That's Going on my Resume!

I can finally brag to my theater students that I have appeared on television in New York City! Okay, it was a little local station on Long Island, and they didn't even interview me, but who needs  to know that? Now you are wondering what that is all about. 

On Monday the 3rd, we were scheduled to help unload food for a Catholic Outreach Center in the metropolis of Wyandanch, NY. We had a conflict and couldn't go, but then found out that the truck couldn't get through because I-80, across Wyoming, was closed due to heavy snowfall. With delays due to weather and driving regulations it was delayed until this Monday, the 10th. We were able to go on Monday, and we got there just as the truck had pulled in. We helped unload several pallets into the storage sheds behind the church. 40,000 lbs. of food and some household items, as well. Here is the news clip. No mention of the Church on the news, but everyone there knew where it came from. They were gracious and grateful.  

https://longisland.news12.com/40000-pounds-of-food-delivered-to-help-wyandanch-pantry-restock-bare-shelves

First off the truck were cleaning items
like this laundry detergent.

In front of the facility where classes are held and
the food is distributed are Noelle Campbell, who
supervises the center, Chris George (our manager)
and his daughter, Cora

On either end are Elder and Sister Martin, who are
responsible for the young service missionaries
in this area. The man who organizes the storage
containers, and Bishop Goepfert from the 
Plainview Ward.

We unloaded 6 or 8 (I lost count) of these pallets into the first and second units.

It was cold when we started out. After an hour or
so I took off my coat (but not my tie!).

In the red coat is the reporter who covered this
event, next to her is the photographer, then Sister Early whose son was just released as a service missionary. He helped get this facility approved, so she wanted to be there to report back to him.

Volunteers from Covanta, a sustainable
waste company that converts trash to electricity,
burning it for fuel.

 The Covanta volunteers came at the encouragement   of their company. We were glad they came because   they are young, positive and strong. They were   amazed at what they heard about the commodities   they were unloading. They asked me if it was true   that members of the Church grew, harvested and   canned all the food we were unloading. I told them   about our Idaho orchard and the other projects in   areas where we have lived that had facilities for those   things. They were very surprised to see the expiration   dates. They expected that the food was surplus and   would be expiring soon. Instead, it is freshly canned   and ready for distribution.
 

We took an extra P day this week to see a play that had interested us since we first arrived. It is closing soon, so we knew the ticket prices would soon be rising and wanted to see it before it was unaffordable. The name of the play is Leopoldstadt. It is the story of an extended family in Vienna beginning in 1899, following expulsions and pogroms in Russia, Germany and elsewhere. The family owned a fabric factory and were quite well off. The family was followed through WWI and the troubles of that era, then the Nazi expulsions in 1938, causing the loss of everything and almost everyone. It ends in 1955 with the children, now grown, who had been in the home when the SS evicted them. Only three remained alive. It was one of those that you need to see several times to get all the details, symbolism, and history.

Not the best seats, but we were allowed
to find better seats at the end of Scene 1.

An early scene.

The finale. The children who performed were 
really well coached. 

By the poster outside. The cat's cradle
was symbolic and woven through the
various eras of the play.

Elder Allen D. Haynie, President of the North America Northeast Area, came this week for a mission tour. He was noticeably impressed with our missionaries. He should have been; they are doing superb work. We met with him and the young missionaries, then later, at dinner with the senior couples. We were privileged to have him and his wife at our table and had a cordial visit, especially with her as he had to work the room. One thing they noticed when the missionaries came together for lunch, was that there were no little groups of missionaries going off to a corner, excluding anyone. Everyone is dedicated to their purpose and everyone includes everyone. We had noticed that, as well. 

He was highly congratulatory of the successes the mission is enjoying, but had some ideas about how to improve. I noticed the missionaries, heads bowed, writing as fast as they could to record what he suggested. On Sunday, during our weekly devotional, several zones reported on the increased successes based on what he recommended. The senior couples assigned to wards are already seeing better relationships with the ward leaders, especially bishops and branch presidents, as they ask for contact information for less active and part-member families.

Elder Hunsaker is a professional
photographer. He is trying to get all the
missionaries in an order that the camera
will see them. Sister Preece is helping.

The senior couples were assigned to bring
3 dozen cookies measuring 3" for the lunch.
Some visited the table a little early.

The lunch was all abuzz with missionaries 
catching up with each other.

Sister Covington just arrived. She was
roommates with Liliana Cobian, Olivia's
grandniece. We have been watching for her.
She is called to speak Haitian-Creole (here
it is called Haitianing the work).

Between sessions, we took a long walk
through Central Park to the Belvedere
Castle. It was 80° and I wore my suit
jacket. Elder Barnes had more sense.

Just a sample of the spring beauty that is so abundant
in Central Park right now.

Elder Haynie talking to a new member.

The first chapel built east of the 
Mississippi River - Brooklyn, NY

1924 was the year President Nelson was born.
This is what has happened in one lifetime. The
North America Northeast Area today is almost a
mirror image of the entire church in 1924.

We are still busy, almost daily, with people who need to find jobs. I spoke with several this week, as did Olivia. Most are progressing, some have found work, some have decided to do it on their own.

We made more progress on the Self-Reliance video devotional this week. We went to the Miller's home again so I could record the parts that are quotations from prophets, apostles, and the scriptures. Olivia entertained their little boy, Jack, while we worked on the script and made the recordings.

He is a happy, active baby who eats 
a lot of grapes.

Elder and Sister Shiley asked us to take their cookies to the mission tour and to take their place at the Bishops' Storehouse distribution center at the Woodside chapel while they went out of town for a wedding. We helped at the previous distribution, but Elder Shiley was there for most of that one. He gave me the key fob, but didn't show me how to use it, so even though we arrived before anyone else, I couldn't figure out how to open the door. Luckily, another senior missionary who is familiar with the building happened by and showed me where the electronic trigger was and we got things set up and ready for the truck. Happily, Sister Salazar was there this time and has been doing this for years, so she quickly organized and took over.

Sister Salazar is also our SR Specialist from the
Woodside Stake. By her is Sister Monique Baynes,
Rego Park 1st Ward RS President.

Elder and Sister Barnes came for most of the time.
Helping cart the commodities from the truck into
the building.

Dan Sorenson and I moved the items
off the pallets so they could be carted
 into the church building.

We had a visitor from the Maryland office of the Bishops' Storehouse, who was there to inspect and make sure the new mail drop system was in place and that we knew how to use it. We started talking to him in casual conversation and asked where he was from before working for the Church. He told us that he grew up a little outside of Wells, Nevada. For those of you who don't know Olivia's family, that is where they are from, as well. It turns out that he is much younger than we, or his older siblings whom Olivia knew well. His name is Dan Sorenson, his older sister, Laurel, is married to Olivia's cousin, Scott Egbert. His father, Vaughn, served as a bishop in Wells, served several missions with his wife Marion, and once came to Reno when we were there to get some training from the temple president, because they had been called to serve as president and matron in a temple in Mexico. His grandfather, Lloyd, was Olivia's stake president. Dan and Olivia had a nice visit catching up on mutual acquaintances.

With Dan Sorenson

Helping unload our orders from the
truck that would then travel to another
center with orders for that area.

That afternoon and evening were again spent with Elder Haynie in the NYNY Stake Conference sessions. Much of what he shared in the conference sessions that day were things he had shared with the missionaries two days before, but I still found things I needed to make a note on for personal improvement. We sat next to Sister Hayne in the congregation and Olivia had a nice visit with her.

This was interesting. A comparison of male and female youth
in 2011 who were still active in 2021. A mission really makes
a difference in determining who remains faithful, especially in
young men.

The Sunday session was especially sweet for us, because we got to see our special Swedish missionary friend, Lydia Trotter Judd speak. She is attending Columbia University for her masters in counseling. She has really had to keep her spirit fed and her mind alert to know when to defend her faith and when to keep her peace. She was, without undue prejudice, brilliant by every measure. (Elder Haynie's talk was good, too, just so you know.) We got there rather early because we wanted her to see us for support and I like the softer pews. Not long after we sat down, I saw a young man who looked familiar. As soon as our eyes met I waved and he jumped up to come over and see us. It was Elder Max Schulz who had served in Örnskoldsvic, Sweden. Apparently, we had come to inspect his apartment at a particularly difficult time and had left a message that made a difference in how he approached his mission. It was so nice of him to tell us about that. He then called his wife over to meet us. Sadly, we didn't take a picture. Unfortunately, they had to leave before Lydia gave her talk, but she saw them and it made her happy.

Brenda Rodriguez is one of Olivia's employment
candidates. A member of just a few months, she
brought her granddaughters with her to the 
conference. They are sweet girls and seemed to
appreciate as much as they understood.

One of the many gardens we pass as
we walk to and from our Metro station.

Cherry trees are really showing off all over
the City.

These are in the park not far from our apartment.

Sunday ended with three more meetings. The first was our coordinating meeting with the 8 stakes in the mission. It seems that almost all of them are seeing progress and getting more and more support. There is still much to do to get it to the level that is needed for maximum retention. That meeting was followed by one conducted by the NYNY Stake high councilor responsible for Welfare and Self Reliance. The last was our usual mission devotional at 9:30 PM. It was great to see how the missionaries were already seeing success implementing the recommendations Elder Haynie had given them. They have all learned to set realistic goals, but to also have a second set of goals they call their vision. It looks like they will hit their goal for baptisms (161 for April) and maybe their vision (200). It is a blessing to us to be involved in a miracle mission.

Looking back each week, we feel so blessed to be involved in such a sacred work. We know work is work, but it is also rewarding to be a part of the ongoing effort to gather Israel. We hope your coming week is happy, filled with the best life has to offer.