Birthday, Brooklyn, Door Bells, & Music

Next Tuesday is Transfer Day in the mission.  For a week afterward, it is a bit confusing for me because of all the changes happening. There are people (18 sisters and 3 elders) who will be going home and those who are coming (9 sisters and 6 elders). It is the “domino effect”. There will be new companionships, most of them moving to new areas with different phone numbers too. It takes a few days for the dust to settle and the new phone and address lists to be printed.  I have to take careful  notes with phone numbers attached so I can follow up and retrace my steps if I need to. I think I mentioned this previously, but it is difficult sometimes to hear the names of the missionaries when they call.  I can see the number on my phone and look for it on the phone list so I can see who it was who called.  Won’t be able to do that next week.  At least for 2-3 days.

I came a few days before the last transfer so that means I have been here for 7 weeks.

I have grown fond of several of the sisters who are going home.  I went to Corona, a predominately Hispanic area, on Monday to have street tacos with Sister Placheta who is leaving and her companion, Sister Maddox.  The area reminded me a little of Tijuana with vendors and fruit stands on the street.  It is more modern than Tijuana but still reminiscent.  My white hair was definitely out of place.

The street vendor selling tacos was not there Monday so we had "street tacos" in a restaurant.

Streets of Corona.

My first solo ride on the train! I had detailed texted instructions for getting to Corona.
Made it fine. Got lost coming home. The verbal instructions went in one ear and out the other.
I was half way to Manhattan when I realized I hadn't changed trains when I should have. OOPS!!

Tuesday I was treated royally.  Thank you to all of my family and friends who thought of me on my birthday.  The mission office staff called me and sang happy birthday and I had many other calls and remembrances come my way.  That evening, five of the senior couples treated me to dinner at a Peruvian restaurant. Sister Reynolds, wife of the mission president, joined us for a time before she had to leave for other obligations.

I had Peruvian fried rice with carne asada and a drink, chincha morada, made from blue corn.  Sounds strange but it was actually very tasty.  One of the couples brought carrot cake for dessert.

I was so spoiled on my birthday. I had flowers, phone calls, candy, cards, candy, 
pictures, candy, slippers, candy, oven mitt, and CANDY!!
Lots of love and hugs and good thoughts and candy.

My birthday dinner.

My birthday dinner group. Love these people!

Peruvian drink, chincha morada made from bluepurplish corn.
It had chunks of apple floating in it.

Wednesday I went to a zone meeting in Jamaica.  I love going to these different areas of the city and to learn about the history of the area.  It is a middle class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, with a population of 48% Black, 22% Hispanic, 19.9% White, 10/5% Asian, and 9.4% Other. (2010 Census)

It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp.  Under British rule, Rustdorp became the “Town of Jamaica”.  It became the first incorporated village on Long Island in 1814.

The area has many government buildings and is a major commercial center.  JFK airport is in Jamaica as is the Aqueduct Racetrack.

I used Thursday to play catch-up on my paper work. As mentioned in previous posts,  I have reports due weekly to the mission president and to the area doctor who is an elder called to a 3 year mission.  I usually spend Saturday and sometimes even a little on Sunday to get them finished.  I decided this week to get my excel document report to the president started on Monday and then add to it as the calls come in.  I think I will like it.  It just takes longer each day to do my “charting” to record each missionary and their illness.  BTW, I was able to submit the reports Saturday evening so no work on Sunday. I like it!!

I started Friday morning at 7:10 (At least she waited until after my walk.) with a cut hand.  The sister cut the “web” of skin between her thumb and index finger.  Took 12 stitches at urgent care to get her back together.  Whenever I get a call from a missionary who needs to see a dr, I have to call SLC to get authorization to send them to a doctor or other facility. It is not hard, it just takes time.  I don’t mind but the waiting missionary may not feel the same way.  Although it is a short wait compared to the 45 minutes it would take her to subway/bus to the urgent care.

In the afternoon, I went to Brooklyn for another zone meeting. This one was in Dyker Heights.  I wished I'd had the time to drive around the area.  In its history, I read that the area was one of expensive homes in the 1800’s  and was an exclusive area in which to live and still be close to Manhattan.  The area where the chapel is seems now to be Chinese predominately, at least in the businesses.  In that zone there are Spanish, Chinese, and English speaking missionaries.

On my way home, I followed the river for a way looking across into Manhattan.  I noticed the Brooklyn Bridge particularly this time.  I think I have always been so focused on the buildings across the river that I’ve never really looked at the bridge from the Brooklyn side before.  It is a beautiful bridge.  It is not spectacular as some big metal, shiny, new bridges but stately in its solidity.

Looking at the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn.

I also found 10 cool facts about Brooklyn:

1. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883

2. The first roller coaster built as an amusement ride was invented by LaMarcus Thompson at Coney Island in 1884.

3. In August and September of 1776, the Battle Of Long Island (also called the Battle of Brooklyn) was fought in Kings County. It was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the Declaration of Independence and the largest battle of the entire conflict.

4. Famous Celebrities born in brooklyn include Barabra Streisand, Mos Def, Larry King, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Mike Tyson, Richard Dreyfuss and Jay-Z to name a few.

5. Twizzlers candy was developed by the National Licorice Company in Brooklyn in 1845.

6. An Historic African American neighborhood located in what is now Bedford Stuyvesant is called Weeksville. Weeksville served as a refuge for many African-Americans who fled from Manhattan during the violent Draft Riot of 1863.  (Now I need to Google the “Draft Riot”.)

7. The Brooklyn based Topps company dumped 500 cases of their 1952 high series baseball cards into the ocean just off the Jersey shore in the early 60s? (current value would be well over $1 Billion)

8. Prospect Park makes up the largest green space in Brooklyn. This gem of a public space measures 585 Acres

9. Bay Ridge was the Brooklyn neighborhood that John Travolta whipped out his Saturday Night Fever dance moves.

10. Where did Brooklyn gets it name? Brooklyn is the anglicized form of the Dutch word Breuckelen and it is named after the municipality of Breukelen, in Utrecht province, in the Netherlands.

When the Dutch settled western Long Island they established a village near what are the present-day neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO. They called it “Breukelen” after the town of Breukelen in Holland.

I tried to find a name so I could give credit to the person who posted these facts, but I couldn’t find it.  I found this info on Campus Edge BK.

Saturday morning after I got some of my “patients” cared for, I spent a couple of hours at the church next door helping to clean.  It really needed it.

A couple of elders than came and installed a door bell on the front door.  I could never hear people knock at the door so the senior couple over the housing sent a door bell my way.  They have tried to knock before and then had to send a text to tell me that they were at my front door because I couldn’t hear them.

Looking into the foyer from outside my front door. My door is to the right.
If someone was knocking on the outside door which is always locked,
I couldn't hear it before my new doorbell was installed.

In the afternoon/evening I went grocery shopping.  It was so crowded in the store and on the streets it took forever!! I later gave a couple of sisters a ride and I think they could have walked faster.  The traffic was at a crawl.

I think these orchids are beautiful. Don't you?

I was in crawling traffic Saturday afternoon so I was able to snap this picture,
through some tall grasses in a swampy area, of the sun setting.

I have some Tabernacle Choir and other CD’s that were given to me by dear friends before I left for my mission.  Music warms my soul and invites the Spirit and makes me feel closer to the Lord than any other thing except maybe prayer.  Music does speak to my soul.

I think that we sing in church and other meetings so often it becomes just the thing that we do.  Done without thought or meaning. Sunday morning I attended the Spanish ward that meets in the building next door to where I live.  Sisters Placheta and Maddox were singing the special number and they asked me to accompany them.  It was my blessing.

As I entered, I noticed that there was no prelude music. The hymns were accompanied on the piano.  No postlude either.  The spirit was strong though in the meeting.  The priesthood passed the sacrament with reverence and respect like I have never witnessed before.  The boys/men were all in long sleeved white shirts with dark pants and ties.  They stood erect with their left hands behind their backs as they passed the trays.  The room was silent except for a few children who made little noises.  I saw no one on their cell phones.

I felt the spirit intensely.  I missed the prelude and postlude but with the little Spanish I studied in school and my years with Kay speaking Spanish nearly every day, I was able to join in singing the hymns. They are beautiful in Spanish.  I didn’t understand most of what was said but it was a rewarding and spiritual experience none-the-less.

May you feel the Spirit of the Lord around you as you listen to music that fills your soul with love.

I love you my family and friends.

I can't resist taking pictures of Manhattan in the mornings when I'm walking.
Love how the sun's reflection makes the skyscrapers golden.

In the mornings I leave the house at 6:30 to walk. One morning after a rain storm, I watched these pigeons taking a bath
in this puddle of gross, dirty water. They didn't seem to mind that it was windy and chilly and that the water was yuck!!
They were having fun splashing and flapping their wings. I think I saw smiles on their faces too.

I drove through an area of nicer stand alone homes in the Richmond area of Queens.

  

A different kind of garden.

There are even gardens in the city. This small back yards is used entirely for food garden.

This garden has chain link all around it. Even on top. I don't know if this one had it or not but
I've seen others where cucumbers and squash and other vine type plants grew on the chain link on top and sides.
Makes me wonder how the plants underneath get enough sun.