18 Months in the Big Apple: Summer Institute Forum

Friday, May 22, 2009

Summer Institute Forum

Vanessa, Brother Del Santos, JoAnn and Sharkie, all Queens Stake members

Our CES Coordinater, Cory Bangerter had a great idea! Three missionary couples, the dePaulas, the Smiths and us have all been teaching Institute classes through out the mission. All three are completing our missions by the end of June. Elder and Sister dePaula drove westward May 6th and have been home in Utah for two weeks. How we miss them! On May 6th the Queens Stake started having a weekly Institute Forum, at the Woodside Stake Center. There is a different speaker each week, followed by a "munch and mingle."

We were unable to be to the first one where President Olsen, leader of the Lynwood District spoke, however, we heard it was "very well done." The second week President David Duffy, the Queens Stake President and a medical doctor, spoke on, "Health and the Gospel." We studied the Doctrine and Covenants, section 89 together and then he encouraged us to find the hidden treasures mentioned through personal revelation. This last Wednesday Brother Dos Santos, a Queen Stake High Councilor and licensed NY Therapist and Abuse Counselor directed us in a most interesting discussion about addiction. We explored the biological, psychological and social areas and how they affect addiction. Brother Del Santos encouraged us to be a force for good in our families and with friends. It was a very enlightening evening and we each came away thankful for the gospel and the tools that help us deal with our personal struggles and challenge.

We are the scheduled speakers this coming Wednesday night. You're all invited to join with us!

1 comment:

Sharon said...: Oh how we would love to hear the forums! They sound well done, informative and right on for Institute-age students! Wish we could hear your presentation.

We miss you like crazy!! Our hearts are truly in two places right now. You'll see how that goes in just over a month when your time runs out.

Big hugs!; May 24, 2009 at 5:53 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.