Well, at least it is here in NYC. After a very mild winter, temperatures have lifted, and this morning I went without a jacket and was a little warm with the bright sun. Hopefully the rest of the city will start shedding their thick coats and boots soon as well.
This first week back in the city with my original companion has been a bit rough, but we move forward and do all we can. People drop appointments, and a couple of good potentials found recently have fallen through. We are also exhausting the grand list of deaf contacts I organized a while back, so we are looking for new ways of finding. But, the two of us get along really well, as I knew we would, and that makes things better.
I love how in New York one can see things such as a half-eaten banana in the grocery store, a tribute to a chicken etched in the sidewalk, and a guy rolling weed on the doorstep of the church on Sunday. All these things and more have I seen just this week. The other elders mentioned they saw a half drank gallon of milk in a mini-mart, and the list goes on. Just keeps things interesting.
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Sunday, March 6, 2016
February pictures
Pictures Ryan sent home from February 2016
Ryan and his companion Elder Arines
Captioned "The sight every missionary dreads" (the occupants are returning the Book of Mormon and asking the missionaries not to come back)
It got really, really cold (and unless they were out disobediently late, this would be at 1:24 in the afternoon!)
A member's daughter drew this for Ryan and his companion
Ryan with Richard Perkowski, who Ryan baptized last May during his previous time in Newburgh
Newburgh, the area Ryan left this week
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
One eternal round
This past week in Newburgh has went well. Elder Arines was called to be a trainer, and then upon finding out that one elder isn't coming to the mission any more, was changed to be a follow-up trainer. This means the companion he is getting has been here for six weeks, but isn't through the training process yet. Also, the people we have had actual lessons with have been still fairly receptive to the things we are teaching, though others we have tracted or contacted have not. One guy even ordered us off his property the instant we set foot on his driveway. Even still, the work progresses.
Now, since Elder Arines is getting a new companion (and another companion on top of that, so they are forming a trio), you may wonder where I am in all of this. Well, the answer isn't really that hard, as I really only have one other place to go -- back to NYC! That's right -- I've been out for 19.5 months and only had two areas -- NYC, Newburgh, NYC, Newburgh, NYC. This time, I am back with my first companion -- Elder Holloway. The other ASL elders now live in the South Bronx and cover east Manhattan and east Bronx, and Elder Holloway and I cover west Manhattan and west Bronx. So far each companionship has had free range of really both boroughs, but now we have set areas. My companion is a true friend of mine and true to the work, so I am excited about the work we will do.
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
Now, since Elder Arines is getting a new companion (and another companion on top of that, so they are forming a trio), you may wonder where I am in all of this. Well, the answer isn't really that hard, as I really only have one other place to go -- back to NYC! That's right -- I've been out for 19.5 months and only had two areas -- NYC, Newburgh, NYC, Newburgh, NYC. This time, I am back with my first companion -- Elder Holloway. The other ASL elders now live in the South Bronx and cover east Manhattan and east Bronx, and Elder Holloway and I cover west Manhattan and west Bronx. So far each companionship has had free range of really both boroughs, but now we have set areas. My companion is a true friend of mine and true to the work, so I am excited about the work we will do.
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Wind, rain, and snow
The whole week has been full of that at various times. Luckily, we were still able to accomplish the things that the Lord wanted us to do.
Some people have been asking me what we do for service up here. We have two planned service projects a week as a district -- helping at a food bank and one at a nature museum and trails. Recently, we have also been helping one of our investigators clean up her property, as neglect has cluttered it with all manner of trash and old stuff. We are helping her slowly throw away stuff and make the place look nicer. In part due to our service to her, she has been a lot more open to our message, and is accepting pretty much everything. She is scheduled to be baptized on March 26.
Our other main progressing investigator is also set to be baptized on March 26. He is the boyfriend of a member and is trying to find a church that was better than the one he grew up in. He came to our services on Sunday and absolutely loved it, and is feeling that this is the right direction for him. We are looking forward to his progress.
I'm staying warm, and I hope you all as well (except those of you in Arizona right now who don't know cold)!
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
Some people have been asking me what we do for service up here. We have two planned service projects a week as a district -- helping at a food bank and one at a nature museum and trails. Recently, we have also been helping one of our investigators clean up her property, as neglect has cluttered it with all manner of trash and old stuff. We are helping her slowly throw away stuff and make the place look nicer. In part due to our service to her, she has been a lot more open to our message, and is accepting pretty much everything. She is scheduled to be baptized on March 26.
Our other main progressing investigator is also set to be baptized on March 26. He is the boyfriend of a member and is trying to find a church that was better than the one he grew up in. He came to our services on Sunday and absolutely loved it, and is feeling that this is the right direction for him. We are looking forward to his progress.
I'm staying warm, and I hope you all as well (except those of you in Arizona right now who don't know cold)!
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Bitter winds and warm rains
Weather patterns have continued to be rather interesting this past week. My mom told me while we were experiencing -20 degree wind chills, AZ was getting 80. After our weekend of brief utter cold and some snow, yesterday brought 50 degree heavy rains. One member told us because of the rapid change some of his pipes burst, and so did his neighbors. Weird stuff happening.
On the missionary front, the work is still going well. We recently began teaching the boyfriend of one of our active members, and it has been going well. He has real intent, and we are checking to be sure that it is more geared towards changing his life rather than to be more aligned with her. He hasn't really been Christian for a while, so teaching has been a little more challenging, for example, we had to clarify the difference between resurrection and reincarnation about five times. But at the end of the lesson when we invited him to pray, he finally accepted after some prodding and explaining. He was nervous that he would mess up, but as he prayed, he really opened his heart, and the Spirit was there. He is set to be baptized on March 26.
Otherwise, we are getting more records straightened out like I did in the city in the deaf branch. Bishop has a stack of envelopes that were sent out to all people on record in the ward, but these ones came back, so we get to look them up. Some have been looked up before, some even many times, so I am personally trying to make good enough records so that missionaries after us don't have to waste time doing them over and over getting the same result. All sorts of fun.
Just a little more info about the church, (sparked by Dad's question). In my mission there are four stakes: New York (the island of Manhattan), Westchester (the Bronx and some of Westchester county), Yorktown (more of NYC and the Connecticut part of our mission), and Newburgh (which covers everything in the mission west of the Hudson and and everything in the north part east of it). My zone is the Newburgh zone, which covers five units all west of the Hudson. There is another zone that covers the other half of the stake. Everything here is in the country with a few larger cities dotting the land. The West Point Branch is becoming a ward on Sunday, though I have heard that the stake is generally starting to decrease in active membership, which is sad. In this area we are fortunate to have both an English ward and a Spanish branch, whereas everywhere else in the stake I believe has Spanish groups in their wards and branches. Oddly, I have been in both of the only two districts in the mission without sisters -- this one and the ASL district.
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
On the missionary front, the work is still going well. We recently began teaching the boyfriend of one of our active members, and it has been going well. He has real intent, and we are checking to be sure that it is more geared towards changing his life rather than to be more aligned with her. He hasn't really been Christian for a while, so teaching has been a little more challenging, for example, we had to clarify the difference between resurrection and reincarnation about five times. But at the end of the lesson when we invited him to pray, he finally accepted after some prodding and explaining. He was nervous that he would mess up, but as he prayed, he really opened his heart, and the Spirit was there. He is set to be baptized on March 26.
Otherwise, we are getting more records straightened out like I did in the city in the deaf branch. Bishop has a stack of envelopes that were sent out to all people on record in the ward, but these ones came back, so we get to look them up. Some have been looked up before, some even many times, so I am personally trying to make good enough records so that missionaries after us don't have to waste time doing them over and over getting the same result. All sorts of fun.
Just a little more info about the church, (sparked by Dad's question). In my mission there are four stakes: New York (the island of Manhattan), Westchester (the Bronx and some of Westchester county), Yorktown (more of NYC and the Connecticut part of our mission), and Newburgh (which covers everything in the mission west of the Hudson and and everything in the north part east of it). My zone is the Newburgh zone, which covers five units all west of the Hudson. There is another zone that covers the other half of the stake. Everything here is in the country with a few larger cities dotting the land. The West Point Branch is becoming a ward on Sunday, though I have heard that the stake is generally starting to decrease in active membership, which is sad. In this area we are fortunate to have both an English ward and a Spanish branch, whereas everywhere else in the stake I believe has Spanish groups in their wards and branches. Oddly, I have been in both of the only two districts in the mission without sisters -- this one and the ASL district.
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
ESL and fickle snow
It has snowed several times the past week, though every time it almost completely disappears by nightfall. The weather is playing this game of going above and below freezing most days, which continually changes the landscape from white to green to white to green, etc. At least we haven't really had to shovel because of this.
The ESL I am referring to means English as a Second Language, not English Sign Language (which is what they use in England, which I know a little bit.) Serving with a Filipino companion has been interesting. His English is very good, but there are still times when he doesn't know the right word or something comes out a bit wrong, but I have been patient with him. We also work with several members and investigators that speak English as their second language, their main languages ranging from Ukrainian to Spanish to Haitian-Creole. My time in the ASL program accustomed me to being able to understand improper English sentences and grammar, so that has benefited me as I have listened to the people we teach and also allows me to teach in their terms.
Still loving all I'm doing, and I hope the Lord is pleased with my efforts.
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
The ESL I am referring to means English as a Second Language, not English Sign Language (which is what they use in England, which I know a little bit.) Serving with a Filipino companion has been interesting. His English is very good, but there are still times when he doesn't know the right word or something comes out a bit wrong, but I have been patient with him. We also work with several members and investigators that speak English as their second language, their main languages ranging from Ukrainian to Spanish to Haitian-Creole. My time in the ASL program accustomed me to being able to understand improper English sentences and grammar, so that has benefited me as I have listened to the people we teach and also allows me to teach in their terms.
Still loving all I'm doing, and I hope the Lord is pleased with my efforts.
Elder Ryan Turner
New York New York North Mission
American Sign Language
Monday, February 8, 2016
January pictures
Pictures taken by Elder Ryan Turner in January 2016
Ryan visited Rockefeller Center, with its famous Christmas tree
No surprise they visited the Rockefeller Center Lego Store too
A rainbow amid the clouds
Snowing in Highland Falls (outside of West Point) in his new area
Ryan was part of a trio for a week while they rearranged missionaries. Elder Arines, Elder L'Esperance, and Elder Turner.
Elder Arines cooked them a Filipino dish
Their car after Winter Storm Jonas, which slammed the East Coast but just brushed them north of New York City
At the baptism of 10-year-old Austin
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