Paul and Mar Jean Lewis: Week 29 December 13

This was a good week. Paul has had many opportunities to do Spanish at the veil. He has several Spanish sisters who are helping him and he is getting really good at it. I have also done a few. Thursday I got to be a guide for a couple who were being sealed and then having their four children, 14, 12, 8 and 1 sealed to them. It was a very sweet experience. She had brought a beautiful dress but wore one of the temple dresses for the sealing and then changed for pictures with the family. The children looked beautiful. It was all done in Spanish.

Wednesday evening the Apartment building sponsored a wonderful dinner for all the residents. It was very delicious and enjoyable.

The men who serve us every day.

Friday Paul and I were both guides for a young couple who were being sealed. The bride arrived an hour late. We had our first snow storm the night before and they had trouble getting into the city. She was from here and he was from Seattle. They met at BYU I in February. Again another really sweet experience.

Sunday we got to choir practice late because we missed the 1 train and had to wait and then had to wait for about 20 minutes for the D train. Got there about 11:15 just in time to sing it twice before meeting started. The choir sang and it was beautiful. It's fun to have a choir and music by individuals or choir. We found out that Sister Richards sang with the Tabernacle Choir and she does a great job, obviously. Brother Matthews sent out a note that the Tabernacle was going to be on PBS, last year's Christmas program and we were to watch for Sister Richards. We did spot her several times. It was fun to watch Sunday evening.

We also went to a fireside with Stewart Edge, he does UTube videos. It was very good. We had forgotten about caroling in the lobby so stopped and sang with them for a few minutes. This was the missionary group.

The Elders and Sisters have been out every day in front of the temple doing service in conjunction with the "Light the World" initiative. Fun to see them out there.

Monday was Paul's birthday. What to do? Decided NOT to go to the movies "Star Wars" and opted to take the 1 to Times Square and get on the Port Authority bus to NJ to WalMart. We had to wait for about an hour for the bus to come. Once we got on it didn't take long to get there. It was cold. We did find the shrimp were looking for. We ended up catching the 3:05 bus coming back to the City. We ate at Wendy's which made him happy. Then we came home and watched "Hawaii O and Arrow".

We also received more goodies from more missionaries. Lots of treats the last week. The Pelo family gave us pictures of Walter Rane's Book of Mormon paintings with their testimonies on the back. It has a wonderful story with it. When Brother Rane was commissioned to paint the paintings as he finished them he sent them to Utah where they were hung in the Pelo home until they were all completed.

This is their story. Several years ago Walter Rane, a friend and artist, was completing a large commission of Book of Mormon painting that would end up at the LDS Church History Museum. Walter was living with his wife Linda and two children in a small apartment in New York City. We on the other hand lived in a large home in Utah; so we made an arrangement. As Walter would finish each painting in New York he would ship it to our home in Utah for storage pending completion of the seventeen piece collection.

It didn't seem proper to store this beautiful artwork in our garage--so with each arrival we found an empty wall in our home. One by one every bedroom and living space became a gallery, in no time at all we found ourselves living in a virtual Book of Mormon time machine.

Our children slept under the banner of Captain Moroni and the guard of Stripling Warriors. Each morning we sat at breakfast before a rainbow of angels and young children in the arms of their Savior. It was a very sad day two years later when the museum truck arrived to pick up the completed collection. The people of the Book of Mormon had become our friends and daily companions.

After first being exhibited at the LDS Church Museum, the BYU Museum of Art and several visitor c enters, the collection found a new home in New York City; at Lincoln Square, in the building that houses the LDS Temple New York City is our new home and it has been a blessing to be reunited with our wonderful Book of Mormon friends after all thee years.

We'd like to share some of these images with you, together with a brief testimony or thought from a family member. Our witness, together with the witness borne from the images themselves, is the gift we share this Christmas.
Merry Christ The Brad and Melody Pelo Family

We are so blessed to be here in New York City. We love the Lord and our family and look forward to being together forever.

Also Aunt Mary had a stroke and is now home but not doing well. She is 93 and still recognized and talked to me on the phone.