New York, New York City Mission

Wow! I can’t believe we’ve been here on the mission for just over a year! I can’t decide if it seems like this past year went fast or if it seems like we’ve been here a long time. It changes from day to day. Today it seems fast! We have had so many wonderful experiences and made so many wonderful new friends. We see or hear about miracles on a regular basis and can’t deny that God’s hand is really in this work and in our individual lives. Once again it is time to say goodbye to a group of amazing missionaries. We always miss them but are also excited to see them continue growing and continue blessing the lives of others as they head back to school and work and their futures!

Departing Missionaries

Temple Trip

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July 3rd we went to the Manhattan Temple with the missionaries who are heading home next week. We are so grateful to the temple staff for accommodating our large group. It was a particularly busy pre-holiday day at the temple plus they are getting ready to close for several months for some renovations. Sometimes it is easy to get discouraged and cynical about the present or future state of things–especially in our current political and online worlds that are so full of confusion and contempt! When I think of these missionaries as future parents, leaders, and influencers it gives me hope! They are young and already choose to look outside of themselves for ways to help and serve and lift others. They have spent the past 18 months or 2 years of their lives doing just that.

🇺🇸 Isaiah 61:1-3 🇺🇸
… the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound

John 8:32
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
🇺🇸 #letfreedomring #NYNYCMission 🇺🇸

🇺🇸 More 4th of July Fun 🇺🇸

We had a Mission Leaders Council meeting on the 4th of July and all the sisters showed up wearing red, white and blue! So cute! We also enjoyed a BBQ lunch–burgers, chips, watermelon and ice cream sandwiches–yum! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

July 2019 Arrivals

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Transfers

It was a really beautiful day on transfer day! We’ve been having quite a few beautiful days this summer! It is a lot of fun for the missionaries being transferred to come to Woodside and meet their new companions and get to see former companions and friends they served with in other areas as well as have a chance to say goodbye to the departing missionaries who are usually there getting their luggage weighed (has to be under 50 pounds or the airline charges a hefty fee) and packed into the vans for their flight home the next day. Depending on where they are being transferred to they often have to exchange car keys or metro passes and then of course they have all their luggage and bedding to get from one place to the next–some in cars, some using public transit. They are super efficient at all of this and are usually off to their new areas within an hour or less to keep working!

Zone Conference

I loved this round of zone conferences! (I probably say that every time).

As wonderful as our missionaries are, they sometimes get really stressed and down on themselves for not being better. The very human tendency to compare and declare ourselves lacking is a tendency that seems to be amplified in missionaries. We had a wonderful discussion based devotional where we talked openly and shared experiences and insights with each other. We had asked the missionaries to listen to or read two talks in preparation for the discussion. The first is a BYU devotional address given in May 2019 by J.B. Haws entitled “Wrestling with Comparisons”. It is full of insights and lessons I think we can all relate to. I will post a link to a highlights version of his talk here, but you should really listen to the full version. Better yet, print it our and study it as we asked the missionaries to do! (see link below video)

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/j-b-haws/wrestling-with-comparisons/

The second talk is a classic and if you aren’t familiar with it, you should absolutely get yourself a copy and study it! It is Ezra Taft Benson’s talk “Beware of Pride”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1989/04/beware-of-pride?lang=eng

Here are just a few of the many powerful quotes from that talk.

Our discussions on these topics of pride and comparison with each of the zones were really good. I always learn so much from the missionaries and love hearing their experiences and insights. We started the discussion with these two statements:

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

2 Nephi 2:25

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Theodore Roosevelt

Those two statements make for an interesting contrast. From the beginning, God’s plan provided a way that we might have joy–if we choose it. One of the many ways Satan tries to get us to rob ourselves of that joy is through comparison–through choosing to see ourselves as less than, unworthy, not good enough, lacking etc. Or on the opposite end of the spectrum we believe that others are less than, that we are somehow superior. Either way we are looking and worrying too much about self and how we compare or measure up. Social media seems to be a particularly effective means of getting us into the vexing cycle of comparison.

We came up with a pretty good list of antidotes and there were a few that came up in each of the group discussions (this is just off my notes, so not super flushed out)

Gratitude: “Remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men” (Moroni 10:4-5) and unto you! Look for the hand of the Lord in your life .

Celebrate the success of others: sometimes we mistakenly believe there is a fixed amount of blessings almost like a pie–if someone else gets a piece that means there is less for me, but in reality, God is a God of abundance. There is enough and to spare and Christ invites us to be “joint heirs” with him.

Identity: In Moses chapter 1, Moses learns of his divinity and can discern between what God tells him and what Satan tells him we can learn to do the same. Pray for clearer glimpses of self and others to see our individual worth and potential as God sees us.

Additional thoughts: Privilege is real and life is not a level playing field. Life isn’t fair…almost alway not fair in your favor. Focus on personal growth, have pure motives–why are you trying to improve? Keep trying!

Once again I forgot to take pictures at each of the zone conferences (keep trying to improve right:) Sorry if your missionary isn’t featured here but I got a lot of them!

until next time…