We're now an "ONLINE PROSELYTING MISSION"!

Hello there everyone!!!

This week has been craaaaaaazy!!! I swear it's been the weirdest mix of crazy, sad, happy, exciting, depressing, and everything else.

So last Saturday, as some of you may already know, we went to a zone conference (which is like a huge meeting where like 4-5 zones get together and hear from President Morgan and his wife and some missionaries and we get a training on missionary skills and such) and we got the HUGE news that our mission is now authorized to be an "ONLINE PROSELYTING MISSION". This means that from now on...for like an hour a day or so...we go online on sites like Facebook, Blogger, and our email, and we do what's called internet proselyting. So now when we get a new investigator or we meet someone on the street, we can "friend" them on Facebook and we can teach people over the internet with things like chat and Skype!!! This is super cool because in our day and age, people aren't really willing to let complete strangers into their home to talk to them about God (especially in such a sketchy place as New York)...but they are willing to just chat with us on Facebook or email. We're hoping that even though it's been kind of slow lately...things will start picking up when people get the hang of it, people get more comfortable with it, members start referring their friends to our "page", etc.

Another thing that's cool is that we'll be able to communicate with members, less-actives, and investigators more easily. For some reason people just get super weird when we call them or drive to their home personally, but it's totally fine to just message us on Facebook or write us on our wall.

My trainer and first companion, Elder Witbeck, is now a zone leader in South Manhattan and he did something SOOOO cool with this new internet thing. He and the rest of the zone and even a couple surrounding zones got together in Union Square and drew a HUGE chalk drawing of the plan of salvation! A member then took a video of it and put it on YouTube and it has like over 30,000 views in like a week! It got on the news in Utah and was put into the Deseret News and tons of people (members and non-members) saw the video of it because it got so big! It was huge! :)

So yeah...super cool and exciting.

Other than that...we had a cool trunk or treat on Friday...I went on a split with the zone leaders on Thursday/Friday...we had stake conference.

I did kind of go through a breakdown on Sunday night...I just...didn't feel happy. It's been a super stressful week with investigators and potentials dropping us and yelling at us and all sorts of ridiculous stuff...but I'm fine now and doing a lot better. I feel happy again and ready to work. :)

Well...I better go but I love you all!!! Tell Derek happy birthday for me! Give 'em a big kiss on the cheek and a hug for me (muahahaha you're welcome Derek ;) ) And HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!! BOOOOO!!! ;)

-Elder Stafford