Busy final days in the mission

The last couple of weeks have been crazy. A couple of big items that needed to be done before we head home is: finding two apartments, one to replace a terrible one in Washington heights, and one for a new office couple coming the end of September. We took the AP's with us to look at the scheduled appts. in Manhattan. We wanted their input on the apartments we would see. We all weren't happy with the ones we saw. We witnessed a miracle the next day as the building we are moving elders out of had a 2 bedroom apartment become available that was just refurbished, and the price was $200.00 a month cheaper. We sent the AP's there to check it out as we had previous appts we couldn't get out of, a baptism in Harlem. They loved it and gave it 2 thumbs up. It took three days to get it tied up. We sent the AP's to sign the lease as it was scheduled the same time we were in Middletown, 80 miles north. They did an awesome job and learned the process for another apartment that will be needed the end of September.

Another item was that Doug had to tie up the sale of three of the mission cars. One turned into a nightmare with a gentleman, a member, making promises he never intended to keep. It took four attempts to get the license plates from him. He lives in Connecticut. The couple moving into our apartment, the Webbs are also buying one of the mission cars while they are here on their mission.

These things all took place at the same time as transfers which we were involved with. We went to the mission home for a brief instruction time from the office personell for the 9 new missionaries who just arrived. Then we drove one of the mission vans that was filled with luggage, to the Bronx for the first part of transfers, where missionaries get their new companions. Then repacked the van with luggage of missionaries who were going up state to the next transfer meeting about 45 minutes upstate. There we repacked the van with luggage of the upstate missionaries going to the city and back to the Bronx to drop them off. We actually ended up taking 4 elders to their area in Manhattan, Inwood our old area, so they wouldn't have to take a subway with all their luggage to their apartment. We kind of had a soft spot for our old Zone leaders.

As usual it is so hard to say good bye to the missionaries who have been like family to us.