July 6, 2014

Wow!  This week went really fast!  Busy, busy, busy.

Our week schedule is starting to feel a bit like a routine.  Tuesday and Thursday is a Mesa College Institute class.  Tuesday is always temple visitor's center from  12-3.  Wednesday night is our Ward Bible study class and Thursday and Friday we work at the Mission Office.  We spent a lot of time studying for the three different lessons that we had this week.  I don't know how those Institute teachers do it.  Not this week but the next one we will have 6 lessons in one week - all on different subjects!

The highlights for the week:  We got to meet our new Mission President.  He seems a little overwhelmed and full of energy.  It will be fun to get to know him.  Here's the church's write up on him and his family.

California San Diego Mission

Jonathan S. and Alexis U. Schmitt

Jonathan Stephen Schmitt, 40, and Alexis Swain Udall Schmitt, four children, Silverlake Ward, Friendswood Texas Stake. Brother Schmitt serves as a stake president and is a former counselor in a stake presidency, high councilor, bishop and missionary in the California Fresno Mission. Attorney and litigation counsel, Baker Hughes Incorporated. Born in Mesa, Ariz., to Robert Edward Schmitt and Dianne Lyda Farley.

Sister Schmitt serves as a ward missionary and is a former counselor in a ward Relief Society presidency, ward Relief Society teacher, gospel doctrine teacher, stake public affairs specialist and missionary in the California Anaheim Mission. Medical doctor, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Born in Santa Fe, N.M., to John Nicholas Udall Jr. and Iris Roslyn Lillywhite.

Monday night was FHE with the YSA ward.  We had a picnic at the La Jolla shores beach.  There is always a lot of food at these things and lots of great kids to talk to.  We will be sad when the summer is over and the new senior couple comes.  We love this assignment to be involved with them!

Most of these kids in this picture are our Mesa College Institute class.  KK (front right) is a convert of about 6 months
and is amazing.  

 Tuesday night was ushering at the White Theatre in Balboa Park.  There are several theaters there and we usually usher at the Old Globe Theatre.  But this play was in the newly renovated theatre in the round.  It is a beautiful facility and a great place to see a play.  No seat is bad there.  We got to see a premier of the play "Dog and Pony".  It was a fun musical.

The walkway from the theatre.  Balboa Park is wonderful.

The 4th of July was a great day here.  It started at 7:00 with our 12th ward Flag Ceremony.  We had great talks a nice choir and a wonderful breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy (yes, I thought of my boys as I ate the biscuits and gravy) fruit, juices etc.  Lots of the ward showed up - amazing huh? 7:00 AM ?????    But it was so well done and a great way to start the day.

























The office is still open on holidays so we went over and worked hard to get some things done early so that the regular senior missionaries could get off early and play a bit.  We did take a minute for a flag ceremony of sorts of our own!  Elder Trotter wasn't in to it much so he just sat at his desk while we said the pledge of allegiance.

Notice the flag taped on the back of the chair!  It was all we had.  Elder Trotter is in the chair being the 4th of
July Scrooge.  His wife in the one in pink.  Elder and Sister Soffe are on either side of Roger.  They are all
fun people who do a ton of work for the good of the mission!  

 Our friends Vera and Charles invited us to their home for a BBQ, games and fireworks!  What a treat that was.  It is always nice to be in a real home and theirs is full of love and nice people.  They put on a feast of fish, chicken and beef kabobs, lots of summer salads and yummy appetizers.  We love these people and feel honored that they invited us to celebrate with their family.  It felt so warm and cozy.

My friend Vera and her grandkids, Nicole and Michael.  And of course the food!  This was just the starters!

 We ate till we were chuck full and then played some games while waiting for the fireworks from their patio.

To the left of Roger is Vera, then around the table is her grand daughter Nicole, daughter Michelle, son Michael, husband
Charles and son-in-law Neil.  

The view from the porch.  That is Mission Bay in the background.

There were five different firework shows going on at the same time.
Four of them were synchronized to each other and music.  I know
my picture isn't that good but you get the point!

This is Sister Teanoa.  She is a part of the family by the way!  I am hoping that she will come
stay with us for a bit when she comes to BYU to college.  She is from Kiribati.  Look that one up!

Sister Teanoa, Cree Amendola and brother

 Sister Amendola came back for a visit and I was able to go to the Battalion and meet her family!  What a beautiful family and it was so fun to be able to see her again and get a tour from Sister Teanoa!  Love that girl!  

The old lady and Cree

The Amendola's live in Eagle Mountain and Cree works for DoTerra.  She is adorable and talented (beautiful voice) and I am accepting interviews for possible dates for her!  Really I don't think she will have a hard time getting dates on her own.  It is always so much fun to see the girls as they return.  And yes, I know that I look awfully old when I take a picture with them but for some reason I still want one!

Amendola family!

We were able to get in several good visits with people that we have not been able to find to visit before.  So many times people hide from us or don't answer the door.  Some are not friendly at all.  Those ones are scary at times.  Here in San Diego everyone has these metal screen doors that are horrible.  They can see you through them but you can't see them.  So often times people just talk to you through that door and you can't even get a visual of who or what you are talking to!  But every now and then ........you actually get someone who opens the screen and talks to you on their porch.  Now we are getting somewhere......  But this week we actually got a man to let us in his home in to the entry way and talked to us.  We didn't get the invite to sit but hey, it is an improvement.  Then a great lady actually invited us in her home, had us sit down and talked to us for about an hour.  Wow!  We scored!  It was good to talk to her.  She has some concerns about her activity and is about to marry a non-member.  She is questioning if the church "is a good fit for her".  It was good to hear her concerns and be able to relay them back to the ward to see if we can help her.

I got a call from Vera this morning and she has shingles that has just showed up today!  She is in a lot of pain.  Will you do me a favor and offer a prayer for Vera Held?  She is such a wonderful, giving person and I hate to see her suffer.  She called to ask us to pray for her and I told her about Fast Sunday and what we do and told her we would fast for her and pray too.  I explained that there is great power when you both fast and pray for something.  I explained about blessings and she is going to get one tomorrow.  :)

We are excited to have Heather and Brett's family coming in the near future!  Can't wait.  And our friends Ron and Linda Snowden will be here in August!  It is so nice to have some faces from home.  Yesterday was our 11 month anniversary!  Wow!  It is hard to believe that we have been here that long.  We love our mission and the opportunities and that we are getting to be involved in so many different ways.  People ask us what we are doing while here and we say, "One of everything!"  We seem to be getting so many different assignments and we love it that way.  Never a dull moment and when it looks like there might be one Roger heads to the ocean and I head to the pool!

We pray for you at home and miss you so much!  Letters, emails and texts are always appreciated!  Fill us in on what you are all doing this summer.  Well - off to the races...............