June 1, 2014

Kinley and Daddy playing in the sand

We had a good time with Mike, Megan and Kinley until Wednesday when they and to get home and we had to get back to being missionaries. Sunday was not as long as last Sunday because we left after only 6 hours. Mike and family came to our second ward with us for Sacrament meeting and then we left to go to the Mormon Battalion and took them back home to play cards with us and enjoy being together. Monday we took off and went to the beach. Boy it was packed! I guess that is what you would expect for Memorial Day. We had a hard time finding a parking space but it was a wonderful day once we got there! Kinley loved the sand and played happily all day long. Mike spent some time in the water with Grandpa and they had a great time. We were going to try to get to Hodads but that didn't happen. We spent too much time at the beach and had to take off. We had been invited to a BBQ with a part member family who had invited a bunch of their non member friends over. We were thrilled to be able to meet so many good people and have opportunity to share what we believe and make friends. Mike and family went to have a quick nap and dinner and then came over for more card games. It was such a fun day of play and relaxing.

I was planning on going to Disneyland with them on Tuesday and Grandpa was going to go to his favorite San Clemente beach but during the night I remembered that we had committed to usher at the Old Globe Theatre on Tuesday night! Oops! So we had to change our plans for Disneyland for Wednesday. Mike, Megan and Kinley went on without us and we worked at the Visitor's center at the temple that afternoon and did our ushering that night. It is alway nice to usher. We get lots of opportunity to be with some of the people we are working with.

Kinley LOVES the carousel! 

Ice cream with Grandma!

Wednesday then was Disneyland and San Clemente. It was fun to be able to go to the park with them and do it on a little slower scale than with the bigger kids. We were able to go back to their hotel in the middle of the day and have a nap and go back to the park later when it was cooler. They only problem with that was that there were more people there when we got back. I think there were lots of kids from California doing school trips. Oh well, Disneyland is ALWAYS busy it seems. Grandpa came and picked me up and we took off feeling relaxed and ready to be missionaries again.

Chef Roger - that's not even half of them!

 Thursday and Friday were busy and we got back into the swing of things. We spent time at the office helping there both days and cleaned out another senior couple's apartment. They had to leave earlier than planned and no one else is coming to stay in their place so it had to have all of the furniture etc. moved out. We went to the Institute at La Jolla and helped prepare the Forum luncheon there. It was the last day for the missionaries who we are replacing for the summer so there were lots of kids that came to say goodbye. The secretary fixes a huge, wonderful meal on Fridays and the kids come and pay a whopping $3 for it! They had shish kabobs, rice, rolls, fruit salad and a wonderful cabbage salad. For dessert they had brownies, ice cream and some yummy toppings. Some of the kids come and help chop and cook and we did our share of washing dishes and cooking. Grandpa was the chef and cooked and cooked an cooked. It was a nice event for the Coombs and it was fun to help out and be with the kids there. What a nice assignment the Institute is? We will enjoy our limited time there and I am sure we will be sad when it is over! We have been asked to teach a Pearl of Great Price class on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the Mesa College Institute and then other classes at La Jolla as needed. We will be hanging out there with the kids and allowing them to be there when the director can't be here. They love playing Grandpa in ping pong!

The Coombs and their feast at the Institute

Saturday was cleaning the church in the morning and then we went with Vera (our tour guide friend) and then picked up her husband Charles and grand daughter and went over to our high councilman's home to see his paintings. Charles and Bro. Fisher both have an interest in painting. We wanted them to be able to meet and spend time with the Fishers so we invited them to talk painting. It was a nice afternoon with good people. We are going to invite Charles and Vera to church this Sunday. Once a quarter our ward has a special Sacrament meeting that they call a "Preach My Gospel Sacrament Meeting" where all of the talks are specially designed to be good for visitors and investigators to come to. Wish us luck and maybe say a prayer or two that they will come. Saturday night we did our first interview with a former marine who they are honoring on Flag Day on June 14th at the Mormon Battalion. They have asked us to interview five former marines and find out about their service and what it has done to bless their lives and the lives of others. They I have the great honor of introducing them before they receive their awards. It was fun to hear this sweet man tell of his service to his country and how he felt the marine corp had made them the man he is today.

Today was a marathon church day again. Our new ward has just change their Sacrament time from 9:00 to 8:30 AM! That means that ward council begins at 6:45 AM! Church from 8:30 - 11:30. Our other ward's ward council is at 11:00, Missionary correlation at 12:00 and church from 1:00 to 4:00. Boy we were hungry and tired when we got home! But it was a good day! We came home to a quick spaghetti meal. Only we didn't have any hamburger so Grandpa fried up some weird smelling meat to go with his and I had mine with just pain sauce. We didn't plan very well for our great Sunday meal but it was quick and we were very hungry!

A new week starts tomorrow. It should be an interesting one. There will be lots of interviews with marines - they love to talk! We will start with our new group of kids at Mesa College. And lots of stuff with members of our wards. I keep thinking about a quote from Boyd K. Packer about what Grandfather told him one time. He was struggling with doing something that Pres. MacKay had asked him to do. He didn't see how it would really work out. Grandfather told him, “The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.” Elder Packer replied that he would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: “You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you."

I feel that we are constantly living this here on our mission and learning from it. We don't really know where we are going with all that we are asked to do but we are seeing that good things will happen when we have faith - and step a few steps into the darkness....

We love you all and hope all is well with you. We miss you. Hope the move went well Adam. Pray for Cameron - he is talking his DAT test on the 11th. Also please put Mike and Megan in your prayers. Their condo sold but then the guy is now trying to back out. We can't wait to see those of you who will be coming out in a week or so!!! Drive carefully and let us know when exactly we can play with you! Oh I can't wait to hold little Ripkin and get to know him a bit! Hope Cory and Mandy are enjoying their new place. I am looking forward to videos of Emmie and Kilee's program. Thanks again Ryan for being amazing at handling the apartments! And all those who helped him out! You guys are wonderful and we appreciate it more than you can imagine!

Our May Calendar - not all there but you get the gist.