Lancaster, PA - July 25, 2016

So I'm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and it is so sick! My grandparents called me yesterday and I'm going to get to go see them, it's unreal. I miss them so much. They said they have a lot of family members they'll refer me to teach. My companion is pretty cool and really tall. He's from Orem and has been out on his mission for 21 months and he loves this area like the most. He really misses his iPod though because he came from the PA mission when the boundary was changed. President made them switch to paper and he's sad about changing missions, but we work pretty well together.  We have eight investigators.  We taught a ton last week and it was cool. Lancaster is really artsy now and there are pianos everywhere. I started playing one and some people came and talked to us and that's how we found some investigators this week.

We got to go to the Philadelphia Temple open house yesterday and the architecture is sweet. It's totally 1700's but gorgeous. Our investigator we took had a really good experience and it was hard to get him out of the celestial room. Leading up to the temple open house we drew a sidewalk chalk story of what temples are about and got tons of questions while we were doing it. Wish I had pictures of it. It's been cool finding new ways to find people when they come to talk to us. Church on Sunday was super weird. Everybody knows my grandparents and my dad. They used to be in the same ward until they split. We get fed like crazy here. My last area they didn't feed us too much but here it's like every day! I just met some Elders that know how to make ties and so I'm super stoked to get some more sweet floral ties. I love this area so much it's pretty crazy. God is good. Love ya!

Message to his dad: "Brother Knarr is all the missionary's favorite. Wow that's crazy, you know right where I live. Dad it was tight at church. Everyone knows you and everyone said you were the best. I met like all the people you mentioned. John Breuninger is going to feed me and says "hi".  The Woolstenhumes had us for dinner the first night and I kept messing up their name.  Awesome about the referral. I'll tell Elder Allen about it. So President just changed the areas so I'm not in Elder Allen's district, but I'll see him a lot still. I talked with President and I'm sure it's fine if I go to Jean's for dinner. We cover the city. It's like mini Mexico and Baltimore."

Elder Ressler

Towson, MD - July 11, 2016

Maryland's pretty great. I decided I really like it this week. I actually don't mind the humidity at all. The mission's good. We have an investigator is ready to get baptism this Saturday. I'll send you some pictures.

This week was hot! I talked to a sister in our ward and if I get her the fabric she can make us skinny ties. The fabric is like 3-5$ a tie so that's what I'm doing today me and Elder Allen are pumped. So Elder Allen has this second uncle in my area and we went and visited him. He's pretty familiar with Mormons, but his French niece was visiting them and so we taught the restoration to her and he translated sitting next to their pool it was pretty cool. I wish I spoke French it sounds cool.

The cool thing they did in the mission field is they made new church pamphlets on temples and one on what to do after baptism as far as callings and stuff. Interviews with president are this week. We find out about transfers on Sunday. I kind of want to go somewhere in Pennsylvania, but I kind of want to stay. The work here is moving especially with the members. I did a musical number in church, Come Thou Fount and everyone loved it. We got like five people sign up to feed us on the calendar and the other missionaries both had one... I felt kind of bad.

I had dinner with this family and I've really been thinking about a career for after the mission. I'm still playing with the idea of being a doctor, but the wife of this family came out and said it wasn't a good career for families her husband is never home. She said if I'm serious about being a doctor to choose my field wisely and make sure I like it.

Love you

Elder Ressler

Towson, MD - July 5, 2016

Happy 4th of July! No we didn't see any fireworks because it was raining super bad yesterday. Our president let us stay out until 10:30 if we were with members or investigators so we had a day off. We went with the other elders and played Apples to Apples with a family in the city. It was pretty crazy. They talked about how they were related to the Vissors and Elder Mcelvany knew them because his cousin dated Jordan before Sydney married him.

One investigator is getting baptized on the 16th for sure. We had an awesome talk with him and a recent convert came and now he really can't wait. He loves church and me and him are super tight. He shared an experience how his neighbors told him things about Mormons and he told them they were straight wrong. I'm really excited for him. The prayers have worked. He is really on track now. Him and another member are really hitting it off. I've just been trying to introduce him to members of the ward because I think I'm leaving soon. Me and him were gospel rapping at church. I am really starting to get tight with the members of this ward. We had a pancake breakfast and I mingled with tons of people.

We had an experience with the Holy Ghost this last week. There was this door I really felt we should knock on. When the person first opened the door she said, oh I'm Presbyterian. I wouldn't let her shut the door though. I said hey we respect that. Have you ever heard of the Mormons. She said hey come back Wednesday and we planned everything, but it didn't feel right so I said actually we'd love to teach you now. So we taught her and it all made sense to her she wants "to get baptized by immersion and find a church that teaches what Christ would teach". Hopefully she'll come to church but she's solid and we already have the perfect friend for her who's coming tomorrow.

We have the best mission in the northeast US statistic wise. President is awesome and there is great energy. Most people here are actually sad because they'll miss missionaries leaving with the new mission boundary changes, but I'm excited because I love Lancaster, Pennsylvania which is now in our mission.

Elder Ressler