Birthday, Snow and Harlem

"Oh, the places you'll go!" (Dr. Seuss)

As a boy in Big Piney High School (Wyoming) and learning about all the race issues of the 1960s, the last place I ever thought I'd visit was Harlem. What a difference 60 years can make. Today it is multi-colored, multi-lingual and multi-prosperous (if that's a word). But I'm putting the cart before the horse. More on Harlem, later.

This week we participated in a project of filling snowman bags for the young missionaries. Olivia and 3 other women sewed over 200 bags and decorated them to look like snowmen. The senior couples each bought items to put into the bags along with a bag of Chex mix. We set up a production line so we could go down each side and put in the items purchased. The bags were then carried to a table outside the room where they were tied according to whether they were male or female (socks were included, so they have to know M or F).

Finished here. A few bags left, but
nothing to put into them

Olivia helped tie the bags.

Almost finished. Elders' bags in front;
Sisters' bags in back.

Before the project we had a nice meal. Afterward,
we sang carols, accompanied by Elder Hunsaker
on the ukulele. 

We are a pretty good-sized group.

Somebody apparently likes Frozen.

Our contribution: NY New York City
Mission

 The zone conferences will be in the Manhattan building that houses the temple and meeting house. The young missionaries are so close to their goals that they will likely exceed them before Christmas. They are hard workers and deserve a wonderful celebration at their zone conferences. 

 We are very happy to serve them when we can. 

 Transfers are this week, and we thought we might lose a couple of our missionaries, so we took pictures. 

Elder Tipps (center w/ white shirt) is the only one
who will be leaving. Elder Harris (left) will get a
new trainer. Elder Young (center blue sweater) is
the new district leader. Elder Christiansen is here 
for another transfer - the only one left who 
helped us move in, back in Sept.

We took the picture on Wednesday, Dec. 7th; Olivia's birthday. She got calls from family all day long, so she missed much of the district council meeting. Earlier, while she was on calls from her brothers, I walked a few blocks to a bakery and bought a cake. We took it with us to the district council meeting and shared it with the elders. We didn't eat any at that time.

This is an example of what you are 
supposed to look like when you
turn 72.

We have been given permission to assist with the Employment Services missionaries, so we started our training that evening. We drove about an hour to a chapel on Long Island where we met up with Elder and Sister Packer. They manage Employment Services for the entire eastern states, and part of Canada, and are desperate for help. We finished the cake with them after finishing as much training (and visiting) as we could, but got home way too late for a meal.

We received our first family visitors on Thursday when two nephews who have lived in NYC for about 10 years, each, came for a meal and a visit. These guys are from my brother Rudy's family, so that means it was a night of hilarity. We enjoyed Olivia's home cooking and compared experiences of life in the city. We did get some good recommendations of places to visit and shows to see. Neither of them owns a car, so Kryn came here by the same train and bus we use to get from Manhattan to our apartment. Jaron took a City Bike as far as they allow, then got an Uber. They arrived at about the same time and right on time. Very city savvy, both of them. We enjoyed them thoroughly.

As we understand, Jaron (left) works for a marketing
company that represents medical companies. Kryn is
a CFO for a non-profit company. Got to admire the
Christmas sweater.

Because we didn't get a chance to celebrate Olivia's birthday, we took some time on Saturday to attend a temple session (I was proxy for an 8th great-grandfather) and a nice lunch. We couldn't get into the restaurant, but found a great substitute across the street, next to the David H. Koch Theater which is the home of the New York City Ballet. Lincoln Center has a number of theaters and some interesting sculptures and art.

The art piece behind us is metal and fabric. Voices
in various languages utter poetry that failed to 
engage a dolt like me. 

We had fun guessing whose likeness deserved to be
in Lincoln Center. Dante didn't come to mind for
either of us, but that's who it is.

We wanted to attend church on Sunday in a ward where there are continuous baptisms, so we chose to go to Harlem. There are three wards meeting in the building including an English speaking, Spanish speaking and a YSA ward. We couldn't stay for the YSA ward meetings, but want to. The bishop is an uncle of our Middleton, ID Relief Society President. We will go back as we are told that the ward wants us to speak there.

The subway stop is at the corner of
Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Malcom X Blvd. The church is 3 
blocks away, still on Malcom X.

Yep, we're in Harlem.

Like most of our buildings in New York City, this one is several stories, with the chapel on one floor, the cultural hall on another and offices on yet another. It is a beautiful building inside and out. 

Harlem 1st Ward is very welcoming. As each speaker greeted the congregation with "Good morning," the audience responded with a hearty "Good morning." After sacrament meeting, everyone just remained in their seats to hear announcements. Because most come to church by public transportation, many arrive too late to hear them at the beginning. They also use that time to have visitors introduce themselves. There were several who had come for the baptisms that took place afterward. As each person said their name and where they were from, the audience responded, "Welcome!"

We had a very productive conversation with the bishops of both 1st and 2nd Wards, allowing us to find some assistance for them. It also gave us a chance to give Bishop Javier a name plaque that the Sturgills left for him. Sorry, friends, he wasn't at the stake conference and this was our first opportunity. He was deeply grateful. 

Today, we got a call from our Welfare Self-Reliance manager inviting us to a special meeting in Jamaica (Queens, not the island), just a few minutes from our apartment. The pictures explain the purpose of the meeting.

Bishop Dustin Joyce, Jamaica 1st
Ward conducted the meeting and 
did a masterful job of explaining what
everyone needed to know about the
Church. 

President Jose Peguero of the Lynbrook Stake was
a featured speaker.

Sister Lourdes Hartrick is a member of
the Little Neck Ward, but also serves
in the Queens General Assembly and the Little
Neck city council. 

Donovan Richards, Jr. is the President
of the Queens Borough. He was very
complementary of the Church's 
donation of thousand of dollars worth 
of food and transportation of the food.

Couldn't catch her name. She is from
the Ponce Bank delivering a check to
help with additional transportation.

Depiction of the check

Some of the dignitaries in attendance. Just above
Sister Hartrick and next to Bishop Joyce is Chris
George, our manager.

The main movers and shakers.

Well, Christmas is coming and we finally got our first snow. A piddly amount, which is fine with me. I can't imagine what traffic will be like with a dump of the slippery stuff. Brother George drove down from Connecticut through 5", but by the time he needed to leave, the roads had been cleared. 

We could see the snow fall in the 
streetlights, below.

The snow in the morning. It was difficult for the
people whose cars were out, because it came as
sleet, then froze. It was gone in a few hours.

Some Christmas atmosphere in the apartment:

This poinsettia was given to Olivia
by Sister Packer when she heard
we had come to the Employment
Center on her birthday.

Someone left a nice string of LED Christmas
lights with which we decorated our balcony.

The wreath was a gift from one of 
the other senior missionaries. 
Olivia gave it some happy highlights.

A nativity left in the apartment. We like it a lot.

We are in a place where Christmas is not as obvious. Many of our neighbors are Muslim and a majority are Jewish. We do see some of the large houses all decorated with Christmas lights and even all the expensive inflatables. We still feel the gratitude in our hearts for the coming of the Savior and pray that our service is a gift to Him. We wish the best of the season to each of you.