No Place Like Home

I get to write 2 weeks’ worth of blog since we have been so busy.  Last weekend our good friends Dale and Margaret Smith came for a visit.  We did the obligatory walk of the Brooklyn Bridge and pizza at Grimaldi’s after seeing the Tenement Museum.  We only got lost four or five times and did a ton of walking.  We had a wonderful time and it was worth the residual pain.

Dale & Margaret at Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.  It was
a beautiful day.

Tenement Museum

The Tenement Museum in Manhattan shows what life was like for immigrants coming to our country from Italy, Ireland and Germany among others.  It was fascinating and makes me very grateful for what I have.  Even our tiny apartment here seems like a mansion in comparison to how these people lived.  It was a nice tour and gave us renewed respect for all immigrants who come here trying to make a new life.

The Smiths left on Monday.  We were sad to see them go but it was probably good that we didn’t have more time with them because things got kind of crazy Monday afternoon.  We got word that Hurricane Irma might be headed our way so I began to feel pretty anxious about making sure our missionaries are prepared for any disaster.  I was kind of worried that a hurricane would hit and their emergency kits would still be spread out in our office waiting to be completed.  Luckily the hurricane passed to the east.  The kits are still spread out in the office but much closer to being completed.  I did email the missionaries and asked them to resist the temptation to go to the shore to get pictures of the big waves.  Not sure how many heeded my advice.

Marc went into Manhattan again this week with some elders to pick up some new cars.  We have 4 now out of 12 to be delivered.  It was kind of the highlight of the elders’ week to get to walk through Manhattan and then drive through.  The only part of Manhattan they ever get to see is the block around the Temple.  The cars are pretty—RAV4 SUVs and all the missionaries are asking if they can have them.

Dennis, Me, Marc

This weekend (Friday – Saturday) we drove up to New Hampshire to see my brother Dennis and his wife Ann.  (We were AWOL so shhh…don’t tell anyone.)  Except for the traffic getting there and back, it was wonderful!  We really enjoyed visiting with them and I loved being surrounded by green!  It makes me realize how much I miss New England.  I appreciated Marc's willingness to chauffeur me there and back.

I had to get a picture of a NH stone wall.

We stopped at an apple orchard in northern Massachusetts.  The view
was spectacular.  They boasted a view of 3 states (I suppose VT NH & Mass)

This past week I started Spanish class at the church.  The elders and sisters teach and there were only 3 of us students:  Jay, a young Korean sister and me.  The teacher to student ratio was great.

The hurricanes and earthquakes have given me opportunity to reflect.   Our hearts go out to those who have lost so much.  Many members of our Branch and several of our missionaries have family in those areas.  Many people mention that they wish they could go down and help clean up.  Then I think, “we have so many people around us who are affected by some personal disaster or other—loss of jobs, sickness, poverty, loss of family members.”  These people are just as devastated as the people in Mexico and the Caribbean.  It has given me the desire to be more aware of those around me and to try to think of ways I can help them and strengthen them.

Time is flying so fast!  Each week as I get to know the members of our little Branch, it gets harder to think of leaving them--especially the kids!  I don’t know when I can ever be this happy again.  I am truly grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord that I see and feel every day.

Some random missionary pics:  We love them all!

The elders were elated to be in Manhattan.

This was our week to take the missionaries to the Temple.

Quiet Week...

Pretty quiet week this week. 

Tuesday I took the subway into Manhattan to speak firmly with (sounds nicer than ‘yell at’) Toyota Of Manhattan (T.O.M.) about getting busy and delivering our new cars to us.  Right now they have 11 vehicles somewhere in their storage lots in New Jersey waiting to get licensed and delivered to us, and it’s been going on and on (and on) since May when I first talked to them!  Since then the person I was talking to was let go and eventually replaced by a new person who knows nothing, and she is figuring out the process and s-l-o-w-l-y doing it.  (The local dealers do what is called a ‘courtesy delivery’ for the purchasing dealer in Utah, and they get paid a couple hundred dollars per car to register them, clean them up and deliver them.  It’s not generally high on their list of priorities, but Toyota Of Manhattan has certainly set a new (lower yet) standard!)  Salt Lake probably thought they were doing us a favor going through a dealer that is only five miles from us, but instead they accidently picked a high-brow dealer in the middle of Manhattan who seems to have all the customers they could ever want.

The courtesy deliveries are a pain for them logistically because of lack of space (dealer has a small footprint with 4 floors and an auto elevator, and all extra vehicles are stored across the Hudson in NJ).  I keep reminding them that their general manager did accept the work and sign a contract and I need the cars!  Meanwhile, we usually replace cars at 50,000 miles, and now I have ten cars ranging from 55,000-69,000 miles!  I know it will all work out eventually, but it’s frustrating!  I’ve been told that the church will never do business with T.O.M again, and I know complaints have also been made to Toyota about their lack of responsiveness.  Funny thing to be doing on a mission, isn’t it?!

On Friday after our regular scripture study class the branch had a baptism, which was neat!  The primary president, Sister Rosario’s husband was baptized.  He speaks very little English, so everything was in Spanish, and I had to wear headphones the whole time except when the branch president, President Garcia, welcomed him to the branch. (President Garcia is from the Philippines, and does not speak Spanish. I don’t know how he does interviews!)  There was a wonderful feeling there, and of course, lots of food afterwards.  We tried to sneak off to get Diane off her feet, but she made the mistake of saying goodbye to Sister Rosario, and she forced us to take home a big plate of spaghetti.  She would not take no for an answer…

 

Elder Benitez giving the Holy Ghost talk at the baptism

Today was stake conference, so it was a very relaxing weekend for us, with no lessons or singing time to prepare!  The speakers were all great! The member of the 70 presiding, Elder Buckner, is local, and he had some wonderful stories and connections with our stake!  It was very inspiring!!  Then, of course, we had a brief informal luncheon to thank the Harris’s for their service in our branch.  They are a senior couple on a temple mission in the Manhattan temple, and assigned to serve in the Flushing branch on Sundays.  Sister Harris is the only organ/piano player in the branch, so she will REALLY be missed!  Sacrament meeting and primary will now have to make do with the pre-recorded music in the organ and keyboards, which makes such a difference!  I thought it was interesting that we put all the chairs away from stake conference and then filled the gym with tables and chairs for our going-away get-together.  The branch loves to eat, and loves to be together!!  It’s one thing we will certainly miss when we go home, because in comparison we all seem to take the members and the ward we love for granted a little bit.

 

"Casual" Lunch (same size as most branch dinners)

Jay Stonehill, Elder Harris, Sister Duffy, Sister Harris, Sister Williams

We still like our mission!  Diane got a new assignment this week that will keep her out of mischief for a while.  Unbeknownst to me, she had been praying for something more she could do to be useful. (Like I always say, she’s a lot better than me…) Anyway, President Reynolds called her Thursday and asked her to be the mission emergency preparedness focal.  He said he sat up in his bed in the middle of the night, knowing that he needed to get busy on it, and he knew she’d do a great job.  Since then she’s been busy making sure that each apartment has a printed emergency preparation plan and a fully stocked emergency kit!  So far she’s heard back from a little over ½ of the mission, and there’s a lot of work to do!  As you can imagine, keeping the kits in place and fully stocked is a real challenge with all the transition and turnover.  So now she’s busy getting all the data in and buying new supplies to restock kits.  Then the hard part will start -- getting the right supplies spread throughout the mission!  She has this thing about feeling needed. I think it's crazy, but it's one of many things I love about her!!!

Group hug with 6 elders. (See, I told you I was

learning and growing!)

Cars lined up for inspection at the Plainview MegaZone conference 9/1/17

So Much to Do and So LIttle Time

It was a busy week of Megazone Conferences.  We always love them but they tend to wear us out. 

Train on the Williamsburg Bridge

Thursday was my birthday, which we spent in Brooklyn Conference—once we finally got there that is.  On the way, we took the wrong fork in the road (easy to do even after travelling there 15 or 20 times).   As soon as we realized our mistake it was too late.  We were on the Williamsburg Bridge and headed for Lower Manhattan in the morning rush hour.  Marc claims he just took the scenic route for my birthday.  We did eventually find our way and enjoyed a working at conference.  The best part was when all the missionaries stood and sang Happy Birthday to me!  It was great.  My kids and grandkids called with birthday wishes and were all very good to me—especially my companion (who is always good to me).

On the Scenic Route through Manhattan

Sister Lee serving Strawberry Shortcake.  She is so very sweet.

Fridays are the highlight of our week.  After working in the office we get to go to Flushing for Bible Study class.  It is generally just two elders, Jay and Marc and me.  It is so nice to just sit and discuss the scriptures with adults.  We teach youth and teens on Sundays, which is fun but it’s a nice change to talk with adults.

Today in Primary we all said goodbye to Elder & Sister Harris who are completing their Temple Mission.  The leaders had forgotten it was Fast Sunday and had brought cake.  Some of us saved ours for later.  We also some group pictures with Sister Harris.  We will miss having an organist in Sacrament Meeting and a pianist in Primary!  She made the kids promise that at least four of them would take music lessons.

Flushing 1st Branch Primary with Sister Harris and Sister Novak

The days and weeks are just flying by and it is hard to believe we only have a little over 4 months left!  This has just become our life and as excited as we are to be with our family again, we will be sad to leave our wonderful friends here.

We love our office elders.  Elder Sutherland and Elder Johnson

Montauk with my favorite person

I can't believe this came this week.  Time is flying way too fast!