We're in!

81 Secatogue

Apartment 44






August 1st - Moved in to our new apartment. The Hawkes picked this one out months ago, but left for home before the lease was signed. They were tired of the traffic noise coming off Fulton Street at the prior location. This one is probably the best Senior Couple apartment on Long Island. This time we are able to fully unpack.
It is walking distance to the Old Bethpage Park and has easy access to the Long Island Railway through a private gate.

The Secatogue were indigenous people living to the east, now Bay Shore, where we teach our Friday evening class.

View from our balcony looking toward Main Street



Train Station through front window

Even though we teach five to six days each week, CES is less than half of our responsibilities. One of our instructors at the MTC joked that CES stands for "cooking every second." Humorous, but accurate. Stefanie is using all of her temple recipes and culinary training. Classroom and kitchen aside, we chauffeur, transport, coach, counsel, network, and do a fair amount of proselyting with the young missionaries. We enjoy large autonomy to follow spiritual inclinations. We particularly appreciate our conversations with investigators and less-active members. We will probably pick up a weekly shift in the Manhattan temple.

In our first interview with President Calderwood we asked for his vision of our mission role. He said that we should support the members in any way necessary to the work of salvation. We value this trust in us.

We have maps, a wall, post it notes and markers. We have committed young missionaries in our district, and . . .

we have a plan.

Plainview Stake Young Single Adults



The field is white

A word about nannies

Some of the young women in our branch have nanny jobs on Long Island. Their work arrangements are varied, but most are using the money to purchase an education. I found an article in the NY Times fascinating:  

 

"After I told her I’d love to hire her, she smiled and thanked me.Then we both laughed, because there is no way I could possibly afford her. As one of New York City’s elite nannies, Muneton commanded around $180,000 a year — plus a Christmas bonus and a $3,000-a-month apartment on Central Park West. I should be her nanny."   Adam Davidson, NYT / NPR's Planet Money, "The Best Nanny Money Can Buy," March 20, 2012