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.