Another Fun Thing About Summer

JULY 3RD 2017

Happy JULY!!!!! YEAH! 🇺🇸

(If you don't have time to read my whole email, at least read the poem at end! I love it!)

This week has definitely been a bit of a different one. It has been really hot pretty much every day of the week, so that makes getting to walk everywhere a little more enjoyable! We were on the bus earlier this week and it was PACKED. I decided to take a count of the number of people I was in physical contact with at one given moment. 8. I don't think I have ever been in contact with eight total strangers like that before! One of them was a fairly large, super sweaty man in a tank top. The bus is where everyone goes to have a mix-n-mingle! Where everyone's sweat mixes and we awkwardly try to mingle (share the gospel) with people. It has been a lot of fun, though!

Another fun thing about summer is it is Moving Season! WHOOT! That means that a bunch of the members of the ward decide to move to a different apartment, most of which are still within the ward boundaries. Over the course of the summer, I have been a part of moving 4 families here in Rego Park. Now, moving in the city is nothing like moving anywhere outside of the city. Most of the people here live in apartment buildings. These apartment buildings have for some reason made a very interesting rule that you are only allowed to move in/out of the building during working hours on a week day. So, what that means is no one in the ward is available to come help out other than the missionaries. I am super glad to be able to help the members of the ward move apartments, but it definitely takes a long time!

Another fun thing about the summer is that everyone is outside all the time! It is fantastic!! There was one night that we decided to go knocking. Throughout the course of that night, we probably only knocked a couple doors. Almost everyone was outside sitting on their front porch. It was almost too easy to talk with them! It is super hot during the day, but when the sun starts to go down it is beautiful!

One last fun thing about summer: everyone goes on vacation. Or they decided to take up another shift of work. Somehow, everyone just becomes super busy hahaha. It is becoming a real struggle to get appointments with our investigators, let alone get them to church on Sunday. Missionary work has slowed down a lot since summer hit, but I believe it will pick back up again pretty soon! There are still people out there who need the gospel :)

Our second lesson with Paul Palm went great!!!!! We popped in on him right as he was coming outside to water his plants. He said it was such a "coincidence" that we came when we did becuase he never hears the doorbell or a knock at the door. We started talking about how his week went, and he was just so excited to tell us what he read out of the Restoration pamphlet and the Book of Mormon! Paul had read the introduction and the testimonies of the witnesses and Joseph Smith. He was super excited to point out the fact that Joseph Smith had the same questions that he has! Why are there so many churches and which one of them is correct? Paul soaked up everything we taught him that night with enthusiasm. I love that 71 year old Sicilian man! However, he told us that he is planning on retiring and moving down to Florida within the next month or two... But, he did say, "you never know. I may end up joining your church whether over here or down in Florida. You just never know." I love him! Paul is so fun to be with. He has a deep love of Jesus Christ and wants nothing more than to please Him. He has a super fun accent. He is pretty skinny and wears short-shorts and a tank top and has long white hair. He also plays guitar, so that's pretty sweet!

Anyway, there is a lot more I could talk about, but I have talked enough today. Well, actually, I haven't talked much at all, but I did write a lot. So, I will leave you with this wonderful poem I ran into while reading a General Conference talk!

Where Shall I Work?

“Father, where shall I work today?”
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then he pointed out a tiny spot
And said, “Tend that for me.”
I answered quickly, “Oh no, not that!
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done.
Not that little place for me.”
And the word he spoke, it was not stern;
“Art thou working for them or for me?
Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee.”

This poem means more and more to me each time I read it :) I hope you all have a wonderful week and a super awesome 4th of July tomorrow!!!!!!!! Wahoo!!!

Love you all!
Elder Snell

1) Our investigator, Naveen, invited us over for his 4th of July BBQ. He also had some friends over who we got to share some of the gospel with. His friends were tons of fun and invited me over to their place out on Long Island for a visit sometime! hahaha
2) Pretty legit graffiti!
3-4) Just had to share the rain! Love it!
5) Our cabinet just after shopping! Cereal is the BEST!

6) There was a block party going on at Naveen's house and they opened the fire hydrant for the kids to play in.
7-8) Brother Nunez went to a Mets game and felt the need to FaceTime us. He loves to show off that he is a Mets fan! haha :)
9) Giant Ding-Dong!
10) The Rabbit may not have gotten his Trix cereal, but I couldn't deny him the opportunity to have the Gospel!
11-12) The Coolest graffiti I have run into so far! All the food mascotts have a huge battle! It is the greatest :)
13) This is a high school!!
14) More Graffiti!
15) Pretty sweet picture.
16) June 26th was the anniversary of when we got Chip!!! Just had to share :) Also, Happy Anniverary on the 25th Mom and Dad!! Love you! :)