Where?

I was called to serve as a missionary in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission. You can see from the map what area the mission encompasses, with the meetinghouses (the blue squares) scattered throughout.

WEATHER

As you can guess, the weather in Pennsylvania will be far from what I am used to in Phoenix. It will be considerably cooler and it rains an average of two inches per month! I think I might need to find myself an umbrella.

Pittsburgh lies in the transition between a humid continental and a humid subtropical climate, although it lies much closer to the former. It features four distinct seasons, with precipitation somewhat evenly spread throughout the year. Summers are hot and humid (with occasional heatwaves), while winters are cold and snowy. Spring and autumn are generally unstable yet mild.

The warmest month of the year in Pittsburgh is July, with a 24-hour average of 72.6 °F (22.6 °C). Conditions are often humid, and combined with highs reaching 90 °F (32 °C) on an average 9.5 days per annum. The coldest month is January, when the 24-hour average is 28.4 °F (−2.0 °C), and sub-zero lows (below −18 °C) can be expected. Extremes in temperature range from −22 °F (−30 °C), on January 19, 1994 to 103 °F (39 °C), which last occurred on July 16, 1988.

Total precipitation is greatest in May and least in October, and the average annual precipitation is 38.1 inches (970 mm), yet, on average, December and January have the greatest number of days with precipitation. Snowfall averages 41.5 inches (105 cm) per season. In terms of cloudiness, there is an average of 59 clear days and 103 partly cloudy days per year, while 203 days are cloudy. In terms of annual percent-average possible sunshine received, Pittsburgh (45%) is similar to Seattle (43%).

Check out these average temperatures!! Nice & cool.

CHURCH HISTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA

Two years prior to the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, Church President Joseph Smith moved to Harmony, Pennsylvania, and lived in the home of Isaac Hale, his father-in-law. After a few weeks, he moved to a cabin adjacent to the farm. In this cabin, Joseph Smith translated most of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ, a companion scripture to the Bible. Joseph Smith and the first members of the Church were baptized in the Susquehanna River in May 1829.

A total of 12 congregations were organized in Pennsylvania in the 1830s, prior to the gatherings of Saints to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. One prominent congregation in Philadelphia had more than 200 members before 1840 and 8 to 10 new members were baptized weekly. Philadelphia was the port of entry for many Latter-day Saint immigrants.

After a 10-year fund drive in Lancaster, one congregation in Pennsylvania purchased property and built a small meetinghouse in the 1850s.

CURRENT CHURCH INFORMATION

According to the LDS Newsroom, there are currently about 50,000 members in Pennsylvania. The state is divided into 2 missions and contains 110 congregations and 40 different family history centers.

COOL THINGS IN MY AREA

Hershey, Pennsylvania: home of the Hershey's kiss (among other chocolates).

The National Civil War Museum.

The Amish Village.

Of course, there are always the local sports teams. ;)