January 26, 2014

Parade 

It has been a great busy week!  I thought that I would include some pictures from the Commemoration of the Mormon Battalion which was Saturday.  What a fun day it was!  We started the day with a Rededication of Fort Stockton on Presidio Hill.  It hadn't been kept up very well for years and because of that had become a place where people felt they could put graffiti and destroy.  We have worked to clean the graffiti and with the help of the ranger in the parks the area was cleaned up, grass replanted, trees trimmed, and the church replaced several signs and plaques.  It is beautiful up there now and we have a wonderful ceremony.  We are hoping that the mischief with be slowed down now and people can go enjoy and learn.  

Some of our Battalion Sisters

Quilting

The rest of the day was amazing.  The town square was full of people doing fun things.  We had all kinds of booths.  Rope making, cooking a biscuit on a stick, dressing in pioneer clothing and pictures, pioneer games, doll making, dutch oven contests, sing-a-longs, etc.  There was a stage with entertainment all day, a parade and all of it was free.  A fun family day learning about the what life was like in the 1840's in San Diego.  The Mormon Battalion was busy too!  We had a record breaking day of 1065 people through the Battalion.  We were all on shift all day.  We were there from 7:30 am to 9:15 at night and were pooped -  but it was a great day!  

Biscuit on a Stick

Cooking biscuits

Parade

We have been busy getting this all put together, advertising for it and organizing the running of it all and it was a great success.  The next thing coming up is a golf tournament that we are helping with to fund the 4th grade program to bring kids to Old Town for their history units.  Billy Casper will be here and a number of other dignitaries.  Last year they earned enough money to fund the trips for a couple of years and they are trying to do better this year.  When they come, we usually get them to come to the Battalion and it is so much fun and crazy when they do.  The kids love it and learn a lot about the beginnings of San Diego.

We have had several wonderful dinner appointments with members etc.  We love going into their homes and feel honored that they would want to serve us that way.  We are becoming great friends with many of the wonderful people here and love working with them.

Rides in wagons

Families dressing like pioneers and pictues

One of Roger's good friends who lives in San Clemente (about an hour north of here) died and we were able to go to his funeral last week.  It was a beautiful remembrance of a wonderful man, John LeSueur and we will miss him.  We have stayed in their home in the last 10 years on some of our trips to San Clemente and always visit with them when we go in to town.  Roger was able to catch up with many of his friends from Burbank and talk to them.  Good day.

Enlistment

Our scripture class is still going well.  Each Wednesday we are in the home of a member in the ward and around 15 people come.  We are going through Preach My Gospel and having great discussions.

Sing-along

We got our new directors for the Mormon Battalion and they are wonderful.  It was sad to say good bye to the Seegmillers.  They did so much good for the reputation of the Battalion in Old Town.  It has been wonderful to meet the new directors Dave and Cherie Barnes.  We love them already.  They are trying to get up to speed with all that there is to know and are slowly getting there.  What a challenge to just walk in and have one day with the old directors before they need to take over.  We are thrilled that they want us to stay on and help with the transition.  We now have a full schedule and have added duties to catch them up.  We have been hoping that we could stay.  It is such a wonderful place with such a strong spirit.  To be involved in what is going on there is both fun and humbling.  The Lord is in the details of what goes on there every day!  Miracles walk through the doors daily.

I have started teaching some Family History lessons to some of the members of the ward.  I am excited to be involved back in that great work.  What a wonderful spirit of peace and joy I feel as I get involved in it.  I just wish I knew it better.

Rope making

Our efforts to find those who have been on the roles of the ward are working and we have the Ward Council and the Ward Missionaries going out to those close to their homes to see if they want any involvement in the Church.  Many have moved and it will be good to clean up the records and find where they are now.  Many others just don't want to be involved with us but still want their names on the records.  Some are coming back and enjoying the beauty of the Gospel in their lives again!  And others want no contact and have totally moved on in their lives.  So many interesting stories.  The missionaries have been doing this leg work and now they are freed up to work with those who need their help.  It feels good to see things happening.

Wow, we are having a great time.  Roger still finds time to get to the beach a couple of times a week for exercise and has made friends in the surf.  We are looking forward to using our little gym here in our apartment complex to stay in better shape too.  We have a schedule now where we can have morning time to work out a bit.  We get time to enjoy beautiful San Diego and its amazing weather.  The stakes here in California are all joining this fast Sunday to fast for the draught to be over and for some rain.  I am having a hard time really wanting rain!??  We have totally loved the sunshine and warmth - especially when hearing about what all our Utah families and friends are having now.  What a beautiful place to be!

By the way - the Gospel is a good way to live life.  It is true!