Spring Break Party - Stony Brook University CES Students!

Stony Brook Dinner Party!

This week is Spring Break at Stony Brook University, but we just couldn't bear the thought of not seeing our amazing students. This is the class that had just one student attending when we began teaching on February 22. Tonight, one young woman was sick and another had to go into the city and couldn't join us for the party.

So instead of meeting in room 309 of the Student Activities Center on campus, we met at the De Paula "pad" and partied. The students voted on lasagna (which happens to be one of our own children's favorites). It was good to be cooking again! (I thought of our kids and grandkids and all our family members who show up for dinner on Sundays for the feast:-)

Lin and I went shopping at 9:00 am and I began cooking in my miniature, under-supplied kitchen at 10:00 am and went straight through for five hours! Two giant pans of sausage/beef lasagna with three cheeses, oven baked garlic-parmesan french bread, green salad, sweet corn, fresh sliced pineapple, and homemade raspberry icecream cake roll. For ten of us I seriously thought we would have leftovers for a week. We had nothing left...and were thrilled to watch them eat! We have no idea what these starving students must go without.

After dinner and visiting, David Hamano, one of the talented students played a few numbers on his viola for the group and then Elder de Paula sang his signature song "Return to Sorento." The students seemed very appreciative. All the "planned" events were over by 9:30 pm, so they were free to go, but didn't. We were both surprised and happy to see that they hung around until after 11:00 pm to chat and laugh as a group. It was so much fun to have them in our home in a more relaxed, informal setting. It's good for us to get to know them as young people as well as students and for them to see us as regular people and not only as really old, formal teachers. We'll definitely be repeating this activty:-)

Kings Point, NY US Merchant Marine Academy

The Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY

This is one of the most tranquil places on earth. Playful bushy squirriels scamper about, seagulls float freely overhead and Canadian geese fly in perfect formation to some distant destination. At this time of year the water is still icy cold, as is the wind. The sun is bright, but not nearly warm yet enough.

This is the picture today, March 17, at the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. In the distance you see the Throgs Neck Bridge suspended above the East River where it meets the Long Island Sound. The bridge connects Bronx and Queens. The Academy sits on eighty-eight acres of prime property.

We made the trip to the Academy today to visit with the chaplain. Our intent was to see if he would give us a list of the young Latter-day Saint men and women who are enrolled at the school. We had a good visit with him, toured the chapel, and he agreed to research the records and put together a list for us. There may be only a few members of the Church attending the Academy, and some of those may not want to be found, but we'll try some magic.

Breakfast in Our District is Fun!

Feed them and they will come...

Friday is District or Zone meeting. So, if you have to meet, why not eat. That's how the elders feel. Everybody gets an assignment, prepares what they can at home, then comes together to assemble, set the table and eat.

Today the menu was sliced fresh pineapple, huge black grapes, oranges, sausages and scrambled eggs, french toast, grape juice, orange juice, fresh hash browns, milk, muffins, and huge homemade cinnamon rolls. Let's see....is that all?

Everybody pitches in with food and also helps with cooking, setting tables or cleaning up. After adequate time for eating and a few moments of socializing, there is district business to attend to. These are wonderful, committed elders and sisters! Elder de Paula and I are honored to be working as senior missionaries among them:-)

A Magnificent Evening at Carnegie Hall!

Dr. Craig Jessop Directs at Carnegie Hall

The occasion was the FIFTH ANNUAL CARNEGIE HALL NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHORAL FESTIVAL on March 10.
The concert featured soloists soprano Janice Chandler-Eteme and baritone Stephen Powell performing with four choirs from Baltimore, Maryland; Raleigh, North Carolina; Santa Barbara, California; and State College, Pennsylvania.

At the concert, each choir performed repertoire under its own conductor before coming together to perform the Brahms work. In typical form, Dr. Jessop was a master at the director's podium as he lead the choirs and the Orchestra of St. Luke's in the brilliant Brahms German Requiem.

What a Wonderful Visit Backstage!

Almost as surprised as Craig, Ranae and Rick were, it was us who could hardly believe we were allowed backstage after the concert! We had no idea what the protocol was, but I asked an usher during intermission if it were possible to visit with Dr. Jessop's party. She told me to check with the house manager on the Parquet Level near the stage, but by then, there was no time before the Brahms was to begin after intermission.

Of course, Elder de Paula and I were so eager to see them, to express our gratitude for their being here tonight, for having worked with them for many years and to simply express (quite unexpectedly) our love and support for them 2,300 miles from home! (We were to have taught a CES Institute class on Monday evening, but one of our students from the Academy was out at sea and the other resigned from school to work and save money for his mission.

So...just two days before, we were free to go to the concert at Carnegie Hall and see Craig Jessop in action!) I slipped out of the concert for three or four minutes near the end, took the elevator down four levels, found the house manager's office, plead our case and went back to my seat. She could give me no answer because Dr. Jessop, of course, was on stage conducting!

What she did do was put our names on a list, told us to return to her office after the concert and wait then to see if clearance would be granted. (What if Craig didn't want to see us? Oh no!) We waited. In several minutes house manager answered her phone, then nodded at us and security. We got the go-ahead to proceed to Dr. Jessop's reception room, which meant he knew we were in the hall.

We knocked on a door, it opened, we spotted Ranae Jessop sitting across the room. She almost jumped out of her chair when she recognized us! She had not known we were in New York serving another mission, so it was a real surprise for her to see someone from "home."

Craig heard people talking, came out of another room, smiled, hugged us and in his always gracious style asked how we were. That is so "Craig!" One of our first comments to him was that the Brahms was simply marvelous! Craig's eyes lit up... "Did you like it?" Of course we did! In Craig's unique style, he lifted those young high school singers to the performance of their lifetime enabling them a musical experience not bestowed upon by many.

We told him we loved him and asked what the future would bring. His selfless comment was about his dear wife - that Ranae would have hip surgery on Monday and he would be helping her get through that. He would worry about "other things" later. The Jessops and those in their party left for Salt Lake City this morning.

A few days after this Carnegie Hall event, we mentioned to Craig in an email that we were certain the whole world has "a thousand questions about his resignation - none of which may ever be asked nor answered". Our purpose for visiting was not to invade their privacy, but to express our love and thanks for our many years in the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle Choir under the leadership of Dr. Ottley and Dr. Jessop.

To be in the presence of Dr. Craig Jessop - this great servant and dear friend to millions - was a sweet experience for us. He is moving on without revealing all the details and we must do the same without knowing any of the reasons. It is time to follow his lead...again ...and move forward graciously.

District Meeting - Districts 7 and 8

This is our P-Day Activity!

Friday is our P-day. Does that mean Play day? Well it must, because we love our Fridays getting together with these elders and sisters from the two eastern-most districts in the New York, New York South Mission. Ten of us in this picture attend the Bay Shore chapel ward or branch - six English-speaking and four Spanish-speaking.

Today there was an activity on "Souls and Goals - How to Baptize." This is how it went down. (I'm still laughing!) There was a judge's panel of four elders. There were contestants from the two districts who were asked "Did you baptize?" If they answered "no" the music began and they had to dance. Oh boy...would they dance! An elder from Jamaica could really jive! WOW! Then the MC would say something like..."OK, if you can dance like that...you can certainly baptize...so get working this week!" Sisters danced with sisters. Elders danced alone. Missionaries were standing on chairs video taping their peers. It was so fun.

We then divided into districts and had a spiritual presentation on how to get commitments from investigators. This was followed by lunch, treats and good-byes until next Friday.

Our First Drive Through New York

Pictures taken on January 15

This is actually our very first photo taken in New York City the day we arrived. Here we passed through downtown Manhattan on our way to the New York New York South Mission office in Queens on Long Island, NY January 15, 2008!

That's right! The pictures were taken through the windshield of our well-traveled, very dirty, heavy laden Odyssey van. But who could pass up a shot like this? New York at its finest - hustle and bustle!

"Why did it take so long to get these pictures uploaded from my camera?" you ask. Well...for some reason I had taken twelve photos on the internal memory of my Kodak EasyShare. I had why, and therefore had no idea how to get them out of there! Then I forgot all about them and actually thought I had lost them until today.

The pictures bring back good memories of our first drive through the "big city" on our way to meet our mission president and his wife, President and Sister Steven Bennion, CES Coordinater Cory Bangerter, and other senior couples who work at the mission office in Queens, NY.

We were thrilled to be driving through the heart of Manhattan at lunch hour! I was on the phone with one of our daughters - "You won't believe...we just passed Times Square...and, oh my gosh we're truly at Broadway." I can't believe this is the most direct route to get to the mission office. Getting anywhere in New York, you go through Manhattan - that still surprises me. It's wonderful!

Our Updated Teaching Schedule

This is our latest teaching schedule as of March 10, 2008
(notice it's not engraved on "brass plates")

• Monday 1st & 3rd weeks CES In-service 11:00 am - We leave our apartment at 9:30 and get back at around 2:00pm, just in time to study for a few hours in preparation for our evening class.
  
• Monday - US Merchant Marine Academy CES 8:00 pm Old Testament - travel time is over one hour each way
  
• Tuesday - Stony Brook University CES 8:30 pm Old Testament - now seven students!
  
• Wednesday - a Spanish CES class will hopefully materialize for Elder de Paula
  
• Thursday - Bay Shore CES Book of Mormon class 6:30 pm
  Keyboard Class 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm - 15 students
  
  Friday - P-Day (However... District or Zone Conference is every Friday 11am-2pm) with travel usually one hour each way
  
• Saturday - Keyboard Cass 9:00 am - 10:00 am Bay Shore Ward - 10 students
  
  Also on Saturday we visit less active YSA (young single adults) in our ward area (we have 111 of them) and invite them to attend a CES Institute class. Many of them have not been to church in quite a while.
  
  On Saturday, March 8, when we went out in the pounding rain to visit, we were met with open arms and received in genuine love. And we got commitments from some wonderful young people to come to our Book of Mormon class and the keyboard class on Thursday evenings! The work is moving forward!
  
  
• Sunday - Bay Shore callings, CES firesides, Young Single Adult meetings, Stake choir practices, reactivation planning dinners with ward members, etc.