The life of five

Life with an apartment of five is a bit hectic at times, but otherwise a fun experience.

We haven't been able to see Genesis, our investigator with a baptismal date, for a week, and she is pretty hard to contact. Our other main investigator Matt doesn't have the best memory. He's almost always at the home of a less-active member where we found him at, and when we make appointments to be at his apartment, he is never there. He lives in a building with a doorman, so we can't go up and check. We're a bit frustrated about that.

Elder Bell and I have been organizing old records like crazy. There are various groups of deaf people that live in a close area, though we have been finding that many of these groups are a bit mixed. We have been using paper maps to set boundaries to these areas and moving people into their correct ones, so future lookups will be easier and better streamlined. It's a bit fun, and we give the areas scriptural names to help us better remember them.

The Newburgh ASL/English elders area has been closed since I left it for the city. However, the APs recently said that they are thinking about switching the sisters still there with elders again, and that one of us will likely go up. It's an exciting prospect. My guess is that if it happens, Elder Holloway will go, as he's spent over a year in the city.

Until next time,

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

Officially fall

The second fall of my mission has officially begun! I still remember last fall in the city last year, which is super weird. The weather hasn't been as bad these past few days, and hopefully it stays that way.

Getting groceries for five is fun. We recently changed how much we spend each week (it was double the first week of every month and then normal the other weeks) into a little more each week. We found we go through food fast, and so this is an overall better way, as we are now replenishing more expensive items more frequently. Elder Bell and I got $150 worth of food into our Bronx cart and a large carrying bag, and had fun slugging it home. That Bronx cart and large Costco bags save us a taxi each week, which is a huge blessing. The axles are looking a bit strained, though ... If it does break, the mission will reimburse us for a new one, which is nice. We recently got an email from the mission office saying that they have a lot of extra supplies with the closure of various apartments due to a decrease in mission size. 

The NY NY Stake had stake conference this past weekend, which I helped interpret for along with the other ASL missionaries. Some speakers are just super hard to do, like President Buckner. Elder Bell was interpreting him, and just gave up halfway through. The investigator we picked up again last week came to stake conference as well, and enjoyed it. We visited her last night, and now she has a baptismal date set for Oct 18th! She says that she wants church more in her life, and has a good friend that is a recent convert who we are using to help us teach.

We were stopped various times this week by random guys who wanted to know who we were and what we did. Some of them had some odd views on the church, like the one guy who heard that Joseph Smith got lost in Arizona and found the gold plates there. We correct myths as pleasantly as we can, and then invite them to find out the message for themselves by reading the praying about the Book of Mormon. I know that those who pray with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Jesus Christ will know of its truthfulness! I have seen it time and time again.

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

Yes, I'm kind of famous now

The CES young adult devotional on Sunday night was wonderful. The words of Elder and Sister Clayton were inspiring, as was the spirit they brought. Even better, the event was held here in NYC, so I got to be there in their presence as the event was broadcast worldwide. Moreover, as friends and family have said and shown me, there are a few instances where if one has a good eye and notices the ASL interpreter seated just below the stand, most of that time it happens to be me! That's right, Elder Bell and I were seen by a worldwide audience. Kind of weird but cool at the same time.

Last Thursday as we planned, Elder Bell and I felt inspired to drop, or stop focusing on, all our investigators that weren't progressing, or really doing anything. It was a little hard for us, especially since our already small teaching pool would drop to one. But, we acted on that inspiration, tried reaching out one last time to each, and then let them go. The only immediate results we have seen so far is that the one we kept has continued to meet with us and really wants to get baptized, but hasn't come to church yet and seems to have a short memory span. Also last night as we visited a member, her friend came over and we had a really spiritual lesson with her. This friend is one of those we dropped, and it now appears that she will start progressing.

We had transfer meeting today, but as Elders Bell and Tipiani just got here two weeks ago, our program is staying the same. Time to get out there and work more!

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

Watch Ryan in ASL action

Elder Turner, far right of this screenshot

Ryan had the unique opportunity to provide local interpretation for the audience present as Elder F. Whitney Clayton spoke at a Worldwide Devotional broadcast from New York last night. I haven't figured out how to embed the video, but if you go to this page on LDS.org, you can watch him sign. His interpretation starts at about the 20-minute mark when Elder Clayton begins speaking (intermittent shots when the camera pulls back to show the audience) and signs through his talk and the closing song.

Training life

It was definitely not the most fun lugging a full Bronx cart and two big bags of groceries in the heat this morning. But, it saves us a $13 taxi ride, so it is worth it. The five of us go through a ton of food.

Training Elder Bell so far has been great. He knows the gospel well, and is very willing to learn and improve. His ASL skills of signing and understanding are fairly good, though, like all missionaries, he still has a lot to learn. He and I are getting along really well, which has been a nice change from some of the difficulties I have had with my last companions. They are still here training Elder Tipiani together, so I still see them daily, but right now things are a lot better. It's fun for me to see and hear the two new guys experience things I first experienced a year ago.

The week is still a little slow, though we did find a new investigator last week. He said he would be at church, but didn't show, so hopefully we will be able to actually meet for our lesson this Friday. I hope that with now two ASL areas once again and the unity and faithfulness of our companionship that the Lord will bless our efforts.

Things should continue to improve. Love you all.

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

The missionary quiz, round II

After the success of the first missionary quiz last year, I thought I'd try to pry a few more answers (funny or informative) out of Ryan. All of his answers are in red.

1. I have lost/gained 8 pounds in the last year.

2. Describe your roommates/companions in exactly 3 words each:

Elder Holloway: ginger Alaskan friend

Elder Shepherd: really, really, Deaf

3. The strangest thing I’ve been fed by a member is: a Taiwanese New Year's treat

4. My favorite interesting food here is: some of Elder Holloway's cooking

5. Draw the amount/percentage of pizza in your diet as a chart or graph:

6. I haven’t eaten cafeteria food in a really long time.

7. I have now learned to cook a mean quesadilla.

8. Strangest thing I've tried to translate in ASL: stake 2nd counselor talk in which he explains exactly how to construct

9. M&M World or Hershey’s store? Neither -- they are in Times Square (aka Sodom and Gomorrah)

10. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being super fluent), I’d describe my fluency in American Sign Language as a 8.

11. Summer in New York City, in three words: hot and sticky

12. Winter in New York, in three words: freezing cold snow

13. I am running low on: subway stations I have yet to hit

14. It’s a funny story now, but I felt really annoyed when rats were harassing our apartment last year.

15. Weirdest thing a street vendor has been selling: I try not to look too closely ... Most unique: Woman selling "advice" for 25 cents in Union Square

16. Number of times attacked by butterflies: 0 (sorry, inside joke between Ryan and me)

17. People still writing me semi-regularly, not including family or general weekly e-mails: Jesse Miller, Heather McKendrick (friends serving missions)

18. Draw your favorite tie’s pattern:

19. I miss cheap prices from Arizona.

20. Most supportive member missionary: Pedro Martinez because he's aided in the baptisms of many NJ members.

21. Today I read Mormon 4-6 in the Book of Mormon.

22. My mother is absolutely nuts for writing a second quiz.

And three became five!

The last 24 hours here have been hectic and exciting for us here in the ASL program. Yesterday, the three of us here traveled to Scarsdale and picked up our two newest members -- Elders Bell and Tipiani! They are both from Utah and excited to serve here in New York, and already have decent signing. We enjoyed a wonderful evening and morning with President Smith and his family, and recently got driven back down to our Harlem home. Elders Holloway and Shepherd are training Elder Tipiani together, and I am training Elder Bell. He is slightly taller than I, and talks with a rich, deep voice when he isn't signing.

To prepare for their arrival, we shifted up some of the rooms, so now the trio has two rooms for sleeping and study, and me and my companion got sent to the smaller back room, where we have cozily fit in our bunk bed, two desks, and a dresser and drawers. It all fits perfectly, though the bed was remarkably difficult to assemble as it is nearly the same width as the room. It will be a bit tight, but should work just fine.

The work should hasten, as now we are back to two companionships. I am excited to impart of my wisdom with Elder Bell, and know that I will learn a lot from him as well. I'm sure that as I see him learn and figure things out I will be reminded of when I first came to this city of everything. There is work for us yet!

Elder Ryan Turner

New York New York North Mission

American Sign Language