Week #41, Glitz and Glamour in NYC

This has been a fantastic week filled with friends, love, and the Spirit of The Lord! I adore these people and this area! We had such a fabulous week! Earlier this week we met with a new member named Kristi. She invited her roommate and friend Greg to join us. We shared a spiritual thought that got Greg thinking. It was amazing to see his demeanor go from questioning and doubtful to thoughtful and peaceful. He was touched. Later this week Kristi called us and told us Greg had taught his little girls how to pray by showing them. This was his first prayer in 10-20 years! Wow! What a wonderful "payday" moment!

We had a few lavish NYC moments this week. We went to go visit our Elders Quorum President and his wife (Kaeli and Tye Andersen). Their place on Wall Street has the most amazing Mezzanine room! The 30 foot ceiling room was covered in rich purples, blues, and cream curtains and couches! I felt like I was looking at the castle in Beauty and the Beast! GORGEOUS! As we were leaving their place, I saw an ancient US Mail drop receiver in their building that I just had to get a picture of! Sadly, my camera was dropped in the handoff between me and my companion, and it is broken. :( So don't be expecting any pictures for a loooooong time! (Family-if you have an extra camera lying around, please send it my way!)

On Sunday we went to one of our members apartments for the first time. It was a penthouse! Their place was 7 times bigger than most places here! 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 entry ways, and more modern furniture than I have ever seen! It was beautiful! They even had a private balcony that was 50 feet long. This may not sound lavish according to any other persons standards, but for NYC, this family is living large! Their next door neighbor is some hot shot producer out here! Cool stuff.  The highlight of this experience though was sharing a unique message with them. That morning I had prayed specifically to know what we could share with this family to help them progress. Immediately I had the thought to share a Mormon message with them called "Having Children in Faith." Immediately I tried to push that thought out of my mind. This couple had only been married a few months. But the impression kept coming back. So, with some awkwardness, we told them we had a prompting to share it. Later Sister Jensen said she had looked at the wife's face while we shared the video. She said her face showed that she was touched and that the spirit was so strong! I am
glad we shared it and followed the prompting! :)

Today for Pday we went to Times Square to go to lunch at Sister Jensen's favorite place, Roxy's. Sadly, it moved! She was devastated! Poor girl! We wandered a bit and ended up in the M & M store. The Super Bowl is on Sunday, so all of Times Square is covered in Super Bowl ad's, pop up buildings, news announcers, and a field goal area with turf and a net! In the store, some player was being interviewed for a radio show. It was...annoying. Lol. Some woman came up to us and introduced herself and her children. They are LDS and from Kansas. I guess her little boy, Titus is a YouTube sensation and has Jimmy Kimmel and all these other people interviewing him for his videos "Titus Trick Shots." Awesome to hear all these peoples stories out here in NYC! Right now I am about to chop off my hair! Some member works for some SUPER fancy place here in a high rise on 57th and Lexington at Pierre Michel. Too much glamour here... Haha. It is fun, but people are too caught up in it.

So, we went to Jobie's last night and found out that him and Annia are now married! She told him she needed a haircut, so they hopped on the M20 bus with her sons. They passed her salon and he told her they had gone too far. She waved it aside. They got off at the City Hall on the lasts stop and went inside. She pulled out some papers, and he signed them without questioning. When the lady asked if they had any
witnesses, Jobie said "What!? I didn't do anything!" Lol. That is when he found out he had signed the marriage papers! Lol! So funny! They had been planning to get married in February, but she couldn't wait I guess! Lol. So they are now married! Awesome!

 I told Jobie and Annia that I will most likely be transferred out of the city next week and this may be our last meeting. Jobie asked that I say the closing prayer because I may be leaving. I got choked up and started to cry. Immediately I felt my companion, Sister Jensen, and Jobie put their arms around me as I attempted to finish my heartbroken prayer. I will miss them all so much! They have touched my heart in unspoken ways. Because of Jobie's cancer and increasing hospital visits, I am not sure I will ever see him alive again. The reality of it all hit me and I succumbed to tears. Even now I am getting emotional writing this!

These people, this place-they have touched me in ways at I can't even voice. My heart is forever changed, and I will be forever grateful for this experience. I am scared for the change that is coming. It will come as a slap in the face, and I fear a slight depression after this place and these people becoming home to me. THIS has become my mission, and anywhere else will simply not bet he same. BUT I know it will be where I am suppose to be. And that knowledge will give me the strength that I need as I rely on The Lord to see me through.

I am drinking in every smell, every traffic light, every character of a person that I run into. I am trying to etch this place into my very being. I cannot forget who I have become through my experiences here in this amazing city. The Lord knows exactly who I am an exactly what I need. He put me here and kept me here because he knew if would change me...mold me...make me. I am so grateful for it all! And this journey is only half way over! what a blessing! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers! I will need it!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt