5 March 2017

5 March 2017

I think that the Stake has just found Golden and what family history skills he has. A couple of weeks ago, the stake met with Maya Kite and others from our Inwood Ward to discuss what they were doing to have their percentages go up so drastically in family history work. In that conversation Maya mentioned that she felt that it was due to the training that we were providing for them. As a result of that meeting, a member of the high council contacted us and asked us to present the program at a Stake Training for all consultants in the stake and then repeat the training for the Spanish Ward a week later which is tonight. After that meeting, we are now assigned to train in three different wards and start training another ward in a few weeks. 

The program has us take someone, talk with them to find out what goal they would like to accomplish in family history and a name that they are drawn to. We are to ask them to pray for us and for themselves along with our prayers so that we will be able to be directed to the person in the tree that has been prepared on the other side of the veil and is waiting for their temple work. After that, we are to work in their tree on that line and find a name that they will be able to take to the temple. It is like stocking a pond with fish and then asking them to fish. We are making their first experience a life changing event so that they can feel the Spirit of Elijah in their life. After they have their experience, we will work with them on further training until they are ready to find the person that they will provide an experience for and we will help them. It is the "Pay It Forward" concept. Serving others is the best way for us to connect to our Heavenly Father and to be able to remember our relationship to Him.

In our Find-Take-Teach Seminar last Sunday evening, we did a the breakout session after the Inwood High Priest Group Leader and lead Temple and Family History Consultant reported what has occurred this past 8 months with our training and helping their consultants work with members since the key indicators increased by about 200% while most of the rest of the stake has remained static. [Wow! that's a long sentence].

Golden worked with Hailey Roark, one of the newly called consultants in the Manhattan YSA Ward in a demonstration of the new "Helping Others to Love Family History" experience.  After she and we had prayed much of the week seeking for who was ready to receive the temple ordinances in her tree, we were led to her gg grandfather who had immigrated from Germany.  

His wife wasn't listed, and we prepared a census and a find-a-grave record for her to discover that her 3rd gg mother was Elenore, aka Lena.  Through the demonstration which we presented in front of about 25 consultants and priesthood leaders, they were amazed when Hailey found the census and recognized that it was the right family because she recognized the name of her grandfather's sister.  She burst into tears and it was a really neat experience to see and participate first-handed how the Spirit of Elijah testifies.  

Hailey Roark - Manhattan YSA Temple & Family History Consultant

Haley said later that she went home that evening afterwards and found a duplicate for her grandmother on another line and it connected to Family Tree, taking her line back to 646 AD!  She was totally blown away!  Two experiences in one day.  It was amazing to see how the Lord honors our fasting and prayer and desires to bless others as we participate in this work.

If we can get the consultants hooked on this program, it will have a major spiritual impact on the stake and it's members. I am really excited to watch and see what happens.

We have also been going through all of the microfilm identifying which ones have been digitized by Salt Lake. Then we have pulled all of the boxes and checked to make sure the right film is in the right box and that we labeled it  correctly before we ship them back to Salt Lake. We have gone through 55 drawers of microfilm and hopefully we will be done with this project this week.

Microfilm Room Cabinets - Lincoln Square Building

We have to move the equipment from the nursery room so they can use it on Sunday and then put it back up so that we can use it during the week. By sending back the microfilm that has been digitized, they will be able to turn this room into a reading room for the microfilm readers and we won't have to move all of the equipment.

Equipment stored in the Microfilm Room for the weekend

Our friends, the Holloways, invited us to the NY Philharmonic Orchestra again. The first presentation was an original about dreams that was interesting and very different. The second half was more interesting and I really enjoyed it. I have attached some pictures of our microfilm project and the symphony from another viewpoint.

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Lincoln Center, Manhattan, NYC

Our next adventure was Zone Conference with Elder Gong, one of the members of the seven presidents of the 70's quorum. We really enjoyed listening to him as he taught the missionaries how to be a more effective missionary by improving their communication skills. He said to look them in the eyes and then acknowledge to them what they have said and how they are feeling. He said learn all you can so that the Holy Ghost will help you recall your information when you need it. The Holy Ghost cannot recall what is not there. It gives hope to those of us on the senior side of life. He and his wife were very friendly.

On Saturday, March 4th, the New York Stake annual Gala, themed this year as "Candyland" is the single fundraiser for the youth camps was held at the Lincoln Square Building.  The youth have worked for the past few months in planning the silent auction, dance, and refreshments followed by a regular auction on some large items, like a week's vacation at Mesa, Arizona and other lodges as time share donations by members of the stake.

Candyland suggestion donation was $15.00 per person for the evening.

Youth and leaders were responsible for decorating the cultural hall for the gala.

A service auction was also included in the silent auction offered by youth and stake members, such as babysitting for temple sessions, dog walking, dance lessons, voice lessons, computer tutoring, etc.

Silent auction of services donated by members; bidding was done via text messages for the first time.

Books from authors residing in the stake, paintings from Walter Rain, baked goods, computer hardware, and other items were part of the silent auction.

This year, about 50% more was raised over last year making it about $37,000 for this year's youth acitvities.  This amount would send about 150 youth to camp this summer.

L-R: Elder & Sr Honeycutt, Elder & Sr. Dransfield, Elder & S. Larsen, Elder & Sr. Adams, Sr. & Elder Gong, Pres. & Sr Smith (Front Center) Back Brittany, Savannah and William Smith; Elder & Sr. Martinez, Elder & Sr. Hanson, Elder &Sr. Richards, and Elder & Sr Huntington

New York New York North Mission - Pres. & Sr. Smith with Elder and Sister Gong (Front Center)