On Sunday, Brian and I attended two of the wards that meet at the Harlem Building. We rode the subway uptown. On the subway, we ran in to Mackenzie Hart, a YSA we know from the Union Square YSA Ward. Mackenzie is a senior at Julliard and wanted to attend church in Harlem that day because she had a conflict with her ward church hours. She sat with us at church.
There was a security guard, in uniform, in the foyer of the Harlem building.
Harlem 1 Ward (English)-It was fast Sunday and there was a very special feeling in the chapel. One sister who bore her testimony said that she is a convert to the church. She said that her journey finding the truth began years ago when she was watching, “The Sound of Music.” She said that she was touched by what Mother Abbess said to Maria and the Von Trapp family as they escaped from Austria/the Nazis….” Remember, I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.” (Psalm 121) She said that she pondered that scripture for years.
Brian and I sat on the back row during Gospel Doctrine. A large man with special needs was sitting next to me and he fell asleep during class and snored VERY loudly. The people on the front row turned around and told me to “tap him” to wake him up……so I patted his arm and he woke up and said, “Thank you, “ to me. But then he fell asleep about 5 more times during class….so I kept patting his arm each time to wake him up…..after church, I told him that he has a “gift.”
Hudson River YSA Ward-one young guy stood up to bear his testimony and he said that he just moved to NYC and that his name is Blake Morgan. He is Adrian and Kathy Morgan’s youngest son. The Morgans were in the Herndon Ward/Oakton Stake for 20 years and then moved to Utah 10 years ago when he was in high school. He took a picture of the 3 of us to text to his parents.
Right after Sacrament Meeting, in both wards, the Bishopric asks everyone to stay seated for a few minutes and they have any new or visiting people stand up and introduce themselves. After each person introduces themselves, the whole congregation says, “Welcome!” We stood up and explained that we are Employment Services Missionaries etc. We kind of felt like “rock stars” because so many people came up to us to shake our hands, introduce themselves, and ask for our contact information/business cards.
