Happy Chinese New Year

 It has been fun to share in the excitement of Chinese New Year with some of the local members.  These sisters, members of the local Pathway cohort, handed out these hand-lettered greetings to all of us for the occasion.

A group of Relief Society sisters presented several Tai Chi routines, including this impressive fan dance.

On our walk to church along Main Street in Flushing, we pass many Chinese shops full of holiday decorations, foods, and specialties.  Everything glitters with gold and red!

With all the sights, smells, and sounds of this neighborhood in Queens, we feel like we have stepped right into China.

We attended the huge New Year's celebration put on by the Chinese members of the Manhattan Stake.  Here are some friends from our Flushing First Branch.  They are so proud of their heritage and are eager to share their music, folktales, dance and food.  We enjoyed dumplings, fried rice, and holiday cakes before the cultural program.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR from Elder Hawkins and his friend!

A Taste of the Delights of New York City

 While the temple was undergoing routine maintenance and cleaning, we got some extra time to explore the city.  Here are a few of our favorite discoveries.  Elder Hawkins is SO thrilled to be living across the street from Lincoln Center, with all its cultural offerings. Here he sits waiting for a concert in Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

The city is dotted with art galleries and museums. The Frick Collection is housed in a turn-of-the-20th Century mansion on Fifth Avenue.  This lovely atrium lies at the center of the home.

We were inspired by the New York Public Library, which is supported by private philanthropies to bless the community.  It offers the use its extensive holdings free to the public.

 We got to see a couple of Broadway plays in theaters just off of Times Square.  Here in the commercial hustle and bustle, we were thrilled to find the Church's "He is the Gift" billboard.

 We had a great time exploring the American Museum of Natural History, and especially enjoyed some exhibits in the Margaret Meade collections from the Pacific islands.

 Elder Hawkins was fascinated by this ceremonial mask. This museum has an incredible collection of dinosaur bones, gems and minerals, stuffed animals in dioramas, meteors,  . . . on and on and on! We remembered the movie, Night in the Museum, supposedly inspired by this setting.

 This "Merchant's House" in the NoHo neighborhood (north of SoHo in Manhattan) was built in 1830, and is a protected National Historical Site. It is beautifully preserved and completely furnished with original items.


We have come to love the richness and diversity of art, cultures, and people in this great city. It is full of delights!

Inspiring Temple Art

The Manhattan New York Temple contains many beautiful works of art, but this is my favorite.  It is a stained glass window created by Tom Holdman and hangs in the first-floor entrance foyer of the temple. It represents the story of Christ's appearance, after his resurrection, to two disciples on the Road to Eammus as told in Luke 24:13-32. Each time I enter the temple and see this work, I have a greater desire to be receptive and in tune for my experiences in the temple.