That was a Blast

 We did get to celebrate the 4th of July in a fun way. We were invited with a few other couples to the Brooklyn Duncans (there are two couples in the mission named Duncan, so they are designated by assigned area). They have a very small apartment, as do most of  us, but their balcony has a great view of the City skyline. From there we could see the fireworks from Staten Island to Uptown Manhattan. Once they got started it was a lot of fun to track them. We also experienced some expensive fireworks going off in the neighborhoods near us.

Watching the sun go down behind the Statue of 
Liberty

Photos hardly do them justice because they were
so far away.

Behind the buildings of Lower Manhattan.

Midtown and Uptown Manhattan

 

A little blurry, but you can see the Statue of Liberty

with fireworks all along the New Jersey side of the

river as well as all around on the City side.

Getting there was easy, an hour on the subway, without having to change trains or buses. Getting back was a bit of a challenge. We took the same train, but late at night, it stops at every station, including those normally served by other trains. We endured 33 stops which added about 40 minutes to the ride. We got home just before midnight. But who cares? It was Independence Day and we had a deep appreciation for all that happened as a result of that historical period. Civilized countries all over the world have tried to duplicate or create in part what was done in this country. Religious freedom was virtually unheard of as a constitutional right. Even after 50 years of living under the Constitution, many still believed that their religion was protected, but the religions of others were not. Today we take it for granted. Our missionaries can freely approach anyone on the street and ask them to come to church, without fear of a government official arresting them. 

Our friend Subashini featured prominently in our week. She left the Union Square building where we worked with her last Thursday and went to a clinic that was willing to take her blood pressure and give her a checkup. Because her blood pressure has spiked up and down, she was given a monitor, but she couldn't figure out how to use it. She met us near our Metro station on Monday, and we showed her how to make it work. Later, she texted Olivia and told her that she tested her BP and it was over 200, so she decided to stop testing, and just tell the clinic to give her medication. Olivia immediately responded that she needed to continue the testing as that will tell the clinic what kind of treatment to prescribe.

Suby and her monitor. And her best counselor.

We also agreed to help her move her things that had been left in her old apartment to her new apartment. After church on Sunday I broke my vow never to drive in Manhattan, and drove first to church and then to her old apartment. She and Olivia gathered her things while I double parked. Those things nearly filled our car, but I left adequate room for her, and drove to her current apartment. There I had to drive like a New Yorker, wrong way on a one-way street because the street I needed was blocked off by the police. Then, because the other streets in the neighborhoods were blocked for a race or something, drive over a median planter to get to her apartment where, as is the fashion, we double parked again to unload.

Suby with some of the bags, boxes and
luggage needing transporting.

Olivia with a sister in the Union Square 1st
Ward. She has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and
a deep appreciation for life and faith in Christ.
She related a time during her childhood in Japan
that they bathed in a large pool with a fire
that heated the water at one end. The water
was cold at the other end.
"Just sit in the cold end and push the cold away,"
her mother told her. "The warm water will then
come to you." She has used that analogy all her life.

I'm not keeping things in chronological order, because of the events of the week. We had a district council meeting the morning of the 4th, and learned that Elder Fairchild, who has been here for several transfers while waiting for his visa to Peru, had his call changed to Chile and that he was leaving on Friday. We and all the missionaries who know him will miss him. His positive attitude and humor were endearing to us all.

He will bring a great attitude to the
Chilean mission to which he is assigned

Companion, "I don't think we can put them
on date, they haven't accepted baptism."
Elder Fairchild, "Well, they are really great
people, so in my mind they are on date."

 

Elder Fairfield leading the music on the 4th of July.

Elder Tanner on the piano. Battle Hymn of the

Republic en español.

Speaking of Elder Tanner, we meant to send a picture to our Elko County family and friends. He is from Elko and played basketball with Isaiah Dahl, the son of Olivia's nephew. He is a confident missionary, doing great work.

Elder Tanner assisting with the day's
training.

I mentioned some of the things we did on Sunday morning, but following the wild drive in Manhattan, we were able to watch the Zoom broadcast of one of the senior couples, Elder and Sister Preece, who served in the office and in the Olmstead Ward in the Bronx. They were integrated into both parts of the mission, much like we were in Sweden. It was sweet to see them again. We were invited to lunch with our neighbors, the Barns, for which we were very grateful. We would not have had time to fix something and eat before we left for our next assignment. (I took a screenshot of the Preeces speaking, but forgot to download it. You would have liked it.)

We were asked by Sister Baxter, the stake Relief Society president, to assist with the English Connect 1 graduation in the Lynbrook Stake a little over a week ago. I was asked to speak and Olivia to conduct. We were also asked to print off the certificates and the program. President Peguero seldom misses those kinds of opportunities, so he was there to present the certificates and gave closing remarks. Google Translate and I prepared my talk in English and in Spanish, so I rehearsed it over and over just to get the pronunciation down. It was a fun occasion and a good opportunity to speak with Pres. Peguero one on one. 

Many of the graduates were not present. There were
16 in all. 

Us with Sister Baster and President Peguero

We worked with Sister Ramos from the
very beginning of our mission and we
keep seeing her unexpectedly. She was
one of two teachers.

Sister Sylvia Lemus was a proud
graduate who wanted a picture with
her teacher and us.

We then hurried home to participate in two more Zoom meetings. One was the 2nd Sunday meeting with the WSR committee in the NYNY Stake. The second was the usual devotional with the Mission Leaders and all the missionaries. This one was especially touching as President Holmes expressed his feelings for the missionaries and asked them never to take for granted the miracles they see almost daily. 

It was late when we were finally able to go to bed, but a surprise awaited us. We had been told several weeks ago that the Consulate of El Salvador was interested in having English Connect taught to their employees. We were asked if we would be willing to teach it. We agreed to do so, but we have seen several other ideas like this come and go without anything actually happening. Last night, however, we were copied on a late email from the Area Public Relations manager to the Consul General that everything was in place and that we could start as soon as TOMORROW. This morning we got a phone call from our SR manager, Chris George, with whom we worked out some of the details. He was able to contact the Public Relations manager and got answers to some of our concerns. We will begin next week, teaching twice per week, Wednesdays and Fridays for 13 weeks and then start English Connect 2 for another 13 weeks. These are generally once per week for 25 weeks, but they feel that these students are highly motivated, so we will try it.

Of course, we are still busy with our Employment Services candidates, so we suddenly will have to be much better managers of our time. We are excited, anxious (in every way), and happy. We hope you are too. The closer we get to the author of this work, the more we are able to accomplish on His behalf.

Have a wonderful week!