18 Months in the Big Apple: February 2010

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Third Generation

After returning from our mission last summer, we thought we were all through with 18 Months in the Big Apple...Now a new chapter is beginning!

For those of you who remember us and our time in New York City, we are so excited that our nephew, Elder Rossell will enter the Mission Training Center next Tuesday, March 24th. He is the third generation from our family to be called to serve in New York City. My parents served in the New York, New York Mission in 1992-93. The mission was divided shortly after their return to their home. We served (18 Months in the Big Apple), New York, New York South Mission, January 2008-June 2009. Now our nephew from Arizona, will serve in the New York, New York North Mission for the next 24 months.

We wish him the very best and have a feeling he will love the people and work in his mission as much as we did. After serving with many young missionaries, we know he will serve with all his heart. He has every quality that a faithful missionary needs and New York City will love him too! Watch for highlights of his service along the way!

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.