19 February 2017

19 February 2017

This last week has been one of trying to get this microfilm project to the point where we can start sending the film back to Salt Lake. We have about 1 1/2 more cabinets to do and then we will be ready to start shipping it back. I will be glad when this is done.

I did get a reprieve on Valentines Day when we had a Sister's Conference from all of the sister missionaries serving in our mission. We went to Scarsdale New York where the mission home is located and met at a church there. They broke us up into two groups and held two classes where we rotated after a 40 minute session. One covered mission dress standards and laundry and the other class was on dealing with stress. They were both really interesting and fun.

We had guest speakers come and speak after the classes. They were a couple from Utah that were involved in a small plane crash and were severely burned. She was burned over 80% of her body and he was burned over 40% of his. It was a miracle that she lived and they came to share their story of survival and that we can make the best of all situations if we keep our focus on the Savior. It was a powerful presentation and I learned that I have nothing to complain about when I hear her story. I have included some pictures from the event that I thought you might like to see.

Picture 1 is of Sister Colton (The blonde with short hair) with our guest speakers Brother and Sister Christian Nielson. She is our neighbor in the apartment that I was asked to help with her family history to see if we could find someone to take to the temple. When I opened her Family Tree file, I noticed that her mother's name was Jolley and discovered that we were 4th cousins. It was fun breaking the news to her that I found a new cousin and introduced myself as well as finding a name that could be taken to the temple.

Picture 2: This is me sitting with some of my missionary friends.From left to right Sister Martinez, a volunteer in the FHC, myself, Sister Honeycutt, the office secretary, and Sister Larson who is over missionary housing.

Picture 3: This is Brother Christian and his wife Stephanie with me. Their accident happened in 2008 and she is still having surgeries. Her story is amazing. She has published a book and runs a blog to help anyone who is our has faced major obstacles.

Picture 4: This is a picture of all the sister missionaries in our mission. Our mission president and his wife are in the front center; she in a polka dot dress and he has a pink tie.

We have been negotiating the train and bus systems here in Manhattan with Diane's doctor appointments and inspecting missionary apartments.  We have an assignment to inspect 4 missionary apartments every transfer (each 6 weeks) and report back to the Mission Office.  From Harlem 125th Street to Mid Manhattan 54th Street on the subway, and back to our apartment by bus took planning and a NYC Transit App we traveled on Friday.

Today we took the bus to and from the Stake Center on 87th Street which also was a new experience for us.  We were asked to have a training session with three new Temple and Family History Consultants, the new title approved by the First Presidency and sent out in a letter on Feb. 9th.  All former family history callings are now officially Temple and Family History Consultants.  New training materials on LDS.org are exciting and were introduced at RootsTech last week.

Besides working our temple shift on Thursday morning at the temple, we also attended an endowment session with the Inwood First Ward where we are assigned and have been working with the T&FH Consultants over the past 8 months and that ward is now leading the stake in the key indicators according Brother Norm Merritt, our new High Counselor over Temple and Family History.

All in all, it has been a very interesting and good week.

13 February 2017

13 February 2017

This past week has been one of a lot of work trying to get the microfilm drawers all photographed so that we could sit at the computer and take a cabinet and a drawer at a time and look them up online to see if the Church had digitized the film (making it browseable) and if it was available online for viewing. We have marked the microfilm as "K" if we are keeping it; "IK" if it is indexed on line but not digitized; "B" if it has been digitized but not indexed and can be viewed online; "IB" if the microfilm has been indexed and digitized. All of the film that is labeled "B" or "IB" will be sent back to Salt Lake. As of this date, we have taken pictures of all the cabinets and cabinet l is complete and cabinet 2 is almost done so it is moving along faster than we had hoped. The collection is housed in five microfilm cabinets.

Microfilm Cabinet Collection

One of the challenges is that the room used for the nursery on Sundays is the room we use as the Microfilm Reading Room Tuesday through Saturday.  This means that the three microfilm readers, scanner, and two computers must be moved on rolling carts/tables into the reading room and stored back in the cabinet room on Saturday afternoon.  The Stake has approved this cabinet room as a regular microfilm reading room and will be remodeled once we can make room by sending back the part of the collection that is not used often, or is available online as browseable images.

The Microfilm Cabinet/Storage Room during the weekend with equipment stored.

On Sunday we had a very long day doing the Lord's work. We started by attending our ward in Inwood where we attended a wonderful sacrament meeting with the theme of getting to know our Savior. We then worked in the Inwood Family History Center helping the patrons that came in for one-on-one help. Diane worked with Karen Marie Belnap in doing descendancy research and getting the most benefits out of the sources that were attached as well as looking for new ones. Golden worked with George Mittag with a family on his father's side that had thirteen children, all of whom had record hints that he taught George how to attach. He was able to find one ancestor needing temple work but opted not to reserve it until he knew that he would be going to the temple that day as he is concerned about something happening to him if he were to reserve a name and then not able to do the work that he reserved.

After our meeting block, we hurried home to get lunch before heading off to do apartment inspections on the four missionary apartments (7 companionships) that we were assigned to check. It was a rain snow mix that made everything wet and some places slippery. The hand rails were turning to ice quickly,  similar to what it does in an ice storm but not as bad. Our umbrellas worked very well with the wind and storm to keep us dry and our boots were waterproof so our feet did not get wet. This made our experience in meeting with the missionaries pleasant as we were not wet.

We did not get a good start because the trains were delayed because of construction (which always affects weekend trains) so we started off about 30 minutes late. This made it so that we could not get to our sister missionaries before they had to leave, so we scheduled to meet with them on the 20th when we will be in the Harlem area for a medical appointment. We can use the trip and combine both needs in one trip. One other apartment has been scheduled for later in the week.

Diane decided to leave a message with each apartment that we visited and the missionaries seemed to really enjoy the message. She spoke on how their apartment could be like the temple if they kept the Spirit there and made their apartment clean and welcoming. She asked them to leave it so that if the Savior were to come unexpectedly, they would feel comfortable welcoming Him in and they could enjoy their visit. We have learned from the prophets that the closest place that we can have that is like the temple is our homes. As missionaries, the Church is paying for these apartments from sacred funds so it is our responsibility to treat the Savior's property with the greatest respect.

Our monthly meeting "Sunday Evening at Lincoln Square", sponsored by the New York Stake as a community outreach inviting any who would like to come (several Missionaries had investigators attending) was Stephanie Nielson and her husband, Christian.

"Globally celebrated blogger and New York Times best selling author, Stephanie Nielson share[ed] her inspiring story of hope in the face of challenges.  Her relentless faith and passion for life saved her from a fiery airplane crash.  With scars from life threatening injuries covering [most] of her body, she radiate[d] an outward beauty and faith that rises from within."

Her husband, Christian, testified how they were able to survive through the Lord's blessing allowed by a spiritual reservoir they had developed through daily scripture reading (especially the Book of Mormon), family and personal prayer, regular family home evenings, regular church attendance and partaking of the sacrament weekly.  He testified of the need of each of us to develop a spiritual reservoir so that we would be able to face and conquer, with the Lord's help, the challenges and times of adversity that inevitably are going to be part of our experience here in mortality.

With our service at the temple which reopened this week, the varying experiences in the Family History Center, and with the missionaries, all in all, it was a very productive week.

5 February 2017 (Continued)

Friday was a very busy day.  We started with physical therapy, a six block walk towards Columbus Circle at 59th Street (Trump Hotel and Tower is located here) - 60th Street and Broadway.  After returning with a quick stop at our apartment, we spent the day at the FHC preparing microfilms from the past month that were due to return to Salt Lake City.  It was really slow and our entire shift was spent in doing the microfilms.

Just as we were ready to go home, the Frenchman that Diane has been working with who has now transferred his PAF files to RootsMagic came into the Center.  She is the only one who knows Roots Magic and what they have been working together, so she worked with him all afternoon.  He doesn't speak English, and so it was a very stressful and tiring afternoon.  While she was working with him, I continued what she had started in taking photos of the microfilm drawers so we can start to send back microfilm to make room for a remodel to use that small room for microfilm readers and computer and scanner.  We have been taking the equipment from that room on carts to an adjoining room used as the nursery on Sundays as the microfilm reading room.... in on Tuesdays and back on Saturdays.

As we had been invited by Susan and Mark Dransfield, Public Relations Missionaries who work with the interfaith and United Nations here in New York to BJ Synagog on 88th Street, we took off our name badges and met in the lobby of our apartment building to go together.

Elder Mumford, Sister Mumford, Elder Dransfield, Elder Adams, Sister Adams at entrance of BJ Synagog

BJ Jewish Synagog Interior - Torah is behind the Central Doors

Golden and Elder Martinez (behind me) getting ready for the Shabbat Service

Shabbat was in Hebrew with the Cantor singing. The message that action was required (take a stand). "We will Always Stand for Peace." It is really apparent everywhere we go in New York City that there is a feeling of confusion and anger as to how we our current President of the United States could have been elected. We even see a feeling of fear. In the program, the cantor acknowledged welcome to "Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in conjunction with American Jewish Committee (AJC), New York, New York.  The Altmann's who have become close friends of the Dransfields are with the AJC and invited us to their home for a reception of sorts after the service.

On entering the home, the men were given the little cap to cover the head, just as we had worn at the Shabbat service.

The Altmann's allowed us to learn how Shabbat is celebrated.  It is customary for the woman of the house to light candles which welcomes the Shabbat Queen into their homes.  The smoke of the candles are wafted toward the woman moving her hands over the flames as if to bring the light toward her three times.  She then covered her eyes as she recited the blessing. This symbolizes drawing in and embracing the holiness and spirit of Shabbat, the day of rest, into their home and lives.

Shalom Aleichem (Welcoming Shabbat) is sung.  Then the Kiddush (blessing of the wine - or grape juice) is said.  The blessing -- Kiddush or the sanctification -- sets the tone for the Shabbat meal and defines what makes the holiday special... declaration that God rested on the seventh day, sanctified it and designated it as a day of rest, telling us that this is not an ordinary day and not simply a meal; rather, it is a celebration and affirmation of this day.

In the last step, the man of the house symbolically washes his hands symbolizing religious purification and preparation to eat at a table which is tonight most holy.  Then the Ha-Motzi (blessing over the bread) and eating two challot (bread) in order to recall the double portion of manna that God gave to the Israelites during their time in the Wilderness (Exodus 16:22).  Once this is said it is time to eat.

Having blessed the wine- (grape juice for us) Mr. Altmann does the symbolic washing.  Note the candles at the back of the table.  Golden and Diane at the forefront with the grape juice in hand.

There was much food--pastries, cookies, breads, cheese, crackers, etc. and we had a very enjoyable time.  The Altmann's were amazing guests. Their apartment is certainly not the normal New York City apartment.  Theirs is actually 4 apartments (two on each floor) and quite spacious.  Apparently there are bedrooms on the floor below where we celebrated Shabbat.

This is just a sampling of the breads, crackers, cheese etc. including the braided challah (bread)

Diane in the foreground, with Sr. Mumford behind her on the right; others in the group are with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) New York City, New York

February 5, 2017

Over the past couple of weeks, we have spent quite a bit of time with physical therapy.  With Diane's back and my hip and the amount of walking required in New York City, we get around but it is not the easiest transportation.  We are always grateful for the subway and, for getting across Central Park to the East Side, the convenience of the bus that we can catch just across the street from the Family History Center and Temple (Church complex) on 65th Street and Columbus Avenue.

It has taken us a while to get used to the addresses in New York City; the avenues go north/south and the streets go east/west here in Manhattan.  Lincoln Center, across the street from the Lincoln Square building, is on the west along Broadway and along Columbus Avenue.  Julliard is just across the street to the west and Lincoln Center is just south of that.  At 65th street, Broadway and Columbus Avenue come to a point on 65th Street and the blocks east and west are long (along the streets) and short along the avenues.  Storefronts are accessible on the sidewalk level with apartments above and lots of "skyscrapers" abound.

On January 30th, we celebrated Diane's 66th birthday since we will be involved with an engagement on Friday evening.  This was our P-day and I had a meeting with Johanna Kreutz, our Ortholopedist PA.  She explained that the x-rays from last week showed that my left hip was full of arthritis and that is why I am having such a hard time walking and getting around with pain.  She suggested again that a consult with a hip replacement surgeon may still be recommended but for now we would do physical therapy for 4-6 weeks to see if we could get muscles strengthened and free from pain in walking six blocks or so.

Diane did the laundry while I was at PT and then we cleaned the apartment and then went Downtown to Applebees at 51st and Broadway.  The train from Lincoln Center to 50t Street made it easy to navigate.  After our meal (typical New York prices--$50 for lunch), we came back to Broadway and 68th Street and took in a movie, "LaLa Land" showcasing old time entertainment in this musical.  It LaLa ed Diane and I right to sleep in parts. :-)  But we enjoyed it all.

LaLa Land at Lincoln Square Theatre - cost only half the price of lunch!

As people walk by the Church building (referred to in the stake as the Lincoln Square Building) when the Family History Center is open, they can view this sandwich sign out front of the door.

Sandwich sign inviting passers-by to come to the Family History Center

On Tuesday, a patron Tracy Littey was searching her "black" ancestors.  Liz Hanson had helped
her for about 4 hours and had just found a marriage that appeared to be her grandparents.  When we came for our shift, I was able to help her in the next 4 hours prove the marriage and extend her ancestral line a couple more generations.  It is miraculous that so much can be found in such a short time due to the tool FamilySearch!  (To Be Continued - new blog post)