Thanksgiving and Honesty

Thanksgiving was an interesting and different day!  To start off with, it was just Diane and I alone in our small apartment all day (we didn’t eat our big meal until after 6PM), and I couldn’t enjoy football very much with her working away on cooking 5 or 6 feet away (guilt!).  (Not to mention that I didn’t care much who won any of the games…)  It was definitely different not having family kids running around and family adults to talk with!  We had the Macys parade playing in the morning, and we toyed with the idea of hopping on the subway and going downtown to see it live.  However, good sense won out, so we didn’t go.  (Maybe next year!?)  It is kind of amazing how many people there are here, and it’s mind-boggling the crowds that occur any time day or night when there is something interesting to see!!  One of the new senior missionary couples said, “We are used to rush hour traffic, but not all day every day!”  (They are new, so they don’t know yet that the traffic from 9:30-11:00 AM and from midnight to 3:30 AM is pretty light!)  As Diane has mentioned, we have gotten to where we enjoy the crowds and bustling of the city as long as we are not in a hurry or very tired. 

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving.  We ate at the church (next door to our apartment) with 3 senior couples (Us, Shapiros & Johnsons), Sister Peterson, and 12 missionaries.  Most of the missionaries were on their 2^nd or 3^rd meal, so they enjoyed the company more than the food.  We did hear a lot of comments, though, on how much they enjoyed the more traditional Turkey Day food.  (Mostly from the western American missionaries, whose previous meals that day were with Spanish or Asian groups or families.  Lots more rice, beans and mac and cheese in those meals.)  You can tell the missionaries really like being with each other and us, where they don’t have to be “on”.   It was fun, although the senior missionaries were ready to go home and relax by 8:00 PM, and the young elders and sisters were still going strong!

On another subject, we are impressed in general with the honesty of the people in our neighborhood!  Wednesday, after a busy day in the office, we were home unwinding when I got a call from Angie (our daughter in Utah), saying, “Did Mom lose her phone?  I just called, and got someone speaking Chinese!”  After panicking for a few minutes, since the phone was in her little purse with all her credit cards and (probably vast sums of) cash, I called her phone and had some fun trying to communicate with the person who answered.  He spoke more English than I did Chinese, but not much.  (I decided not to use the one phrase Dan Sellers taught me in college, since it translates as, “Eat shorts.”)  Anyway, he finally said, “Alex!”, which we recognized as our building super’s name, so I said “3C!”, which is our apartment number.  Then, once we thought we knew who he was, and he thought he knew who we were, we met at the apartment lobby to make the exchange.  When trying to talk, he kept talking about the mall, and we thought, “Oh No! Someone took it to the mall down the road and spent a bunch of money!!”  Later we decided he meant the store at the deli in the building, and was trying to tell us someone found the purse, took it to the deli and gave it to the store guy, who gave it to Alex (probably because he speaks such good English and the papers were in English).  Anyway, we got the purse back, and he refused a reward.  We have found that, unlike we felt the first week or two (when we thought everyone was going to mug us and steal our money), everyone here is just like everyone there—trying to do the best they can with what they are given to work with!!

We do miss home and family, and we do get a little jealous sometimes when we see friends on Facebook going to fun and interesting places, but we would not trade it!  At this time, for us, this is the right thing to be doing, and we feel that every day!!  We are so thankful for our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and for this opportunity to serve Heavenly Father’s children!

Thanksgiving With Rego Park Missionaries

I’m weeks behind on the blog.  Sorry!  Lots to catch up on.  2 weeks ago we went and hiked the Brooklyn Bridge.  It was a beautiful day and the bridge was quite crowded.  But it was fun.  When we got to Brooklyn, we went about a block to Grimaldi’s for Pizza.  Best pizza ever!  I thought it might be a little hyped up but it was better than I expected.  The crust was amazing!  Then we took the subway to Williamsburg because Sister Petersen wanted to show us the Hasidic Jewish neighborhood.  It sounded interesting.  But when we got there the streets were empty.  That’s when we realized it was Saturday—the Jewish Sabbath.  They were all at home.  Fun day anyway.  We love going to new places and there are a lot of new places to see here.

The big news—we started church in our new Chapel last week.  It was packed, everybody wanting to see the new digs.  It has 2 stories and the Primary has its own wing and Marc has a whole hallway to himself and the pick of any classroom for Sunday School.  We are loving it.  The members were sad to leave the old church they had been in for so long and we all had our picture taken out front the week before with all the neighborhood watching as they walked by.

New Flushing Chapel

Speaking of Marc, he is a wonderful Sunday School teacher.  He has a difficult class but seems to be able to draw them out.  I can tell when I see him interact with them that they really like him and respect him.

Two observations from today. I realized I am developing a New Yorker attitude, which may or may not be the best thing for a missionary. It may be a defense mechanism.  Some guy yelled at me for blocking the sidewalk as I was perusing the fruit stand looking for tomatoes. 9 months ago it would have bothered me. I just gave him the New York shrug and double-sided sneer that says, "WHAT??!!!" Taught him a lesson he won't soon forget! Then on the other hand, Marc and I were wandering around by the mall tonight going for a bite to eat at McD's. People were everywhere of every possible nationality and ethnic group. Walking, eating, shopping, socializing. I realized I love New York and I really do love people!

One funny incident (and maybe a lesson in judging?):  We were at Dyker Heights (Brooklyn Chinatown) today for Zone Conferences. I was the go-fer. Marc took me to the fruit stand because we were short of tomatoes for lunch, (Hence the sidewalk yeller story). Marc had to do the thing where you drop your wife off then circle the block because there was no parking. He decided to get gas so I had to wait there on the corner. I was thinking how angry some New Yorkers seem to be, like the yeller, when some guy waiting at the light started honking his horn--loud and long. There was a guy in front of him who had left a space so he wouldn't be caught in the intersection. I thought it was pretty rude and ignorant of the second guy to be so impatient. He just kept honking away--as if that would make people move! I gave him my best New Yorker glare, shook my head and looked away in disgust--idiot!! More honking--I looked again. It was Marc, honking to get my attention. I had forgotten he was in a brown mission car instead of our blue car.

And one tender mercy to share.  The week before last was transfers and along with them all the heavy paperwork.  It is our busiest week.  I hadn’t had any time to plan for Activity Day which was Friday.  By Thursday I had it half planned but knew it wouldn’t be enough.  Friday morning I was sitting at the table not knowing what to do.  I said a fervent, tearful prayer for help.  I put my head down in my arms, feeling overwhelmed.  Immediately in my mind I could see the activity exactly the way it should go.  I know the Lord supports His missionaries and I feel so blessed to be a recipient of those blessings.

 

Sister Petersen and Sister Williams on Brooklyn Bridge

At Grimaldi's in Brooklyn.  Best pizza ever!