The Vital Importance of Love

Finished the last two Mega Zone Conferences this week. The one on Tuesday was just next door in the Rego Park Chapel so no travel.

Group hug at the Rego Park Conference

Tuesday evening I walked to Queens Mall with the sisters. You can't see him but
there was a man walking back and forth along the freeway playing bagpipes.
Wednesday morning on my way to Brooklyn he was there playing again.

Descending into the subway.
On the way out of the subway the escalator wasn't working. Thought I was in pretty good
shape but I was huffing and puffing and my knees were screaming STOP!! 
It was a long flight of escalator steps to climb. Whew!!!

Trinity Church

The conference on Wednesday was in Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. I really like to go to Brooklyn.  It is busy there like Queens but I can see the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhatten skyline.  I love both sights.

Bumper to bumper traffic going to Brooklyn. The 45 minute drive took way over an hour.

They are constructing a new bridge beside the existing one.

Looking at Staten Island

There is a HUGE cemetery with the Manhattan skyline in the background. The cemetery goes for miles.

Verrazano Bridge (half of it)

Store fronts in Dyker Heights. On my way out I saw many fruit, vegetable,
fish and meat markets street side. Moving too fast for pics.

The area where the chapel is located is mostly Chinese.  When I left the chapel about 3:00, the smells of cooking food were tantalizing!!  I took Anthea, my friend and the woman the mission hires to help with the meal preparation, home to Jamaica.  The route we drove took us along the beach and an expressway I had not traveled.  However, I was moving too fast to get pictures.  It was a scenic and beautiful drive.  I want to go again.

On Monday, I took two more sisters from the Flushing area to dinner at Mizumi.  I ate so much sushi I think I could have burst. It was as good this time as the time I went before.  Monday evening we had our FHE with the senior couples.

Sister Seo and Sister Fitt

My lunch guests

Sushi assortment

Friday morning, we had a surprise birthday breakfast for one of the sisters in the Woodside area. (I was invited because they needed flour and oil.  I loved it anyway.)  I have included pictures.  It was a nice way to begin the weekend.  I did have to go home and do those pesky weekly reports!!  It was a quiet week for the most part knock on wood,.  No ER visits nor car accidents.  Just run of the mill sore throats, nausea and vomiting.  A few emotional upheavals but we all survived.

The birthday breakfast crowd

Elder Paterson's Crepe Shop

The elders made the crepes-mostly Elder Paterson with Elder Sewell looking over his shoulder.

Fancy flipping!  Show off!!!

A note on the bulletin board in the chapel.

Saturday I had a joyous reunion with my friend, Jeri Maughan, from my home ward in Sandy.  I was able to meet up with her for lunch in the Wall Street area of Manhattan.  It was so nice to talk to her and to get hugs.  BTW, you are all invited to come to visit me.  I have air mattresses and floor space.  It is not the Ritz but it is free so come on over!!  I'll leave the porch light on.

My dear friend Jeri Maughan

Dessert with Jeri. One can't come to NYC and not eat cheesecake.

Saturday night I took Tula, my 91 year old friend from Peru, to the Women's Conference Broadcast.  If you saw the session, Sister Linda K Burton, the General Relief Society President, talked about helping the refugees.  A picture of a young woman, Sister Yvette Bugingo, was shown on the screen and Sister Burton told the story of her family and that the mother and younger daughter were singing in the choir.  Sister Bugingo is serving here in my mission.  She is a sweetheart.  I love her. If you were not able to see it, you can watch it here.

With Easter Sunday, I took the opportunity to reflect on the Savior and His gifts of the Atonement and Resurrection to mankind.  Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He gave His son to save us.  Jesus Christ loves us so much that He willingly gave of Himself on our behalf.  What great love they have.  The really important thing for us to remember is that we must learn to love them and each other.  Love is vital to each one of us.  If we can love each other as our Father in Heaven and our Savior loves us what a beautiful world this would be.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ and charity, the pure love that Christ demonstrated for us, is our salvation.

I love you my family and friends.

Places I've been this week.

Forsythia- a sure sign of Spring.

I can never see purple pansies without remembering this little song we sang in Primary when I was little:
1. Little purple pansies, touched with yellow gold,
Growing in one corner of the garden old;
We are very tiny but must try, try, try
Just one spot to gladden, you and I.
2. In whatever corner we may chance to grow,
Whether cold or warm the wind may ever blow,
Dark the day or sunny, we must try, try, try
Just one spot to gladden, you and I

Spring

Full moon over Queens