I can't believe that this day is here..

Where I'm writing my last email home... I have been overwhelmed with all sorts of feelings..... Some I don't even have words to describe. It has been a very good roller coaster to be on... ups, downs, twists turns, and all of it... immense JOY and also sadness. But every time that I feel sad about not seeing people or not being in New Jersey or Pennsylvania ... I can't help but feel grateful for the opportunity that I have been given to even be here as a servant of the Lord. I feel SO blessed. The Lord has been so merciful and kind to me. I am grateful that the spirit reminds me that God is aware of my feelings and aware of what is behind me and ahead of me.

I love being a servant of the Lord and I will continue to be one. I have felt these last few weeks of my mission have been some of the best... I feel that I'm continuing to learn and become better at recognizing and following the spirit which has been a goal my whole mission. I am grateful for the love that I feel bursting from me for all the people here that I have met.. I know that it is Charity.. Christ's love for them that he has given me to be able to feel. I have thought at one time or another "What would my life be like if I had chosen not to serve a mission?" and ... I don't ever want to think about it... There are so many people that I have met that I feel were supposed to be apart of my life... So many wonderful children of God.. My brothers and sisters.. I love them so much.. I LOVE THE PEOPLE OF THE PENNSYLVANIA PHILADELPHIA MISSION!!!!

I am so grateful to have a loving Heavenly Father, who has given us all that we have.. our lives, our agency, our families... and especially our Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the knowledge I have that Jesus really is The Christ, that He lived for US and he died for US. I love my Savior so much.. I love HIS Gospel.. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truly is His gospel restored to the earth through a Prophet of God, Joseph Smith. I know that Joseph Smith helped restore the authority needed to baptize in Christ's name, God's Authority. I love the Book of Mormon and I know that it is the words of a Loving Father to us to help us have a happy and joyful life.. while being fully confident that He has a marvelous plan for each one of us. I love the Plan that brings peace. I know that we can be with those we love forever and always.. as we do all that we can to live His Gospel..

I love wearing Christ's name over my heart. It is written in my heart.

Ether 12:41 "And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever, Amen."

We are so blessed.

Thank you all for your love support prayers. I love you all.

Sister Pallas

Pictures...LONG OVERDUE!!!

So here are a bunch of pictures from this summer! Can't believe she gets home in a week!!! One last blog will be posted soon!!!

I LOVE RANDOMNESS...

Missionary work is just the best... It is the most exciting thing I have ever done in my entire life.. This week was just CRAZY...

SO last Monday was Transfer Day... We got up early packed up Sister Malaesilia's things.. headed to Broomall.. It's always exciting crossing the bridge from New Jeresy to Pennsylvania.. We were late and when I walked in they had already announced who my new Sister was going to be... So someone whispered to me.. You are serving with Sister Schroeder!!... I was very excited.. Sister Schroeder is a fairly new missionary.. that acts as if she has been a missionary all her life!! She is a great strength to me already! I love her... it does help that we have a lot in common.. like she loves Peter Pan just as much as I do.. and WE came out on our missions One year and ONE day apart.. I came 24 Feb 2010 and she came 23 Feb 2011...

So unpacking and getting settled in is always tiring.. and a MIRACLE... a wonderful member took us grocery shopping.. I hadn't been in 2 weeks.. since we didn't have the car.. and I wasn't quite brave enough to bike a few miles to the closest grocery store and ride with grocery's on my handlebars.. hmm... it was great...

So the exciting and random things that happened this week......

We got our bus passes.. I was a little worried about it.. but it is working nicely... We are able to talk to MANY people while riding the buses.. which is nice... We met a nice man we visited with him while we were making our way down to Millville.. He would introduce himself to all the people that sat near him.. and then turn around to us and say, "Have you met the Mormon sisters from Utah." It was cool... and while we were having a nice conversation with him he happened to mention that he had quit smoking years ago.. and that he had just bought a pack of cigarettes that day..... an amazing thing happened next because these are the words that came out of my mouth... "Can I have those cigarettes?" and he handed them to me... along with his lighter.. I quickly put them in my back pack.. It was crazy.. I know it was the spirit speaking through me .. I don't think I would ever ask for someones cigs.. anyways we said... you have gone so many years... dont' start now! (I ended up destroying them later.. it was pretty empowering:)

So later that day.. we helped a lady we know clean.. found a roach infestation... did our best to get that under wraps..

We met a guy.. he called the number on the Pass a long card we gave him.. We taught him the next day with a sweet sister from our ward... then the next night.. ..... Got a phone call... He said he couldn't come to church because he had feelings for me.. BLAH... So we went from being excited for our new investigator to being sad.. and a little bit weirded out. or a lot a bit weirded out..

ALSO...... WE SAW LIGHTNING BUG... I was waiting and waiting for them to start coming out... they are magical.. Sister Schroeder and I had a lot of fun spotting them out and catching them. (well I didn't touch them.. Sister S did.. )

So.. transfers, lightning bugs, roaches, cigarettes, and stalkers.. Missionary work is so GREAT!

Life is good...

Missionary life is even better..

I love my Savior Jesus Christ with my whole heart.. I'm trying to be like Him.. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ it is the way we can change our hearts..

I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!

Sister Pallas

So.. Yesterday

I was able to go to a baptism, which is absolutely the best part of this work!!! It was for a man in my first area (Pitman)!! He has been going to church for like 8 years and never has gotten baptized... his wife and 2 kids are baptized members.. and his little girl bore her testimony one Sunday and after that he knew he needed to be baptized!! He walked up to the Bishop and also the Stake Pres. (who happened to be there that Sunday also) and told them... I am going to be baptized! There were many tears from them and his family. It was a true miracle that I was able to be there!! We had an investigator that said she would take us because she was anxious to see an actual baptism take place!!! I was SO HAPPY to see my old ward members! :) It was the best.. and to see that brother be baptized.. and know that his family will be able to become a FOREVER FAMILY. That is what we are working for.. we are working to create Celestial families!! Forever Families!!

Also this week we had Zone Conference we were able to watch a talk that Elder Jeffery R. Holland gave at the MTC in January of this year.(I was pretty excited to watch it because I had heard about it already from my little brother ELDER PALLAS)...... WOW that is all I have to say... We are here to save and rescue Our Heavenly Fathers Sheep... IF YOU LOVE ME FEED MY SHEEP! My mission president told us that ... just before he spoke at that fireside he had just returned from a trip somewhere in the world and was so busy and exhausted that he mentioned to someone.. I wish I could have prepared more for this talk.... I thought that was pretty neat because it was an incredible talk... I just knew that what he was saying was just what the spirit was instructing him to say and that He was saying what the missionaries needed at that moment. It made me happy to know that my little brother was able to hear it.. and that my little brother ELDER PALLAS is a missionary of the Lord.. in this great and marvelous work! I hope I remember the message that he shared forever.... It was incredible... I am learning that the MOST IMPORTANT TOOL in this work is THE SPIRIT.. combined with the BOOK OF MORMON... I feel so blessed to be apart of this great work. His message was this.. We are all hear to help each other return to our Heavenly Father.. and how are we to do this... We are to FEED our HEAVENLY FATHERS SHEEP.. Our brothers and sisters.. We are to help them in any way we can... This means helping our families.. helping our friends, helping our wards, helping our neighbors... and then SHARING with them the ONLY way we can return to our LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER... that is... Through the RESTORED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

This Work is amazing. IT is the best thing I've ever tried to do in my entire life.. Hard definitely .. but THE BEST.

LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!

Sister Pallas

hmm....

There is never enough time in the world.. ever! But it seems.. this week I may have time to write a little more for you blog people... :) Since I was able to chat with my lovely family yesterday (best thing in the world) I don't have to email them much.. (since I told them everything on the phone)... SO here is a bit of life in NEW JERSEY... or as people here would say... SOUTH JERSEY..

I guess there is a big difference between Northern Jersey and Southern... I have often wondered if people are so specific as to which part of the state they belong to why they don't just make another state.. Like North Dakota.. and South Dakota.. South Carolina and North Carolina... Maybe it's because 50 states is a good number... 51 would just be odd.. I don't know.. But If you are from South Jersey... You are not from New Jersey... hehehe..... So.. I'm now a South Jersey girl... I don't even pump my own gas... haha.. (because is illegal, I hear)

So we cover a HUGE area... Like huge... like just for example. Last Saturday, we had an appointment an hour away from where we live. So far way.. (The appointment went great if any of you were wondering) I can't think of anything better then to teach people more about the great plan that God has for each of us.. That there IS HOPE for a better world.. (Ether 12:4) I love to share about the Hope that can be in our lives as we study and look to our Savior Jesus Christ. He does Bless us when we are doing what we are supposed too...

So... About 10ish days ago we were in missionary meeting.. we like to call it Zone Training... :) Our Zone Leaders gave us a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in 29 days.. (20 pages a day) So.. I was thrilled about the challenge.. (really I was) It is so incredible the stories in the Book of Mormon.. I have been learning so much.. I decided to just highlight references to the Atonement of Christ and also verses that show His Love. ( I have a book full of pink highlights.. let me tell you!) It has been a truly wonderful experience... and anytime I have a free minute I just want to pull it out and read! ... So that is from my reading last night..

Mosiah 24:10-16

10 And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.

11 And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he ^aput guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.

12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the ^bthoughts of their hearts.

13 And it ^acame to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as ^bwitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their ^bburdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

I love the scriptures... These verses brought me so much comfort.. They were what I needed to hear from my Heavenly Father.. I know He Loves me and each of you so much. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer... the Redeemer of ALL MANKIND. I know the Book of Mormon is the WORD of GOD.. It was written for our day. I know that Joseph Smith was called to be a Prophet to Restore these precious truths to us and to help restore GOD's authority back to the earth that we can receive the ordinances necessary for salvation. I LOVE the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST. I'm glad to be His representative here in SOUTH JERSEY... :)

LOVE YOU ALL...

Sister Pallas

Lately

I have been trying to comprehend how our Heavenly Father feels about each of us.. I think that he desires so much that we follow Him and His Son, so that we can enjoy the blessings that he has for us.. He LOVES us SO MUCH, and when we choose to not follow Him... He gets sad. I feel sad often for the welfare of the souls of others...

My favorite scripture in the Book of Mormon lately is in 2 Nephi 2:30 "... I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen." This scripture was written by Lehi at the end of his life... he didn't care about or desire anything else accept the welfare of the souls of his children and i'm sure his people. I have been feeling that way lately when I look around at the people I see each day.. and all I desire for them is that they will Come onto Christ.

It has been a while since I've "blogged" Sorry about that.. It has been just a whirlwind here in my mission life. There are so many changes in missionary life and I often wonder how we are expected to handle all of it and focus on Our Purpose as missionaries.. But then I realized that ... that this is the way life is... Things for us are always changing, we are changing... and it is SO IMPORTANT... that with all the changes and complications and trials.. and maybe even good things that take up our time.. we don't lose sight of our Saviors Love.. That we don't stop doing the things that are so important... going to Church, Reading our scriptures and saying our Prayers! These are the basics.. and the most important things we can be doing.. These things help us become more like our Savior. If we are doing these things we will be loving and serving those around us and our lives will be filled with happiness.. even JOY.

New Jersey is just a super unique place.. The people here are very special.

I love my mission..

Sister Pallas

I wanted to share an experience I had on one of the last days I had in Valley Forge..

Sister Soolefai and I were walking around in Norristown.. there are always a lot of people walking around so we decided to go stop by some people in the area and "PREACH THE GOSPEL" ... It was fun.. It is always a pick me up for me when we can go and bear our testimonies to people there! (when they listen) So we talked to this man.. He was really excited to talk to us.. He had just gotten into a new apartment after living in a shelter. We gave him a card and said this book will bless your life more than anything else. We invited him to call the number on the card and receive a free copy of the Book of Mormon. So we went on our merry little way.. Then came to a man who had long dreads.. He was so kind to us.. We gave him the card.. talked about where the Book of Mormon came from.. he gave the card back said he wasn't interested.. But asked us if we could all pray together... So we of course agreed.. So... if you can picture it... Sister Soolefai and I and this man.. were holding hands in a little circle on the sidewalk on a fairly busy street in downtown Norristown .... praying. We prayed that we would "be protected from the top of our heads down to the bottom of our feet.. from the crown even down to the soul. " It was SO COOL. He was a really nice man... Then I offered him the card again. He surprisingly took it. I couldn't believe it.. I'm pretty sure that was the only time so far on my mission when someone has retaken a card that they gave back to me. Miracle. SO... then we were walking back to our car.. walked past the man we had earlier talked to.. He called to us from his porch... "I'm on the phone with your people.." He was as we were passing calling to request the Book of Mormon.. :) we later received his information to go give him the BOOK! :) So the final experience I wanted to share as we were walking back to our car.. We were talking to a lot of people.. there was this older man.. walking pretty fast.. Instantly i felt.. a little fear to talk to him. But I immediately recognized that was satan.. so I kicked satan in the face and talked to this man.. he stopped and took a card. It was a card with a picture of Christ.. for a free DVD about Christ. It had the church's name and website.. on it. He looked up at us and said... "Joseph Smith... New York.. Tablets..." I was a little bit in shock... then he said.. "thanks I needed this"... and he walked away. I think i picked my jaw up off the ground. I know that the Lord guides us in this work.. I know I was were I was supposed to be that morning.

Just a cool experience from last week... our appointment fell through so we went knocking. There was someone in the area that the missionaries had taught before so we went there.. then continued to knock on the street they weren't home. There was this women who answered a few doors down. We asked her if we could share a message about Jesus Christ and a special book called the Book of Mormon. She gave us an excuse as to why she wouldn't be able to let us in.. she was on her way out! (wasn't the first time I've heard this excuse) We asked her if we could give her a card. Then she looked at us.. and said.. maybe I have a few minutes to hear your message.. So she invited us in. We talked about the Book of Mormon.. about Christ and how we need to follow is example. It was really cool. We prayed with her. Then she wanted to pray also.. She said some things in her prayer that I LOVED. She said.. I wasn't going to let these girls in .. But the spirit told I might be in the midst of angels.. She said.. I am entertaining angels.. We found out she was from Jamaica. Which.. made me so happy because I just left one of my dear friends from Valley Forge ward that was also Jamaican. Perlena (from VF) taught me and Sister Soolefai this "Jamaican Chorus" So I asked her if she knew this... I started singing... "I love him better every D-A-Y... Close by His S-I-D-E ... I will A-B-I-D-E... I love Him better every day!" She started singing it with me! It was so cool! We are going back to teach this women in a few days and I am SO excited.

Our Heavenly Father loves us so much.. He is in charge of this work!

I know it.