Missionary Temple Trip to Manhattan New York

What a beautiful experience to be with the missionaries!

In the New York New York South Mission, when the young missionaries have served half their time, they get an
"anniversary trip" to the
Manhattan Temple.


That happened for five sisters and twelve elders on Friday, May 16 and Elder de Paula and I were privileged to be their escorts. These missionaries gathered from all over the mission, met at the mission office in Queens, we visited briefly, had a brief prayer meeting and headed for Manhattan on the subway - the R train to Times Square, then the 1 train to 66th Street-Lincoln Center. These young missionaries walked out of the subway and immediately saw the Manhattan Temple in the center of this amazing, busy city for the very first time in their lives - and for many it would be the only time.

Of course, none of the joy and blessing of being inside the temple can be shared here, but it was a beautiful, singular experience for all of us. What we can share is the joy we had in the subway talking to people, giving pass-along cards, fighting the rain and wind after the session to grab a bite to eat at the corner hotdog stand, and visiting with these amazing young sisters and elders who so love serving the Lord here. These picture memories will be with us forever.




Yummy!






Spicy Sausage Dog with Sauerkraut. It wasn't much...
but they were so hungry - and so-ooo appreciative!

We would love to have taken them all to dinner in the city, but they needed to get back to their companions for evening appointments. As it was, we were over an hour late in returning.

After returning to the mission office, we headed for the I-495 Long Island Expressway. When it rains traffic gets slows to a crawl. The normal hour drive back to Long Island took two hours!

Missionary work is just a joy!