Sandy Week 1

Hello Family! I'm alive!!!! Are you surprised? Because it was a BEAST of a storm. Sandy was no skinny woman, she was obese and had a major temper. It all started out with Sunday night, we got the call that we were going to be evacuated to President Calderwoods house, and so we went. We got to stay for 4 days in the mission home with all of the sisters in the mission. It was really fun until the power went out and then it was freezing, but we still made it through and we got to go out on Tuesday after the storm was over and help a few people in the neighborhood. It was awesome. My mission and life have been forever changed because of Sandy. On Halloween we went out to a place called Far Rockaway. It is a peninsula on the side of the island that is across from queens and brooklyn. It has water on both sides, and well... during the storm the water met in the middle. The people their have lost their lives, homes, and everything that they have. It was crazy. We helped this man clear out his backyard that was full of stuff we were walking around picking up things and he goes, "You can just work around the pool" We all looked around and said, "What pool?" We were standing in it. The pool was empty before the storm, and so it was completely full and we didn't know we were standing in it. We went out to Staten Island on Friday and it was even worse. It was crazy, we saw some of the craziest things. People's basements were full of water to the ceiling and higher, it was amazing and horrible at the same time. We got stuck out in Staten on Friday and it was fun, we got to stay at a members house and they were super nice, and very hospitable. Everyone there is suffering so much from the storm but they are willing to give what they can. The entire island is pretty much completely out of gas and there are 5 hour lines to wait for it. Even in my area. It is really crazy out here. BUT on Saturday we got to go out and work again and one of the members in Staten Island is the captain of the National Guard so he sent out his trucks to pick us up. We got to ride in these super sweet army trucks and it was a lot of fun.

Some stuff I've done to help was, clearing out a basement of all their stuff... I'm pretty sure they were hoarders. Then we have moving cars out of driveways that are flooded, cleaning up yards. I found a really nice electric/acoustic guitar in this guys yard, it wasn't his so he gave it to me. I gave it to Elder Hogge because I don't know how to play, but I've included a picture of it because it was really cool. On Saturday we pulled out all of the drywall in two basements. It's easy when the walls are wet, but it is still hard work. We pull it down then shovel it out of the homes and into bags then have to haul the bags out of the basement. It was crazy. Yesterday we went to church in our work clothes then went out and worked in Far Rockaway again. Almost the entire mission was there. I went to a house and helped this russian lady take out all the drywall in her basement. It took us about 5 hours and as we left I asked her if we could leave her with a prayer, I prayed and when I looked up she was hugging me. I felt her tears on my face, and I just had this overwhelming feeling that this is where I needed to be. Man, life in the mission was so much harder before this storm. We planning on working non-stop for the next month or two. I am so grateful for this storm. Which is probably bad to say in front of these families whose lives and homes have been devastated, but it's true. The people here are so much more welcome and open to our message when we can really do, and serve for them. I've never felt so much of the Lord's love in my life as I have this past week. I've worked so hard, and I wasn't wearing a skirt while doing it, best thing ever! Hahaha I love it. I'm going to attach the pictures in another email. 

But just so you know I am alive and doing well, and I want you all to know that we are okay. We just need love and prayers. I'm doing great and I'm loving work all the time, it's awesome and it makes me want come back and work with Dad. hahaha MAYBE. 

Love you guys!