Transfer Meeting- Summer '08

On the way to Queens for transfer meeting.

One Year Ago, Today . . .

February 27th, 2008

Happy "Hump Day" Elder Maughan!

It's hard to believe that this picture was taken one year ago. They say the first year passes slowly and then the second year flies by. In our case, the first year seemed to zoom past us. Looking back, the MTC experience was so hard, but I'm so happy that Elder Maughan is out there, immersed in the work and so happy to be a missionary.

In the past year, he's had so many unique experiences. He's grown in ways that he couldn't have anywhere else. There have been days, I'm guessing, that's it's been hard being a missionary and days that it's been rewarding being a missionary. I keep telling myself, "It's all part of the growing process." It's all worth it though. All the tears, worry and frustration have been worth knowing that Elder Maughan is happy and loving life in the mission field and that he knows what he is doing is important and necessary.

Before Justin left, someone gave us one of those "count down charts." You know, the one with 730 little, teeny, tiny cirles on it. I looked at it a year ago and thought, "No Way!" I just filed it right away. I pulled it out this week and looked what was "behind" us and what's "ahead" of us. It doesn't seem so overwhelming, now! Don't get me wrong, I love having a missionary. I'll just love it more when I have a return missionary!

A long time coming!

It's been almost two months since I've posted. We bought a new computer in December and are waiting for our new high speed internet to be connected. Until then, I refuse to blog. It just takes too long with my current computer and internet.

Just a quick catch up~Elder Maughan is in his second area on Long Island, Bay Shore. He was in Plainview before that, but only for one transfer. Since I posted last, he's had two companions! Elder Godwin and Elder Alder, his current companion. We got to talk to Justin at Christmas and he's doing great. He's changed and grown so much.

Hopefully next week I'll be a blogging fool and you won't be able to keep up with me. Until then, here's a current picture. (Notice his new address to the right.)

Plainview, Long Island, New York

"Well, I'm out of the City. I think I might be a city boy. I'm in Plainview now with Elder Tenuun (Teh-noon). He's from Mongolia. He didn't learn English til he came out here, so he has an extra hour of language study and I get another hour of personal study. Both of us are brand new to the area, so we had to start a whole new teaching pool. Each of my areas I've had to start a new pool. Tenuun is the most humble guy I've ever met. I feel bad because the language barrier makes it hard for him to express himself to us. This transfer or next could be his last. His visa expires early. He's supposed to have another six months."

"We have a nice apartment. I think its the nicest in the mission. It's the basemant of an Italian lady that always buys us pizza. We have a sofa, electric stove, and a washer and dryer. The washer and dryer are nice."

"We've been going through the records of the elders that were here before us and trying to meet some of their former investigators. Everybody we've visited, either they or one of their neighbors, have invited us back. The beginning of this week is pretty packed with appointments."

"Thanks for everything! I love you so much. I'm glad you had a good Thanksgiving. By the way, Tenuun and I ate with the Weavers and then went out to the Bishops for dessert. Have a Merry Christmas season and happy holidays."

~Elder Maughan

Some of the things I've learned when you are serving in the New York New York South Mission . . . You are either "in the city" which consists of Queens and Brooklyn, "on the Island" which is Long Island, (Physically, Brooklyn and Queens are on Long Island, but are part of "the city" or, you're "on the Rock," which is Staten Island, which is part of "the city", but called "the Rock" by the missionaries. Follow? Good! Get out a map and you'll understand better. New York City consists of Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens. Manhattan and Bronx are not part of this mission. Seriously, get out a map.

http://www.aaccessmaps.com/images/maps/us/ny/nyc_area_hwy/nyc_area_hwy.gif

~Jamie

He's getting off the Rock

"Well, I'm getting of this rock. I don't know where I'm goin'. I'll find out tomorrow. I'm a bit bummed to leave. I love it here. We're teaching some amazing people, the ward has so many people for us to teach, and I had a great relationship with the ward. I'm gonna go get some pics tonight. I really hope that I can come back to Staten Island and serve."

"I just realized today that I'm not really a new guy anymore. Two transfers and I hit my year mark. It's going so fast. I need to change some things. I'm just gonna put myself out there and testify to everyone. I'll never see these New Yorkers again anyway."

"I love it out here so much! I'm excited about getting to meet some new members and find some new investigators. "

~Elder Maughan

When we hear where Justin is going, we'll let you know. In the meantime, just send all mail to the mission office, address is to the right.

A Post Script to this entry:

At about 6:30 tonight, 8:30 New York time, our phone rang. Steve answered and the gentleman on the other end, introduced himself as Bishop Rasmussen from New York. Justin had just been at their home to tell them goodbye! As soon as he left, Bishop Rasmussen called us to tell us what a great missionary Justin is, what a strong testimony he has and how much he enjoyed working with him. (His small children got on the other line and said, "We love Elder Maughan!) It was so nice of this man to call us and to share with us how well Justin is doing. It's little acts such as this, that get this missionary mom from one month to the next! Thank you Bishop.

Todays letter.....a marriage AND a baptism ???

"Great News. Brother Hunter, from Rexburg, went with us to teach Kim and Richard (Jewish couple) on Tuesday. It was a great lesson. After we taught them about baptism and the Holy Ghost we read Mosiah 18: 7-9. We asked if these were the desires of their hearts and they quickly exclaimed that they were. Then we read verse 10 asked them if they would be bapitzed. They're going to be baptized on the 7th of December, hopefully. We were unsure if they were married, but they had us over for dinner on Saturday night and it became evident that they are not married. I'm pretty sure they will be. It looks like we'll be holding both a baptism and a marriage. Nobody ever once told me that I was going to be set apart as a wedding planner. They came to church on Sunday and the ward just absorbed them. They loved it there. I'm so excited for them."

"Everyone wants me to start teaching free beginning piano lessons as a typeof finding effort. The Spanish and Chinese elders teach free English classes and its worked pretty well for their teaching pool. I guess they want me to use my talents."

"Thats my big news from NYC. Transfers are next week. I hope I stay, I love it here! There is so much going on in the ward and in our teaching. But President Bennion knows best. How does the song go, "I'll go where you want me to go..."

~Elder Maughan

Last weeks letter FINALLY came!

"Hey Everyone! Staten Island is doing great. I can feel the flood of baptismal water making its way around the corner. We're going to invite the Jewish couple to baptism this week after a lesson on prayer and baptism. Richard told us last night that he's trying to build up to prayer. He's so sincere about everything. It's one thing to convert from one Christian denomination to another, but its entirely different converting from something like Judiasm or Islam. "

"Elder Godwin and ZL Elder Hales (we were on exchanges) visited another one of our investigators on Friday, Virginia McDaniel. She teaches at a catholic school preparing kids for "baptism and confirmation", I think its called Catechism . She's very sincere and really wants to know the truth. She is such a sweet lady. She told the Elders of a sweet experience she had a few years ago when she was in the hospital. She had just had surgery and for a few days she was having a very difficult time sleeping. Then a nurse named Mike (kinda funny) told her he would wait with her until she could fall asleep. He said that he would have to step just outside the room and take care of few things but he promised to leave his foot just inside the door so that she could know that he was there. She was able to get two great nights of sleep. The hospital then transfered her to another room on another floor and she asked the hospital to send the nurse Mike down to her room. The hospital told her that there was no nurse named Mike at that hospital. Virginia is adamant that Mike was an Angel sent from God. She believes so much of what we tell her and wants to believe everything, but she's having a difficulty with a couple things. She keeps watching the Restoration DVD and can't get over Joseph Smith seeing the face of Heavenly Father and not dying, as the Bible teaches. We'll have to give her a lesson on transfiguration. Moses saw God face to face and I know that Christ, Peter, James, and John were all transfigured on the Mount of Transfiguration. Pray for us. Hopefully we can invite her to be baptized soon as well. We'll have to get her Hollands Conference talk on Angels."

"Our teaching pool has grown so much this past week. We've been tracting, train fearlessing, looking up former investigators, looking up other potential investigators, delivering media items, the whole sha-bang-a-bang. We've found a new family on the train and we're going to start teaching Abraham, Earnest, and Shanik this week. We've got a full, busy week ahead of us. I'm excited"

~Elder Maughan