23 October 2016

This past week, the big event was that we had to opportunity to go West Point United States Military Academy with the temple missionaries. Going through the history of this campus and what it represents really helped to open our eyes to just how much the hand of the Lord is in protecting us and this country. It is a beautiful campus on the Hudson River where one of the most strategic places of the Revolutionary War was located and where we could have lost the Revolutionary War and changed history as we now know it.

Temple Missionary Group - USMA, West Point

l-r: Br. Smith, Sr. Thompson, Sr. Grimley, Sr. Adams, Elder Adams, Elder Harris, Sr. Holloway, Elder Holloway, Elder Reidler (our host), Sr. Buchanan, Elder Buchanan, Sr. Huntington, Elder Huntington, Sister Mumford, Elder Mumford.  Elder Grimley is taking the photo.

West Point is so named since the bend of the Hudson River is such that this portion of land creates a point toward the West.

General Patton Statue

Baseball Field at West Point Military Academy-named for the inventor of Baseball; a cadet from USMA

Our missionary group at the Reidler home on Military Post after lunch

Diane had a sister come into the FHC this week that was from the Philippians. We got talking as she was helping her with her family history and she happened to mention she used to work for a supervisor that was from the Philippians. She asked her name and when she was told her that it was Jovy Moss, surprisely, she knew her. Diane could not believe that out of all the people that we meet in the FHC and in New York, that she would meet one that knew her old supervisor at Mountainland. They really had a good time talking about her and what a lovely person she was.

The FHC is really quieting down now that school is in so it is not so overpowering with trying to serve three people at the same time.

It is amazing to I see them light up with their family tree when we get it started. They can't figure out how we can give them something so powerful for free when there are others out there that cost hundreds of dollars and there is no one to support them or help teach them. 

Sometimes, we are so not grateful for what the Lord has put into our hands to help us with our family search. It is kind of like getting a Book Of Mormon and never reading it or studying it. What a gift they both are and how they can have an eternal affect and change on our lives.

Well, soap opera over. Life is good here in New York. Diane has grown so much and we love living in the tower. It is so quiet and convenient. It will help us open up training for our temple missionaries as we can access the FHC any time, not just during working hours.

One day this week, one of our regular patrons who is working on a family for a woman she works for, came in trying to find another generation on the family line.  After spending a couple of hours analyzing her problem, we checked a census in the United States and found the family indeed was all from England.  This was in the 1880 US census.  Working with "Find My Past", we found a family where the members fit, except for one child, James, who may have died between census enumerations.  But the ages seemed to match and the birth place of the father gave the same town of birth, but a different county than what she had been looking for.  If this pans out the next time she visits, we will have found another generation!

Rolf Francois has been working on trying to find his French ancestry since he and his brother and other family members are trying to prove the French connection so they can qualify for citizenship in France.  These grandparents were from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and after a couple of months going page by page in microfilm, he finally found the grandparent he was looking for!  It was a real "Buzz".  It has been fun working with him and seeing the excitement every time he found another piece of the puzzle!

Today we had ward conference - Inwood 1st Ward.  President Buckner and Bishop Larsen spoke on how we have all these different kinds of relationships and how all of them are very important.

In Priesthood Meeting we discussed Consecration and just what it means, as it is one of the things we covenant in the temple.  What, exactly, is a consecrated life?  How can we know when our life and our experiences are consecrated to the Lord and accepted by him?  Diane and I discussed how whenever we participate in the repentance process, we are literally accepting Christ as our Savior and Redeemer.  That is what allows the Spirit to testify of the Doctrine of Christ as the only means to return back to Father.

Elder Holland and Elder Gong were here this past week for banquets and addressing the United Nations and they came to look over the very inadequate Family History Center where we are serving and looking at renderings for a possible Visitor's Center-FamilySearch Discovery Center.  It is currently in the special projects division of the Church and hopefully something will become of the proposals.  Pres. Buckner told us yesterday that he would like to see a root-top garden above the temple as well as expansion of the FamilySearch Center here.