District Meeting and Interviews with President Bennion

"Big plans on Wednesday: Manhattan for the Temple Trip! Originally I thought that it would be on the 17th, tomorrow, but its on the 18th, Wednesday. I'm pretty excited. We'll leave in the morning, probably around 8:00 and get back around 5:00. We've gotta go to the mission office and get MetroCards for the the trains and then head into the city. The Train will take us pretty much right there. I'm excited. NYC is THE Place. "

"Oliverson is by far one of my favorite companions. We get along great. We've got a lot in common. Hunting, fishing, outdoors, he had his own landscaping business too. We teach great together. "

"We got a couple of new investigators last night. The cousins of a family Oliverson was teaching out in Riverhead. We met them last night. We knocked on the door and they let us right in. We just talked last night. We didn't try and teach anything, just got to know them. Their names are Heather and William. She's Jewish and he's Catholic. At the end of our visit we told them what we were all about and they said that they would listen but that they were'nt really interested. Thats okay, neither was the family at first that referred them. We'll see what happens. We never would've gotten in the door if we were just tracting, thats why referrals are so helpful. Wish us luck. "

~Elder Maughan

Pie or Pie? March 10, 2009

"We've pretty much emptied our previous teaching pool and started anew. Tonight we're delivering a couple of pizzas to some families. Sister Memhidi owns a pizzaria. She always hooks us up too. She's the Relief Society president and is having us deliver some pies to a couple of families in need right now. This is a good way for us to get into homes and share the spirit of missionary work. It'll be agood evening tonight."

~Elder Maughan

Working hard on Long Island, NY

"Oliverson and I are working HARD. I haven't been this busy before. Our phone is ringing off the hook. Members are calling us all the time asking us for help in the ward. We are getting into peoples home. We're teaching all the time. In fact, we just taught a lesson to a lady this morning and now her sister is somewhat interested. We're going back on Thursday. Hopefully we can see some success.
I love it out here. Sometimes I just can't believe that I'm out here, in New York, even Long Island. I really do love it.

~Elder Maughan

Spring Snow Storm March 1st

"Hey, sorry I didn't get an email out yesterday. We got hit with a huge snow storm sunday night that closed everything down yesterday. We got stuck trying to get of our driveway. The roads were terrible. Sorry. We got to the library as soon as we could today."

~Elder Maughan

"All of New York and most of the eastern seaboard was plummeted with snow - the biggest of the season - even as Spring approaches. Universities, schools, some businesses and most preschools were closed. Area airports canceled numerous flights and experienced countless delays. The Long Island Railroad had rare delays due to blowing and drifting snow and problems with frozen switches and added an additional eight trains from Manhattan east to Long Island beginning in the early afternoon to get commuters through the storm. "

~Sister de Paula

Interesting Facts about this storm that "charged up the Eastern Seaboard and blanketed the Northeast."

For the first time in 5 years NYC Public Schools were canceled affecting 1.1 million students.
It costs the city 1 million dollars an inch to remove snow. Long Island got 14 inches.

There are 6,000 roads to plow in NYC , the equivalent of driving to LA and back.
More than 450 flights were canceled at LaGuardia Airport, 119 at JFK and they currently are experiencing 3 hour delays.
The storm stretched from Virginia to Quebec.

Elder and Sister de Paula

Elder and Sister dePaula are from Highland, Utah. They were called to serve as Institute Missionaries in the New York New York South Mission. If you've followed this blog, you would know that I stumbled upon their blog (http://www.depaulamission.blogspot.com/) before Justin left. I have followed their blog regulary and was thrilled when I found out Elder Maughan would be serving with them in Bay Shore. The following posts are courtesy of Sister dePaula's blog. The dePaula's will be returning home in May.

President and Sister Bennion

President and Sister Bennion go home in May. Elder Maughan has so much respect, love and admiration for this outstanding couple. He's going to miss them terribly. I'm sure he'll grow to love his new President just as much.

District Meeting February 20, 2009

Elder Maughan gets a new Companion, (number 6) Elder Oliverson. This picture was taken when Elder Maughan and Elder Oliverson first arrived in Bay Shore and the de Paula's took them to the Old Country Buffet. Elder Maughan said, "We get along great. He's my first comp. where its more like we're friends...we already were before we were together. " Elder Oliverson has been out 9 months and he's from the Sandy/Draper, Utah area.

You've Gotta' Love Missionaries!
"Our district - the biggest in the entire mission - has twelve young missionaries and us. After mission transfers last Tuesday we got one new missionary, Sister Burton with a few elders being "shuffled" within the district.
Front row: (l to r) Sisters Frodsham, Burton, Brimhall and Sellers. Back row: Elders Alder, Low, Johnson, Oliverson, Lee, Carcel, Maughan and Caramia.
Half of these missionaries were called as Spanish-speaking, half English-speaking. What a joy it is to know them!"

~Sister de Paula