New York, New York City Mission

Departing group

They came, they worked, they loved, they served, they grew and they leave us better people for having known and worked with them. We had the privilege of serving with this group of missionaries for almost 1 year so I feel like I really know them well. I loved seeing them grow and become even better versions of themselves over this past year. I have learned so much from their humility and willingness to learn, well more than willingness for some of them actually, I’d say it was an eagerness to learn. I want to be more like them.

The newest missionaries

Zone Conference May 2019

I forgot to take pictures at two of the zone conferences this go around. I also didn’t take any pictures at transfers–I will do better at the upcoming conferences and transfers.

We had a wonderful zone conference! We learned about the importance of scripture study and ways to make it more effective, how to work with members more effectively and involve them more in our teaching and fellowshipping efforts. It has been amazing to see just how impactful even a short video call into a lesson or a pre-recorded testimony from a member can be in helping the people the missionaries are teaching. You should all reach out to the missionaries in your area and see if you can do that for them! We also explored what it means to “Choose to Believe.”

Here are some excerpts and quotes that I liked:

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Viktor E. Frankl

“The tilt of our souls in those first moments is so important”

Neal A. Maxwell

Our questions, concerns and worries aren’t the problem, it is what we do with them that matters. Do we use them as a catalyst to new spiritual growth or do we use them as justification for our behaviors or sins?

When we don’t understand something, or are struggling with our faith what do we choose? How does your soul tilt? Is your inclination to:

• Doubt, disbelieve or dismiss as untrue or is it to contemplate and consider that we may lack knowledge or insight
• Complain or count blessings
• Reject the experiences and testimonies of others or remember the times we did see His hand, the times we did receive answers
• Forget what He has done for us or forge forward in faith trusting that he will keep his promises
• Mock or marvel
• Sit and criticize or stand all amazed
• The times we don’t feel the spirit do we think “He doesn’t care about me” or think of “His hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt”

In this space we are given, when we choose a response that has our souls tilt toward faith and toward the light, when we choose to believe we are more able to see the signs and miracles all around us.

Alma 30:44

44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

As Alma points out to Korihor in the passage above, it’s not hard to find miracles in our lives; we just need a little humility—we just need to choose to believe.

Miracles should not be regarded as deviations from the ordinary course of nature so much as manifestations of divine or spiritual power (“Miracles,” Bible Dictionary).

We watched this short, powerful video from a BYU Devotional address by Lawrence Corbridge called “Stand Forever.” I highly recommend the entire talk. (both links below)

In addition to zone conferences we had a special visit from Elder Bennett and Elder Buckner with 1/2 of the mission at each meeting. These two photos are from one of those meetings.