Manhattan X 3

 As senior missionaries we get a few (a lot, actually) more privileges than the young missionaries. The young missionaries are absolutely denied the opportunity of going to Times Square for a few reasons. Normally, it is a very worldly place with gigantic lighted, animated billboards advertising anything a business has the money to afford. These are not pornographic, but when it gets into some items, it can be very worldly. Further, it is filled with people who are either not residents of NYC, or if they are, they live no where close. Monday was a different situation. The Church purchased all the major billboards for half an hour at the critical time of 7:00pm to announce the Giving Machines and the cooperative effort with other religious and charitable organizations. We got there well in advance because Elder and Sister Barnes wanted to find the people from the Brooklyn Stake who planned to be there.

Because we were early, this young
woman got our permission to take our
pictures during the presentation. 
Bonneville Communications employee.

Lots of Church leaders and celebrities.
It turns out that Sherry L. Dew is a
sister to our Sister Baer who is serving
a mission here with her husband.

A before picture. I took several others,
but they are videos and not worth the
trouble.

Elder Nash (in the cap) is the Executive
Director of the Missionary Department.
See last week's post.

        

 

Elder and Sister Cook opened the festivities earlier
in the day. He also presided in the meeting with all the
executives of the religious and charitable organizations
the day before. Stock photo from the Church News;
we didn't get to see him.

It looks like she has turned her back on
the display. In fact, it is also in front
and on either side of her.

It was more professional and classy
than anything else displayed that night.

There is a reason for that grin. See about
the street performers, below.

This gives a little perspective of the size of these
billboards. Those are store fronts below them.

We also came with Elder and Sister Taylor.

Sister Barnes capturing the moment.

This remained up and did not change for the
whole night. A sad reminder that there is evil
in the world.

Behind and left of Elder and Sister Barnes is
Bishop Joyce of the Jamaica 1st Ward.

The photographer posed this mother and daughter
in so many ways. My picture.

The one published by Church News. 

I think Sister Baer is the only missionary whose
picture was used in the coverage of this event.

It is a good thing they got our permission, though.
That is us under the white arrow.

We were in a place where some street performers wanted to do their show, hoping to get some money from the crowd. They are usually a nuisance because they start shouting and whistling to get people to move out enough that they have plenty of room for their acrobatics, dancing, and singing. They started just as the presentation started. This time nobody listened because we all had our cameras up, and were commenting, so everyone else did the same thing with lots of approving comments. The performers gave up and watched it, as well. It was a great night. 

The whole purpose was to announce the cooperative
efforts to start the Giving Machines in New York City.
These started in the block next to us then they were
moved to a Catholic Cathedral near Times Square.

Last year the senior missionaries were asked to service the machines and clean the glass. We have not been asked to do so this year. We may not get over to its site, so someone may not get their ducks or goats this year.

We are relieved to be back in the El Salvador Consulate again. Their registration push to allow for absentee voting put us back a month. If we have no more interruptions, we will finish the first group just before we go home. The Consul General told us that they may be equally busy during January, but he could not say for sure. If we have another serious delay, our replacements will have to finish for us. The Consul General also told us that he hopes to use their facility when we are finished for expats from El Salvador to get English classes. We're not sure who will be responsible for that.

It was Paola's birthday and they insisted
that we join them for cake. No one in
consulate smokes, so they couldn't
light the candles.

The relatively blond woman has very good English.
She told us she learned by watching Friends on TV.
The others are our students.

The NYNY Stake always has a concert this time of year. Last year President Cropper asked us to be there with our badges on because it would be in Times Square near where we were for Light the World this year. They cancelled last year, due to rain, so this was our first time to see it. They have some amazing talent and skill in that stake. Some participants came from other stakes to take part, as well. When we go to stake conference there, it is like we are sitting in a choir. 

One of many performers. She recently
graduated from BYU and is here to 
get her break professionally.

A combined choir of the China Town Ward, the
Brooklyn 8th Ward (Chinese), and the Flushing
2nd Ward (Chinese) members.

Brother Joy, a high councilor, runs the computer
so Sister and Elder Engstrom can sign the lyrics
to the deaf members. They leave this week and
we will all miss them. The American Sign 
Language ward will miss them even more. She
is partially hearing; he is deaf. No one is more
faithful than either of them.

The second part of the evening moved
to the stage and floor of the cultural
hall. These sisters (literal) are students
at Julliard, which is just across the
street from the chapel and temple.

The chorus from the Chinese wards sing in the background. In front are dancers. The song is from the Uyghurs, the persecuted minority in China. It is not a protest, but a song of hope.

On Sunday, we visited the Rego Park 1st Ward because we wanted to meet with the Woodside Stake Self Reliance Specialist and a woman who has volunteered to train facilitators in Spanish. It turned out that we were also able to meet with the member of the stake presidency who is Welfare Self Reliance Lead, and a facilitator who will be starting a class in January. So, it was a fruitful visit. We stayed for both hours and met with people afterward. 

This sister is 99 years old and is an
active participant in the class. She
speaks fluent Spanish and English.

Not all children are willing to remain
within the boundaries of the pews. This
little girl knew the value of playing 
quietly while others were listening to the 
lesson.

Sitting next to Olivia (the wrist)
were the women who were scheduled
for baptism right after class. 

The clever Sunday School teacher is Filipina. She
prepared an excellent lesson. This ward has 10 or
12 nationalities represented. 

Some random pictures:

Above is the Names of Christ Advent
Calendar. Note the star on the poinsettia 
that Olivia folded from an origami 
instruction page.

Baby Hal finally got the quilt that
Olivia made for him months ago. He
seems happy about it. His mother was
a special missionary in Sweden when we
were serving there. 

As she entered the elevator (my job
was to make sure people got to the
right floor), a woman had to get a 
picture of the Walter Rane paintings.
Soon after, Brother Rane entered and
I thought, why haven't I taken pictures
of these, too? As soon as I could, I did.

Their Joy was Full
The return of their sons and Zoram.
Left: Laman and Lemuel Did Take Me
and Bind Me

Probably my favorite Nativity depiction.

Moroni 8

They Came Down and Encircled Those
Little Ones

Well, with the First Presidency devotional, the Christmas season has officially began. We wish you all a joyous few weeks. We hope the peace, love and joy of our Savior's gospel fills your hearts.