Stony Brook Summer Institute Invitation

Like our Institute invitation? (click PLAY above)

It's time to begin our Summer Institute classes next week so we've been getting our classes organized, preparing materials, and finding and inviting students to participate. This involves calling, visiting, emailing and even text messaging! This is far different from how classes are set up in the well-organized Church units we have known through the years. We must find our own students. The local leaders do not organize the classes. Nor do young people ordinarily search out a class.

Young single adults in New York, ages 18-30, are busy in school and/or work, sometimes with more than one job, and have great distances to travel to get where they need to be, some relying solely on public transportation. We began the Stony Brook University class with one student and now have eleven on the roll. This is progress!

We are so thrilled when our dear young people can find the time to attend Institute class. They strengthen eachother and add so much to our lives! It is fun for us to prepare and take some "home cooking" to class for them since we know they are at the end of a busy day, having had little or nothing to eat. They are so happy and appreciative.

Institute provides a great social and spiritual time to mingle. That's its purpose.

If It's Wednesday it Must be "Wicked"

Lamberts enjoy a New York Visit

With a couple weeks off from our CES mission teaching assignments, we entertained friends Peggy and Gary Lambert from Utah for a few days. We visited them on their mission in Bangalore, India so they returned the favor. And we filled every day with the wonders of New York!

"Wicked" was high on the Lamberts priority list as was Central Park, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, the ocean, Brooklyn Bridge and Harlem...with lots of food and laughter thrown in. We did it all.
And yes, it was Wednesday...and "Wicked" was delightful.

And Central Park is so beautiful in April!

















The long walk was serene, yet alive with visitors, sounds and splendid sights.

We took the time to visit with strangers on park benches, enjoy a the earth science musuem nearby and watch boating on Central Park lake.

It was a perfect day Spring day.

"In the Heights" - Broadway's Hottest Hit!

We went wild over this musical!

With the amazing original cast, incredible dancing and a gripping tale of hope and self-discovery, "In The Heights" is Broadway's hottest hit set in the neighborhood of Washington Heights above Manhattan.

On Friday, April 25, we were spellbound through the entire presentation - at least on a par with "Westside Story" and "Fiddler on the Roof."

The New York Times calls it, "A musical about chasing your dreams and finding your true home, with enough energy to light up the George Washington bridge!"

Writer/actor (singer/dancer/rapper) Lin-Manuel Miranda stopped for a picture after the performance of this top Broadway hit. What an extrodinarily talented cast of dancers and singers! One critic described "In the Heights" as "pure musical theater." We could easily seen it again - and probably will in the next year.

See a few video clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRNzUcG-zWI&feature=related p://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=6965146

Lin-Manuel Miranda posed for a photo after the show.
What a very cordial you man..and an extraordinary talent!

Long Island Beauty - Sagamore Hill

Our friends, the Wests, told us to go see the blossoms at beautiful Oyster Bay. We did. While sightseeing we spotted a sign - Sagamore Hill Historical Site. We had no idea what it was. We drove 3.8 miles. What an experience!

Theodore Roosevelt spent many summers of his youth on extended vacations with his family in the Oyster Bay area. (They lived in New York City.) In 1880, at the age of 22, Roosevelt purchased 155 acres for $30,000 on Cove Neck, a small peninsula two miles north of Oyster Bay. He hired an architectural firm to design a family home - all completed for $16,975.

The house and its surrounding farmland became the primary residence of Theodore and Edith Roosevelt and their children for the rest of their lives - being called " The Summer White House" during the seven summers Roosevelt spent there as President of the United States. Roosevelt died at Sagamore Hill in January 1919. His widow continuted to live in this lovely home until her death in 1948.

Come visit - walk through the rolling fields, look for wildlife, examine the giant windmill...or come up to the porch of this magnificant Queen Anne home and sit in one of the over-sized wooden rockers. We're just a short 30-minute drive away.

"Blossoms at Sagamore Hill"

Have you ever stood under a flowering cherry tree and looked straight
up? It's a perfectly inspiring moment...

Silk-soft pink blossoms
Puff out on thin black branches
Against the blue sky

-Japanese Haiku by Sister Sharon de Paula

Jodi and Jalaire in the Marriott Hotel Lobby

Jodi Losee McEwan must have really missed her visiting teacher! She traveled all the way from Highland Utah to visit for two hours.

Jodi and her sister Jalaire Taylor had been in Washington D.C. to drop off Jodi's 11-year-old daughter for a week-long People to People Program and were visiting historical sites in the east.

Jodi's only wish while in the east was "to visit Sharon in New York." We met at this gorgeous Manhattan Marriott on Lexington and 49th St. where they were staying. We found a little deli close by where we should have paid rent for the length time we were there. We chatted and laughed..and...oh, did I mention laughed? So fun!

Isaiah Samuel Salleh

We have a beautiful, new, chubby grandson!

Isaiah Samuel Salleh was born April 18 to our daughter, Rebecca and Dyson. He weighed in at a hefty 9 pounds 4 oz. and measured 21 inches long! Rebecca went home from the hospital in just under 12 hours. (She's one of those!) Isaiah has four sisters and one brother and we're pretty sure he's getting plenty of hugs and kisses from them. Everyone please let us know how cuddly he is since we're 2,225 miles away from those magnificent chubby cheeks:-)

Our oldest daughter and husband - Rebecca & Dyson M, Hillary 19, Lauren 16, Gabrielle 12, Avery 9 and Dyson 6 welcome the new little guy into their family. (This picture is three years old.) They are all so excited about Isaiah... and of course we're very proud grandparents of our twelfth grandchild.

Zone 8 with Elder Richard J. Maynes

MISSION CONFERENCE ON THE ISLAND -
ZONE 8 PICTURE

(Seated on row 2 (L-R) - Elder & Sister de Paula, Elder & Sister Maynes, President & Sister Bennion, Sister & Elder Roush; rows 1,3,4 - the marvelous missionaries of Zone 8.)

There are eight zones in the mission, zone one is the farthest west and zone eight is the farthest east. Because the mission is so big, two days were needed for mission conference - April 17 and 18.

The visiting general authority was Elder Richard J. Maynes who not only taught the missionaries how to teach, but exemplified teaching through skillful interaction, powerful examples and personal testimony. Sister Maynes shared her tender conversion and testimony of the Book of Mormon. Their dating story is so sweet.

After his mission, Richard returned to BYU. During the summer before his senior year, while working with friends at a resort in Idaho, he met Nancy and although born and reared in Idaho Falls, Idaho, not a member of the Church. He gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon. Six weeks later, he baptized her. Their life has been devoted to service to the Lord. How we enjoyed their visit to our mission!

Senior Couples Really Make it Happen!

Working Behind the Scenes

Zone 8 was assigned to attend mission conference on April 17 and the de Paulas were assigned to feed the multitudes. We planned, shopped, prepared and cooked for just over 100 hungry missionaries. Our beloved senior missionaries were the greatest help in helping us put it all together that morning! They worked and served and cleaned up and were the very last to eat. What a help!

The menu consisted of Parmesan breaded chicken breasts, red potatoes with seasond onion-parsley butter sauce, corn, green lettuce/spinach salad with grape tomatoes and roll & butter. The desserts were coconut cream pie, cheese cake and double chocolate cake.

We were fed both physically and spiritually at this mission conference.

At the Mission Conference...

We finally met Elder Justin Maughan!

Not that we know him... or that he's been out in the mission that long, but when Elder Maughan entered the Provo MTC, his mother, Jamie, happened upon our blog and left a message on February 24, so we just had to find him. She said that he has a great smile, a big heart and a passion for playing the piano. We verified all three:-)

"I was sitting here missing him and I happened upon your blogspot. My heart just swelled as a saw your faces and realized that you might someday know my son. Looking at your pictures and reading your stories helped to make this lonesome mom a little happier knowing that my son is going to such a wonderplace and will be serving with such great people. Since Justin received his call on December 13, 2007, we were blessed with an immediate confirmation that the New York, New York South mission is where Justin is supposed to be.

We immediately began praying for thoes serving in this mission; that thoes people that are seeking the gospel will be led to the missionairies and the missionairies to them."

Aren't moms great? She even created a blog for her son. www.elderjsmaughan.blogspot.com

Meet the Bennions - Our Mission Parents

New York New York South Mission President - Steven D. and Majorie Bennion

The Bennions opened their lovely home for our senior missionary activity on April 12. Senior missionary couples and the mission presidency come from all parts of the mission for these monthly events.

The de Paulas were responsible for planning this month's activity. Everyone brought delicious potluck dishes and we had a great time eating, visiting and being together. The Bennions are gracious hosts.

At Home in Port Washington

President Steven Bennion grew up on a small farm outside Salt Lake City. His father, Dr. Lowell L. Bennion, loved the students he taught as director of the University of Utah Institute of Religion and as a young man, Steven had many social and service interactions with them. Perhaps that is why President Bennion has been a natural at leading and inspiring young people he has worked with at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) and Southern Utah University where he has served as president of those universities. President Bennion has served as a high councilor, former regional representative, counselor in stake presidencies, bishop and counselor, gospel doctrine teacher and missionary in the Scottish Mission.

In the picture below, Pres. Bennion is showing Lin the mission chart comprised of eight zones, each mission picture attached, where each missionary is from, what languages he or she speaks and to what area each is assigned.

Sister Marjorie Hopkins is a wonderful mission mother! She is full of love and wise counsel for the missionaries and puts their welfare first. She magnifies her calling as helpmeet at her husband’s side and is a gracious hostess to the utmost detail. Sister Bennion has served as a ward Relief Society board member, is a former counselor in stake and ward Primary presidencies, ward Primary president, counselor in a ward Relief Society presidency and Relief Society teacher. The Bennions have five children.

We know the Bennions as warm and unassuming people who live the gospel of Jesus Christ every and who love life to the fullest. How might you recognize these people in a group? In different ways. You would see Sister Bennion quietly bustling to attend to someone’s needs. And President Bennion? You would hear him enjoying a conversation with a guest - a great conversationalist. His laugh is unmistakable! It is as enormous as his heart. It brightens the surrounding.

The Bennions are wonderful people, perfect leaders for the missionaries and dear friends.

Spring Has Come to Long Island...

New life is blooming on the Island -
Signs of Spring bless all our senses
As we travel about on the Lord's errand.

Isn't Retirement Great!

CES (Institute) Teachers at Woodside Chapel for Inservice Training

The CES teachers of the New York New York South Mission - (L to R) de Paulas from Highland, Utah, Wests from Rexburg, Idaho, Conlins from Soda Springs, Idaho and Woodruffs from Alpine, Utah. We enjoy these wonderful missionaries each with varied skills, personalities and experience, and love learning from them and our outstanding CES coordinator President Cory Bangerter. We travel about one hour from Bay Shore, Long Island to Queens, NY to attend at our bi-monthly inservice meetings. In relation to what we may do in Utah, it's like traveling from Highland to Layton - about one hour away. The difference is that in Utah we would drive on one freeway the entire time. Here we drive on at least seven! Thank goodness for our GPS which we have loving named "Myrtle." Where else could retired people have more fun?

This beautiful building is the Queens, NY Stake Center, also called the Woodside Chapel. It is a grand structure built in 1944 for the Bulova Watch Factory as a handicap facility to help provide jobs for the injured veterans returning from WWII. It is a massive structure with elevators, an underground tunnel and extra wide hallways.

The building was, of course, completely renovated when the Church obtained it. The vast space was used well - a large, inviting double foyer, a lovely chapel, a well-equipped kitchen, primary room, library, numerous classrooms, a very busy family history center, beautiful offices and everything (and much more) that a large stake center would have. The CES offices are also set up in this building. There is also a good-sized parking lot...for Queens! That's a miracle. The current gymnasium was originally an indoor swimming pool for Bulova school students to use. That space is put to great use for sports, dances and dinners.

To construct a building for the handicapped in 1944 was indeed an innovative concept and literally decades ahead of its time. The Saints in Queens were fortunate that this "grand lady" of a building came up for sale just when Church growth required a new building in the area - one of those "coincidences" we hear about frequently in the Church.

General Conference at Bay Shore Ward

Who came to Conference on Saturday morning?

The full-time missionaries did!

Ten of us!

That's right - ten full-time missionaries are assigned to the Bay Shore building and that's how many people showed up for the satellite broadcast of the Saturday morning session of General Conference.

It was actually wonderful to be in such a small group. There was a powerful spirit and energy in the room, as we were all thrilled to be partipating in the Solemn Assembly and so eager to be spiritually fed by the brethren from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

Most of our ward members actually watched Conference on BYUTV or via the Internet, which we could have done. But we wanted support our young missionaries at the church, since they had no other option. We just love them! They work so hard and give service to so many.

Between sessions, we decided to take them to lunch. We knew they would be hungry. They work so hard... they're always hungry! They chose the Old Country Buffet. And did they ever eat! Hey...is that why we caught a few of them dozing during the afternoon session?

Only missionaries' cars in the huge parking lot.