For the Family is of God

First off: tour recommendation. Old Westbury Mansion in Old Westbury, New York. It is GORGEOUS. I legitimately felt as if I was in Downton Abbey. The nice thing about Old Westbury Mansion is that you can tour inside the mansion as well as walk around the grounds. It was raining, which made me feel like I was inside Pride and Prejudice in the dramatic scene where Darby walks towards Elizabeth from the field. Or the scene where she is on what is essentially a tire swing and turns around approximately fifty times in the pouring rain (which is guaranteed to make even the strongest-of-stomach viewer a bit nauseous). Also, there was a private luncheon happening inside the West Porch and everyone was all dressed up, so that added to the ambiance.

Old Westbury Mansion

The Mansion took three years to build and the detail-work is simply unfathomable. Almost all of the furniture and paintings are original, as well. As we walked into the red ballroom I could imagine being dressed up and waltzing around the ballroom. And, as Sister Valverde mentioned, walking around the gardens with a suitor. The wallpaper was authentic and breathtaking, and the molding and woodwork are so intricate that in some parts it took over two years to carve. The private library has fake book spines that open to a compartment where a Stradivarius and Guarnerius violin were once stored.

As amazing as the house is, the gardens are even better. We posed as fake statues, walked into children's playhouses, looked inside a thatched cottage, saw beautiful ornamental onions (please look up ornamental onions, they are truly the most beautiful bunch of flowers), walked through puddles, saw bearded irises, walked and ran down staircases and through lawns, and thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air.

If you ever have the fortune of visiting Long Island, I highly recommend a stroll through Old Westbury Mansion. Also, they sell darling maps of Brooklyn!

This week was lovely in other aspects, too, of course. We were able to have six members present at our lessons this week which was stellar. It was a lot to coordinate, but luckily a missionary in our ward returned from Kentucky on Wednesday, and we have some future missionaries who always are willing to go out with us. We were able to find many new investigators, and to get in contact with several investigators with whom we had lost touch. The work is going well here in rainy Mineola!

Well, that's another point to touch on. *Today* it is rainy. However, yesterday it was cold (50°-ish). And two days ago it was 96°. The day before it was humid beyond all imagination. I'm not entirely sure how God determines weather but here on the especially excellent East Cost we get everything!

Also, we had exchanges last week! Sister Valverde and I were very experimental and ate some Thai food at our exchange follow-up. It was okay... I think. I'm not sure quite what I think about curry. It's alright, I suppose. We also did some knocking and ran into a lady who had accidentally held a poisonous dart frog in Costa Rica and didn't get hurt at all! Well, we didn't actually run into her. We just talked to her - to clarify.

This week was my 10-month anniversary on May 20th which jus happens to be MY DAD'S BIRTHDAY! A big birthday shoutout to the most guapo dad you ever could find.

Also, on Tuesday I talked with my family! It was amazing. I realized when I was talking to them that all I really needed to know was that they were okay and doing well. :) And they are, which is a relief. Also, they were on a vacation in Denmark and even my grandpa was there, which was amazing to me. He has meant a lot to me my whole mission through, and I did not anticipate seeing him so it really was touching for me to see him there with my family. I love my family, and miss them all an awful lot. It is wonderful that they support me here on my mission. I am grateful to them and for them.

I love you all and hope this next week is a splendid one full of fascinating gardens and the spirit of God.

Love,

Hermana Ally Voss