18 Months in the Big Apple: MONTAUK POINT LIGHTHOUSE

Monday, June 23, 2008

MONTAUK POINT LIGHTHOUSE

Our June Senior Social was hosted by Elder and Sister Roush who live in Riverhead out on Long Island. We traveled to their home on Saturday, June 14th. We enjoyed a delicious brunch and then traveled out through the beautiful Hamptons to Amagansett. There we met Brother and Sister Edwards, devoted members of the Roush's ward, and enjoyed their charming home. He is retired from years of commanding a Coast Guard vessel, and now fishes alone 5 days a week. Sister Edwards made us fresh fish salad, (her specialty) on crackers. She is a talented homemaker and gardener. He is from twelve generations of fishermen, and whaling captains, and actually lost his father in a fishing accident in 1999. Brother Edwards took us on a personal tour of the Marine Museum in East Hampton and taught us the history of whaling on Long Island. It was so interesting as we learned about the Right Whale, named because of it's size and the fact that it floated after it was killed. The last whale taken off the coast of Amagansett was in 1907. We saw his family's boat and can only imagine the courage it took to get beside a huge whale in what seemed like a very small craft. We also saw pictures of many of his family members. After viewing the museum, we drove to Montauk, the furthest part out on Long Island, about a 3 hour drive from Astoria and yes, in the NYNYSouth Mission! (so is Bermuda...we're hoping to have President Bennion send us on a dance assignment there!) After seeing the lighthouse and memorial to fishermen lost at sea, we had a dinner at a local seafood house. It was a beautiful evening and we could see all the boats going in and out of the harbor. Lobster season is just beginning and so we hope to have a lobster boil in the near future with the Edwards. It was most memorable day. Thank you to the Edwards and especially Elder and Sister Roush, who we dearly love!

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“Service is the virtue that has distinguished the great of all times and which they will be remembered by. It places a mark of nobility upon its disciples. It is the dividing line which separates the two great groups of the world–those who lift and those who lean, those who contribute and those who only consume. How much better it is to give than to receive. Service in any form is comely and beautiful. To give encouragement, to impart sympathy, to show interest, to banish fear, to build self-confidence and awaken hope in the heart of others, in short–to love them and to show it –is to render the most precious service.”

Bryant S. Hinckley

January 10, 2008 we arrived in Queens, New York. We are currently serving as full-time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were called to serve in the New York, New York South Mission. It is a special and unique assignment. Serving here is like teaching all nations, with missionaries who teach in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Russian and American Sign Language. Nearly 10 million people live within our mission, representing 112 nationalities. We are blessed to be serving along side the most incredible missionaries in the world! We love President and Sister Bennion who have been cherished friends since he was the president of Ricks College. We are happy to be serving the Lord and living on Steinway Street in Astoria.
Thank you for visiting our blog! Please feel free to leave comments or questions. It makes our day:-)

History of the New York, New York South Mission

Long before our mission was organized, Elder Parley P. Pratt was the first missionary in this dispensation to preach the Gospel in New York City and Long Island.
This mission has significant historic roots. It is the heart of the former Eastern States Mission which was established in 1839.
That mission, headquartered in Brooklyn, enjoys the distinction of being the second oldest mission of the Church, behind the British Mission.
The Eastern States Mission consisted of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and West Virginia in 1948. Since that time, many changes have been made in the boundries of the mission.
The name of the mission was changed from the Eastern States Mission to the New York New York Mission in 1974. At that time the mission included the following areas: New York State as far as Poughkeepsie, the entire state of Connecticut, a small part of Massachusetts, as well as part of New Jersey and the island of Bermuda. The mission boundaries were once again changed in 1976 excluding Massachusetts and all of the state of Connecticut, with the exception of Fairfield County.
In 1987, after another boundary change was made, the New York New York Mission consisted of the five boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island), Long Island, New York State north to Poughkeepsie, a portion of Connecticut and the island of Bermuda.
The mission was divided once again in 1993. The New York New York South Mission encompasses the New York City boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, as well as the New York counties of Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island. It also includes the small British Island of Bermuda in the Atlantic.