Mission letter #1: January 28th 2009 till February 13th, 2009

Dearest Family,


I want to bring all of you up to date about our activities since we have been here. This opportunity is afforded me by the fact that last evening as I was coming home from the office I was literally pushed by the wind – just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz – there was nothing I could do but go along – When I came down, so did this really heavy jar full of H20 & flowers – that I was carrying - CRASH. – The football player physique Doorman to our building here had me back on my feet in seconds. When I got to our apartment I discovered 10 or so little cuts and a very badly sprained ankle. Judd said to do RICE - REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, AND ELEVATION. What good advice! So, instead of being in the office working today, I am writing to you here at home. You can share our adventures here with our friends and acquaintances but I/d rather they didn't know about this one. It makes me sound so clutsy – although I was told that I was the 2nd person to be blown over by the wind in that same spot yesterday due to the shape of the buildings, etc. They make a wind tunnel. It was a very interesting experience to add to my many.





Truth be told our main job here is to act and function as though we were each 20 years younger. After that, we are office managers, facilitators, and make-it-happen guys for our very busy Public- Affairs Director – Ahmad (Pronounced – Ach/ med) Corbitt. He is also a Stake President who lives 2 and ½ hours southwest of here. He was the person who handled press releases for the Salt Lake Olympics. He gave up a big corporate salary to take this job for our Church. He is a paid employee.

To give you some idea on how this works. Day before yesterday he called us from Salt Lake – where he has been escorting Martin Luther King III all over the city to see all the usual LDS Programs. Ahmad asked us to work on setting up a photographer to record the news the next morning (Lots of further decisions – 5 texts later). Then he texts or calls that he needs us to find him a place to stay - oh and the plane tickets too. Dad called Brad for help on that one. The morning of the press Ahmad called us to tell us that he wanted us to be there (to the press conference). The Press Conference was sponsored by THE NATIONAL BIBLE ASSN. and William Wilberforce is the person they were honoring. Have any of you seen the movie, Amazing Grace? You should. During the question and answer time, Ahmad texts us and asks us both to ask a question. Well, I think you get the picture. Next week there will be a luncheon. Most likely different but some of the same. At the press conference we were able to meet all of the panel of 7 distinguished authors and the heads of the NAT. Bible Assoc. Ahmad loves to Text all the time which is all right with me as it is sure easier than this computer.


Some of the fun things we have done are Sylvie's terrific dance concert; going out to dinner (Chinese) and then to the stage show - SOUTH PACIFIC with the Stone's and the Ambassador's and some of their families or staff from Fiji and Bangladesh. - Going to the AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY with the Senior Missionaries of the NEW YORK NORTH MISSION of which we are a part. The Stones work in the same office all day with us. They have always lived in the NEW YORK area and are best friends with Doug and Joan.



Dad and I went to the bottom of the Island of Manhattan to get senior bus pass so that we can travel for half fare on the subway and buses. We went to Costco with Carolee one of the first days. Today JENNIFER BUCKNER visited us with valentine cookies. Generally speaking the stores here have 30 more varieties of everything in one thirtieth of the space with 300 times more people shopping with you.



We send our love and happy birthday to Melanie.



Mom and Dad