An activity was added to our district meeting agenda last Friday we'd never heard of before, "Departing Hot Seat!" We weren't sure what it meant, but we were pretty sure we'd be involved. Elder Norman placed two chairs in front of the group, called us up front, and explained that each elder and sister could ask us a question. They asked us for advice, about mission memories, etc. The last elder, Elder Pickering asked, "Would you be surprised if we planned a party for you?" They opened the room divider and yelled, "Aloha!"
Sisters Heininge and Crandell made a Bon Voyage banner, they'd all hung lights and crepe paper, blown up balloons, leis for all, and had a spread of Hawaiian delights to sample.
They asked me to bring Peach Crunch with ice cream. The sisters made Rice Krispie treats, traditional and peanut butter chocolate, elders brought bananas, cookies and so many goodies to go along with the flowers, noise makers, umbrellas, and festive lights.
Clowning, Elders Pickering, Sanford and Nehmer.
Elder Norris is our district baker. He loves to cook, and made pineapple upside down cakes.
You can see it was a happy good-bye party! Last Tuesday Astoria lost Elder Pickering to East New York in Brooklyn. He is serving with Elder Caramia who is from Italy. He had a great start with wonderful trainers in our ward and we loved working with him. He will be a future leader in this mission. Elder Norris also was transferred to Brooklyn in Midwood. The balance of our district remained the same. A pair of ASL Elders were added, Elder Grow and Elder Wheeler who just arrived from the MTC last Monday night. Elder Nielsen is also brand new from Sandy, Utah, and he is serving with Elder Norman in Astoria. Elder Law who replaced Elder Norris is Elder Flores new companion. We know they will all continue to do great work in Woodside or Brooklyn. Thanks all for a very fun and successful surprise!
An absolutely adorable "Aloha!" You two will be mightily missed in the NYNY South Mission by those whose lives you touched. You have given your time and your love and your hearts to the work...and it shows.
It's been great serving with you. We love you. We'll see you at home:-)
You told us this would be hard, but we had no idea of how hard. We are cleaning and shipping this morning and afternoon, and we have shed some tears for sure.
“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
New York South Mission Blog
New Astoria Ward Members
WEST'S NEW YORK, NEW YORK SOUTH MISSION
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:-)
After almost 37 years of teaching dance at BYU-Idaho, Charles retired December 31, 2007. All of our children danced with the BYU-I Folk Dancers, so as a family we donned costumes for one last memory together.
Below, all of the West Family, pictured below the glorious, new Rexburg Temple.
(Michael Lewis Photography, Thanksgiving 2007)
Be grateful Be smart Be involved Be clean Be true Be positive Be humble Be still Be prayerful
by President Gordon B. Hinckley
Parley P. Pratt
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.
This beautiful stone building, center, located at 973 5th Avenue, across from Central Park, served as headquarters of the Eastern States Mission in 1963.
New York New York South Mission Home
The current Mission Home is located in a lovely neighborhood in Port Washington, New York.
Live in such a way that those who know you, but don't know Christ will want to know Christ because they know you.
Those who love Christ the most, are the most Christlike.
Welcome Spring
"All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar."
Helen Hayes
Newsroom - LDS Church 3
A Passion for Primroses
"I promise that when you get your release, if you have forgotten yourself these years, all will have come to you, the things that you might have wished for yourself, and you shall have them all, even though you did not anticipate and wait for them. You shall have obtained knowledge and the spirit of the gospel, and your testimony shall have increased. You shall be polished; you shall have a sublime and beautiful life."
President Spencer W. Kimball (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 589)
An activity was added to our district meeting agenda last Friday we'd never heard of before, "Departing Hot Seat!" We weren't sure what it meant, but we were pretty sure we'd be involved. Elder Norman placed two chairs in front of the group, called us up front, and explained that each elder and sister could ask us a question. They asked us for advice, about mission memories, etc. The last elder, Elder Pickering asked, "Would you be surprised if we planned a party for you?" They opened the room divider and yelled, "Aloha!"
Sisters Heininge and Crandell made a Bon Voyage banner, they'd all hung lights and crepe paper, blown up balloons, leis for all, and had a spread of Hawaiian delights to sample.
They asked me to bring Peach Crunch with ice cream. The sisters made Rice Krispie treats, traditional and peanut butter chocolate, elders brought bananas, cookies and so many goodies to go along with the flowers, noise makers, umbrellas, and festive lights.
Clowning, Elders Pickering, Sanford and Nehmer.
Elder Norris is our district baker. He loves to cook, and made pineapple upside down cakes.
You can see it was a happy good-bye party! Last Tuesday Astoria lost Elder Pickering to East New York in Brooklyn. He is serving with Elder Caramia who is from Italy. He had a great start with wonderful trainers in our ward and we loved working with him. He will be a future leader in this mission. Elder Norris also was transferred to Brooklyn in Midwood. The balance of our district remained the same. A pair of ASL Elders were added, Elder Grow and Elder Wheeler who just arrived from the MTC last Monday night. Elder Nielsen is also brand new from Sandy, Utah, and he is serving with Elder Norman in Astoria. Elder Law who replaced Elder Norris is Elder Flores new companion. We know they will all continue to do great work in Woodside or Brooklyn. Thanks all for a very fun and successful surprise!
3 comments:
An absolutely adorable "Aloha!" You two will be mightily missed in the NYNY South Mission by those whose lives you touched. You have given your time and your love and your hearts to the work...and it shows.
It's been great serving with you. We love you. We'll see you at home:-)
You told us this would be hard, but we had no idea of how hard. We are cleaning and shipping this morning and afternoon, and we have shed some tears for sure.
"Aloha!" to you too. Enjoy Hawaii!
Good luck on your new adventure after the Big Apple.
It was a pleasure having you both serve in our ward.
Love, Bishop Glass
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