Wonder weekend!

Wow, this weekend was awesome!

On Friday, all of the city missionaries met together and watched the new film "Meet the Mormons". It follows six different Mormon families, showing how they have lived aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. It doesn't hit you over the head with Mormonism, but shows how their religion has influenced their lives for good. It's a truly wonderful movie, and I recommend it to all. It's playing in select theaters across the nation, and will hopefully expand.

For all afternoon Saturday, we went to the branch "Wild, Wild West" party at the church. The branch does parties maybe seven or eight times each year, which is just another deaf event here in NYC. Members come, and also members that are not as active and even friends of members to this social that includes food, games, and even a magic show this time. It's a good time for us as missionaries to get to meet new people, and the other elders got a few potential people interested in learning more about us. There are, however, about a dozen people at the party that were there solely for the food, not interested in coming to church at all. Oh well, such are some deaf people.

Sunday was definitely the best day of all. Elder Fotheringham and I spent most of church getting everything ready for the baptism afterwards! On Sunday October 12, 2014, Ariel Chapman entered the waters of baptism and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If you look at the picture on my Facebook page of the two of us and two other men in white jumpsuits, Ariel is the one on the left. John Debrow, the member on the right, performed the ordinance. It was a really spiritual experience, and marks my first baptism on my mission. We will continue working with him to continue to build his faith so that he remains active in the church. Thus is proof that the work is going forward.

On Sunday night, we attended a fireside (spiritual meeting where speakers address a specific audience) given at the chapel adjacent to the Manhattan Temple. L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with his wife; Elder Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife; came to New York to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Mormon Pavilion at the 1964 Worlds Fair, and also gave a fireside. We as ASL missionaries got to interpret the event, sitting in the front left, close to the stand. I personally interpreted Sister Hallstrom's talk, and got to both listen to and shake the hand of Elder Perry! This too was just an awesome spiritual experience.

Mom asked about hearing referrals. We typically send those into the mission office, and they then give them to the correct missionaries. Haven't really done this, as we haven't yet found someone who has given us contact info.

The work is still going forward, and I'm loving every bit of it. Hope you all keep doing well, and I love each and every one of you!

Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language