April
21, 2013
Dear Family and Friends—
How’s
everyone today? We are in fine
fettle and have been enjoying the day.
Our weather has turned quite cool today, and should be cool the rest of
the week. Everyone’s been moaning
that we really have had a cold spring, and it is true.
FYI,
New York was affected by Boston’s shutting down. The local news reported that any train coming to Penn
Station (downtown Manhattan) was being carefully searched and watched and any
passenger that thought they were going to Boston was told they had to get off
the train and wouldn’t be able to go to Boston. I keep wondering what the people did, maybe toured Manhattan
or something. Anyway, glad they
caught the kid so things can go back to normal. Yes, I watched it on TV.
Monday
Lynn and I went to Sis. Claude’s place.
Her son, Judens, was not there and she was difficult to open up at
first, but over time she began to talk and we had a great discussion with her. Lynn even gave her the Home Teaching
Message on the Resurrection and talked about Eternal Life as really meaning
husband and wife sealed in the temple and living righteously. She said she would come to church
today, but it didn’t happen. We
have yet to meet the husbands of most of our Home Teaching families. Working on Sunday is the norm. Church is important, just not top
priority.
One
incredibly beautiful thing about our ward is the diversity, so many from so
many different cultures. We plan
to celebrate that this Saturday with a culture night and hope ward members
bring a food representing their culture, and some kind of activity or something
to display to represent that culture.
But
one problem with the ward IS the diversity with so many that are fairly new
immigrants. We had an activity at
FHE this past Monday and it required thinking off the top of your head as you
tried to act/speak out an activity beginning each sentence with a letter of the
alphabet, then the next sentence using the next letter etc. What we finally figured out is the new
immigrants couldn’t keep up with that scenario and they begged out of the
activity. So, it’s difficult
knowing exactly what activity will make the others uncomfortable. We’re all in a learning curve. (We assign a small group of people per
week to take charge of the activity, and the missionaries take their turn too).
Tuesday
was temple day per usual. Lynn
officiated at the session where I was a “follower” which means I’m one of the
woman “officiators” in the session.
He got a few minor things wrong, but still went quite well. My highlight of the day was at the end
in Initiatory. One woman came
toward the end of the afternoon and quietly asked if she could do Initiatory. Well, of course. She is such a quiet gentle soul who comes
regularly and is well known by the regulars. She is referred to as a Saint’s Saint. On the second to the last name she
started to break down and cry. I
asked with concern if she was sad.
“No.” Instead she had a
powerful feeling come over her as she did the work for this dead lady, that was
intensely sweet. Having that kind
of experience is one of the perks of the job. : )
I
was late getting to where Lynn was waiting for me but he was having his own
adventure. A woman asked if he
were Lynn McKell and she said she was the wife of someone Lynn had worked with
at BYU, a Roger Clarke. It never
ends. They had a nice long chat. But, we did get acquainted with
an Elder and Sis. Christensen who
will be working at the temple and is doing MLS work for the NY, NY North
mission. (Just started their
mission 4 days earlier). They were
over the top friendly and immediately wanted to get acquainted and so we went
to a nice hamburger joint for dinner, with a girl from Taiwan in tow. Christensen’s had lived in China for
two years and wanted to get to know this girl too. Br. Christensen treats people like he’s known them for all
his life, but just getting reacquainted.
He was a bit too much for me, but on occasion, I would enjoy going out
to dinner with them. The nice part
is they will be working on Tuesday and we desperately need people to help.
Wednesday
Lynn set up a spread sheet for me and I spent the day at the computer entering
ward members names, address, phone number, and email address if they had one. It was a long day but I got everyone
done that I had names for—over a hundred people. It was just nice to know HOW to do a spread sheet.
We
also got good assurances that our Forester would be fixed, no problem, and the
insurance company of the truck company that hit the Forester would cover all
expenses for car rental and fixing the car. That was a big, big relief.
That
night Lynn was supposed to meet with one of his welfare assignments, but the
man didn’t show up. Apparently he
did leave a message but we didn’t get it.
So, he came home to get me and we went to Institute and had a great,
great discussion on Elder Ballard’s talk from the last Conference. This Wednesday is the last Institute
class for our ward given by the CES teachers and they may not come back in the
fall because there’s just not enough people to warrant them coming.
One
interesting thing that did happen when Lynn was waiting for his welfare man to
come, is that some members of Midwood II ward told him that there was a lady that
came in and was sitting in the chapel.
Lynn went to talk with her.
She was from Hungry and had been walking/running down the road where the
church was and was quite curious about it, so she finally gathered the courage
to come in. Lynn said her English
was quite broken, but he got her name, phone number and address and gave that
information to the Sisters.
Thursday
morning Lynn and I met with the RS Presidency, a three-some of highly
intelligent, competent women, and we went over a list of RS members in the ward
and they let us know who we should contact at their home and get their pictures
taken for the ward directory and who not to bother with. There are so many that we would have to
visit personally, I wonder if we’ll ever get the directory done. At some point I’ll have to call a halt
and say, “live with what you have.”
In
the afternoon Lynn and I met with our woman welfare case. She is such a sweetheart, but
incompetent in the ways of finance.
She was using her debit card with no money in her checking account and
thought that was perfectly OK, not understanding that she was racking up more
debt to do that. But, she was a
willing learner and so grateful for our help. She did the assignments Lynn asked her to do.
In
the evening Carolina Rosario came to our apartment to be home taught. She is moving to the Bronx with her
mother this week and we are broken hearted that we won’t have close contact
with this angel. But, she has a
boyfriend that lives in Utah and has promised to bring him by our apartment in
two weeks so we can meet him.
(He’s flying in).
Lynn
and I also met with the Bien-Amis family—father is a member and we’ve never
laid eyes on him, but he has a cute wife and adorable daughters who are smart
and friendly and love to have us come visit. We did the whole Home Teaching thing including lesson on the
Atonement and temple sealing with these non-members. Don’t think it will go anywhere for a while, but hope that
someday when the girls are older, they might seek out the church.
Friday
was shopping and then in the afternoon Lynn and I went to the Brooklyn Botanic
Gardens. If you look on Facebook
you will see pictures of the breathtaking view before our eyes. It was absolutely magic walking through
the gardens. Pictures don’t
do justice to the perfume in the air, the cool breeze, being up close to the
flowers—it’s always better in person.
We hated to leave, but Lynn had to get back so he could go to a Scout
meeting. I stayed home and
watched the drama on TV. Glad
that’s all over.
Lynn
talked briefly to J.D. He’s
got finals this week, and has 100% (he thinks) in both his classes. Yay! J!
I
spent yesterday having Lynn show me how to download pictures off my camera
(took over 90 pictures at the Garden) and rename them etc. Took a long time to do that. Then he talked to J.D. and got the
courage to go to Facebook to see if he could get a short album up, and it
worked. Still have a few kinks to
work out.
Lynn
and I will be in Provo Sunday night late and it will be nice to be home for a
while before going to California Thursday morning.
Lynn
got me a new phone from T-Mobile for my birthday which has a little keyboard
that slides out. No excuses not to
learn to text.
I
love the gospel and love our responsibilities in this ward. It’s such a blessing. The church is true. I love my Savior and so grateful for
his Atonement. Wish all of you
well this week.
Kathy/Mom
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