Some last events

Now that we are just a few weeks from finishing our mission, we are experiencing events for the last time.

On June 9 we participated in our last transfer meeting. These are always wonderful events.

This is our last photo of departing missionaries singing at transfer meeting. We completed our responsibilities as mission historians at that transfer meeting and turned that responsibility over to another missionary couple.

There's always good musical talent on display at the transfer meetings. This is a photo of Sister Slaugh, who plays a wonderful viola. We really enjoyed serving with her for six months at the beginning of our mission.

Transfers always involve lots of luggage, and we always get drafted into using our van to haul luggage and missionaries. Our van has been mighty handy on our mission.

At transfer time the parking lot is jammed full of cars. It's always a trick to get out of the parking lot.

There's even a row of cars parked on the sidewalk!

The evening of transfer meeting as departing missionaries we enjoyed a cookout at the Mission home with President and Sister Calderwood.

We were privileged to be included in the departing missionary group even though we don't leave our mission until the middle of July. We had a wonderful testimony meeting and enjoyed a video presentation featuring the departing missionaries and some of their mission experiences.

To provide food for our many institute classes and district missionary meals, we go shopping 2 to 3 times per week. The local grocery stores is one of our favorite places!

On July 13 we participated in a senior missionary activity on the Lower East side of Manhattan.

This is the area known as Chinatown. It has a large Chinese population.

The 14 senior missionaries first met at a small restaurant to enjoy a lunch before we visited the tenament museum.

We had a guided tour of the living quarters of immigrant families trying to make a living in New York City approximately 100 years ago. Living conditions and working conditions were pretty tough, but for the most part, they were happy to be in America. Their main job in this neighborhood was to prepare and sell clothing articles.

On Sunday, June 14 we were able to break away from our Park Slope young single adult branch and attend church in Staten Island, at the Spanish ward. It was great to attend Sacrament meeting in Spanish. And also to go to church in a building that looks like a chapel and actually has a parking lot! We do not have such buildings or parking lots in the city of Brooklyn.

We are always treated very well by that Latinos. We really enjoy having a number of them in our institute classes.

It is always interesting to see how they use space efficiently here in Brooklyn.  Here we have a subway train line built above a city street.

In good weather a group of older men gather together every day at a little park over the freeway to play dominoes. That is amusing. 

We also attended our last zone meeting this week. In this photo a sister missionary is giving instructions about proper use of the Internet in missionary work because our missionaries have iPads and access to Facebook. We continue to be impressed by the spiritual preparation of the young missionaries. They're bright, talented and beautiful. Serving a mission is a wonderful opportunity for any young man or young women who will prepare themselves. 

We have been very privileged to serve with these young people.

And finally, we shared ice cream cones at an outdoor eating area after a wonderful day in the temple on Friday.

We have really enjoyed our mission here in New York City!