The New Kids and Conference

 I didn't post last week because we were involved with lengthy meetings most of Monday and all day Tuesday. That meant a lot of catching up for the rest of the week. So, today I'm going to try to give a "Readers Digest" version of the past two weeks. I will skip over the boring stuff, like trying to implement a new reporting system and fighting the subway system. Time consuming, but we're the only ones who care. 

We tried to get the Union Square center looking
good for Elder and Sister Taylor. This gigantic
box has been in the area for a few months

We got it cut up and I hauled several
loads to the recycle bin out this door
and down the stairs, below.

The big news for us is that Elder and Sister Taylor are finally here and are ready to take over the employment services mission. We have felt inadequate at that responsibility, because, even though we took the training, we have not had the time to really become competent. We worked at the centers to keep them open and functioning, but did not actively recruit. The young missionaries and some members referred people to us, often promising that we would get their friends a job, so it was a challenge to reduce expectations and help with résumés and give other assistance.

We had their keys , so we brought them and helped
 Elder and Sister Taylor move into
their apartment.

They took the apartment that Elder and Sister
Shiley left in immaculate condition.

Brother Doria explaining the various departments,
lines of authority and communication and where
the Taylors fit in this system.

Joe Doria is the head of Employment
Services for the Church. He was the
director in this building when he first
began working for the Church in 2001
and placed this plaque on the Union
Square doorway back then.

He treated us to lunch at Max Brenner, which is
famous for good food, but especially for chocolate!

In Time's Square with their immediate
managers, Chris Petrick and Erica Steiner.

The Develop Counseling missionaries
joined us for dinner at Carmines
Restaurant in Times Square. We enjoyed
some very great food.

Topped off by a dessert called The
Titanic. We sunk it.

After training about Employment Services, the
managers and representatives from Development
Counseling trained on how the two departments
are combining. They are still working on the details.

We mostly observed and participated when called
upon during the training that took place back in 
Union Square all the next day.

You may have heard that we had some
rain in New York City. Here we are
walking back to the subway in front
of Elder and Sister Taylor.

On Thursday, this past week, we went with the Taylors to Union Square where we introduced them to the center as it currently stands. They got to work with their first candidates and felt that they were actually in the saddle. We will continue to assist as needed, but don't think it will be very long.

We got to go to church in Westchester Ward for the first time and were glad we did. We have several friends we have worked with from that ward in other places, so it was nice to see them again and meet new people. 

It is a beautiful building in a bedroom
community of the City.

We conducted another facilitator training session on the last Sunday of September and were pleased to have two more people join us. One is the new Self Reliance Specialist from the YSA Stake. The other was recruited by the SR Specialist from the Woodside Stake. We have since received permission from her stake presidency to allow her to serve as a facilitator and to train other Spanish-speaking facilitators. We have been feeling the need to serve this community because over 1/3rd of the units in the mission are Spanish-speaking wards or branches.

Our manager, Chris George, was also in town in other meetings, so he met us on Wednesday for a late lunch and joined us at the El Salvador Consulate to observe our teaching the English Connect 1 class. There were only two participants that day, so we made sure he was involved. He served a mission in Spain, so he spoke Spanish just a little differently, but was understood and appreciated.

Kathia, Julia, and Chris with us at the Consulate.

On Friday, the 29th of September, we celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary, at home. We were scheduled to be at the Consulate, but the floods you all heard about were causing trouble with the subways and we kept hearing that we should not travel unless it was necessary. The Consulate called and canceled our class. We had scheduled a session in the temple that had to be canceled. We had also planned to eat out, but we stayed home and Olivia made a meal that would have made any restaurant give up and close out of jealousy. We even watched a movie, A Million Miles Away, which perfectly capped the day.

On Saturday we joined Elder and Sister Barnes at the Brooklyn 5th Ward building to watch the General Conference sessions. We got to see the morning and afternoon sessions using his projector that connected by Bluetooth to his phone. We also got to see the young missionaries in action. There were several there and several more in the Spanish ward's gathering that was held in the chapel area. Everyone was instructed to bring a sack lunch, but Sister Barnes knew that several would show up without one, so she brought bread, peanut butter, jelly, chips and a few other things. The missionaries recently baptized a CFO from a Brooklyn-based company and he loves to cater, so he added several kinds of juices, a fruit plate, more varieties of chips, cookies, etc., etc. 

During the singing, these sisters were
contacting more people to come to the
next session.

Elder Barnes and his projector set up.

During Elder Rasband's talk we got texts from our daughter-in-law that her children cheered and clapped when he talked about needing senior missionaries in New York. Texts also went out from senior missionaries here saying that "...he's got our backs!" Some of you may recall that he served in NYC as a young missionary, later as a mission president and last year, he made a special trip to the City and we all got to hear him speak and shake his hand.

Time for some senior couples to apply for a mission!

Of course, we enjoyed all the talks, but like you, we were especially touched that President Nelson bore through his pain to record a message that was delivered at the end of the last session. We want to do better in our thinking, so we are thinking Celestial. We were also thrilled to see that 20 more temples were announced. We also enjoyed the texts from family members all around the country with Clarissa sightings. Clarissa is Olivia's grandniece who has just begun singing in the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. The other times she sang with the Choir, she was in the top tier where the camera seldom goes, but now she is in the section just in front of the organ pipes.

If anyone "thinks Celestial" it is he.

Jordan's family took this from their TV in Las Vegas. 
She is furthest left. A wonderful young woman with
a magnificent voice.

Abby took this from

her seat in the Conference Center. Clarissa is furthest right on the bottom row.

Between sessions we took a nice walk through our forest. Temperatures were back up to 75° and no rain. Some random pictures follow.

The Barnes have grandchildren visiting.
Olivia took a picture from our balcony 
to theirs.

A happy, young Jewish couple enjoying the 
nice autumn day in the park.

Forest Park looks misty as the 
temperature rises and a mist appears.

Our Wednesday meeting with Chris George and
Elder and Sister Carson up in New Hampshire.

What we see when we are waiting for the bus after
exiting the subway. A Halal food truck and a
bodega that sells mostly fruit all hours of the day.

Passing our 51st anniversary means we have reached our 13th month. We feel like we still have so much to accomplish before leaving and we are down to 5 months to do it in. We also feel so blessed to be so involved in this work and see the big picture of this mission. We see willing people working long hours and then working on their callings, raising families, and staying settled. We see people of so many cultures joining the Church (a Jewish man who has been studying the Tora joined this week). We see hard-working missionaries obediently, purposefully following inspired mission leaders. We have the witness time and again that we are involved in a great work.

As vast as this work is the whole world over, we have just begun to see what it will be. We love this work, this Church, this opportunity, this Gospel. We know you do as well.