Mo Tab and Fireworks

The past week has been eventful. A time of change.

A highlight of the week was the opportunity to visit Carnegie Hall for the first time to hear the MormonTabernacle choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square. 

This magnificent structure has been the site of great music for over 100 years. 

The hall is impressive. The people in the balconies appear to be very close to the orchestra and the stage.

  The choir was just as magnificent as you would expect it to be. Many non-members were in attendance, and they seem to thoroughly enjoy the performance.

We know we really enjoyed the evening and we are grateful for the opportunity we had to visit Carnegie Hall and many other wonderful venues in New York City.

This past week we welcomed a new mission president and his wife to our mission. President and Sister Gary Reynolds and Barbara Reynolds are from Draper Utah. We attended a missionwide conference July 2 to get to know them better. They have already won the hearts of the missionaries as they bring a great spirit with them. Present Reynolds begin immediately to interview the missionaries upon his arrival.

We were invited to the Reynolds mission home On Saturday July 4 to celebrate Independence Day with President and Sister Reynolds and other senior missionary couples.

The Reynolds will be a great addition to the mission. 

We enjoyed a delicious potluck meal in the beautiful backyard of the Mission home. 

There was plenty to eat, and we thoroughly enjoyed being with the senior missionary couples one last time. We have developed some good friendships on our mission, which is an added blessing of serving as missionaries.

 It was hard to say goodbye to our good friends.

We returned to Brooklyn in time to enjoy the annual fireworks show from our balcony.

From our balcony we have a great view of the Manhattan skyline, parts of New Jersey and the Statue of Liberty in the Hudson Bay. All of the missionaries want to move into our apartment! The senior couple in charge of apartments has decided to move into our apartment for the last five months of their mission, until such time as our replacement CES couple arrives. We are not sure who will come when they will arrive, but we do understand that a replacement couple has been identified. There are more needs for senior missionaries around the world then there are available senior missionary couples, so we'll just have to wait. 

It has been a great and wonderful week in New York.