Do You Guys Ever Work?

 In answer to the title, we generally work six days a week, especially on Sunday. Last week, we tried to tie up all we could and set appointments to avoid this week, knowing that our son, Jordan, was bringing Ruth, his wife and sons Jacob and Ezra for a visit. You will want to know there are lots of pictures this week.

We did leave our housework and laundry on Monday, and cleaned up as early as we could, so we could attend a piano concert with David Glen Hatch and his top students. It was a very thrilling concert. It was mostly quite athletic piano pieces: solos, duets and eight hands. There was also a soprano who performed a few pieces accompanied by David Hatch. His students were apparently the top of their class, because they were all flawless, as far as we could tell. They were certainly Carnegie Hall quality.

We made it to Carnegie Hall. We were not sure we
would ever have the chance to go there.

Some of the other senior missionaries.
Many more came when the time got closer.

Unfortunately, we were forbidden from
taking photos of the performers. Remarkable
stage, though.

The advertisement for the performance
that evening.

We gave the spiritual training at our devotional on Tuesday. Amulek explains the purpose and requirements to take advantage of the great Atonement in Alma 34. Beginning in about verse 17, he tells them to pray for mercy, for power over enemies and Satan, the great enemy, and then tells them to pray over their fields and flocks that they will prosper. He goes on to say that even those prayers will be in vain if the people (who are already quite poor) don't care for the poor. He just covered immediate and long-term needs. He then points out how repentance gives us the opportunity for redemption. Those supposedly temporal things he tells his audience (us) to pray for are just as much a part of the Atonement as the rest of the chapter. We receive those blessings as we live with an eye single to the glory of God. The more we learn about this work, the more we realize how sacred it is.

We rushed home to prepare and teach the facilitator training. We are always surprised by the numbers who join us every other week. Holding the training twice a month gives opportunity for stakes and wards to call or assign facilitators as soon as the need arises. This week we even had someone from New Hampshire on the call. We also had a counselor in the stake RS presidency attend. She is bi-lingual in Spanish and English and was assigned by her president to learn the training so she can teach the high councilor responsible for self reliance for the Spanish units, as well as facilitators who don't speak English. 

I left even before the meeting was over, because we got a message from Jordan that he and his family had landed at JFK Airport. We fed them and tried to put them to bed, but while it was 10:00 PM here, it was only 7:00 PM where they had come from. Because we knew they would not get a lot of sleep that first night, we planned to travel a little to the Oyster Bay area and see Sagamore Hill, Theodore Roosevelt's farm. We knew that we would not be able to tour the home, but the museum is well worth the trip. Unfortunately, the museum is only open Thursday through Sunday. We were a day early. Still, we made the best of it and read the placards on the trails, visited the buildings and even walked a path to the beach. It was a good morning, all in all.

Jordan and Ruth along the trail to the bay

Crossing a boggy part to get to the bay itself.

This is why it is called Oyster Bay. 
Look closely, you will see little crabs 
crawling over the shells.

A wind was blowing in a rainstorm. Still, it was
great weather

At this windmill, Teddy Roosevelt noticed
that the upper portion needed oiling. He
climbed up just as the wind changed, causing
the upper section to whip around, ripping off a
portion of his scalp. Going into the house, his
wife said, "Theodore, I wish you would do your
bleeding in the bathroom. You are spoiling all
the rugs in the house."

In the woods we came across this fallen log with

thousands of flying insects that we assume are

termites. If the museum had been open, we would 

have missed this.

When we arrived, we heard a pipe band playing martial songs from each of the armed services. We just caught the last of them as they marched back to their vehicles to the parking lot. I got to talk for a  minute to some of them. They wear the modern Macbeth tartan and are quite professional. They told me that next year they will compete in Scotland.

The occasion was a memorial for the police forces of Nassau County, so a lot of dignitaries and politicians were present. 

Elder and Sister Barns came to provide a second
car, so everyone would have a place to sit with a
seatbelt. We appreciate them very much.

That afternoon, we drove out to Fire Island lighthouse, only to discover that it, too, was closed. Not only that, but we drove there in a drenching rainstorm that didn't let up the whole time we were there. The sun came out just as we got back  to the car, so we went out to the beach and while Olivia searched for large shells that she uses for gifts (she draws the NYC skyline and a message of love and appreciation on them), the boys decided to go swimming.

Everyone was soaked
despite having 
umbrellas

Exploring a piece of an
old shipwreck.

We could still smile - wet, but 
not cold.

The boardwalk was
about a mile from the
parking lot to the
lighthouse

The best time for the boys was
playing in the ocean.

When Jacob took off his
pants to wring them out and
get rid of the sand, a crab
fell out. When he got home
and dried them, there was
another crab in a pocket.

The next morning we took the train to the 9/11 Memorial pools, then walked to the ferry that took us to the Statue of Liberty. We walked all around the island, visited the museum and the boys became Junior Rangers. After leaving the Island, we made our way to the Harry Potter Store. We skipped some sites we hoped to see, because we were running out of time. Jordan and Ruth had tickets for Wicked and had to be at the theater at 7:00 PM.

 At one of the 9/11 Memorial Pools 

Approaching the statue from behind on
the way to the doors leading to the 
pedestal. This thing is massive!

Entering the door to the
stairs - 195 of them

Atop the pedestal

Immediately below is a 
part of the old fort. In front
is the walkway to the museum

We had to stand in line to get this picture.

Ezra is finishing his
last few observations for
his Jr. Ranger badge.

These pictures are in reverse
order. The boys were diligent
about getting their Jr. Ranger
badges. Here they take the oath.   

Leaving Battery Park is a statue
commemorating the many
immigrants that make up our
country.

The boys with their prizes from the 
Harry Potter store

We spent most of the next day in the American Museum of Natural History. There are a lot of places that honor Theodore Roosevelt, including this amazing monument to his love of nature and his desire to preserve natural beauty and wonder. Jacob had read about the Hayden Planetarium and especially wanted to see it. Unfortunately, we didn't take pictures of that; hopefully, his parents did.

There are way too many items to
include pictures of them all. This
is representative.

On the bench with the great man, himself.

While their parents were
in the play on Broadway,
the boys watched Night in
the Museum. They had to
see the bone chaser.

There are dinosaurs of every 
size, shape and purpose.

They also had to see 
"Dum Dum got gum gum?"

The grand entrance to the museum. 

  

"If I must choose between righteousness
and peace, I choose righteousness." TR

Then we walked the .5
mile to catch a bus to 
take us to the tram that
serves Roosevelt Island
where we got the train 
back home.

Saturday, we walked around some of Manhattan and then made our way to the temple where Jordan and Ruth had reservations for a session. Olivia and I took the boys on the long trek across Central Park to the Zoo. The zoo is just the right size for 10- and 7-year old boys. Jacob got to check an item off from his bucket list, by going to a 4D movie. Afterward, we walked back across the park to Columbus Circle and caught the train home.

Olivia getting a picture
with the temple in the
background.

Down lower you could see the temple
and the inscription much better. We
took them inside where they could change
into Sunday clothes and enter.

Then, off to the Central Park Zoo!

The grizzly bear finally 
appeared at the window.  

In the penguin house, the 
temperature is quite cold. The
penguins are above and below
the water. They are lots of fun
to watch when they swim.

The seals knew it was close
to feeding time, and began
really showing off.

With 4D, everything looks like it is going into your
lap, like 3d, but the seats shake and water is supposed
to spray you (it didn't this time - disappointed boys).

Sunday we decided to attend the Richmond Hill Ward. We hadn't done that before, because it is a Spanish-speaking ward and the missionaries are too busy to interpret for us. Now that we had Ruth and Jordan, we had our own interpreters. It was Father's Day, but no mention was made of it until the last five minutes of Sunday School, when the children came and sang to their fathers and gave us a little prize. It turned out to be a boy's sized tie, which I didn't realize until they had gone back to the airport. I need to send it to one of the boys.

Jacob and Ezra joined the 
children in Primary to sing
to their fathers, in Spanish.  

We walked to and from
church because we don't
have room for everyone 
in the car. We walked 
through Forest Park on the
way back home.

The boys made up new lyrics
to a Primary song to honor
Papi and Grandpa. It was
quite good, in fact.

Showing off our Father's
Day gifts.

And our amazing Father's Day meal!

Then off to JFK Airport and home. We still miss them.

Our Sunday wasn't over. We had a Zoom meeting with all the SR leaders of the stakes throughout the mission, as we do every third Sunday. Only a few attended, due to Father's Day, which we expected. Still, some very positive things took place there. The Lynbrook leaders got onto the wrong link, so we had a separate discussion with them on Monday, to discuss how to implement the new videos that are and will be prepared for their stake. It seems the Stake President is still working on how to best approach the presentation. They are still going forward with the handouts, flash drives and ordering manuals, however.

We finished the night with the weekly devotional with the Mission Leaders. We discovered that there are 31 young missionaries going home in the July transfer, so they need to have 8 each Sunday bear testimony. We also discovered that 4 of our 8 missionaries in the RH District are among those leaving. We have some true veterans - true in every way.

OK, you made it to the end. We hope you have a blessed week. Thanks for joining us with this late blog. We love you each and all.