Busy busy moving days!

I wasn't fast enough to get a pic of the snow on the huge drive-way that Doug and Pres. shoveled.
Staff Meeting. Front: S/Farnsworth, S/Searle, Pres. Searle, S/Evans, S/Morrison, Back Row: Doug, Me, E/Farnsworth, E/ Morrison, E/Evans, E/Bown, E/Improta
Our Temple Apartment moving crew, Out we go to.......
China Town moving crew
Moving Crew into the apartment way down town on 6th street
Moving crw out of Stuyvesant Town aparmtments

We had a very busy crazy couple of days after the fun week-end with friends. Monday morning we woke to about 8 inches of snow at the mission home. Had to shovel before we could head out to the Budget truck rental place to pick up a moving truck to move some missionaries into a new apartment. Because of the snow, the only truck they would give us was a 24' truck, way to long for the city traffic. But we will endure. We enjoyed staff meeting at the mission office then back to the mission home to haul a bit of needed furniture down the hill beside the home to the parking lot of the church that is next to the mission home. Pretty slick going down the snowy hillside. Then off to the City, to the apartment next to the Temple.

Big Problem, the truck doesn't have GPS and there are several parkways that are for passanger cars only. We have truly depended much to much on our Gps. It is a life saver and "I" love it. It took us about a half hour extra to find our way down to the Bronx, once we found a freeway that would allow trucks on it.

We had to make elevator reservations to move the sisters out of the 33rd floor apartment. Crazy! It is a huge blessing to be able to call on the Elders to help move at what ever location we happen to be at. We had 6 helping at the temple apartment, then down in China town we had another six to help unload the truck to the studio apartment we found for the sister to move into. The traffic was crazy as always, and very stressful with the 24' truck on those narrow streets especially down in China town. Now, rubbing bumpers is leagal in the city. We didn't rub bumpers, but we did have another big truck rub his side mirrors down the side of our truck. Too many one way streets drives a crazy man even crazier.

After another night at the mission home, thanks for your love and hospitality, Pres. and Sister Searle, we woke up to do the same thing all over again. This time, we moved 4 elders into another apartment. But first we drove to the Budget truck rental place and traded trucks for a smaller one. They had cleared the snow and were able to get to their other trucks, so we ended up with a 16 foot truck this go around. Off to the city once again. It took us an hour and 10 minutes to drive from 125th street to 6th street. I imagine because of the snow the day before, many of the delivery trucks on the street chose to deliver today. Literally bumper to bumper traffic.

Once we arrived at our destination, 6th street apartment, we met with the Landlord, signed the lease and got the keys along with a huge surprise. The previous tennant was not home and he had not moved yet. He was suppose to be out 3 days previously. The Landlord called him to see what the deal was. He had gone to "Rome" on an emergency trip, would be there at 4:00 to empty his stuff out of the apartment. Well, at 4:00 pm we returned with a Budget Truck full of missionary furniture to move in and no tennant there. Because we had paid for the place for the WHOLE month, we moved his stuff into one bedroom and moved in the Elders stuff into the other bedroom. What a joke!!!! Eventually , we moved his bed out into the hall and the Elders started putting his stuff in garbage bags and out in the hallway too. Finally, he showed up after 7:00 pm and took his stuff. That which was left, got thrown out. Needless to say, the Elders did deep cleaning in order just to go to bed. Oh my goodness, Only in NEW YORK.

We never made it to the Budget truck place in time to turn the truck back in so we spent another night at the Mission Home in order toreturn it in the morning. Today the 6 new missionaries arrived and spent the night at the Mission Home as well. So as not to bother their instruction meeting, we played a fun game of Canasta in the basement with the Farnsworths, who are also staying at the mission home to be closer to the office which is just a mile away. They are taking the Morrisons place in the office and are being trained. They live about 1 hour away, so the Searles have invited them to stay over when they are in the office training.

It was really fun to be apart of and see the behind the scenes of Mission Transfers. Sister Searle is so organized and amazing, the whole process runs like a fine oiled machine. Thanks for putting up with us. Love ya