I have a strong testimony that with any calling in the church comes the ability love those you serve. You are able to not only magnify the love you have for them, but also feel the love God has for them.

Mi familia,

Feliz día de San Valentín. ¡Les quiero! So first I'll update you on the situation with the sisters. Two of the sisters involved have been released from the hospital to recover at a relative's house here in Pennsylvania, they plan on staying out. Sister Young has a long road ahead of her. She has been in and out of surgery still since the accident. She's still in critical condition. 

The Wells family have been amazing through it all. They have immediately forgiven the driver of the bus and told authorities they want no part in prosecution because they know "he is going through a trial of his own right now." This is the statement they released. 

" We are deeply saddened by the loss of our daughter and sister, Sadie Danielle Wells.  We will miss her smile and vibrant, fun-loving personality.  Our concern is for her mission companion and the other sister missionaries involved in the accident, and we pray for them and their families. Sadie loved life and loved being a missionary.  Her letters home were filled with her vibrant personality, love for the people of Pennsylvania, love of the gospel and love for her Savior , Jesus Christ.  We draw comfort from the belief that Sadie is with her Heavenly Father and that she continues the Lord's work with the same vigor and enthusiasm that she did in life.  Sadie ended each of her emails with the words of her favorite primary song, " Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way."  We ask all to pay tribute to Sadie by living their lives this way."

Her memorial service for the mission is on Tuesday. I was asked to read her obituary and give my own eulogy. I will send those later today with my thoughts of sister wells. It will be such a hard day. 

I have a strong testimony that with any calling in the church comes the ability love those you serve. You are able to not only magnify the love you have for them, but also feel the love God has for them. 

Sister Wells was very loved, and a very special missionary. I'm not talking her up when I say she was unlike any one I've served around before. 

If I hadn't gotten transferred I would have been responsible for clearing out and packing up her apartment as an STL. I don't think I could have. 

My new area is amazing. I met the branch Saturday night at a baptism and yesterday at church. It is very small, but such a tight knit loving group of people. It can be difficult because every person is from somewhere different- Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Guatemala, etc- and each have different accents and sometimes different words. So you have to learn them all. I spoke in Sacrament meeting my first day in the branch. 

The work here is slow right now because the sisters here have been sick for weeks. There's so much to be done. We spent much more time than I would like in the apartment this week, but sister Landa- my new companion- and I are going to be so good together. We already get along so well and work well together. I've only met and taught a few people so far, but my first lesson we committed our investigators to get married and baptized, so I'll be planning a wedding here soon haha. 

That lesson was interesting. Erick and Lisandra are refugees from Cuba. We taught eternal marriage and families, and the law of chastity and the member who was with them started grilling them when she found out they weren't married. "You're not married? Why not, do you not love eachother?" Turned out Lisandra's divorce to a man back in Cuba had never gone through. "Okay, I want you to call down to Cuba tomorrow morning and get those papers so we can start planning this wedding." At this point I expected them to throw us out and never let us come back, but I looked at them and they were nodding and agreeing and totally accepting. Another reason I love Hispanic people- the only thing you can do to offend them is to not take seconds of their food when they feed you. Haha. 

The only bad news is they are an amazing family, so prepared. But they will be moving into the elders area right before they get baptized. It's okay though, they are still in the branch. They are just the only progressing investigators in the area. Lots to do here. 

The members are great. I've gotten really good at that cheek kissy thing hahah. A member we're teaching gave me a hand knit scarf to keep me warm that her mom made just before she passed away. 

I am adjusting to being in a walk area. It is cold. Haha. Some days it gets down to -17 windchill. And with the humidity here it just freezes you down to the bone. All those warm clothes are coming in handy. The average day I wear three pairs of leggings, three sweaters, and my biggest coat, gloves, and a hat haha. I love it. I really love being in a walk area so much, I love being able to be out and talking to everyone. Especially in a city like this. 

Downtown- our area, feels like a little Pittsburgh. It's a cool place. Look it up. I did pull my mace back out, haha. I'll leave it at that. 

I'll send sister wells eulogy later today. Thank you for the kind emails of support and concern, but please focus your thoughts and prayers on the wells family and the recovering sisters. 

Cuidase, Dios bendiga 

Hermana Sears 

Ps. "Pizza pie cafe" locations will be donating 1/4 of their profit to the sisters me families involved in the accident, so please go support our Pittsburgh sisters.