Monday, March 8, 2010

Area #1 - Freeport

My first area was Freeport, just east of Queens on Long Island. It was the only car area I was ever in (which is good considering the large quantities of rice and beans we ate). Our apartment was above a 99 cent store (below) and we shared the one bedroom pad (yes, we called them pads) with another companionship. Sister Gines and I slept in the living room (2nd pic).


I'm not a morning person, and exercising early in the morning is even worse. But, we were supposed to do it. And my comp liked to go running. So every morning we would run a couple of blocks to a little park with a pond where I walked and she ran. It was a really cute place and I wish I would have thought to take a picture, but I never did.

Long Island is, well, an island, and Freeport was located on the bottom edge, so it was on the "coast", if you could call it that. There weren't any beaches, but there was a little harbor. One of the members whose daughter we were teaching lived right on it, so one day when we were down there we stopped to take some pictures.

The branch in Freeport was pretty small. I think there were maybe 35-45 people in church every week. Although the work there was hard and not very fruitful, I still look back at it with fond memories. My first Sunday there I was called to come up and bear my testimony (a regular occurrence when a new missionary was transferred into an area), and I think when I was up there it just hit me that I was on a MISSION, and I just started crying and crying. And I kept crying through the whole meeting. I couldn't stop! But everyone was so sweet. One little girl went and got me a drink of water, and after the meeting all the hermanas surrounded me and gave me hugs and said it would be ok and they were so glad I was there, etc. I loved that little branch and was so grateful to serve there.

These are some of the hermanas in the branch. Aren't they sweet?

4 comments:

Melody said...

My first area was Brentwood but we lived in that same pad! And I slept in the living room too! I don't have a picture of it, I think I might steal this one! =)

Melody said...

Oh and it looks like you took the picture from the laundrymat, wasn't it right there? One time we were washing our clothes there and a Spanish lady went into labor and we had to help her get to the hospital. Before she went, though, she had us take pictures of her pregnant belly with no shirt on. Good thing it wasn't the elders. =) I love this blog! So many memories!

Melody said...

Okay, one more. The neighbors there were a married couple where the husband was really abusive. One time we heard him beating the lady up. That's the only time I've ever called 911. I've always wondered what happened with them, were they still there when you were there?

Tawni said...

Oh the adventures you have on a mission. Yep, I took that pic from the laundromat. I don't remember ever hearing or seeing the neighbors, but I'm sure they were there. Maybe the guy went to jail.