Happy New Year!

2019 is off to a great start but I’m already behind and having a hard time keeping up with documenting all the good things happening in the NYC Mission. Even though January is over it is Chinese New Year right now so I’m still going to say “Happy New Year” or “Gong xi fa cai” (I hope that is correct) Happy Year of the Pig!

It was fun to have our boys home for the holidays. We got to ring in the new year in Bermuda visiting with the missionaries and members there. Did you know that in Bermuda they do an “Onion Drop” for the new year? We did not know that until after it dropped so I guess we will have to go back next year to see it!

The Onion

Beautiful Bermuda

New Year…New Missionaries

“The time has now come to turn about and face the future. This is a season of a thousand opportunities. It is ours to grasp and move forward. What a wonderful time it is for each of us to do his or her small part in moving the work of the Lord on to its magnificent destiny.”
—President Gordon B. Hinckley

We are so grateful for all the young men and women who choose to serve a mission and do their part to move the work of the Lord forward. It truly is a “season of a thousand opportunities,” as President Hinckley said.

These 4 missionaries arrived within a few hours of each other. Elder Bennion & Hermana Wallace flew in from Mexico, Sister Mabaya had a day plus of travel from DR Congo and Sister MacDonald arrived from Boston.

They were tired but excited to be there to help welcome the next group to arrive–all coming from the Provo MTC.

At JFK Airport right before heading out into what ended up being the coldest day of the season (I sure hope we don’t have another polar vortex that brings a colder one) Even the kids from Idaho said they’d never been that cold!

Hermana Christensen
Sister Meyer
Sister Woodin
Sister Mabaya
Sister Tuttle
Elder Jamison
Elder Bennion
Elder Rodriguez-Feliu
Elder Justesen
Elder Reyes
Elder Homer
Hermana Wallace
Sister MacDonald
Sister Peterson
Elder Palmer

our photo with Sister Arthur encountered some technical difficulties, but here she is the next morning (on the right) with her awesome trainer, Sister Pruett.

Transfers…New Areas & New Companions

Elder Kanongata’a spent the past 6 months in Bermuda and was just transferred back to NYC. Apparently, he didn’t get the memo that it is winter here! Fun Bermudian Fact: Colored Bermuda shorts paired with a jacket, tie and knee socks (it needs to be knee socks) is considered men’s’ business and dress wear!

New Adventures Await

We know there are great things in store for this group of dedicated missionaries. As they head home after completing their missions they are “forever changed” and so are we because of our association with them. In addition to some who have already returned home, we think of many in this group as our “trainers” who helped us figure out what to do. We are still learning, and always will be, but they’ve given us a great start!

Hermana Anderson
Hermana Walker
Hermana Clark
Sister Sorenson
Sister Yun
Hermana Acor
Sister Rogers
Sister Robinson
Hermana Gillespie

Elder Rogers
Elder Rigby
Elder Bailey

Due to winter weather in the Midwest, about 1/2 of their flights were either delayed multiple times or canceled. It made for an extra adventure as we tried to re-book flights and get to three separate airports in all the NYC traffic, but we felt grateful for a few extra hours to spend with some of these amazing missionaries! We are so grateful for their service and examples.

And finally…Zone Conference Week

The January Zone Conferences were really good! We always love this week when we get to see all the missionaries over the course of several days. It is an energizing week where we are reminded again and again how amazing these young missionaries are. I am always struck by their individual and collective faith, diligence, hard work, creativity, love for others and meaningful insights as we discuss scripture and the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this round of zone conferences, President Teuscher taught the story of the rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to have eternal life. Jesus listed several of the commandments we need to obey (but interestingly not all of them–is it because Christ knew those were the commandments the young man was keeping and he would be able to say he had been living all of those since his youth?) After focusing on the things he was doing right, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest” This verse found in Mark 10:21 was the focus of President Teuscher’s training. God loves us and focuses on the good we are already doing, but he always invites us to improve–not in an overwhelming “here is a list of 100 things you need to do better” way but in a loving, inviting way. Here is one thing you can work on. He also shared some quotes from this masterful sermon given by Elder Holland: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/be-ye-therefore-perfect-eventually?lang=eng&country=au

My training was based on the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” and the scripture found in Helaman 5:12 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/5.12?lang=eng

I shared the story of the Sand Palace which is a home in Mexico Beach, Florida that sustained remarkably little damage during Hurricane Michael and compared the planning and construction of that home to how we should build our spiritual foundation on Jesus Christ. We looked at Hebrews chapter 11 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11.1?lang=eng

Just as our physical eyes give us evidence of things we see in front of us or our tactile sense gives us evidence of things we can touch, faith is a spiritual sense that allows us to “see” or “feel” spiritual matter. (see D&C 131:7-8). I shared several examples of people we can look to as examples and reflected on how I have often leaned for repose on Jesus, and on his excellent words–found in scripture and through modern day prophets and apostles, but I have also frequently needed to lean on the foundations of faith of other people which have strengthened me and given me support. The Sand Palace was built with the goal that it would last for generations and provide a safe place for others to enjoy time at the beach. Interestingly it also provided protection for the home directly behind it. We build our foundations of faith for ourselves but we are also building for generations to come and so that others can lean on our faith when needed. I shared several thoughts and quotes from a wonderful BYU devotional given Jefferey McClellan. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-s-mcclellan_thy-troubles-to-bless/

A couple of my favorites from that devotional address:

“Imperfect Faith is still faith. Be patient with the imperfection of your faith. The incompleteness gives faith its power.”

“Faith is a courageous, optimistic response to the ambiguity and adversity of this world. Faith is a choice to believe. Faith is saying, “even though I am in pain, even though I am confused, even thought I don’t hear God’s voice clearly. I still choose to believe”… Remember what Moroni said, “Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” Ether 12:6