Early Fall at Sagamore Hill

We knew Krista and Will would enjoy Sagamore Hill, the beautiful family farm where Teddy and Edith Roosevelt raised their family, lived and died.

When we visited in the Spring we loved the cherry blossoms, and our first Fall visit, Saturday, September 20th, the leaves were just beginning to turn. We gathered acorns in the parking lot that had fallen from the big oak trees overhead. We also savored my Greek salad, fresh peaches, and roast chicken in the nippy air during our picnic there. There is a wonderful feeling at Sagamore Hill. The picture of Krista and Will (below) reminded us of the poem of growing old together. They are experiencing such an exciting time of life, expecting their first little one, and truly "the best is yet to come!" We loved our special time with them.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

We headed back to Queens with the missionaries and Will and Krista visited The Met for the afternoon. They strolled through the exhibits and loved their afternoon together. Later they found a little Mexican restaurant for some eats and then they fulfilled a dream of seeing "Wicked." They have read the book, know all the music by heart, and were delighted by this show, proclaiming,"It was the best thing they've ever seen..everything was incredible!" We are watching EBay for cheap tickets! We picked them up at the train at Ditmars and 31st about midnight and got to hear about their memorable afternoon and evening. We thought the temple in the morning, art in the afternoon, and "Wicked" in the evening...way to stay well balanced guys!

Anniversary Temple Trip

We were especially blessed to be given the assignment to accompany the Elders and Sisters from our mission who had completed their first and second year of faithful service to the Manhattan Temple on Friday, September 19th. Making it especially memorable, Krista was with us. We are so thankful every time we are able to attend this sacred place and enjoy a break from the madness that is NY. Congratulations to all the elders and sisters who were able to join us. Pictured with us are Elders Bae, Engebretsen, Jones, Palanite, Wiggins, Nehmer, Kaveinga, Miller, Scott, and DiGiovanni and Sisters Gao and Richey. We have a special love for these dedicated servants of the Lord. After hot dogs and Jamba Juice we headed back on the train and back to work. We were able to give out many pass along cards on the trains. Special thanks to our photographers, Krista and Will.

Fabulous Family, Todd and Blake Arrive in NY

Thursday, September 18th, we were joined by our nephew Blake Rossell from Gilbert, AZ. My youngest brother, Todd was "in town" for Macmillan meetings too. We always have a great time with Blake. He's just so easy and wanted to come to NY and do some missionary work. What he experienced was that people see missionaries with name tags and ask for help. As we were entering a subway a young mother asked for our help. Her baby had fallen asleep and she needed help carrying her stroller up the stairs. Blake jumped right in happy to get the job done! Also, we met Nate and Cari, friends of Krista's who live in Manhattan. They have made several trips to Utah and know a little about our church. Blake will be 18 in October and when Nate asked him what his plans are, Blake was quick to answer that he was looking forward to serving a mission for the church in another year. In need of sustenance, we made our way to The Shake Shack again where Chas and Blake had some "NY dogs and concrete." That afternoon we explored the American Museum of Natural History, and were fascinated by the dinosaurs, and artifacts of ancient people and cultures. After 4 floors, Blake had us start at the top and work our way down, we were ready for a break. We took the train to Harlem and met Todd and Will at Sylvia's for soul food. Mom and Dad used to frequent Sylvia's in '92-'93 and took me there. The food was not what I remembered...only so so, but the company was fantastic! We had a wonderful visit and train ride together at they headed down to South Park Hotel and we made our way back to Steinway Street. What a special day for us to be with Todd, Blake, Krista and Will. We are excited for Blake as he is attending seminary and preparing to serve. Who we are really happy for is the man who will be able to serve as his mission president. He's going to be a great missionary!

Broadway Daddy-Daughter Date

Tuesday we prepared our institute lesson that consisted of Matthew, chapters 3-10. It was a huge amount of material that we had to teach in 90 minutes. Krista agreed to take a portion along with us. I also made the treats and we worked on handouts for our student's notebooks. We taught our class in Jamaica that evening and then got home about 10 PM. Wednesday morning with our lesson for that evening ready to go Krista wanted to go to a matinee musical. Chas and Krista decided they wanted to see A Tale of Two Cities. I had other things that needed to be done and opted out of the activity. They had a great time together and had lots of good things to say about the show, and especially enjoyed the story. It opened officially on Friday, starring James Barbour, a celebrated actor, with an amazing voice. I'm so glad they could have a Broadway date together while Krista was here. That is what memories are made of!

Queensboro Zone Activity

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY" Sister Thomas and Elder Jemmett

Monday, September 15th our zone met at Queensbridge Park for a barbecue and birthday celebration. Elder West grilled lots of burgers served with all the trimmings, watermelon, chips, and carrot cake. Picturesque on the East River and nestled under the Queensboro Bridge, we enjoyed the shady trees and it was practically empty! We played Frisbee and football, had time to write in journals, and visit together. Krista enjoyed getting to know all the missionaries at our Friday district meeting and then Monday afternoon in a more informal setting at our activity.

Will's Bright Future!

We are cheering for Will who started a new job as a Publisher's Representative for Learning Institutions at Macmillan Publishing. He had training meetings all week in Manhattan and suggests the endless possibilities of what he can do as he posed in front of Macmillan Headquarters in NYC, the famous Flat Iron Building, a fantastic landmark of Midtown.

The Haslers Hit Manhattan

Our family party officially began when Will arrived in Astoria on Saturday morning, September 13th. We headed for Manhattan on the N train. This was Krista and Will's first trip to New York and they were both enjoying all the sights and sounds of the city.


We met one of Will's former BYU roommates, Dave Almon who is living in Manhattan and finishing his PHD at NYU in Biology. Dave joined us at the city's famous burger hang-out, The Shake Shack, in Madison Park... the city's classy In and Out! We recommend the stuffed portabello mushroom burger... worth the trip. They even served it with lettuce, minus the bun for me. We loved Madison Park with the incredibly beautiful trees, flowers, fountains, statues and glorius gray squirrels who are not shy around crowds of people. A lively bluegrass band was playing tunes and it was just a gloriously lazy lunch together.

Give a Cheer...K-R-I-S-T-A...is Here!

After teaching institute Wednesday night at Richmond Hill, at 11:15 PM we picked our youngest daughter, Krista Hasler up at LaGuardia and she is staying with us for two weeks. We have missed all of our family and it's a delight to have her with us. Thursday, 9/11, we were all tired, but had time to do something fun together. A good friend told me to visit Pema Nail Salon for a memorable NY mani/ pedi's for $15- After Krista's long flight plus she's 5 months along with her first baby, a little girl, and after a hugely, busy, week we convinced Elder West that he could use a little TLC along with us. It was a first for do-it- yourself-ers! Foot, leg, hand and arm massages and then for Krista and myself polishes, and then while our hands and feet were under the dryers we had a back, neck and head message for 15 minutes. What a much needed few moments of relaxation we each experienced. Oh yes, if you come, we will go! Krista joined us for our meetings today and will teach with us all next week. She came really close to serving a mission to the Philippines. Just before her farewell she met Will, and the rest is history. So this is a chance for her to serve a mini-mission with us! Will flies in tomorrow and has meetings all next week in Manhattan. We can hardly wait to see him. It's so great to have our family here in Astoria for a visit. We couldn't be happier!

Pio Pio..our New Favorite Place

Traveling down Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights we've seen a Peruvian Restaurant that is busy every night. We decided to try it and discovered why it's so busy. We loved the colorful atmosphere and the families and friends celebrating there. The food is fresh, healthy, and surprisingly, reasonably priced! We learned there are 6 NY locations. After our two hour institute training meeting Monday we asked Elder and Sister dePaula to join us at our new find. It was so nice to relax and visit over a delicious meal before we raced to the store and then home to cook our dinner and get our lesson ready for FHE. The dePaulas travel 90 miles twice each month for our meetings. The least we can do is discover places to party...like Sister dePaula says,"Even institute teachers have to eat!"

Good Friends Gather for Elder Holland's Fireside

Two extra-special friends, Grace Lopopolo,(Richmond Hill Branch) Queens Stake Single Adult Leader and Anita Maharaj, (Jamaica 1st Ward) who serves on the Institute Regional Council and attends our Jamaica institute class are two of our favorite sisters here. They each give 100% to their wards and the stake and have huge spirits. They are a great blessing in our lives as we are serving here, and to each other and all who know them....we may have to drag them kicking and screaming home with us to Idaho!

Paul and Theresa from Richmond Hill Spanish Branch, have been a couple since we arrived last January. They are both serving, teaching and leading with Seminary and Institute and are an excellent example of the choice young single adults that attend and support all of the activities and each other. We are cheering for them and think they are outstanding together!

YSA Girfriends bring such a great spirit of love and joy with them. They are always so happy to see one another with hugs all around! We love their hugs too and are thankful we can rub shoulders with them and feed them at the CES dinners. Elder Holland's talk last Sunday night was a powerful message about coping with our trials and holding fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Impressive friends like these support and love each other and we see firsthand how far that can go with the Queens YSAs and SAs......love you guys!

Gissette...A Rego Park Ward Blessing

Elder Patton had the great privilege of baptizing Gissette Brito last Sunday. We were so glad we had the opportunity to attend her baptism. She is a new YSA in the Queens Stake, and we will be able to see her often. Elder Patton was so happy as this was the first invitation he had to baptize a new member. Bishop Sanchez welcomed her to the ward and Sister Haglund to the Relief Society. We were able to welcome her to the Young Single Adults and invite her to join us for dinner and the CES Fireside that evening. She and her friend, Jackie, came early and helped by cutting all the rolls for the barbecued pork sandwiches we served. Elders Williams and Patton, congratulations on your devotion in teaching and assisting this new sister learn about Jesus Christ and choose Him again. She enjoys serving and will be a great blessing to the Rego Park Ward and we were so glad to join in on this momentous occasion. Pictured above (L to R) Elder Williams, Gissette Brito, Elder Patton, and always cheerful, President Bennion, who attended four baptisms last Sunday.

Wonderful Woodside District... the Best!

We managed to survived transfers well and met with our district last Friday for our regular meetings. Elder McLean is now a new Zone Leader with Elder Jemmett. Elder Imlay is our new District Leader and we are amazed at how well he is leading our group. Our biggest surprise was hearing that Elder Rencher was transferred back to Astoria. He's a great Elder and we are so thankful to be serving with him again. He feels right at home again and he and Elder Werner are hoping to involve the Astoria Ward members as they invite their friends and neighbors to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks President for yet another group we feel very thankful to serve with. These missionaries are astoundingly incredible! Front Row (L to R) ASL Sister Folsom, Hermana Brown, Hermana Cunliffe, new to our district, but not to the mission, she's been serving for 16 months from Salt Lake City, Sister West, and Zone Leader Elder McLean. 2nd Row (L to R) ASL Sister Grover, Hermana Thomas, has served 6 months, from Spanish Fork, Utah, Elder West, and Elder Teerlink. 3rd Row (L to R) New District Leader, Elder Imlay, served 13 months from Riverton, Utah, Elder Rencher, who is back to serve in Astoria, from Philadelphia, Penn, served 14 months, Zone Leader, Elder Jemmett, and Elder Werner. Aren't they a great looking group...we just love them!

Brotherhood: Elder Low, Elder Werner and Mike...Learning and Progressing Together

This summer we had a large group of Pinacle Alarm sales people who added so much to the Astoria Ward. All have returned to their homes, except for Mike, from Russia, who has been learning about the church. We drove to Long Island City to give Mike a ride to and from church and invited him to join us for Sunday dinner. We had a chance to join with the Elders and teach Mike about the importance of prayer and daily scripture study. Elder Low's family joined in and we along with Mike all committed and recommitted to pray morning and night and read our scriptures each day. Even though Mike will return to Russia on September 10th, it has been a blessing to know him and have a chance to plant some seeds, reminding him that he already chose Jesus Christ once. We are praying he will choose Him again and share his happiness with his family in Russia. He is a great young man in every way.

Extraordinary Guests...The Low Family

Elders Low's family arrived Saturday night from Perry, Utah. We met them at the Astoria Ward on Sunday morning and were so pleased they could join us for dinner. They are here, staying in Manhattan for three days where Elder Low will join them on Tuesday evening. They will pick him up at the Bennion's home in Port Washington. He was so excited and thrilled to see them, but has stayed focused on the work. Elder Low has been such a fine missionary. He loves his family and the gospel and you can feel that from him. We will always remember that whenever we talked about something that was challenging, Elder Low would assure us that he had five sisters and could manage anything! Pictured above are Elder Low's parents, Roger and Mona Low, with Elder Low's cousin, Liesel Davis, who lives in Manhattan. Elder Low's two younger sisters, joined their parents for a week in NY, Stacie and Sara, and Elder Low and Elder Werner. What a blessing it has been to know this fine Elder and meet his wonderful family. He has represented them well. We know they will have a fantastic week here in NY, especially on Long Island where Elder Low served most of his mission. In the last six weeks we have grown to love Elder Werner, who has great enthusiasm for the work, steps up to contribute in the Astoria Ward, and displays a great sense of humor and ready smile! He says he never been asked to be in so many pictures in his life. Keep smilin' Elder Werner!

Jamaica Farewell to the Bezerra Family

Last Friday evening we attended the Jamaica 1st Ward sendoff for Manoel, beautiful Helena, and little (blonde) Manoel Bazerra who are moving back to Brazil. Manoel joined the church while my parents were serving in the NYNY Mission in 1992. I visited my parents and met him at that time. He has been a close friend to the Rossell family ever since. When we arrived in January we were so happy to be reunited with Manoel and the children. His oldest daughter, Amelia, is a new freshman at Cornell this Fall. Helena and little Manoel are flying to Macae, Brazil today to be with family and start a new life there. They are leaving many dear friends and a big hole in the Jamaica Ward. We wish them all the best and hope to see them again. Pictured are the Bezerra Family with us and two adorable little girls that wanted to be in our picture!
Friends, lots of food and a fun program made a loving memory for the Bazerra family. Helena had a hard time and tears spilled as she hugged her YW president and girlfriends for the last time. After a delicious dinner and some entertainment, we sang hymns together and then friends were invited to share their feelings and testimonies. It was a sweet experience for all who attended, especially the Bazerras. We'll miss you!

Time For Tuesday Transfers

We love each of these marvelous missionaries and said our good-byes last Friday, preparing for transfers on Tuesday. (front row L to R) Elder Bell, the Wests and Elder low (back row L to R)
Sister Brown, Sister Grover, Sister Folsom, Sister Shiley, Elder McLean, Elder Teerlink, Elder Jemmett, and Elder Werner. Our district has worked incredibly well together. It's so hard to say good-bye, but every six weeks we do it! We are the only two missionaries who are sure we won't be transfered or be assigned to a new companion! It's like a puzzle we try to figure out before each change. Here's our scoop: Elder Low has completed his mission and will be going home. We're pretty sure we will get to keep Elder Werner here in Astoria and we're so glad because he is a great new missionary. Our Zone Leaders, Elders Bell and Jemmett, for sure one will be transfered, we think Elder Bell. We love our Distric Leader, Elder McLean and are pretty sure he's up for a change! We hope President Bennion will assign him to Woodside again before we go home next Summer. We aren't sure if Elder Teerlink will stay or go! We're guessing Sister Shiley's time at Woodside is up too....we'll know by Tuesday. We thank these Elders and Sisters for all they have taught us. They have worked hard to obey and meet their goals and they are such good examples to us. We pray for President Bennion each day and are so thankful for his leadership. If it was up to us, none of them would ever be transfered! We get attached and then have to let go...it's a tad like "empty-nest syndrome" every six weeks. They helped our office elders move some furniture and load chairs into the storage building and then we served up rootbeer floats, (you guessed it, Elder West's idea), and had a little celebration together. Thanks Woodside District for a great transfer. We will never forget any of you!