January 18, 2015

Oh I do love this weather here in San Diego!  This week has been wonderful and I keep wondering how we will ever be able to live a winter in Utah again.  Many things with family keeps pulling at our heart strings to go back there.  But you can bet that we will find a way to be back out this way even more often that we used to be.  We know have wonderful friends and memories here too to bring us back!

Monday was a busy day at work and then we were invited over to Cheri and Bart's house to watch the National Championship Game.
 The Knorr's came over too and we had a good time watching and eating and laying around.  What a nice break from the rigor's of missionary life!

 P day brought lots of missionaries to the mission home and many of them are leaving next Tuesday.  We just might not ever see them again.  It get so hard to let them go!  Many are from Utah and we will see them again I am sure but most are from farther away and we are beginning to realize that this little moment of time will never come back.

Sister Larson, me and Sister Teanoa

 Sister Larson and Sister Teanoa came here after we got here.  We knew them as greenies.  They were at the Mormon Battalion with us and we have watched them grow from shy, unconfident young ladies to amazing wonderful women.  I love both these girls and I hope that all at home will get to know them.  Sister Larson lives in Pleasant Grove and actually dated Richie (my nephew) a couple of times.  I plan on her being a part of the family.  Sister Teanoa comes from Kiribati (look it up - it is a tiny little island in the Gilbert islands).  I hope that she will come to the Y and be a part of the family too.  Some of my very favorites!

Happy Birthday Elder Soffe!

 Wednesday night after work, we took the Soffe's to dinner.  It was Elder Soffe's birthday last week but he kept saying that the best way to have a birthday would be if people would totally forget it was his birthday on that day and then remember a week later and just say "Happy Birthday".  So we waited a week and then took them to a fun lobster dinner special.  Of course, it was a very good deal!  We love the Soffe's and feel so blessed to have served with them.  They only have a few weeks left in the office and we will miss them so very much.  They are a delight and such hard workers.  We hope they will be our friends for a very long time!  They live in Salt Lake - so not so far away.

Not a good picture but...
Cherie and me outside the temple!

We had to hustle to our Scripture class right after dinner.  We were two minutes late and got teased a bit.  It was a great class.  We discussed Abraham 3:18-28.  Go ahead and read it.  I know you want to know what we learned.  Good stuff.

Thursday night was our ward temple night and I went with Cherie, Carol (the lady whose home we have our Scripture class at  and Veronica.  Many of our ward members were there too.  It was a great session.  I have been trying to get Veronica to go back to the temple since she first went four months ago with no avail.  But in a combined effort, we finally got her back and she loved the whole experience.  She really feels the peace of the temple.  It was just what I needed too.  There are so many stressful things and it just calmed me down and helped me see things in a better perspective.

The last two weeks at the office, Roger has been handed a bit of a challenge.  Two of the sisters have been infested with bed bugs.  So at first they took the mattress out and brought another one in.  But the bed bugs persisted.  They moved them into a temporary apartment and they were fine for several days and then they moved them into another place that is closer to the area they work in and low and behold!  More bed bugs.  Moved them out again. Cleaned everything.  Sprayed everything.  More cleaning more spraying.  Everything seemed good and then Friday they woke up with bites again! Oh my!  More cleaning, more spraying and lots of prayers added.  Any good ideas on bed bugs?

 Friday night Layne showed up!!!  It was sooo good to hug him and to see him.  Love you Layne.  We picked him up at the airport, took him to one of our favorite little restaurants and then brought him home for an hour or so and were able to catch up.  Layne is so happy these days and it was so fun to have him close.  We are really starting to feel like our time is almost up and we are letting ourselves get excited to be back home.

Oh Saturday, Saturday!  What a beautiful day!  I just got back from a long walk - oh it is beautiful today.  72 degrees and full sun.  I bet you can guess where Roger is.  One of the students at the Institute texted last night and asked if he would like to "catch some waves" today.  They left at 9:00 am and are still gone at 1 pm.  They must be having a great time.  He is hanging out with the college kids and he loves it.  He will probably go in the Institute after surfing and teach them all a thing or two about ping pong.  It is nice to have a day to regroup and get things in order.  We will most likely try to catch one of Layne's games this afternoon - that is, if Roger ever comes home from the beach!  Layne is playing in Balboa Park so it could be a really nice place to be on a day like today.  Grocery store and maybe a nice dinner tonight!  We have something to celebrate!

It is our 16th anniversary tomorrow.  I love this man I married.  He has been there for me through some really hard times in my life and has been my rock.  He has also been there for me through some really fun times!  The last year and a half has been wonderful for us.  We love being here and serving the Lord together.  Usually we have had callings that have been totally separate and they actually took us away from each other.  This has been so great because we are together all of the time and I get to see Roger in action.  I love his obedience and loyalty to God.  We have learned things about each other and I have grown to respect and admire my sweetheart in ways that never could have happened with our mission.  I love you babe!  Thanks for 16 amazing years - and may there be many more!

One of the main things that I have learned while here is that the Lord is in the details of this work.  The other day  Pres. Schmitt was getting ready to work on transfers for next week and he knelt to pray about it all.  As he was praying he felt impressed to go to Imperial Valley.  Imperial Valley is the farthest point away and is about a 2 to 2.5 hour trip.  He got up and thought, "oh I don't need to go out there.  I am too tired.  It will be too late when I get home.  I need to get transfers done.  I need to spend time with my kids - (he has been interviewing all 250 missionaries the past two weeks and hasn't seen his wife and kids much)"  He really didn't want to go but when we got back to transfer planning he couldn't do it - he felt again that he should drive out to the Valley.  So he did and found things there that needed to be corrected.  He was guided and whispered to as he drove as to what to do and how to do it.  He told us that he again realized that he is not running this mission but that the Lord is and that he is merely an instrument - a very tired instrument in His hands.  It was humbling to him and to us all.  We in the office then talked about those times when we have been guided beyond our own knowledge to do things that we would not have normally done.  How "coincidences" are everywhere we turn.  How we feel the Lord giving us strength beyond what our little old bodies should have.  I love serving the Lord and have a testimony of His goodness and His desire to serve and bless us.  May we all be willing to help him and "go to the Valley" when needed.

This was last week but Tiffany put
it on Facebook and I stole it!  Kirk, Tiffany
and all their little gang.  Elder Barnes and us!
Missing you all!

This was taken many years ago in St. George
on a trip with Quinn, Kayley, Cameron and Kami.
It got uploaded with the other pictures by
mistake but I left it because it was cool!
Love you guys!