November 30, 2014

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving morning dip!

What a great week we had.  There were those twinges of homesickness but we tried to do what our mission president suggested.  He said that we shouldn't try to have our same traditions from home while on a mission but he challenged us to make this holiday season different - very different.  He told us that we will be back to normal traditions the rest of our lives but use this year to do some unique things.  That we did!

Our Thanksgiving Day started with a quick trip to the beach.  Roger went in and surfed for a couple of hours and I was able to have a wonderful walk along the beach and pier, pass out some "He is the Gift" pass along cards and enjoy the wonderful weather!  What a great start to the day!  It was perfect weather and it was fun to see so many people out enjoying it.  I totally enjoyed it.

The servers getting ready to open the doors to the homeless.

We went home and got ready to go to the Lutheran church.  One of the ladies in our ward goes there every Thanksgiving to serve dinner to the homeless and she invited us to come along.  All of the mission office staff came also.  We had a very quick orientation on how we were to serve the people and got our cute aprons and gloves and then they let the people in.

Part of our crew. Roger,
Sister Soffe, Cheri and Bart

They said that we served about 600 people dinner!  It was really great to help so may who would not have had a dinner like that.  They were so grateful and thrilled to be there.  We were told that we were serving dinner but that the most important thing we were serving was love and that they wanted us to talk to the people and make them feel welcome.

There was a family there who had come every year for the past 6 or 7 years.  They came the first time when they were really struggling and wouldn't be able to have Thanksgiving - they just didn't have the money.  They were embarrassed that they would have to come and eat at a free place until they got to the church and they were made to feel great.  Now they keep coming.  They buy a turkey for someone who they think might need it and give it to them and then come each year and remember their many blessings.

There was another man I talked to who had a good job and a wife six years ago but he lost his job and then lost his wife and then lost everything else - home, health etc.  He is now living on the streets trying to get enough money to get in to an apartment again.    The stories go on and on.

Oh my!  So many people - so much food - so much fun!

My job was to be the "milk lady".  I walked around with a gallon of milk and served it to those who wanted it.  Many of the homeless people told me that they hardly ever get milk.  It spoils too easily and they were drinking it like it was going out of style!  One man had ten - yes ten! - glasses of milk and still ate a good portion of dinner.  We were there for three hours and then were able to sit down and eat some dinner ourselves.

Turkey hats?!!

Around the table, Veronica, me, Roger,
Sister Soffe, Bart, Cheri, Elder Knorr
and Sister Knorr

We met everything from characters who were a bit crazy to quiet, shy people who were down and out.  We loved the whole thing and would love to do it another time.  What a way to feel gratitude for what we have!

The spread!

We then went home and took a short nap (one tradition we didn't miss this year) and then we went to one of our ward members home who invited us for a very non-traditional dinner.

Her son's hobby is cooking and he has a bunch of friends who like to cook also.  They did the cooking and it was WONDERFUL!  It was so much fun to watch them ask they created these masterpieces.  There is so much more to them than it looks and that is probably why it tasted soooooooo good.

We had beef bourguignon, milk chicken with lemon curdles, a wonderful tossed salad, carrots with stuff I can't remember the name of, homemade sour dough bread, rosemary bread twist, yummy new potatoes, and THREE - yes three! - desserts!!!!!  Lemon Cheesecake, chocolate mousse with berries and creme brulle!  Oh wow!  It was all amazing and so much fun.  I didn't get pictures of the desserts.  Darn.  They were amazing.

Everyone there but the lady in our ward were not members or were inactive and we were able to talk with them and make new friends.  What a great evening.

Three of the chefs after the meal!

The whole day was about as perfect of a Thanksgiving Day that you could have if you weren't home with friends and family!

The rest of our week was full of stuff the normal stuff - missionaries, finances, beautiful sunsets, Rubio's Taco Tuesdays, missionaries, and we even got phone calls from some of the family!

Someone gave us a suit
to give to a missionary that needs
it.  Elder Rodriguez is getting fitted
for it.  He was so happy to get it!

We have a couple in our mission who were called to go to India but their visas aren't going to come through until January.  They had already rented their place so they couldn't go home. So they let them come to our mission until they get things settled with India.  They will be the only couple in India and are going to come in on Monday and learn as much as they can about the working of the office.  Can't imagine only having one couple to do all we do.  Their mission is much smaller but still......  Right now it is the mission president and the missionaries doing it all.

Clayton, the Mission President's son
made this for us!  

We bought a Christmas Tree for the office on Wednesday.  It was so weird.  It was 88 degrees and we were buying a Christmas Tree! Christmas music and decorations everywhere and we were so hot!

We are going to make it a "He is the Gift" tree.  We have made cards that say "I will share the gift by_________."  They will fill it out, sign it and put it on our tree.

I spent about a 10 to 15 minutes today putting up all of our decorations for our apartment!  A little 4 foot tree with very few decorations and a red bow on the front door!  That's it.  It is enough to feel Christmasy though!

I would imagine that most of you got some directions on the "He is the gift" campaign the church is kicking off right now.  I am excited to see what difference it makes in the mission.  The missionaries are excited too.  I would like to invite each one of you to pass along one of the cards to someone who might appreciate it.  In Utah that is harder but there are so many who are not active or who are struggling in many different ways who would love the message of the video.  Give it a try and tell me how it goes, would you?

November 22, 2014

Thanksgiving!  What am I thankful for?  So many things.  I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am thankful for the opportunity of sharing it with others and being a part of this great "Hastening of the Work".  I am grateful to be here on a mission in beautiful San Diego working with the wonderful people that we have the opportunity to know and love.  This has been an experience that has changed us and brought us lots of joy.  I am thankful for the many, many, many miracles we have been able to know about and be a part of.  We see them everyday and recognize most of them for what they are.

Don and Alex- what a nice guy!

There are so many things here that we love and will miss when it is time to hang up our name tags and go home.  But there are things back home that we are really grateful for too!  We love our family and friends.  We are so thankful for you in our lives.  You give us purpose and anchor.  We are so grateful for your good hearts and desires to do good in your lives.  We are grateful for wonderful grandchildren who are learning and growing up to be great people.  We love you and your love for us brings us so much joy.  Thanks to all of you.  It is fun to be here during the holidays but it is also very hard to be missing our traditions and the opportunity to be with you all.  We will be missing you and thinking of you this Thanksgiving Day!  And counting you as our many blessings!  Love you!

Alex Boye singing, "How Great
Thou Art"!

Sunday started off our week in the best way possible.  We had Don and Cheryl Elm show up at our house for dinner and then we took off together to a fireside here in San Diego.  The fireside was Alex Boye!  Oh he is an amazing man and talent.  It was a great fireside and we really enjoyed seeing it with Don and Cheryl.  Don has admired Alex Boye on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and was so excited to see him.  Cheryl was able to get a picture of him with Alex and I took a candid shot of him as he sang his last song.  It was a fireside that I will always remember.  He told of being born in England, being left by his mom to be raised by his uncle who put him in to boarding schools.  He told how he learned the gospel was the truth and used it to bless his life and change him.  He has an amazing story and is sharing the gospel with it and his talents.  He gave several private firesides in the home of stake presidents in the area and there are stories that come in each day of the people who were touched by him.  He and his band also played for two YSA dances on Saturday.

Tour guide meeting

Monday was our last San Diego Professional Tour Guide meeting.  We met at a tour guide company's business.  They do tours for Seniors and have a great business taking them on short tours around San Diego and Los Angeles, Day Tripper Tours.  It was fun to be at the meeting with our friends.  Next month is our Christmas Party and then I will be done with my tenure as secretary.  They have been so grateful for the little that I have done and have really been good to work with.  It has been a great way to get to know others and be involved with them often enough to share what we are doing here and be examples.  It has been harder to keep up with all they want me to do lately since we are in the office and will be good to not have the added responsibilities.  We have made lots of friends there and will continue to go to the meetings until our time here is over.  We will miss them all.

My "lunch" on Tuesday!  Mint brownie
a lemon bar and a bulillio!
What could be better?!

 Tuesday is P day and it has become a very hard day to eat right.  It is the day a lot of the elders come to pick up mail and their missionary needs.  Sister Knorr brings goodies and shares with us all - and of course, I couldn't offend her and not eat them, right?  You know all that weight that I lost before our mission?  I found it.  But it sure is fun!  This week she brought yummy lemon bars and her famous mint brownies on the same day.  I had several of each.  And then to tempt us even more, the mission president stopped by a little grocery store close to the mission office and picked up bolillos - still warm!  Yes, we got some work done too.  Then that night we were invited to dinner!  Cherie and Bart Houck invited us for his famous pot roast.  What a great meal!  Cherie is the one I have told you about who has come back to church since we knocked on her door as an inactive member about a year ago.  She has come back to the temple, works at the mission office with us and is in the Relief Society Presidency.  We are still trying to get her husband to realize that he needs to come back too.  he is a big man with a big heart and we love him.

Elder Gillespe's creation

 The rest of the week flew by.  Wednesday was work and then we went to visit with a sister from our ward who has just had the same surgery I had while stranded in Hawaii several years ago.  She is a new convert and is struggling with the ward split that we just had a few months ago.  After work on Thursday there was a Relief Society activity night.  I was able to take several sisters with me who we are working with in the ward and it was a nice evening.  Friday was a really nice evening!  We basically did nothing!  Those evenings are few and far between when we have them but so welcome when we do.

During the week, our Elder Gillespie came back from visiting his dad during his last days on earth and then going to his funeral.  We have worried and prayed for him going through such a hard thing and he came and brought us this wonderful "happy" bouquet to say thanks and put it on my desk!  What fun.  It has been great to see how he has dealt with his trial - he has chosen to serve and love people more!  He said that he earned most of the money for his mission by being a clown and making balloon animals, people etc.

Bart and Cherie at the beach.  Beautiful day!

Saturday is our day to catch up with things here at the apartment and do rest up for the week.  We did well with the resting up part of that but didn't try very hard on the apartment.  Just enjoyed the beautiful weather and beach!  It was perfect temperature and a beautiful day with Bart and Cherie.  Ahhhhh!  Just love it here.

This is the pass along card.

We are getting geared up for the new Christmas program that the church is launching the day after Thanksgiving.  It is called "He is the Gift".  Each of the missionary companionships will receive  enough cards to be able to pass out 10 per day from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  The card points to christmas.mormon.org which will have a new short video on Christ and Christmas.  You Tube will have a media blitz on December 7th and all of the advertising will be by the church.  Each December Ensign will have 9 pass along cards for all members to have the opportunity to join in and help with the effort.  The church is asking all members to share the different media things on Face Book etc.  and to try to help flood the earth with the message.  I have spent many hours putting together all of the things that the missionary companionships will need.  Our ward will be having its 5th Sunday meeting on how all of us as members can help "Share the Gift".  I am excited to be a part of this great inspired effort.  Hope you are too!  Look for it and be a part of it.  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Perfect San Diego day at the beach!

This is a picture taken by me of Cheryl
taking a picture of Alex and Don!  

November 15, 2014

SNOW?  I am hearing that there is snow in Utah.  It is 70 degrees here today.  We are planning a short trip to the beach and meeting with the other couples we serve with in the office for lunch in a outdoor restaurant that over looks La Jolla shores this afternoon.  Amazing the difference in the weather in just a 10 hour car ride!

Me and Julie

Julie and John at Ruby's Diner

This week has been a quiet week and I am not sure that I have a lot of interesting things to say about it.  We think that we are seeing the pattern of the office.  It is really crazy before during and after transfers.  Then the week in the middle of transfers, things get slower and it is time to gear up for the crazy times.  I have enjoyed being to think through the harder problems and put some of the things in order that have not been that way before now.  We have cleaned out junky places, thrown out lots and lots of stuff that has been sitting around for years and years and it feels good.  Lots of the preset rents and utilities on the computer system we use were put in wrong so I have had time to correct those things so that it all will run smoother when the crunch time comes.  We are bracing for the next "storm" (luckily not a snow storm...burrr!) and have loved the lull.

Julie - we sat and talked in Balboa Park

We have enjoyed not having tons of stuff to do at night and have been able to rest up in the evenings. I have even been able to get a swim in several of the evenings this week.

I did have a fun treat this week - my dear friend from high school - Julie Doolittle and her husband were here on business and we were able to spend several hours together on Thursday.  We met them for hamburgers at Ruby's Diner and then Julie and I were able to catch up for a couple hours after without the men to disturb our talking!

Our little scripture study class was in our apartment again this week.  I really do love it when they come here instead of us having to go out.  It was nice to have the sweet spirit of the class here in our home.  The group was small - only five of us but it was nice to be able to talk more intimately and answer questions better.  There is a nice bond between us all in the group and I will miss these people when we are done.

Institute forum lunch

We were able to get away on Friday and go visit the kids at the La Jolla Institute for their Friday Forum.  Each Friday the secretary there at the Institute fixes a great meal for all of the students and then they have a little spiritual meeting.  It costs the kids a whopping $3 and it is the best deal in town.  Sister Watts goes all out and it has alway been wonderful.  She has the kids help her with the meal so that they can learn how to cook along the way.  She made her own hamburger rolls, crock pot shredded pork, a wonderful grilled vegetable dish with sweet potatoes in it, a great salad, sliced apples with a dip and then a yummy fudgy dessert.  It was great to interact with the students.  Roger even got in a few ping pong games before we had to take off and get back to work.  We miss being there with the students.

Ping ponging!

Well, it is now the end of the day and we have had a good Saturday!  A new senior couple just arrived this afternoon so we met them at their apartment and took them their key.  They were called to go to India on their mission and last week in the MTC they told them that there was a problem with their visa and that it could be until the first of the year before the visa comes through.  So they gave them the choice to go home and wait or come out to our mission and help us here.  The problem with going home is that they don't have a place to stay.  They have rented out their home and are homeless!  So they are excited to be in San Diego and do what they can to help out here.

The office gang at Carolyn's.

Then we took off to Carolyn's.  It is a little cafe that overlooks the beach that we have been hearing about for most of our mission but never have gone.  It actually was very good, the prices weren't bad and the ambiance was fabulous!  We'll go again.  It was a beautiful day and it was just so nice to be with our office friends in a relaxing atmosphere.

Setting up for a wedding!

We were hurried off at the end because they were getting ready for a wedding and needed us out of there!  What a beautiful place for a wedding.  You can see the chairs that they have set up for the wedding in this picture.  Pretty cool huh?

This is what I am getting next time!  Butternut
squash with grilled cheese sandwich.  Yumm!

Well off and running to another week.  We have some fun things tomorrow.  Roger's friend from his childhood, Don and his wife Cheryl will be coming in to see their kids that live here in San Diego and we have invited them to come for dinner here and then we are going to go to a fireside.  Alex Boye is in town and has been doing youth dances the last few nights and then will be giving a fireside tomorrow night.  We are excited to hear him and be with the Elms.

November 8, 2014

Guess which one of these elders was
able to eat "the big Mama" in less
than 30 minutes.  

It is hard to believe that it is November! I guess last week was a bit cool in the evenings and I could get a bit of a feeling of the crisp fall air.  But mostly it is still - well - perfect around here.  Today is mid 80's.  A bit too warm for me, but we are close enough to the beach that there is almost always a bit of a cool breeze.

Roger just got home from spending several hours in the surf.  I had a nice long swim in the pool, sat in the sun for awhile and came up to our little apartment and cleaned etc.  It really is nice to have a Saturday!  Laundry is going in the laundry room, the apartment is clean, we are relaxing a bit before we take off to buy some things we need at the grocery store and get a bite to eat at Hometown Buffett.  A really nice change from the hustle and bustle of our weekdays.  But we love them too.

I didn't feel well last Sunday and it was hard getting through all of the meetings and church.  Not sure what hit me but I was sure that I might be coming down with the flu or something.  But by the time we got home and ate I felt much better and have felt good all week.  I just don't have time to be sick! We put in a pot roast and had a nice meal after church which we ate on through the week too.  Yumm.

The mission president's daughter,
Ellie.  She has started giving
tours with the Sisters!

Monday through Friday was business as usual at the office.  Roger has spent some part of most every day this week out and about either looking for new apartments in new areas that we are putting missionaries, signing leases, moving elders and sisters around from one apartment to another, or a number of other things.  He usually has missionaries with him and that is always fun.  He will often make his famous lemonade slushy for any one who helps him and he has become quite famous with the missionaries.  He really likes that part of his calling rather than the desk work.  But he is getting pretty darn good at the computer and business part of his job too.

My job goes from crazy busy to nothing from one day to the next.  Transfer times are really busy and in-between we get a bit of a breather.  But just when I think that I will have nothing to do the next day things always come up.  Taking care of the missionaries that call in or walk in with all of their many challenges and joys can take up a whole day.  And those are the best parts of my job.  I answered the phone call from a mother of one of the missionaries.  She wanted to speak to the mission president about her husband's health.  I called the mission president and he found out that the father is dying and only has a short while to live.  The missionary came in and was told and then the president gave him a wonderful blessing.  He was told that his father would be given the opportunity to be involved in his mission and help him in ways that he couldn't have help had he not died.  There was a wonderful sweet spirit that day.  The missionary then was given the opportunity to FaceTime his mom and dad so he went in to the office and spent about an hour with his parents.  He asked for permission to go home for a few days and it was granted.  So he will fly home on Monday and spend a few days home before flying back to the mission on Friday.  He is a missionary that lives across the street from the mission office so we know him well and will be able to love him and help him when he returns.  It was interesting - the evening that he found out he spent several hours making cookies to take around to people the next day - 9 dozen in all!  He said that it helped him cope.

If you can eat the "big Mama" in
30 minutes or less - you get
it free!  

The missionaries always seem to amaze us with their strength of character and ability to "keep on keeping' on".  We love them and feel so blessed to be where we can be so involved with them.

Monday evening was a Senior Couple's Family Home Evening.  It was a wonderful evening.  The mission president had a video of a talk that President Uchtdorf gave to the mission presidents in the MTC and we watched it together.  Oh and then we had some wonderful pies that one of the talented senior sister made!  She had made pumpkin, banana cream, apple, cherry, strawberry and coconut cream.  What a feast.  It is always so much fun to be with all of the other senior couples.

We had a beautiful experience at the temple this week.  Tuesday was our ward's sealing session.  We went and were amazed at how many showed up.  There were fifteen of us from the ward there which was great.  Our high priest group leader is African American and is a convert of about three years.  During our session he had his parents sealed to each other and then sealed to him and we were able to witness it and enjoy the wonderful spirit of that occasion.  Wow!  Nothing beats that.  It was great to be in the temple all in white with all of the good people who came too.

Walking out of the office at
the end of the day.  Pretty but
way too dark!  Not liking the
 time change!

Wednesday was our day to stay late at the office and with daylight savings time change we walk out the door of the office as the sun sets!  It doesn't leave any time to jump into the ocean before dark after work!  I think that I ate a Costco hot dog and Roger had a Costco pizza for dinner that night and we went home tired and prepared the lesson for Scripture class the next day

We really enjoy our little group of people who come and I will miss them all when this mission thing is over.  We have a special bond from studying each week together and feeling the Spirit together.  We are studying Abraham now.  If you haven't read the Pearl of Great Price lately - pick it up.  Its a great book.  We had a big group this week.

The big Mama.  

We thought that we were going to come straight home and relax on Friday after work.  It had been a physically tough day for Roger.  So we had just sat down at home when the mission president called and asked us if we had any big plans for the evening.  He asked us to meet him over at the mission office because he had some sister missionaries to interview.  So we drove back to the office and were able to visit with the sister that wasn't interviewing with the president while the other talked to him.  The two sisters are struggling in their companionship and one of them was thinking that she wanted to go home.  She has only been out not quite two months.  It was interesting to be able to talk with them and understand their hearts.  This missionary work is tough but when you add relationship problems into the mix, it gets even harder.

We were able to talk with the mission president for awhile after and hear all that he had done that day.  Boy I don't envy him.  What a taxing job he has - and he is still raising his family while he handles the 24/7 of missionary president's life.  I don't know how they do it.  But he and his wife both say that they love it - and it seems like they really do.  They are always up beat and in tune with what needs to be done.  What is cool is how they include the kids in the mission.  Ellie, their one girl has learned the tour at the Mormon Battalion, had a dress made for her and is giving tours now.  The favorite day for the kids is P day.  They get to hang out with the missionaries and do an activity with the different zones.  Bless their hearts.

The elder with the light hair and glasses in the back
is the one that finished the burrito in 29.51!
Many have tried and one ONE has conquered!

November 2, 2014

Jim and Roger

Another great week!  It just flew by - again.  Monday was a great day.  It started with a visit to one of the Marines that we got to interview for the Mormon Battalion Flag day ceremony.  Jim Gulardi really impressed me as we spoke with him.  He changed me and my respect for those who serve us to keep us free and safe.  We went to him beautiful home in Oceanside and visited with him and he then took us to lunch and a wonderful "mom and pop" place close to his home.  He will be getting married in a few months and invited us to come to the wedding if things work out.  We gave him a Book of Mormon and look forward to meeting his fiancé.  We then took off for an afternoon in San Clemente.  It almost felt like going "home".  We got to eat at Fisherman's Restaurant and get Roger's free meal for his birthday.  It was a nice rest from the non-stop days and evenings that we have had and were looking forward to for the rest of the week.

View from the restaurant

Sunsets while eating....

Us!

The set of Bright Star

Tuesday was the arrival of new missionaries - 11 in all the departure of 14 missionaries.  Wednesday was transfer day.  It is a crazy day which leads to a crazy week.  I was able to go to the airport and pick up two SL Temple Square sister missionaries as they come to serve here for two transfers.  What darling girls!  One is from Italy.  She is a professional dancer and felt impressed that she was supposed to come on a mission.  She left a very successful dancing career to serve a mission.  She told me her story and I was in tears along with her.  The other sister missionary is from Chile.  She was in the end of her year long training to take the Medical aptitude test in Chile.  Her scores on that test get her right in to medical school and how well she does affects the price she pays and which school she goes to.  She decided that she was to go on a mission and was so afraid to tell her parents.  They had paid for her to go to the training and were so proud of her.  She finally got the courage to go tell her father after much fasting and prayer.  When they sat down to talk he told her that he already knew what she was going to say.  He had had the same impressions that she had and was even more proud of her that she was willing to go and serve.  

We spent the rest of this week putting together new phone lists, getting missionaries into new apartments etc.  Everything didn't go really smoothly but it was Salt Lake's problem not ours this time!  

 Tuesday, Friday and Saturday we had the opportunity to usher three different plays.  We usually have to arrive about an hour and a half early before the play starts and we are able to sit and talk with the other ushers.  It has been a great way to get to know so many wonderful people.  Then we usher the people into the play for about a half hour.  They then tell us to find the closest seat to the front and to sit down and enjoy the play!  Oh such horrible work.  I guess some times when the plays aren't that good it is a bit of a sacrifice but most of the time it is so wonderful.  

Hunchback set

This week hit the jackpot!  Two of the three plays were the best I have ever seen.  Tuesday's play was Bright Star and was a musical.  It was full of Blue Grass music, the best little fiddler you have ever heard and a wonderful story with beautiful voices!  We loved it.  I felt like jumping up and dancing every now and then - but you will be glad to know - I didn't.  Bright Star will move to New Jersey in a few weeks and then they are talking Broadway.  It was wonderful.

Friday was another play that will for sure be on Broadway.  It was The Hunchback of Notre Dam,  I didn't think anything could beat Bright Star but this one was just as good or better.  Hunchback was in the La Jolla Theatre on SDSU campus.  Alan Menken is the composer of the music and is noted for Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Newsies and more.  It is done in collaboration with Disney.  We loved it and so did the audience.  What a treat.  The play on Saturday was The Royale, the story of Jack Johnson, the first black boxing world champion.  It was good but not on the order of the other two.  We can usually get in to good conversations with those we usher with and are able to invite and share while with them.  What a great opportunity we have to do this! 

Thursday was our regular scripture study class but the home we usually have it in wasn't available this week.  We decided that we would have it in our little apartment and it was really nice to have it here.  We didn't have to leave and they all came to us.  It was nice to fill our place with those good people and the Spirit.  One of the ladies brought goodies so we sat around for quite awhile after and talked.  It was a great evening with a great Spirit.  Our missionaries were there, a newly baptized member, a reactivated member, a member who we are trying to activate and a few other active members.  

Elder Soffe and his "Mad
Scientist" costume.

Sister Knorr made a fun
dessert

Halloween day was good but I have to admit that I was officially HOMESICK as I saw all of the darling grandkids - and kids in their Halloween costumes.  I loved it but wished so badly that I could transport home for a few hours!  The missionaries that serve in the area of the mission office, quickly become great friends.  One of them had a birthday so we had lunch for him.  We made Navajo Tacos and they tasted so good.  

Navajo Tacos!

Missionaries are told to stay
dressed as missionaries.
Creativity helps to have
fun anyway!

Saturday was another baptism!  Julie Stivers was baptized.  Julie asked me to say the opening prayer and that was nice.  We invited the Relief Society sisters to provide the refreshments for the baptism and that turned out really nice.  We had lots of great food and many of the sisters in the ward then came to the baptism.  The real trick comes now when we have to depend on the ward to fellowship and include Julie in the ward.  That is where so many people are lost.  We were pleased with the amount of people that showed up to see Julie join our ward family.  Happy day.  

It is amazing how quickly the days go by. We are busy all day and most of the evenings and it surprises me that we really can do it all. I love it when we can get an evening off to just be in our little apartment together. But I also love that we don't sit home all evening on a regular basis. We love our mission!