Transfer Week, Port Washington, & Eternal Families

Transfer week is always difficult.  The week before all apartments are to be deep cleaned.  No one knows whether to buy groceries or not since usually you don't take your store of food with you.  Everyone is up in the air for a weekend until Monday when all find out if they will be transferred or not.  (You will be surprised to hear that I am not being transferred.  Imagine that!!)  If you get notice Monday morning that you are being transferred, you pack up all of your worldly belonging and prepare for the move which is accomplished on Tuesday, transfer day.

The new missionaries arrive on Monday and spend the night at the mission home and then are brought to the church to meet with their new trainers.  The departing missionaries are picked up at the church and taken to spend the night at the mission home before flying out Wednesday morning.  All of the coming and going causes a domino effect.  The mission president and his two assistants spend many hours in prayer and consideration the week or so prior to transfer day.   What a job they have!!!  And all of this while they must keep the mission functioning well.  I believe that we now have 205 missionaries.  Not and even number so we have a few "trio" companionships which can be difficult.  You know, 2 is company…

Sister Lewis and Sister Mejia came to see me before I left for the mission home Tuesday.
Sister Mejia was about to plant a kiss on my cheek. I shocked her when I turned my
head and puckered up my lips. We died laughing!!

Sister Clifford departing

Sister Ewell departing

Sister Gonzalez departing

I'm going to miss my friends, the Dukes. They worked in the office and left this week for their home in California.

We had 13 new arrivals and 12 departing missionaries.  It always saddens me to see the missionaries leave.  I enjoy helping with laundry and cooking at the mission home on transfer day because I get to see the missionaries one last time and I also get to hear them bear their testimonies.  It is a spiritual high for me.  They are such marvelous spirits.

Mission home in Port Washington

Anthea - I'm her helper

Sister Reynolds, mission president's wife

The mission home is Port Washington about 30-40 minutes from Rego Park.  I don't think I have ever told you about the area there so here is my Google report:

"Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the community population was 15,846.

Port Washington is a hamlet within and directly governed by the town of North Hempstead. With rolling hills and a serpentine coastline in the northwest corner of Nassau County, Port Washington is studded with marinas, parks, yacht clubs and golf courses. The Great Neck peninsula is across Manhasset Bay to the west; Manhasset and Plandome are to the south; Roslyn lies southeast. Besides an unincorporated area of the Town of North Hempstead, Port Washington is home to four incorporated villages: Baxter Estates, Manorhaven, Port Washington North and Sands Point, plus part of the village of Flower Hill. According to Forbes, Port Washington is ranked 348th wealthiest place in the United States as of 2015, with a median sale price of $1,191,865.

In the 1870s Port Washington became an important sand-mining town; it had the largest sandbank east of the Mississippi, and easy barge access to Manhattan. Some 140 million cubic yards of local sand were used for concrete for New York skyscrapers like the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, according to Jon Kaiman, the Town Supervisor until 2013. The sand mines were later redeveloped as Harbor Links, a golf course for North Hempstead residents.

Port Washington is depicted as the area of East Egg in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby.

The Thomas Dodge Homestead, Execution Rocks Light, Gould-Guggenheim Estate, William Landsberg House, Main Street School, Monfort Cemetery, Sands-Willets Homestead, and John Philip Sousa House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Knickerbocker Yacht Club was a yacht club in Port Washington for over 100 years"

On Thursday, I took the sister missionary who lives in Flushing to Staten Island again for tests and blood work.  While I was waiting, I walked out to see the turkeys.  I found them by a memorial for a firefighter who lost his life on 9/11.  Beautiful art.

Memorial in front of Long Island University Hospital -and the turkeys.

The firefighter is rescuing a baby in his arm. Hope you can read the plague.

Friday was leadership training.  I helped with lunch.  It is a great experience to interact with the missionaries.  I know I've said this a million times already but I'll be here a long time so you will probably hear it again and again.  I talked to them briefly about getting information out to the missionaries about ticks and poisonous plants.  I want to attend the zone training meetings but most of them are held on the same day so I put together information and will email it to all of the missionaries.  I will attend as many training meetings as I can to stress the importance of protecting themselves and then if they get tick bites about letting me know so they can receive a dose of antibiotic as a prophylactic measure.

Slow moving traffic gave me a chance to enjoy the clouds and the skyline.

This is a tank tower on top of a building along side the river.
My guess is it used to be a water tank but now the tank is made of stained glass.

Sunset.  The traffic was slow so I had time to enjoy the scenery.

With the departure of the missionaries, including the Dukes - a senior couple, and the sudden and unexpected death of Chase Richards, the young son (also a husband, and father)  of friends at home, it has been a tender week for me and has given me pause to once again rejoice in the faith and knowledge that families are forever. That even though they are gone from this life, we will meet again. I know that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our bodies and spirits can be reunited for all eternity.  Kay, my parents, my grandparents, and all of my family can live through eternity in love and harmony.  This brings me peace in times of missing Kay and a renewed determination to live my life in a way that I will be worthy to be reunited with the people I love.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. 

I love you my family and friends.

Places I've been this week

Nothing says spring like yellow daffodils.

The office elders found this critter in the basement. They had to call me to come down and
see it because it is stuck in a "standing" position. In the top left pic you see the shadow of its erect body.
Gross but fascinating.

Thought this is cool in the sunset. The sphere is actually on a stand but because of the hill you only
see part of the globe. You can see the tall, new high-rise apartment building in Manhattan in the bottom right pic. 

From Google:

The Unisphere is a 120 ft, spherical stainless steel representation of the Earth. Located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the borough of Queens,New York City, the Unisphere is one of the borough's most iconic and enduring symbols.

Commissioned to celebrate the beginning of the space age, the Unisphere was conceived and constructed as the theme symbol of the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair. The theme of the World's Fair was "Peace Through Understanding" and the Unisphere represented the theme of global interdependence. It was dedicated to "Man's Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe".

"Life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change."

This has been a crazy, busy week.  The stomach virus bug is working its way through the mission bringing along it's friends Nausea, Vomiting and Body Aches and Pain. I finally made a sticky with the instructions for care since it involved a little more than take ibuprofen with food and I'll check in on you in two days.  I could copy and paste.  However, in my dreams I was still writing:  "Rest your stomach. When you have stopped vomiting, begin with sips of water and if you can tolerate that, slowly increase your fluid intake so that you don't become dehydrated.  Avoid fatty and spicy foods and eat a bland diet for a couple of days until your stomach is completely better. When you can eat, take two ibuprofen with food every 4-6 hours for body aches and pains."  I don't want you to think I'm complaining.  It is just difficult to put into words the things that I do that can seem to occupy so much time.

 I took a sister to the dentist about 1/3 of the way out onto Long Island Tuesday because she had been transferred into the city.  The dentist was doing a free root canal for her so it wasn't wise to cancel and reschedule to an area she could easily get to.  I went to the doctor Friday with a sister who doesn't speak English very well because she felt insecure going even with her companion.  I love my work!  Love spending time with the missionaries and getting to know them better.

Saturday morning I helped clean the church and then did some grocery shopping.  Saturday evening President and Sister Reynolds hosted a dinner at the mission home for all of the senior couples.  It was a very nice evening getting to know the couples who live too far away to come to FHE on Monday nights at my place.  Elder and Sister Prince will be leaving Thursday or Friday.  The new couple, the Williams, have arrived from Seattle to take the place of the Princes.

Elder and Sister Prince.

Sunday evening I was invited to dinner at Elder and Sister Duke's home.  The Princes and Williams were there too so we could all get better acquainted with them. Sister Williams does not walk so I am losing my walking partner when Sister Prince leaves.  It will be difficult to see them go but I am sure their family is waiting anxiously to see them.  They will be returning home to Texas.

City by night from the bridge.

City from the bridge by day.

Saturday afternoon before the dinner at the mission home, Sister Prince and I walked over into the crescent area.  A few posts ago, I wrote about Rego Park where I live.  To refresh your memory:   "many houses in southern Rego Park are in the colonial, English, and Tudor styles with slate roofs. There are also two and multi-family townhouses, detached wood-frame houses. This is especially so in an area called the Crescents, named for its semicircular shaped streets emanating in a concentric pattern from Alderton Street, between Woodhaven Boulevard and the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line.[4] The Crescents contain many Tudor and single-family homes, as well as large lawns and tree plantings on the sidewalks."  (From Wikipedia)

The homes there are beautiful.  It reminds me of the Harvard area of SLC.  The streets are not quite so tree-lined as on Harvard but the home construction and types are similar.

Crescent neighborhood of Rego Park.

Long, narrow lots with stand alone homes.

Sister Prince

Another beautiful home. Looks a little newer but maybe just remodeled.

There is an elementary school in the neighborhood.  Very nice.  It has a playground and yard that is not asphalt.  I have included a picture of a plaque on the school telling about William Sidney Mount.  I Googled him on Sunday afternoon.  Interesting man.

"William Sidney Mount (November 26, 1807 - November 19, 1868) was an American painter best known for his genre paintings, although he also painted landscapes and portraits. He was a contemporary of the Hudson River School.

William SIDNEY Mount

William Mount was born in Setauket, Long Island, New York, on November 26, 1807 to Thomas Shepard Mount and his wife, Julia Ann Hawkins. He trained at the National Academy of Design in New York, New York, and in 1832 was made a full Academician. He died in Setauket, Long Island, on November 19, 1868.

Although he started as a history painter, Mount moved to depicting scenes from everyday life. Two of his more famous paintings are Eel Spearing at Setauket (1845, New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown) and Bargaining for a Horse (1835, New-York Historical Society, New York City).

Bargaining for a horse by William Sydney Mount.

The largest collection of his works is located in the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages.

His home and studio, the William Sidney Mount House, is a National Historic Landmark. One of the local elementary schools in The Three Village Central School District is named in his honor, as is PS 174 elementary school in Rego Park, Queens. A residential building is named after him on the Stony Brook University campus."

At our dinner on Saturday night, it was suggested that we meet together monthly for a senior's outing.  Each couple is supposed to host a dinner, excursion, an evening at a play or something of that nature.  I think I will suggest we go to the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages.   I looked at the website.  They have over 200 carriages on display along with the art.  Some of the displays are outside so I am thinking a late spring date would be good.

I have a difficult time seeing the sisters and elders leave to go home. I know it is part of the mission- the call and the release- but I grow to love these people and don't want to part with them. I am feeling especially sad to see the Princes leave. Change is good, but also hard at the same time.  Made me think of a saying I once heard:  "Life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change."   I know that through change we grow so I am going to look at this change as an opportunity to grow.  Thank goodness for modern technology.  I can still stay in touch with these wonderful friends.

I love you my family and friends.

FHE dinner

This is where you take your iPhone and iPad when they are sick!!

A building in Flushing I like the strange shape and color.
Chinese characters on the signs. This is Queen's China Town.

Ayushman Bhava: "May you live a long life"

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  It was my first without my family but it was never-the-less a day of celebration and gratitude for our Savior's life.  I cherish the kind thoughts and gifts of love and support that I received from my family and my "family" of friends.

The week was full of preparation and activities.

At our senior couples FHE/dinner on Monday, we decorated and filled bags with gifts for those elders and sisters who didn't receive gifts/ packages from home.  Sister Prince takes care of the mail.  All mail comes through the office so she monitored the packages and recorded who received boxes.  That way she could tell who didn't receive. The bags were filled with toothpaste, toothbrush, candy, fruit, cake/brownie mixes, misc. goodies and stocking caps and ties for the elders and necklaces and scarves for the sisters.

Preparing gift bags for missionaries.

Wouldn't you know it, we have a Sister PRINCE and a Sister DUKE right here in QUEENS!!

Our FHE treat thanks to my brother, John Terry, the cook.
He sent me a huge box of homemade fudges of different flavors. We were all blessed by his talents.

Tuesday, Sister and Elder Duke escorted the missionaries on their 6, 12, or 18 month temple trip (The missionaries have the gift of going to the temple in Manhattan on the anniversary of their 6, 12, 18 months in the mission.) so that left Elder and Sister Prince to man the office.  I went over in the afternoon and helped Sister Prince with all of the mail. For the past 3 weeks or more, between all the carriers, there have been dozens of boxes delivered each day to put into the zones for dispersal.  That was almost a full time job especially this last week as Christmas drew near.

Tuesday evening I went with the Spanish speaking sisters, in a down pour, to a lesson.  They are teaching an English speaking lady from India.  The sister will be coming to my ward so the missionaries wanted her to meet me so she would have someone at church that she knows.  It was truly an experience I will embrace. We were drenched by the time we got there but Ruma, the investigator, was warm and inviting.  She didn't seem to mind that we were dripping on her hardwood floors.

Sisters Maddox and Jenkins on our way to teach a lesson.

On our way home, the water was over the curb and onto the side walk.
Even with umbrellas we were drenched head to toes.
By the way you should try walking down a crowded sidewalk
when everyone has umbrellas open. Quite a trick!!

Ruma was pleased, as was I, that I had come to her home.  She is a young mother with two boys. One looked to be 12 or a bit older and the other maybe 8 or 9.  She wants to be baptized but her husband says no.  The lesson was about the word of wisdom.  It was easy for her as she does not smoke nor drink.  She drinks herbal tea but not green nor black tea. 

As I left, she reached down and touched my feet.  I was a bit taken aback but she told me it was a custom in her country. We agreed to see each other at church.

When I got home, I Googled the custom of touching a person's feet in India.  "Feet are considered unclean and insulting in India, so it can be surprising to see a Hindu bending down to touch someone's feet with their hand. Why are they doing that?

Touching feet is one of the forms of pranam (there are others, ranging from the namaste/namaskar gesture of palms together to bowing with forehead touching the floor). You might even hear someone say, "Pranam!" as a greeting, especially to their guru.

A gesture of respect, foot touching is reserved for your elders (like your parents or grandparents) or someone worthy of respect (such as a priest, guru, or deity).

There is a saying, "Every time you bow, you receive a blessing" which comes from the fact that the person whose feet are being touched raises the right hand in a gesture of blessing, often saying something like, "Ayushman Bhava," which means, "May you live a long life."

Foot touching is not done despite feet being considered unclean - it's done because feet are generally considered unclean. It means that the person has walked this earth longer than you and gained such wisdom that you can benefit even from the dust their feet have picked up along the way."

After learning about this gesture, I was deeply touched.

Christmas Eve day we had a mission conference.  All 11 zones came to the chapel next door to my apt where the mission office is located so I didn't have far to go.  The day started with hot chocolate, muffins, juice, and clementines.  We had funny parodies of Christmas music with each zone preparing a number.  Our zone performed a medley of songs with the words changed to fit our mission. We weren't "gettin' nuttin' for Christmas cause President and Sister Reynolds were mad."  We sang Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.  Bet you can't guess who Rudolph was with antlers and all!  (They forgot to bring the red nose but no one seemed to mind.) We also sang a couple of other songs. It was fun.  With 11 zones, it took most of the morning to hear all of the "mashed up" versions of Christmas songs. 

We arrived early to prepare hot chocolate. Elder and Sister Lilly beside me.

The senior couples helped with the luncheon. The main course was catered. Whew!! We served over 230 people: ham, scalloped potatoes, mixed vegetables, salad, rolls, and chocolate cake with either peppermint or vanilla ice cream.

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight... No snow in sight!!

After lunch, we had a guest speaker who is a stake patriarch in the area and then talks by Sister and President Reynolds.  President Reynolds presented the mission goals for 2016.

Someone airdropped this to me during the conference

That evening I went with the six Spanish speaking missionaries in our zone to dinner at a member's home in Jackson Heights.  Luckily it wasn't raining but it was warm (60 degrees) and the house was hot! That was an interesting experience. We arrived at 6:00 but dinner wasn't served until almost 8:00. They had a dance contest.  It was a laugh-filled evening.  The matron of the home didn't speak English.  Her daughter and the daughter's husband prepared dinner and provided the entertainment. We had pork, warm potato salad, and Puerto Rican rice.  Chocolate cake and a glass of milk was dessert.  As we were leaving, the rest of the guests began to arrive. I understand that they party all night.

My dinner companions(left to right):
Elders Pothier & Corzo, Sisters Jenkins & Maddox, Elders Messenger & Pena  

Boys will be boys!

The dance contest winners. The dance was performed riding a stick horse to some lively music.
An example of a horse was shown in video. It was a Paso Fino.
We were to dance as the horse had "danced" slapping our hip as we would a horse. Very silly.

We were visited by the Grinch.

We were very late getting home because of the late dinner so I was up until 1:30ish preparing the French toast strata for the Christmas morning brunch.  I didn't mind though.  I loved the experience at the Hispanic home.

Christmas morning Sister and Elder Duke, Sister and Elder Prince and I prepared brunch for the five sets of missionaries in our close area. I so enjoy having friends in my home.  That afternoon and evening I was able to FaceTime my family members.  What a wonderful day!

Looking out my bedroom window Christmas morning.

Christmas brunch.

Saturday morning I helped clean at our chapel. Our ward was assigned again.  The chapel was a mess because of the many festivities that were held there during the week. People clean up after themselves- sort of - not!  In the afternoon I did my laundry and reports.  A productive day.

This week as I have studied my scriptures, I thought more about my idea of the Light of Christ that I mentioned last blog.  I have re-thought my statement.  I no longer feel that the darkness the people of this continent experienced when Christ died was a result of His light leaving the earth with Christ's death. I think it could have been symbolic but it was only on this continent, not the entire world, that there was darkness.

I also chatted about this idea with a person whom I respect deeply and who has a greater knowledge of the scriptures than do I.  Samuel the Lamanite, in Helaman 14, prophesied of the birth of the Savior and also of His death. At His birth there would be "one day and a night and a day" of continual light and a new star in the heavens. Then speaking of mankind's need of the Atonement and resurrection, Samuel prophesied of the signs of Jesus' death, three days of darkness accompanied by storms and earthquakes.

These signs were "gifts" to the people to let them know assuredly that the Savior had come, had died, and was resurrected and that prophecies had been fulfilled.

I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and for the teachings of the prophets that can be found in this book.  I am grateful for the Savior and His gifts to me.  I am grateful for the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for my membership in the church. I know without doubt that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. He loves me and He loves you.

I am blessed to be here in this mission, to be with the missionaries and to have been able to share in the experiences of being with investigators and members. As Sister Maddox reminded me as we walked through the rain, I was getting a feel for what they experience frequently.  I've always appreciated what the missionaries do but this did truly give me a taste of real missionary life. To borrow from the phrase noted for the mail carriers that also applies to these great missionaries: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

I love you my family and friends.

My favorite Santa!  Love this man!

Many delis/markets have flower shops outside. A month ago, they set up this portable green house.
The store owner leaves a window open for heat.

Christmas tree sales, New York style.