Delivery Day

Today was delivery day at the Bishop's Store House. The delivery truck is not quite a truck. It is an extended van that comes over from New Jersey every other wednesday. It carries not more than 70 boxes at a time. 6 missionary elders come to help unload, take the boxes us the stairs and put out on the selves. Everything has to be counted and accounted for. All the boxes have to be broken down and stored for garbage paper recycle pick up day. After wards the Shaffers feed them and then they are off to other appointments.

We had a great visit with the Shaffers going over many of the responsibilities and then off in the car to check out the place. Where the subway station is, three blocks down the street, hurray! Where the post office is, there are two close by, every Friday, mail weekly reports, every 3rd wed. must overnight monthly reports to main office. Where Costco and other grocery stores are. (An interesting piece of info: There are Costco's here that are on four levels, with parking lots the same way. Imagine shopping with all your kids.) A Chinese grocer who sells fresh fish right by the front door so the place smells atrocious, is the best and closest place to buy great produce that we will have to have in the store house . Where to get our hair cut and stuff. It's a crazy place, but we have so much so close by.

We experience a Zone meeting in China town yesterday, right down in the heart of the city. Sister Searle is amazing. She feeds so many missionaries so many times each week. At all Zone conferences. In China town it is a rented building with no kitchen facilities. So you can imagine all the before hand preparations that take place. 36 were fed yesterday and then another 20 today in her home. She fed them twice today, made cinnamon rolls for early this morning before the meeting began. Everyone loves sister Searle. She is every missionaries mother away from home.

So far, because we are living with President and Sister Searle, we really aren't settled into missionary life. But we have loved being a part of behind the scenes as we have watched and helped with their responsibilities. We will move into the Store House around the 12th of Dec.

We have found an apartment to house 4 of the 12 sister missionaries that were part of our assignment. They will be on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Broker we had to work with is a Jewish lady that is so sweet. Two of her daughters live in the apartment building so she says it is very safe. She invited us to come to Jerusalem where she is from, because she will be moving back there when her kids have all been educated. She will help us find a place by Union Square and another one in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Pray for our success. We have to be careful and cautious because it is the Lord's money. Love to you all!