Subways and Successes

The weeks seem to be flying by now.  Feels like we just had transfers and now we are gearing up for the next one.  The mission calendar is based more on transfers than months.  These next 2 weeks before transfer should be fairly slow.  Most of our work seems to be between transfers and training (3 weeks after).  

Now that my companion has made me the UAVC (Unofficial Assistant Vehicle Coordinator) he is letting me help with his work more.  Yesterday we drove to Rockawa,y which is east of JFK,

to take a car in to the dealer to have it prepped for sale.  They sell the cars at around 50,000 miles and they are generally in good shape.  Now that I'm a NYCD (New York City Driver) I am able to drive one car while Marc drives one.  Usually the office elders help but the Johnsons (housing couple) have been keeping them very busy installing smoke alarms in all the apartments.  Later this week we get to go to Manaroneck to pick up another new car.  I love going to Manaroneck.  It is sort of a quaint little harbor town north of the Bronx near New Rochelle.  Plus I love to say Manaroneck (accent on 2nd syllable).  It is fun sometimes to get out of the office and do something completely different.  

One of the fun things about a mission is that we are constantly given the opportunity to stretch and do new things we didn't know we could do.  It keeps us from getting mired down in never wanting change.  We never know what to expect when we go to church but have come to embrace the unexpected.  Lead opening exercises at a moments notice?  Sure.  Give a talk about whatever topic you want next week and lead the singing for a month (Marc) besides teaching 2 classes?  Sure, why not?  Lead singing time in Spanish?  No problem (well almost).  

We have learned to not become complacent.  On the way to church on Sunday, I mentioned to Marc that I no longer dread going to the ward.  That was my mistake.  We both had difficult classes. Marc's class was hard to engage after weeks of hard work getting them to participate.  It was the day before the last day of school so who can blame them. 

 I realized my class had been easier the past few weeks because one girl had not been there.  She was back on Sunday.  When I find myself almost secretly wishing the difficult children would stay at home or attend the other class, I remind myself that I'm not here as a missionary to call the righteous to repentance.  And some of these kids really do need to repent.  I have noticed some headway.  Most of the students now bring their scriptures to class and even make me stop while they mark passages.  Last week I was a little annoyed because the new convert was drawing a Disney Princess (very well for a 9-yr-old I might add) on her white board instead of listening to the lesson. I was going to say something to her but decided against it when I saw that she had written "Sister Williams" with an arrow pointing to the picture.   Even the difficult girl has grown some.  She no longer stands on the piano bench or paces in the back of the room or crawls under the table.  She finally has agreed to sit in a chair.  Progress!

I would like to say my Spanish is coming along nicely but it would not be nice to lie.  I do work fairly hard at it though and am hoping to have a breakthrough any day now (ha!)  I do pick up more and more words and phrases during Sacrament meeting though which is fun.

Today was our turn to escort a group of missionaries to the temple.  I love to watch them in action on the subway and wonder if I will ever be as good.  People are always hesitant to talk to them at first but these young missionaries have quite a way of melting the frost pretty quickly.  It is interesting to watch the faces of people when 20 of us get on a train.  Reactions range from "how can I get out of here?" to "who are all these people and why are they dressed up?" to "maybe if I put my headphones on and look at the ground they won't bother me."  We are proud to be associated with these devoted young people who were willing to give up 18 months to 2 years of their lives for the Gospel.

June Temple Trip

A handsome Group

Inundating the subway

Subway at Times Square

Wanted to add a picture of our mission nurse, Sister Petersen.
This picture was taken when we toured the
Growler Submarine.  She is older than us but has more energy.
We park our car behind her house and she feeds us when we
get home from church.  Pretty good deal.  The missionaries
love her.  She takes good care of them.

I needed to include "my view" of my companion
in the office.  Sometimes I just like to look over
and see him there.  And sometimes he turns
around and we chat.