Metropolitan Museum of Art via Central Park.

We have the most amazing experiences each day in the temple.  We meet people from all over the world.  We are surprised how many have been to Poland, know one of our missionaries or are good friends with someone we know in Las Vegas.
Last night Stan worked with a Brother Maready.  On his way to the temple, about 3 blocks from the temple, Brother Maready saw a couple drop some papers and the wind started blowing them down Broadway.  He realized by the colors and size that they were family names file cards for temple work.  He helped the couple retrieve them and was late to the temple.  Later that night, Stan was performing sealings for this same couple. Brother Maready walked in and assisted as one of the sons.  The family cards were a little dirty, but we felt Brother Maready helped save these desceased family members twice.  Once by saving them from the wind blowing their card away and again by being proxy.
We also met a Sister from Berlin.  She knew Poznan and all about Poland.  What a nice visit and Freiberg was her temple as well.
This morning we headed off to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It's a giant- 1.6 million square feet complex which competes with the Louvre in Paris for stature and content.   On the way there, we went through Central Park located a block from our apartment.

Waiting at a crosswalk, Judi was interviewed by a local TV crew.  The weather was gorgeous and they were out visiting with people.

 Central Park starting to thaw out.

 The horse drawn carriages were out in full force.

The skating rink with some of our senior temple missionaries.  E/S Hawkins and Rogers.

 The main entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 Inside the great hall and main entrance.

 George Washington crossing the Delaware.  This was magnificent.  It made you proud to be an American.

Another famous painting of our First President.

 Degas' famous bronze sculpture, "The Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer". The skirt is made of cotton and satin hair ribbon.

 Lunch time in New York City. After a trip to the museum, Stan needed one of these! Street vendor  Hot Dogs are the best!

As you walk through Central Park you see all kinds of interesting attractions and people doing everything.

Back to the apartment and ready to start at the temple by 3:00pm...the best part of our day!

Grand Central Station for lunch

This morning we decided to go to Grand Central Station for lunch.  Now that we have our Metro Cards... let's go see New York City!  (You pay one price and you can ride the Subways and buses endlessly!)

 It was about 1:45pm just after the big lunch crowd had departed, traffic was minimal.  Grand Central Station and the main hall.

 Our Temple shift starts at 3:30pm and goes to 10:30 pm today, so we had a late lunch.

 Stan is sure his father has been through this station many times as he served in the Eastern States Mission years ago.

 We went to the Shake Shack which probably has the best hamburgers in NYC.  The Ice Cream is flowing!

This is the long line just to pick up your order.  It was another New York experience. 

We finished, caught the Purple 7 back to 42nd Street and the Red 1 up to 66th and Lincoln Center.  In the Temple by 3:10 and ready to serve.  We love this opportunity.  As we go around the city we are telling people about the Church and what we are doing in NYC.  We are missionaries all the time.

Departing Missionaries from the New York City South Mission

Stan went across the street this morning to the New York Philharmonic to buy tickets for the morning Open Rehearsal on March 19.   You literally cross the street and you are there.  It was a beautiful clear day.   As he as walking back to our side of Broadway this is what he saw-

 The Temple just stands out and is so powerful.   It is on a busy intersection (Columbus/Broadway and 65th Street) and yet is so calm and quiet inside.  He could see this from across the way and came running because he recognized what it was...

 A group of departing missionaries as their last day on their mission going to the temple.  He visited with a number of them.  Some knew Elder Blum from our mission and others knew someone else.  The Church is really quite small amongst us.  But Stan singled out a couple of people that he really wanted to meet.

President and Sister Calderwood, the Mission President and wife of the New York City South Mission.  They had a wonderful visit and instantly became great friends.  They are excited that we are serving in the Jamaica 1st Ward and they went over things that we can help with in that great ward.  This wonderful couple return home in a few months and we know what they are going through and yet they don't know how difficult it will be to leave their mission.

A Big P-day

Our first 'real' P-day! We had so much we needed to get done today...#1 being we needed to get some food and supplies in the apartment! Traveling on subways, however, can make this tricky.   It's quite on honor to be invited to go on a trip to Costco in a car...

I loaded up for the next two months. And if we run out, we have thousands of great restaurants to choose from....we won't go hungry in NYC!  Costco in New Jersey was interesting and just as crowded as any other Costco. 

After we got home the car needed to be taken back to the parking garage above 207th Street.   So Stan took off with Elders McCoy and Hopkins to take the car back and then bike ride home.

While close by they stopped into the Bishops Storehouse in North Manhattan.

Then they biked along side the Hudson River and under the George Washington Bridge.  Stan soon found out this bike ride was longer than he was expecting.

 The snow had not melted everywhere.  Many sections you just needed to get off your bike and walk.  Maybe this idea of riding the bikes back to the apartments was not the best.  Perhaps in a week or two it would be better.

They encountered a mishap or two.  Elder McCoy came around a steep and slippery corner and slid out...   But all was OK.

It was a great day.  The weather is changing, and it will be so fun in the Spring.  Stan found the ride along the Hudson River was spectacular and can't wait to ride often and then try Central Park.  We serve the afternoon shift at the Temple from 3:30pm to 10:30pm.  We have this schedule until the end of May.  So we have the mornings to see things around New York City for the next three months.  Then in June the schedules change.  We then serve from 9:30am until 4:00pm until the end of August and go back to the morning schedule. 

Our first Sunday in our New Ward- Jamaica 1st Ward

President Bennion (our Manhattan New York Temple President) assigned us to work with the members of the Jamaica 1st Ward in Queens.  It takes about 70 minutes to get to the Ward building.

 We arrived and were surprised at this beautiful building they have.  The snow on the ground reminded us of Poland but not the meetinghouse.

 The English Class announcement on the front door was another item that reminded us of Poland.

 We have a great ward.  Brother Robinson (L the WML) and Bishop Ramsey (middle) were ready to assist us.  Both great men and Bishop Ramsey served a mission in the West Indies.

 Brother Hoppie also spoke in Church and gave the Priesthood lesson.  One very nice member indeed.

 We had the great fortune of having a baptism following the meeting block.  The young boy was baptized by his grandfather.

Part of the Jamaica 1st Ward that attended the baptism on the 5th floor of our Church building.  Like I said, it was a great building.  Our first day in Queens and the Jamaica 1st Ward were great!
On the way home we got off too late and took the Express B to 125th Str and had to get off and catch the A Blue to 59th and 1 Red to 66th.  We are getting this.   We also will be speaking in Church next Sunday.  So many things remind us of Poland.

Church News Saturday March 7 2015

This appeared in the Church News Saturday morning March 7, 2015 and started a chain reaction.   We had met with President Uchtdorf the week before and he asked us not to tell anyone of our new assignment in November until it was announced.  It is now known, and we can tell our children and family.  We are humbled by this calling and are grateful to serve the Lord in any capacity.

Stanford Willis Nielson, 61, Ridges Ward, Las Vegas Nevada Lakes Stake, called as president of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple, succeeding President Terry D. Rogers.  President Nielson’s wife, Judi Ann Parker Nielson, will serve as temple matron, succeeding Sister Sandra L. Rogers.  He serves as a temple missionary in the Manhattan New York Temple.  He has served as president of the Poland Warsaw Mission, counselor in a stake presidency, bishop, high councilor, and temple ordinance worker.  Co-owner and partner of Sunburst Shutters and real estate investor, he was born in Mesa, Arizona, to Willis Frihoff and Nena Tremelling Nielson.

Sister Nielson serves as a temple missionary in the Manhattan New York Temple.  She served with her husband as he presided over the Poland Warsaw Mission.  She has also served in ward Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary presidencies, seminary teacher, and temple ordinance worker.  She was born in Seattle, Washington, to Robert Hal and Colleen A. Parker.
                                              _______________

We will continue to serve as ordinance workers in the Manhattan New York Temple until mid-September.  We love serving here and working with the tremendous members and missionary couples.  We will return home to Las Vegas and have some time to regroup and move into a different home since we rented our home to serve in Manhattan.   Around November 1 we will begin our service in the Las Vegas Temple.

We are extremely blessed and grateful for the privilege it is to serve the Lord whenever and wherever called.

 

 When in New York City, do as the 'New Yawkers' do.  We serve on the afternoon shift at the Temple.  We start at 3:30pm and end at 10:30pm.  So we have the mornings to see New York City.  Why waste time?  Let's get going...  We literally walked across the street from our apartment (at Lincoln Center) to the New York Metropolitan Opera House.

 I am so excited to be in this gorgeous place.  Can you believe we are attending an opera at The Met in New York City!!!  This is really fun.

 We had to take a few picture early before people started arriving.  Once the opera starts you don't leave, and you don't take pictures.  They have rules here!  Isn't this beautiful!

 The ceiling is just perfect and all the levels and boxes. I was thrilled to be here.

Then there's Stan.  He thought we were coming early, like batting practice at a ball game, to yell and heckle the players.  He kept waiting for the popcorn guy to come around...not going to happen...