Week 7 – In Pennsylvania

Hello Everyone!! How are you? I’m finally in the mission field after my 6 weeks of training in the Provo MTC! I am so excited to be here and I already have so many stories to tell!! Hope you enjoy this extremely long email haha!

Last Monday, at 2:00AM Elder Davis left for Bakersfield. And then there were 7.
Then at 4:00AM Elder Berlin left for Chicago with Hermana Ward and Hermana Cox. And then there were 4.
That day was weird… it was only Elder Lovell, Elder Oren, Elder Brown, and I. Then Tuesday morning at 6:00 Elder Lovell left for Fortworth, Texas. But not before Elder Oren hugged him and cried out “Pogi!! One more day!!” And then there were 3.
Elder Oren, Elder Brown, and I were then in a trio!!! And it was pretty fun. That day we went to service until 8:00AM, had our last classes at the MTC, and said goodbye to our teachers.

Then Wednesday morning came! Travel day!! Elder Brown and I moved into Elder Orens room for Tuesday night, then woke up at 4:00AM. We got ready, put on our suits, packed every last thing into our bags, and went to the travel office! At 4:45AM we dropped off Elder Oren at the travel office and said goodbye to him. It was super sad. But then there were 2.

At 5:15 Elder Brown and I went into the travel office and returned our keys and padlocks. We then said our goodbyes to our roommates, Elder Tuavau and Elder Avery. We took a few pictures and then Elder brown and I were out of the MTC.
And then… there were none.

Anyways! Elder Brown and I took a bus with the other 12 Elders and Sisters that were traveling to Philadelphia with us! We took the Frontrunner Train up to the Airport, and I met some investigators on the train!! They looked a lot like my family, and even had a dog that looked like mine! They walked me to the airport and took some pictures with me! At the airport, Elder Brown’s mom happened to be there too! She was dropping off her husband at almost the same time as we got there!

The flight to Philadelphia was super bumpy and rough. Elder Brown and I were travel companions, but we didnt sit next to each other. I sat next to a quiet old man and actually almost fell asleep on him.. (theres a picture courtesy of Elder Brown) Hahaha so we landed and met our mission President and his wife. President and Sister Dunnigan shook all of our hands! Then they put our luggage in a moving truck and took us to get dinner at the mission office.

The mission office is connected to a stake center, so we ate in the basketball gym. We had philly cheese steaks and ceasar salad, and they were really good. I tried to eat as much as I could, but because of my lactose intolerance I had to just scrape out the meat that wasn’t covered in cheese! That night, Elder Brown and I stayed in a members home! They were super nice and painted a ton. I am definitely grateful for the Nye’s generosity and how welcoming they were.

Thursday morning, we went back to the mission offices and got to meet our trainers! Elder Brown and I at the last second were switched! I was supposed to go to Camden, New Jersey, and he was going to Reading, but instead we got switched! The mission president felt like we belonged in different areas, so I am in Reading!! My new companion’s name is Elder Warden, and he is from Eagle Mountain, Utah!! He’s awesome and a super obedient and selfless missionary!

Elder Warden and I eventually got to Reading and to our apartment. I then learned that Elder Warden and Elder Jardine had spent the last 2 days cleaning this apartment!! No one has lived in this apartment for months, and the last Elders that lived here absolutely trashed the place!! There was food and gross dishes on the counter! There was tons of gross stained furniture! All of the sinks and toilets were gross, the shower was repulsive, and there was no shower curtains. The vents were gross and black. It was a rat’s nest. I am so thankful for Elder Warden cleaning it up for me. He got us some food and a microwave, and helped me feel comfortable here. I think in total there were like 8 bags of trash that they took to the dumpster. Oh and the best part!! While cleaning the vents, they found BLACK MOLD in the sheet rock!! So hopefully we find a new place soon!

My first few days in Reading were awesome. I can’t understand Spanish, but just about everyone here speaks English too! (Thank goodness) We have taught one lesson in English to a super nice man named Alfredo, and then taught a lesson in Spanish to Josefina! The homes here are all row homes. They are like 14 feet wide and 50 feet long. The sidewalks are literally warping and broken and you gotta be careful not to break your ankle. The people here dont always look very nice, but they are very welcoming. They always listen to us, and most of the Spanish people here believe in Jesus Christ.

Elder Warden and I met a man in an alley, he was very very stoned. He was holding a joint and a lighter and had his dog on a leash. He talked to us for like 10 minutes and we didnt know how to tell him we needed to leave hahaha. We eventually got out of there. We also met a man in a gas station. He asked us who we were, and when he found out we were missionaries he said oh well thank you for your work, God bless! He asked to touch our shoulders for luck (because we are men of God) and then after touching our shoulder and bowing his head, he hit up the gas station slot machines.

In a normal life here I would probably be very scared. It’s a lot different from my home, or any place I’ve been.. But since I’m a missionary, I know that I am protected. I trust that God will protect me if I’m doing his work. Elder Warden and I are careful, but we will talk to anyone that is willing to hear our message!

I wanted to end this email by talking about General Conference! This weekend we had the opportunity to hear from the Apostles, General Authorities, and the Prophet. It is a blessing to be able to just sit back and be fed spiritually. I loved listening to all of the talks about Repentance, Helping Others, missionary work, and the importance of Christ centered homes. These talks are prepared for all of us, and we can recieve answers to our questions when we watch them intently. I invite all of you to watch, listen, or read these talks from our amazing Prophet and Apostles. It will bless your life and you can feel the spirit through their words.

I love you all and miss you so much. Reading your emails and messages this week has kept me going strong. I’m really busy out here, but its incredible. It is so much different from the MTC, but I finally feel like a real missionary. I pray for all of you each night, and I know that you will be blessed because of your support. I love you all and would love to hear from you!!

-Elder Petty

P.S.
I know some of you want my address for various reasons. It now is:
721 Paxon Hollow Rd. Suite B.
Broomall, PA 19008
It may take weeks for me to receive my package once it arrives in Pennsylvania, so please be sure to not include any perishable items if you send something!! Thank you so much I love you all!!