"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes... cellists one meets on the subway in rain, people who listen with intent unfeigned!" Things are still a bit rainy and cold but overall quite lovely here in Brooklyn, New York. I had some lovely experiences and some sad experiences, but all are part of this beautiful mortal journey. The sad bit is that we decided to stop teaching a family we found near the beginning of my time here because they weren't keeping commitments and didn't have a true desire to change. It's very unfortunate, given we have come to know and love this family dearly. I still can't really believe we dropped them.... But I know that there are more people who are ready to change and take the steps necessary to come closer to Christ.
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| There are so many people here! |
Also, we had a mix-up as to a member who we thought we were going to take to the temple, but who is going to wait for a while. We made some cookies in apology, realizing we hadn't truly understood the full situation. It is a little difficult with the language barrier we have with our ward. We understand most things, but occasionally something doesn't cross the edges of our understanding, which leads to conclusions such as this. The bright side of that situation was the cookie recipe was for Oreos, and it was pretty dang good. (Shoutout to Elder Creager for his recipe).
Also... and I'm not sure if this is sad or happy.... I met a cellist going to the Bishop's from Coney Island last Monday. I saw him, and it was the very first cello I had seen since coming to New York. I went over to the cellist immediately and started talking to him. I said I played cello, and he didn't speak much English (he moved here from The Republic of Georgia in Asia) but we bonded over our mutual cello-ness. I asked him his favorite composer (Bach - it's difficult for a cellist to say differently), his favorite concerto, and his favorite symphony. The fun part was I had no idea what he was saying for those last two given the accent and the name pronunciation, so he began to sing them,
and I sang right along! My companion thought I had gone crazy, singing these random music works by various composers with a complete stranger. For me, I felt completely in my element. Talking music and studios and works with a man who couldn't even hardly understand me.
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| My creeper picture of the cello... |
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| Oh, also, we went to Coney Island this week! :) It was super fun! |
He said he was on his way to rehearsal in Manhattan with the Session Symphony. Then he asked me if I wanted to play, and to my extraordinary regret, I said no. I knew if I played I would likely cry, just seeing one I felt weighed down emotionally. Yet, in the end it made no difference. He pulled up a video of himself playing as we walked out onto our stop and I was basically a waterfall. I miss my cello so much. So, so much. Seeing the cellist, it all came back in a rush. I miss hearing my music, I miss knowing if I can even play, I miss it all. Apparently homesickness can apply to wooden instruments even more so than people or places. So, basically I love my cello dearly and that fact has not changed. Nor ever will. :)
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| Maybe I don't follow traffic laws... |
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| Waiting for a train... |
"When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad... I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad!" Oh, also we we had exchanges his week! I taught lessons in Spanish, and to some Russian ladies. My Russian isn't very good (fine, it's nonexistent) but we have a Russian missionary here that I referred her to. I showed them the 'Reclaimed' video in Russian and they loved it! .... I think.... I didn't have much to go on other than their encouraging faces.
On exchanges we had a dish Sister Shiobara made called kabocha no nitsuke which is like pumpkin and rice in a delicious sauce. I've never had cooked pumpkin, and was very pleasantly surprised! What a perfect October dish!
Not much else happened on exchanges... I wish I was more exciting. Sister Shiobara was sick, and Sister Fields took lots of nice selfies with cats, and we made pancakes, but that's pretty much it. It's fun, because we got to stay in our old apartment and *shh* do our laundry there for free since there is a washer and a dryer.
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| Exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders. |
Funny stories:
We met a lady outside a bus stop. When we tried to talk to her (she was a Brooklynite) she said, "excuse me? You're not from here are you? Don't go around talking to people. Be careful girls. Are you from Utah? Oh so you're a Mormon." This quickly changed into a story about her mother during the war. "My mother said she would kill for three things!" At this point about five people at the stop turned around warily, more than a bit concerned. "Tea, coffee, and stockings!" Under my breath I muttered, "If she had a word of wisdom pamphlet she would have only killed for one thing." Sister Gourley laughed, I'm glad someone here in New York appreciates my lame jokes. :)
Not funny, but weird, when we went to Coney on Monday we got our food paid for by our waiter. That was slightly disconcerting, but I wouldn't have any of that kind of flirting. I waved over a different waiter, who I had put the meals on my card. To quote Hercules: "I'm a damsel. I'm in distress. I can handle it. Have a nice day!"
We went to McDonald's yesterday and overheard a brilliant authentic New Yorker conversation. In the illustrious words of Hermana Gourley with minimal edits by Hermana Voss: 'We sat next to some crazy old guys while eating. One was whining about the price of maids for his multiple houses. The other guy said, "If my wife wasn't dead you coulda used her!" "Is it cheaper to get a wife?" An old lady from across the isle eating salad with chopsticks called out, "It's cheaper to make a livin'!"' It was during this conversation that I heard, for the first time, "Fergettaboutit!" So: is the New York accent truly alive and thriving? I am happy to say yes, dear friends, it is.
We taught eleven lessons this week, moving up in the world! We are still talking to hundreds of people a week, though, which is good given our limited proselyting time recently. It is completely dark by seven, so we are advised to not be on the streets. The air is cold and harsh, the people barely warmer, but we work and teach and preach all the same!
"Brown paper packages tied up with string [thanks mom and dad!], these are a few of my favorite things." <3
My love from Beautiful Brooklyn,
Hermana Ally Voss
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| Welcome to the new Ward building! 200 church attendees for the win! |
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| Rainy days with less actives :) |
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