18 Months in the Big Apple: Our Neighborhood

Monday, March 2, 2009

Our Neighborhood

We need to document some of the things we see here in Astoria that we don't want to forget. Often we say to one another,"We should have taken a picture of that!" We are not sure what is ahead for us, but we think we'll probably never live any where as busy or populated as NYC or Steinway Street again. Traffic roars in front of our house day and night, and the big trucks start each morning about 4:00 AM. When we arrived home last Friday evening, a woman crossing the street in the dark, had been hit (out in front of our home) and the ambulance arrived shortly after we did. We asked the police if we could help her or her family, but they could not give us any private information. We are continually amazed at how truck, bus and emergency workers get around this place. This poor guy took out the signal and light on the corner of Astoria and Steinway. This driver's big mistake was just not swinging wide enough.

Before our mission I remember asking Sister Bennion if she had someone that helped her with all of her cooking. She replied, "My best friend is Costco!" We too buy at Costco in quantity almost weekly and agree that it is a boon with so many Saints and hungry missionaries to feed. What is so amazing to us is how people leave shopping carts everywhere. Pictured above is the beginning of a pile-up! Often I have to get out of the car and "move trolleys," (NY terminology) so we can drive the car through an opening in the parking lot or get into a parking space!

1 comment:

Sharon said...: I don't know how you've kept your sanity. Or is that the problem? Seriously, we may have the hospital one block away with the ambulance sirens at all hours, but it isn't the same as "city noice." THAT kind of noise never goes away. You've done remarkably well to endure the sights and the sounds for nearly 14 months. Only 4+ more:-) Wanna' a countdown clock on your blog?; March 2, 2009 at 8:05 PM

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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.