The Mission Office

Hello everyone from the city of Scarsdale. We are finally in our apartment here after way too much time in the Mission Home. The Mission Pres. and Sister Searle were very cordial and have done everything they could do to make the transition as easy as possible, but it is still living out of suit cases and then working all week and then back to Highland on the weekends and then back on Monday morning, It is over now and we feel good being here. We have one more trip back to pick up another load of our goods and then we will travel back on Sundays only

This a rather unique experience and it should be fun. We live in a one bedroom apartment that was new right after WWII and is completely full now and an interesting area. As you might imagine it is dated after at least 10 coats of paint and wood floors and it looks its age. It is comfortable and we are sure will bring some interesting experiences. We are about 200 yards away from the Scarsdale train stop and many of the people here are young and work in the city. By train it is 20 minutes to Grand Central Station and the subway system into New York. Our apartment complex is a part of a village that encompasses about 6-8 blocks with many restaurants, shopping areas, specialty retailers and the like. On Sister Farnsworth's birthday, we walked across the street to an Irish Tavern to have dinner and it was so full of St. Paddy's revelers that we could not get a seat for 45 minutes, not to worry we went about a half a block away and ate at a nice Chinese Restaurant. Up the street is a health club and there are many convenience already here. It has a definite personality and we will try to meet people and share the gospel with them. This is a city that is mostly the tribe of Judah and is very wealthy and set in there ways and religion. Our little village is made up younger couples and a few smaller children and older people. The cultural diversity is something we have never experienced and it has a nice feel to it. We will take a few photos and send them with this blog. We really don't have much time to doing proselyting during the day, but as we meet people we will try to do our missionary work during the evening.

Both of us stay busy from 8-5 with our work in the office. Sister Farnsworth is honing her secretarial skills for the Mission President and I keep the missionaries working. I pay their monthly allowances, pay the apartment rents and all the other bills that are a part of the workings of a mission. I also handle about 40 plus cell phones for them. Each companionship has a cell phone assigned to an apartment rather than trying to give it to individual missionaries. It would be a total zoo trying to follow them around when transfers take place. The next fire drill will happen in April when the church will issue all new cell phones and expect each old phone to nave the same telephone number. The data and old phone numbers will be transferred by infrared by lining the phones up next to each other and hitting the transfer button and maybe it will work with 19-21 year men and women. I think it will be a Chinese fire drill, but on the other hand they all know enough about cell phones they probably are better equipped to make it a success. I am supposed to be in charge of getting them out. The big tech nerd that I am. All I know is that you charge them up turn them on punch a few buttons and there is someone on the other end and then they call you back and you try to answer right before you get in a wreck. I do love technology, but I don't understand how it work and don't care to know. I am nerd enough without adding tech to my resume

A couple of weeks ago we went to a festival of Orchids at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. Over the last few years I have become very fond of flowers and their many varieties and beauty. I would respond to being a flower nerd but a tech nerd not on my best day. Anyway it was a beautiful show and Sis. Farnsworth took some outstanding photos which we have included here for you viewing. It was fun and just a part of the culture that is New York.

We have been here in Scarsdale now for 3 weeks and I haven't finished this blog for the past 3 weeks. I will be better now that we are a little more settled. I always wanted to live on the east coast just to experience the people and the life style as well as the culture. I was a little disappointed when we were asked to come work in the office as we had just gotten our wings and experience and had made a little progress. We still travel back about 70 miles each way to our first area and see most of our friends and home teach about 6 families. We have been able to get some of our families back to church. It will be difficult to do much missionary work, but we will do our best. We realize the importance of doing the background and logistical part of the mission and have enjoyed our work here. I am excited to continue in this new assignment and our work in the mission office. We have a lot of association with the MP and the AP's. Sometimes the office is full of 10 missionaries and all kinds of commotion. It is fascinating to see these young men and women carry out the missionary work of the church. They do a great job and they do a great job.

There is huge need for senior couples for all kinds of missionary service. We have had 10 senior couples in our mission and we will be going to 6 by the middle of the year. There are proselyting, Church Education, Storehouse, genealogy, public affairs, and many other that can do some great work. Please encourage all senior that are healthy and willing the Lord needs you. It takes a big
organized team to keep the Lord's work going. I have gone on for too long. I will put on a few pictures and sign off for now. Please know that we love and appreciate your prayers and your friendship.

Elder and Sister Farnsworth