and simple as that. And my soul delights in that plainness. So much. Such delight. Many plain. 

I love you all! Have a wonderful week! I know I'm gonna have a good one :)\

Con Amor,

Hermana Frei

Many are cold but few are frozen

It was a red letter week, my friends! I have now survived 2 blizzards! WEEEEEEEEE. Yesterday we were purple-dotted as a result of Winter Storm Neptune. Usually we are red-dotted which means we aren't allowed to drive, but that doesn't stop the Boston missionaries! But purple dot means don't leave the house, ya fool. As Sister Packard said: "You are purple-dotted because that's what color your skin will be if you go outside!" Good stuff. So we studied and it was my favorite :)

This week was super great! We finally were able to contact a few potentials and scheduled some appointments with 'em! #NEWINVESTIGATORZZZ Other than that, the majority of the time we sat at the bus stop freezing our Royal Rastafarian Knee-Knees off. The bus schedule is non-existent. We would try to leave people's houses right as the bus was coming and 2 hours laterrrrr. Jk. but really. Also the entire MBTA has been closed for several days... So pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked...

Anyways, the church is SO true. Something I have learned this week is that the Book of Mormon truly answers the questions of our soul. It's amazing. We were reading Alma 22 with an inactive woman we are working with and she related so well to King Lamoni's father. She hasn't been doing the homework we've assigned her in the past, but when we texted her a few days ago she said that she read!!! WOOOOOOOOO! God truly knows our needs. I love being a missionary! It is the best job in the world!  

Have a great week! Love you all!

Con Amor,

Hermana Frei

#BeMine

Hey!

It's been a great week! We had meetings, meetings, and MORE meetings! And then we had snow, snow and MORE snow. According to the weatherman we have had 6 feet of snow fall in the past 30 days. 6 Feet. What. In some places it is piled so high that it looks like a mini mountain. It sure helps with the lack of real ones, let me tell ya. :) On Mass Ave, right in the middle of the city, it was piled so high that you couldn't see the stop light from certain angles. Lol. No big deal. 

Also, holy traffic. We had to go to Weston (outside of Boston like 30 mins) for MLC on Wednesday, and with the combo of the snow traffic and the Patriots parade, transportation was whack. I've never seen a subway station so packed in my life. See pics attached. Daggum. 

Other than that, whoa. Life is crazy. We had interviews with President and MLC and Zone Meeting and all sorts of good stuff! We got a new investigator from Italy! That was exciting! But he doesn't live in our area anymore so we passed him along to some other missionaries... It was a little sad. But he WILL be baptized one day, so that's the great part :)

Anyways, Happy Valentines day to all! Remember: "I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine." (D&C 38:27) #BeMine #Zion haha. That's something that I've learned a lot about out here in the MBM: zion. My favorite scripture is Moses 7:18. I know that we can all build Zion wherever we are from Boston to Seattle. It's all about that 1 heart and 1 mind, y'know? 

I love you all! I pray for you all everyday!

Have a great week and stay warm! :)

Con amor,

Hermana Frei

#BEastStatus

Hello, my dearest family and friends!

It has been a wild week! Snow update (let's just get this over with): There is currently about 2.5 feet of snow on the ground and we are currently in the middle of our second major snow storm. Juno came with a blast, and we had to stay near our home all day. There was a lot of time to study, play games, and shovel snow. We even gave away 2 Book of Mormons and extended a baptismal date! Linus is currently roaring away right now... Nobody in the mission is allowed to drive, but nobody said you can't walk, eh? :) 

Funny story: on Tuesday night we were all going a little stir crazy after being inside for so long, so, naturally, we started playing our favorite game: "What Are the Odds?" I lost and I had to call 5 random contacts on the Portuguese Sister's phone. Preface: I HATE talking on the phone. I felt like puking. So I called a random Cape Verdian guy on their phone... Then we went outside and I did a snow angle, the phone fell out of my pocket and into the deep snow bank, and BAM. The phone got soaked and ruined their battery... Hahaha. All part of the evil plan to get out of calling 4 random people. Jk, it really wasn't funny because the Portuguese Sisters didn't have a phone for a few days... But let's be honest, it was a miracle :) 

This past week we extended 47 baptismal dates as a zone! Now that is what we call #BEastStatus. There were many new investigators found, and many people willing to change their lives. So awesome. And yesterday we had a baptism! Nickenson Chery was baptized and he is great! He was an investigator from the Haitianaries, but he is coming to the English ward, so we get to claim him as our own :) 

With all the snow and craziness, a lot of plans cancelled and the buses are always late, but the work goes on! I am staying safe and (mostly) warm and dry! I love the beauty and purity of all the fresh snow. It reminds me everyday how I need to become. 

I love this gospel and the chance we have to share it with everyone! There are so many great people in this area trying to find themselves and God in the process. I am loving my mission and this wonderful city. Boston is SO beautiful. Whoa. 

Have a great week amigos!

Con Amor,

Hermana Frei