Hello All

This week was so fast but at the same time long! Great week like definitely love this work so much and I know this church is true. So much happened this week, like idk where to start HAHAHAHA. Missions have a ton of drama like it's so funny to sit back and watch haha. So I guess to start the 2 sisters in my district had an explosion on each other this week and so sister Talaboc got midnighted out of our area and sister Gourley is now here for the next week. It's pretty crazy they were doing so good and then just blew up one day. Freaking sisters, girls are emotional wrecks out here. Also met this super hot girl named Caroline on the bus, and I talked to her for a while... Definitely shoulda talked more about the gospel but I'm a newbie I'm still learning HAHAHA.

Elder Asplund was sick at the start of the week so I read a lot of the book of Mormon on Tuesday and I was able to finish, and I can tell you for a surety that that book is true and the spirit I've felt while reading that book has changed me and my life. I challenge you all to read the book of Mormon everyday, I promise it will make a difference in your life. Being out on a mission has taught me so much but truly has taught me that this church is the most important thing in our life.  I think sometimes we all get caught up in our daily life's but we need to realize the big picture of life and I can tell you the way to find true happiness is through the this church and the book of Mormon.

Wednesday was exchanges with my zone leaders, aka my hittas, they are so dope. I went with elder Jensen the legend hahaha I love him and we had a great day. That night we had 4 air mattress in their apartment and stayed up till like 2 am talking hahahaha. It felt like I was back with the fine 9 again. We helped Joe clean on Thursday and it was dope because he played radio and it was a good station so I got some sick tunes for a while that day so best day ever. This week we also got fed like everyday so that was dope.  The members are loving us and our meetings are going good and getting referrals. The people we are working with are doing great but continue to pray for them. Shawn is getting baptized on sat and he is so ready, I love him so much like he is amazing. He gave us a ride in his BMW the other day he's a legend. Also Naveen please pray that his job will let him have Sundays off. He loves the church and will be baptized March 25 if he can come to church regularly so he needs work off. Also Dixon is new investigator so pray for him.  He is also black and is a stud!  Then we have meena who we gave a book of Mormon and is gonna progress well. Also deyshawn, pray for him to act on the faith he has.

I felt the spirit so much this week and mainly because of the priesthood. I never told you all but in the MTC I gave a lot of priesthood blessings and that was a blessing I was able to give 5 or so to other missionaries that asked. Out in the field I've stood in on a few but Sunday night a family investigation asked if I could give them blessings and I gave Ruma and Atul the mom and dad both blessings. The priesthood is real and we really can do anything if we have faith in the Lord. I've never felt the spirit more then I did last night when I put my hands on their head and gave them a blessing. It's crazy to see the Lord work through someone like me.  I'm just an average guy (who is super tall) that has took a lot for granite in my life, but the Lord still finds a way to bless people through me...it's amazing. The talk I encourage all to read this week is from elder Holland in 2012 called laborers in the vineyard. It's amazing to see this gospel change people's lives.

So on the not so spiritual side, shout out to elder van haren for warning me about Jay, the guy who cuts our hair.  He messed up elder van harens hair so I didn't let him mess me up too bad. Still not the best hair cut but VH took one for the team on this one. Also shout out to gav ballin in NY week 1, and kanon bout to hit up Perth. All the rest of the boys keep representing, we really have the most legendary friend group out there.  Everyone that I've met in the mission has heard so many stories of us hahahaha! But also the family, keep being awesome!  Cam and kaler suck at writing me but I still think they are aight. No I love you so much and pray every night for you. Keep sending lots of pics and thanks for the packages they are getting here today! Will you send me any pics you have of the day I left at the temple and my farewell date! Thanks!

Last thing hahaha...we were at deyshawn and jerimiah and Jamals house on Saturday and I sent kaler a snap chat on jerimiahs account so kaler check that out! Hahaha. I am sending some pictures...the first picture is the new mission attire everyone I required to wear. Second pic is some homemade Durangos.  Also I'll send some videos individually mom if you can attach them!

Love Elder young kob

P.S.  I peed in a bush last night

What up everybody,

To start of this week was good but probably the hardest of my mission. But Sunday I'm bouncing back, in the words of big Sean "last night took an L but tonight I bounce back". It really was a great week, however, I thought about my family a lot and my friends and I miss them a lot. My love for everyone back home is insane.  I love you all so much, especially my family...I can't express how much you mean to me! Kaler and Cam you are the best brothers ever, and mom and dad everything I have become is because of you. Also shout out to the fine 9. Kanon and gav finishing up the MTC.  Hit it hard boys you guys are dope and keep balling out.

Really tho this work was awesome.  It was a hard week cause I thought of how long it would be till I see everyone again but I bounced back because of a video I watched. I challenge you all to watch the video "mountains to climb". It is a Mormon message and every time I watch it, it changes my life. The mission is very hard I'm not gonna lie, but what I've learned is take everything hour by hour, day by day, week by week and really to find joy in the journey. I have come to love everyone in my ward and everyone around me. You have to find joy in everything you are doing cause 1 day you will look back and miss it. This is the Lord's work that I'm doing and I love it a ton.  As long as I have the Lord on my side even when I might be getting a little down I bounce right back. I love this crazy place so much and would not rather be anywhere but here.

This week I hit some sick dunks at the church hahaha and the videos have impressed a lot of the people we are working with. Valentine's day was dope! Me and my date elder asplund taught Shawn the law of chastity that day so it was just a great valentine's day! Hahahaha.  Shawn is progressing well and he brought both his kids to church yesterday.  His son wants to play ball with me and he thought the video of me 360 dunking was way sick! Mom will you send me my kobe's in a package cuz I'm going to give them to Shawn Jr. They are his size and he would really love them! Also this week we had trainer trainee meeting which was so dope.  I got to see my boy Elder van haren, that was so lit cuz me and him are literally so tight and I can't wait to serve with him. That meeting was pretty good and we got some good free pizza.  We had zone training meeting the next day and my zone is way cool! Also elder Williams who is a senior elder we were in his car and he drove backwards down a busy 1 way street hahahahahha!  We were laughing so hard. We had some great meetings and great lessons this week. Shawn is so close to his baptism and Naveen said he wants to be baptized and we are gonna set a date this week! Pray for both Shawn and naveen! Also pray for Joe to stop drinking and smoking and to tell jen to leave hahaha.

Rego park is so cool! Saturday night we played basketball with DeShawn for a little.  He is a less active who is like 20 years old. Nothing way crazy this week except that the work is going amazing.  Our whole week is planned out like no joke we have so many visits and lessons, we have people feeding us like most nights. The weather in new York is legend!  The past couple days has been in the 60's and it's the best like literally my prayers were answered cuz I'm sick of freezing my man parts off.

Mom I need you to put two people's emails on the list kyle.van.haren@myldsmail.net and rbrbnon6@gmail.com. welcome you 2 to the most legend email of all time haha J/K. Also I'm making a remix to the song airplanes and I will be dropping that song in the next month so everyone be ready!  

Everyone I love you a ton and new York is very awesome and the work is great we are doing so good! Don't forget tho that stg is the best place on earth! I love you all and keep being balling out! Study the scriptures...I have learned so much about the book of Mormon and everyday someone asks me a question about something I had just barely read and if I wouldn't have read that day I could not answer. It crazy to see how I can be an instrument in the Lord's hands, I feel like I can do anything cause as I serve God he will bless me. Can't believe I've been out for as long as I have its crazy. I also heard the Allstars game was yesterday I was on and bus and like 6 random people and me got into a 30 min conversation about the NBA and none of us knew each other hahahahaha, best part of the week!

Elder young kob

Also fun fact most people I can't even understand they all just speak garbage English but it's fun cause you can just nod your head and smile.

Hey what's gucci everyone!

To start off this was the best week of the mission so far! Literally so much happened this week so I will try and get it all in! We are teaching a lot of people right now and have so many visits. Shawn is our main focus and I can't wait to see him baptized on March 4th.  He is progressing very well and just has a desire but please pray for him to not have the desire to slip back into his old habits.  He is going to be at church the next 2 weeks! He came 2 weeks ago but his son had a bball game this Sunday so he couldn't come. He will be there soon to and I'm excited for him.   I'm gonna play ball with his son and hopefully be able to teach him as well! Also we are teaching Naveen, who is such a stud!  We teach him over FaceTime half the time, but we gave him a book of Mormon and 2 pamphlets and he studied them all like for 2 hours a day and so he is progressing well.  Pray for him to feel the spirit and accept our invitation to be baptized. Also keep praying for Joe for strength to overcome his word of wisdom issues. Joe is so cool and would be baptized if he would break up with his wack girlfriend, she like is the reason he drinks. It sucks but no joke I pray every night that he will dump her hahahahaha.

This week was insane....on Tuesday we started exchanges with the office elders so I went with elder walker (that's a lot of the pics). He is an office elder so I was doing office stuff all day Wednesday and it was so dope,  We went road tripping hahaha....we went out to plain view which is so sick....its on the island and it's like small town,  Then we went to Brooklyn and got some sick pics of Manhatten and statue of liberty and stuff it was literally such a fun day! We ballin out here its so dope,!  We taught a guy that night!  So many people can barely speak English hahaha it's so hard to understand but it makes for some funny meetings.

Also we walked this super diva dog that reminds me of tys dog coco.  t was for this old woman in our ward and the dog was being so dumb and the leash like almost fell off and the dog was almost wild in NYC hahahaha. I made my comp clean up the poop so it was good haha. Biggest storm ever was on Thursday....like so much snow you can see in the pic. It was so crazy but you know that didn't stop us,,,,literally there was like a foot of snow everywhere and we hiked a mile to Shawns house and he really appreciated us. Then we shoveled the whole church parking lot for like 2 hours hahaha and then a plow truck showed up, I was like really bro.....!  But it was all good cause bro nunez (who is my strait up brotha) took us to panda and bought us food! He also hooked me up with some boots he had some extras and he just gave me them cuz they were my size! I literally love him he is so nice....he's the ward mission leader! We teach this family that are all members but they have a tough life,  The two 2 kids are 12 and 13 and they love us but they are punks! They are cool tho and Their middle names are literally weed hahaha. But we were at there house and I told them to hit me up on Twitter and insta so I got some new followers. Speaking of that tho, we use Facebook out here so you've probably seem my account but yeah I hate it and I don't like using it but a lot of people add you so it's good.

We had mega zone conference this week and if you think sitting in church for 3 hours is long then you're bush league.. this thing was 7 1/2 hours. Hahaha....it was so long but definitely good. It keeps you focused on your purpose and our president is super cool. He is very strict he has his own set of rules for the mission called standards of conduct but he is a nice guy and he loves me so that's good. He called me and elder asplund at like 11pm on Wednesday cause he knew it was gonna snow and he's like elders I know it is late but I need you to meet me out front of the church and bring me out snow shovels tomorrow, so I said got you homie and we jumped out of bed and ran over there! Hahahaha sometimes it's really easy to sleep at night, but like last night me and elder asplund stayed up till like 12:30 talking, however that's would still early for me if it was before the mission haha.

Funniest thing happened on Saturday Maria castro was feeding us a member in our ward who is from colombia so she got us Colombian food.  It was way good actually but then she brought out dessert and they are called brevas... look them up because they are like a sweet pickled pepper or something but  they are so nasty.  When she walked out of room for 2 seconds I wrapped 3 of the 4 she gave me in a napkin and put them in my pocket...we were laughing so hard and when she came back she's like what's so funny and I just said my comp told me a joke hahahahaha! I threw those away after we left but I did choke down 1 of them. We also met with Tom and Dixon that night and they are doing okay.  They need some help so pray for them as well. Tom is a member who doesn't have a job and Dixon and his family are our investigators.

Craziest day tho was yesterday oh my gosh. So yesterday were at church hour early and the church starts and Duval shows up who is less and active we are working with.  It's his first day of this job he just got and he comes to church cause he doesn't have a ride to his job and no money...this guy is wack. He is like dad's age and literally us two 18 year olds basically are like babysitting him. He's like my black 50 year old son!!!!  But for reals he told us he had to be work at 2 and it was 1 so we took the Sacrament and then ran to the subway and bought him a metro card and then literally sprinted back to church cause we had to sing in ward choir since we are 2 of the 4 men in choir hahaha.  And then after that a speaker  didn't show up so I had to bear a 5 min testimony so it was a solid Sunday hahaha.   Last night sister Peterson who is a senior missionary invited us all over for dinner and it was great! We met this guy and his family....his name is Ali and he is from Vegas. He just got to new York and he is a member but his family isn't.  He said they are going thru a rough time and he was praying to see Mormons and then we ran into him and gave him a bunch of stuff to read with his family and he is calling us today!

This was such a good week, it was packed but I love it. Missions are a lot different than what I expected but they are awesome. Everyday I still look down and realize I'm actually doing what I've been working toward my whole life. It's crazy the time has flew by, I'm half way done with my first transfer. I miss you all so much and think about you every day!  Every time I get the question why did you come on are a mission I say cause I love my family and I love this church and I know it will bless us. I also miss my homies so much.  I got pictures of the squad hanging everywhere in my apartment. We are all balling out on missions right now it's insane. "Fine 9 gone preaching" is gonna be a movie in 2 years! Thanks for all the support and everyone's emails, they mean a ton!  NYC is awesome but there is no place like stg cause it has the best people around.

Idk what else to write about I could go on forever but I'll finish of with a scripture everyone please read helaman 5 this week. My family and my friends are my foundation and thru them I built and am building the strongest foundation on Christ that cannot be shakin, Have a great week my people I love you all.

It's your boy Elder Imlay

P.S cam I hope you working out cause I'm going weight and getting huge, I'll send you a tool pic individually. Also here is my address if anyone wants it.

Address

85-69 60th drive
Elmhurst NY
11373

Hey everyone,

So to start off I got to go to a justserve.org meeting last night while you all watched the super bowl so who is the real winner? FRICK THE PATS. I was looking in all the stores as we walked down the streets...Hahaha but shout out to kanon for sending me updates.

Anyway this week has been amazing and I love new York and the people. Scratch whatever I said about my comp last week cause I love him. Hahaha we aren't similar but we are getting along very well and definitely more settled in and he is just dope! This week was crazy.  Alot went on and I ate some good food and met some dope missionaries and members and investigators. Before I start into everything I heard kaler got another ticket and they should just send him to jail, he'd fit right in hahaha. No I'm kidding!   You should see how people drive in new York it's hilarious. Luckily we just take the bus and the subway everywhere.

I already feel like a native new yorker.  The other day we had just got done doing service so I was in street clothes and a guy tried to sell me some drugs, hahaha it was funny!  I was like nah I'm good haha. Also we were over at Joe's house on Saturday cleaning, he is our investigator, and I found this little container and I was like what is this and it was some weed. Then his girlfriend Jen came over and was like hey don't throw that away to me and Joe and she took it hahahaha. She is so wack but like they are both so nice! After we got done cleaning they fed us a way good meal.....they bought this big family meal from a Dominican place on Jamaica Ave.  I ate good this week, got some pizza and some McDonald's and there is this Halal cart right by our house and it's cheap so I got some lamb over rice and it was a ton of food and so good.  I'll be eating there again!. But also we got fed a couple times.  One family always gives us spam with all the meals and that's one of those things you feed to the dog when they aren't looking hah. But at this other place this family was feeding us and my comp couldn't eat the food and they didn't understand that he was gluetin free so when they weren't looking we switched plates and I ate both, hahaha I have a feeling that might happen a lot but I ain't mad!

It has really been such a good and fast week! It snowed a ton on Tuesday and then was all melted my Wednesday! I had my first exchange this week with elder Jensen and he is so dope. He's my zone leader and we are way tight now! I love that guy and he taught me a lot and we had a ton of fun. Also met this other guy elder corzo and he is so dope as well.  If I get to serve with 1 of them I'd be pumped! But I freaking love my comp we are more settled In and like he's loosened up and we are having a ton of fun and getting along great! But I know the reason is because we are working hard and doing what the Lord has asked! We are very busy and I freaking love it! Shawn is my boy and is gonna get baptized in less than a month so continue to pray for him everyday! I love him and he was at church on sunday!!!! Church is always fun!  I barely survived fast sunday like no joke I was about to write home and say my goodbyes HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA. No just kidding but for real. We have a awesome week!   This week is already filled up and we have 2 new investigators so I will let you know how that goes!

I love everyone so much.  A shout out to the fine 9 all ballin out and good luck kanon! Also love my family so much you guys are awesome! Cam keep up the good work don't get married bro and go JAZZ....my comps got that iPad so we ask Siri for the standing like every night! But last thing is keep reading BoM, it will change your life! We are starting over as a whole mission in like a week so I'm hurrying to finish myself, I've read like 40 chapters in the past 3 days and I should be done in the next week. I love the book of Mormon and prayer! I prayer for you guys everyday and I'm doing amazing!  Thanks for your support.  This church is true so share that with someone this week!

Love you all!
Elder Imlay

P.S I got this filthy view of Manhatten every night when we cross this bridge, the only time you go there is for temple or doctors visits so I'm gonna poison my comp.  Also, there is this place called Corona which is pretty much Mexico so shout out to Cam I'm serving in Mexico too...also sent some Mexico pics.