April 19, 2014

Karen and me in our matching PJ's.
Not a great photo but you get the
point! We bought them just
before we both left for our missions.  

Well, we are starting to see things work out for new assignments and opportunities.  This week was a good one.

Pete and Karen Belliston, our friends from home and our daughter Aimee's in laws came on Sunday afternoon just after we returned from church.  We ate Cafe Rio sweet pork burritos and enjoyed catching up with all that is join on in their lives that night.  Pete

Of course, the Mormon Battalion is
a must for any visitor to
San Diego!

and Karen slept on our lovely futon in the living room.  We woke up the next day and were able to sleep in a bit, have some of Roger's good crepes and then go for a long swim in the pool.  It was a lovely morning for Pete, Karen and I had time to talk and enjoy the warm water and warm weather while Roger exercised in the work out room.  We then took off to a few of our favorite spots in San Diego.  Sadly, the wind had come up and it was not just breezy but down right windy and wasn't as pleasant as usual.  But we still had a good time. It was fun to be with them and hear about their mission experience to Africa.

We woke up Tuesday and relaxed until it was time to take off to the temple for our shift at the "Visitor's Center" there.  I left Roger there while I took the Belliston's off to the harbor for their MONTH LONG CRUSE.  (Do you sense any jealousy there?)

Roger- working hard at the wonderful Visitor's Center.

It is really a joke of a visitor's center but it still does the job.  Because the weather is so nice here year round it is possible to actually have an outdoors center.  They have had plans to build one for years and things keep changing.  The last reason why they shelved the plans was the missionary age changes.  Money that was planned for the visitor's center went to new missions and new apartment etc.  So many people see the beautiful temple from the freeway and have to come see what the building is all about.  When they can't go inside they are sad but we are able to show them pictures of the inside of the building and explain about why we have temples and what we do in there.  There are so many people from China - amazing.  But we get them from all over the world there.  In our three hour shift we were able to talk to around 40 people.

I love all the trees that flower here
in San Diego!

I had to take some pictures of the
flowers while there.

We were able to get out and visit many people in our ward this last week.  Most of them didn't want visits from us and it gets to be quite interesting how scary people think we are.  We have a lady who lives in our apartment complex who is on our new move in list.  We have tried over and over again to be able to talk to her.  Last week we saw her lights on and ran over and knocked on her door.  We could see her through the window.  She walked over to the door, turned off the air conditioner and then looked through the peep hole.  Then we heard, "No thank you!" and she walked away.  We could see her walk back in to the kitchen and so we knocked again...... She just acted like we weren't there.  So a few days ago we saw her actually out in front of her apartment so we went over to talk to her.  The second she saw our name badges she said the same thing, "No thank you."  We were able to tell her that we really just were checking up on her and that we just wanted to know we are here if there are any needs that she has.  She was nice and talked a little bit and told us that she has no interest in the church.  We went to another home that had a big fence around the front courtyard and a sign that said, "Beware of Dog!"  I promptly went to the car while Roger went up to the door.  I suddenly heard two big loud dogs barking and I expected to see my husband jumping the fence and running to the car.  Then I heard this man in a very loud voice yelling, "Just LEAVE, just LEAVE!"  over and over again.  Roger just wanted to know if he was our guy but he wouldn't talk to him, he just kept yelling so finally Roger came back without knowing any more than when we came.  We figured the sign should have read, "Beware of dog AND mean man!"  We keep trying to figure out why two little old people should bring on such angry behavior.......  We had a good laugh after.  

We are trying to find each member whose names are on our list and make sure they actually live there.  So many of the people have moved away and we feel it is important to get them off our lists, if that is the case and get them on to the lists of where they really live.  If they live in our area we want to make sure that they know where the church is and know we are here to help if they need help.  It really makes it hard when they won't even talk to us!  This week we did find a darling lady from the Philippines who just moved into our ward a few months ago.  She was so excited to see us!  She had a big smile on her face and welcomed us in to her home.  (That hardly ever happens!)  She was baptized 8 months ago and loves the church but she works now and goes to school so she isn't able to attend church on Sundays.  We were able to get her a great visiting teacher from the Philippines who is in our ward and support her and help her.  Those visits make the other visits worth it.  

We were able to go to dinner at one of the ward member's homes.  We love that.  It is always nice to see the sacrifice they make for the missionaries and we are humbled to be the ones that they are sacrificing for.  

Quinn and Kayley's former bishop
and his wife. 

 Many of the sister missionaries after they go home, come back with their families to show them the Mormon Battalion and to meet people from their mission.  They are encouraged not to have family come while they are on their mission.  Several of the sisters came back this week on vacation and I ran over to the Battalion to see them and to meet their parents.  The Madsens came with their daughter McKensie and when they saw my name tag with Goeringer on it they asked if I knew Quinn and Kayley - and Mila of course!  He was their bishop and they could say enough nice things about Quinn and Kayley.  That is always fun.

We had a ward Easter BBQ this Saturday and we were able to take Charles and Vera - our tour guide friends with us.  I wasn't going to invite them because the activity didn't seem like it was going to be a great one and I didn't want their first impressions of the ward to be bad.  But when I was talking to Vera it just seemed right to invite her.  We had a good time at the event and they were able to meet lots of great people.  The BBQ was rather weak and not well organized and I don't know how they really felt about it all but they were sweet.  We went for a little walk through a park with a pond on the way home and played with ducks and turtles.  And then went to their home and saw their back yard renovations and talked.  It was a lovely day with wonderful people.  

Vera talking to the duck

Turtles just waiting to jump
in for a little swim.

The mission president has just cleared us to be able to serve in the mission office for a couple of mornings a week.  As we were trying to figure out what we could do to be helpful here with out the Mormon Battalion in our schedule we thought of those sweet people in the office.  They have more to do than any other missionaries in the mission so we thought that we could help with some of their burdens.  We will now be able to be there a couple of mornings a week for 4 hours.  We are excited about that.  We were also cleared to be ordinance workers at the San Diego temple one morning a week.  That is a bit scary to me.  Lots to learn - but everyone who does it loves it!  

As I look back on the last couple of weeks as we have tried to get over the sadness of not being involved at the Battalion and with the sisters there, I realize that it has been good for me.  We have been on our knees more and asking more what the Lord wants us to do.  We were on automatic before.  We would go to the Battalion and the people would come to us.  Now we have to find ways to go to the people and it is harder - but rewarding.  I can't say that I don't miss the sisters at the Battalion.  They are my adopted family!  But they will be a part of our lives when we get back I am sure and we will enjoy this new challenge.  

Today is Easter and I am thinking about my Savior and where I might be without Him.  I am so grateful for what is in my life because of His Gospel, His example, and His sacrifice.  We miss you all and hope that you have a great Easter and amid all of the Easter eggs and bunnies you take a minute to remember your Savior and what you are because of him.  Take a minute to watch this video.  You will be glad you did.  http://mrmn.org/1nhYxlX