Updates during and after Hurricane Sandy

Email sent by Megan on Monday, Oct 29, 2012

Hi,
Just real quick, I got your emails. Thank you so so much for the news counsel and pics. You all are incredible! Exactly what I needed! I am regretting not sending my ballot before the storm. Well love you and miss you! Letters are coming your way! Lights are flickering!

Love

Megan

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Email sent from Mission President's office, Oct 30, 2012

　

Hi Parents, Bishops, Stake President’s,  

We just want to let you know that all missionaries are safe and accounted for, with no injuries. We have some that are without power, but they were advised to have enough food and bottled water to last for three days, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Those elders who were in Rockaway have not been able to get back into their apartments yet, so we don’t know any damage there. I have been where those apartments are and it is my guess that the apartments are fine, but the roads are probably covered with water and we don’t want to take cars down there through that. All of the Sister Missionaries are out at the Mission Home and they are without power, but they are together and all is well. President might need a vacation after this. The President has decided to leave the missionaries that were in the evacuation area away from their apartments for one more day.

Anyway, all is well, relatively, here.

Thanks for your prayers and best wishes.

Our love to you all.

Sister Shepherd, Mission Secretary
 
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Article from Deseret News about the Missionaries and their service in NYC on 10/31/2012

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865565759/500-LDS-missionaries-helping-neighbors-in-Sandys-wake.html?pg=all


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Email sent  from Megan, November 1, 2012

Hi!
I got permission to check if you could get my ballot :). Thanks for the pics and updates and article! I will send my ballot in today and it should be okay.

It is pretty nasty and heart-wrenching work, and I didn't even get sent to the hardest hit areas. Lots of buckets from flooded basements and filthy carpets and trying to salvage pictures and keepsakes. I will NEVER live by a river ha ha. We had a wonderful time at presidents. We had no power (power lines are still just lying in the streets still in some areas) and so it felt like a girls camp with the most awesome people. I even got to go running a few times in the Long Island fall :). Now we are back, our area seems to be left okay with a few less trees. Now everyone is just trying to get gas. Lines to gas stations seem to be over a half a mile long!! It is surreal to be living in a place hit in a natural disaster. As my mission president said in the article, there is SO MUCH to do. Making me realize how much I have grown to love this city in the past 2 months. This area still needs our prayers!

I love and miss you all! Now on to do my laundry I haven't done in 10 days, vote, and get ready to get back to work.

Love, Megan

Pictures of Megan helping with the clean up can be found on the New York City South Blog found at:
 
http://newyorksouthmission.blogspot.com/

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Pictures from the area and of missionaries helping

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Update from Mission Office, November 3, 2012

Hi everyone:

It’s been a few days since the brunt of the storm, but I thought I would let you know what is going on. We are slowly getting power back in most of the areas. None of the missionary apartments sustained damage. Most of them have power back. If not, they are staying at other missionary pads. They are fine. Most have been out working in the heavily damaged areas helping to remove trees, pump water out of basements, clean out debris, just do anything they can to help the people here. People have been bringing them food, and our Senior Sisters have also been working to feed them. We fed some of them last night at the Mission Office, and we will also be feeding them tonight as well. Tomorrow they will attend a short Sacrament Service and then will head back out to work. They are enjoying helping the people and they are enjoying being together working for a common cause. The Sister Missionaries stayed out at the Mission Home until last Thursday and then went home to their own apartments. However, the Mission Home has been without power since last Monday night. The lack of gasoline has been a problem, but the church FM group, headed by Vic Goepfert, a counselor to President Calderwood, was able to get some gas from Pennsylvania for us today. Hopefully that will last until the pumps are up and running here on Long Island. Our missionaries are doing great and they have become heroes in the eyes of many people. We are so proud of them.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call. We will return your call or e-mail as fast as we can.

Love to you all, Sister Shepherd, Mission Secretary


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News Story — 31 October 2012

Mormon Missionaries Help With Hurricane Sandy Cleanup Effort

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/hurricane-sandy-cleanup



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News Release — 2 November 2012

Mormon Helping Hands Cleanup After Sandy

 

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-helping-hands-clean-up-after-sandy

 

 

 

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Dear  Parents,

A friend alerted us to a CNN video showing many of our missionaries at work in Staten Island. Their picture appears about 3 minutes into the segment and again at about 5 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOQWix3J92Y&feature=plcp

-- Dr. Steven R. Goates, Professor
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602-5700