We Really Can Do Hard Things

At the beginning of our mission we found ourselves saying, many times a day, "I can do hard things." Now I actually find myself saying, "I'm doing hard things!"  

The things that we thought were hard at first are some of our favorite things now.  Last Sunday when I got to Church (teaching Primary was hardest for me) I found that I had a shadow.  One little 8-yr-old met me at the door and followed me from room to room, upstairs and down even helping me carry scriptures from the library.  I have grown to love teaching these kids.

Yesterday was eventful.  Sometimes on P-day we like to just get on the subway, deciding where to get off while on the way.  Yesterday we got off at 4th Street near Greenwich Village.  We walked around Washington Square Park, took a few pics, ate lunch and headed home.  Elder Williams is so great at humoring my every whim.  And he takes me out to eat a lot (too much maybe).

Washington Square

In the afternoon I went with the Flushing Sisters to teach Patricia, one of their investigators.  I went 2 other times with them and have wondered if they really needed me there.  But when they called me they said Patricia had asked for me to come.  Then as she was saying the closing prayer she thanked Heavenly Father that the Sisters could come, "especially Sister Williams!"  It was a confidence booster.  It was such fun to teach with these sweet young sisters. It is not nearly as stressful as I thought it would be.  The Sisters teach and ask me at appropriate times for my experiences with whatever principle they are teaching.  I have seen that I actually do have something to contribute and there is something to be said for "years of experience."  The Sisters are sweet,  they told me we are a "trio" now.  Haha.  They said they wanted to introduce one sister's non-member husband to Elder Williams because the husband is from Ireland.  Their last name is Darcy (just like the book--and almost like my daughter.)

Marc has been trying to get the Elders' Quorum President to assign him as a Home Teacher.  We just want to do more!  This morning he came home from church (I was sick and didn't attend) and said he was finally assigned 2 families.  He said one of them is the Darcys!  We see the Lord's hand in so many things.

We can feel Heavenly Father guiding his work and strongly feel His support.  I feel it when I help teach an investigator for the first time and the words just come to me.  I feel it whenever I have trouble reading a baptism record in a foreign language and look up and missionaries who speak that language walk in.  I feel it when a record just won't submit and I realize I had made a mistake on it.  We feel it when we go to see missionaries' cars that have been in accidents and are amazed that the missionaries walked away from it unhurt. I felt it when I called the Referral Secretary in the North mission to warn her about a dangerous guy trying to be referred to Sisters and she said she had tried to submit that referral and it wouldn't go in so she figured there must be something wrong with it.   I feel it when I am able to drive places that would have terrified me several months ago.  

Yesterday I found myself driving back from Flushing after teaching our lesson thinking, "I'm doing hard things--and I love it!!"  

Elder Peters went home to the Netherlands last week
He was an office elder twice.

 

Went to a diner and found they had Strawberry
Ice Cream Sodas!  Took me back to my childhood!
There is way too much food in NYC!

Elder Williams Memorial Top Spinning Competition

Elder Williams Memorial Top Spinning Competition Arena

Vorso Top Spinning (brass), Nickel, Copper, Aluminum Foreverspin tops in background.  (The Vorso is killing the competition.)

Miscellaneous Musings

Last week we were able to accompany 21 missionaries to the temple in Manhattan, and it was a wonderful experience, as usual!  As we've mentioned before, we love to watch them engage people in conversation in their own language in the subway. People seem to open like flowers when someone (especially Caucasian) speaks to them fluently in their own language. It doesn't mean they are ready and will listen, but the chances seem much greater in their own language!  

23 missionaries (including us) in one subway car

We also went out to Patchogue (pronounced 'patch hog') to get a car Tiwi unit replaced and re-glue a couple of others.  We are so thankful that we get to get out and around and see areas we haven't seen before!  The Patchogue chapel is a phase one church with a twist I hadn't seen before – it has a small carpeted cultural hall with a full-width curtain at one end.  When you open the curtain there's a small (10 ft.) full-width room with the pulpit, stand, organ/piano and Sacrament table. So, they set up chairs in the cultural hall and open the curtains for church meetings. 

Patchogue Chapel

I have 13 driving tests set up next week, so I thought I’d talk a little about the tests and informal rules of the road in NYC.  Stateside missions are not required to give driving tests, and most missions don’t bother if the missionary has a license and a decent state driving record.  However, driving in NYC is different enough (!) that the mission decided a while ago that there is value to doing it.  I like it because I get a feeling for how they are behind the wheel, and, to tell the truth, most of the time I actually know everything I need to know within one minute.  The rest of the time is for me to impress on them the unwritten rules of driving in the city.  Here they are: 

1. There are two things that will get you honked at: a) If you don’t start quick enough on a green light (usually the cars 5 or 6 back will honk).  b) If the other drivers don’t know what the heck you are trying to do. (Cutting someone off will get you honked at, too, but I don’t count that because it’s true anywhere.) 

2. You have to tell other drivers and pedestrians what you are doing by car movement.  (Signal lights just don’t cut it.) For example, if you want to get into a solid line of vehicles, you can sit there with your signal on for a long time without any results.  Or, you can establish your intent by inching forward, and then a space will open a little wider, which means, “I’m letting you in if you’ve got the guts to do it now.”  It’s not rude--You aren’t forcing your way in assuming they will let you in.  That’s just how you ask!  Then, if you are polite, after you get in you give them a little wave of thanks… 

3. I have found that (in general) drivers here are just as polite as anywhere else (more so than Utah) as long as you follow rules #1 & #2.  True, there is a lot more honking here than at home, but I attribute that to the fact that literally half the cars on the road are taxis or other hired cars. 

One of the ways I seem to get the most growth here is by helping others!  I still have the first thought of, "Not now, I'm so busy!! (Or 'it's inconvenient', or 'I'd have to get all dressed up' , or, …).  To tell the truth, I've always had those thoughts (people never seem to need help at convenient times!), but I learned a long time ago just to get going and the good feelings will follow.  The progress I'm seeing is, now the good feelings come quicker than they used to...  Maybe someday, the willingness to help will come immediately, but not yet, so I have to be satisfied with baby steps!!  It's just one more way that I'm trying to catch up with Diane.  A mission is great for me!  I would often much rather be home working on projects and puttering around to my own schedule, but my growth has always been closely tied to the effort of my service, so THIS IS THE PLACE I NEED TO BE.  We love you all!  Thanks for your support and love!!

It's Winter!!

  Finally, winter has come to New York.  It has been pretty cold, in the low 20s but with a lower "real feel" so it's nice to have snow so we have something to show for it. We have been enjoying the snow, although, calls from young missionaries who have to drive in it have dampened our enthusiasm. Only one fender bender so far though.

  After the big Christmas rush, we felt a little let down.  We wondered if we would get bored before our 23 months were up.  We stepped up our game a bit so the blahs only lasted a few days.  I have been working harder on learning Spanish (although I don't anticipate being fluent before I leave here) I am also helping as much as possible when missionaries need to be fed at leadership meeting and conferences.  Marc has been fairly busy with 5 cars to sell and a few accidents to take care of. Things are back to normal and we are enjoying not being super busy but having enough to occupy our time.  We wonder though how we will do it next December when we are so busy and packing at the same time.

  I was thinking today what a surprise it has been to be making so many great memories in our 60s!  We seem to laugh a lot!  Maybe more than we have as a couple for years.  It's so much fun to work along side my best friend.  I was a little worried that it would be too much togetherness but we each sort of do our own thing and each helps the other when needed.  I help Marc with reports and emails and filing (as little as possible with the filing, truth be told).  He also lets me "help" him when he has to make a trip out to the island or to Staten Island to get new cars or deliver them to missionaries.  He helps me by carrying heavy stuff and lends moral support when I need it and I appreciate his calming influence when I'm having a near-meltdown.

  Sundays are no longer our least favorite day.  The new building seems to have made a difference in the Branch (or maybe only in us).  The kids in Primary seem much calmer.  Not sure if it is the new orderly building or just that I have adjusted to the kids.  Marc says he still has a hard time getting his Sunday School class to participate but is making some progress.  I can tell they like him by the way they act when they are around him.

  Marc got a "foreverspin" top for Christmas and keeps it in the office.  (It's an engineer thing.)  This has created quite a sensation among the elders.  They have an ongoing contest they have named the "Elder Williams Memorial Top-Spinning Contest".  Each elder timing their spins to see who can beat the record (which is about 3 1/2 minutes, so far).

  We have learned many things so far.  Especially that hard work = happiness.  And we are truly happy. We love and appreciate the support of our family and friends and are so grateful that they are willing to take the time to skype, facetime, or call us.  We hope that our family is also receiving blessings from our serving a mission.  One of the other Senior Sisters (who has left and is now preparing for their 3rd mission and 2nd as Mission President) said her daughter called and said, "Mom, you and Dad have to stay on your mission."  They had had a near accident and felt the protecting hand of the Lord over them.  We hope that is true with our own family.