March 15, 2015

Picture from last week's departure temple trip.

It is getting harder and harder to go to church these days.  Every one is starting to realize that we are close to leaving and people keep wanting to hug and talk.  That is the good part but it make them and me a bit teary and sad.  We still have two whole weeks!  That is not very long...  The days are going faster and faster.  We are filling each day with more things to try to get everything in that we need to.  And it is getting more real that we will be leaving all of these good people soon.  

We were invited to eat at our dear friends home for dinner on Sunday of last week.  Debbie Lincavage and her husband Frank had us over to they lovely home.  Debbie prepared St. Patrick's day green stuff for us and it was delicious.  I thought I got a picture of the dinner table with broccoli salad, and a wonderful bacon wrapped filet but I guess I didn't.  Our green limeade, celery and cucumbers was a great start on their balcony overlooking Mission Bay.  Debbie is convert from over 30 years ago and raised all of their kids in the church.  Frank has had the lessons a million times and still isn't interested.  But we tell him that we love him even if he doesn't want to join the church!  They are one of the couples that we will want to get together with when we come back to visit.  Love them!

Some times a little
note from a
missionary keeps
me going!

Roger's week was full of moving missionaries out and into apartments.  And this week he will have a lot of that too.  I think that he really enjoys getting out of the office and being with the missionaries.  They are always darling and willing to help.  If they come back to the office with him, he usually fixes them a lemonade slushy.  He is a bit famous for that!  There is so much to do before we leave and it will make the time fly even faster.

I have been trying to make a training manual for the new couple on all of the things that I do.  I started it with great intentions of having every detail spelled out (IMOS home page, sign in, click
Add a Payment, click Present Utility payment, wait for the dumb wheel to stop turning, click on Customer Account to sort the list.... ) but after my manual got to fifteen pages I decided to simplify a bit.  The problem with us older folks though is sometimes we need all of those details!  We have this week to tie up all of the loose ends before the new couple shows up.  They will start training the next week and we are off an gone after that!  Wow!

It is busy at the office and that is good.  The thing we feel that will be the biggest challenge when we leave is that no one in the office will really know what is going on in the mission.  The one couple has only been there 6 weeks and other couple struggles at getting things straight.  When we came in, we had the other couple in the office that had been there for over six months and we actually knew a lot about the workings of the mission just because we have worked in so many different areas.  This new couple will struggle a bit I am sure.  But then - mission presidents only get a few hours with the previous mission president when they leave.......  (Can't imagine how that works.)  

We had our scripture class at the Family History class again this week and are starting to realize that they won't keep going after we are gone.  Family History has been frustration to them because there just aren't enough helpers and each of them are so new to the gospel that they need one-on-one help.  They want to go back to scripture class so that is what we will try to help them get set up so that they can carry it on by themselves.  We just hope they keep meeting.  It has been such a good thing for the new members especially but there are others that come who need the fellowshipping.

Roger, Me, Don, Lynette

We had a fun treat this week.  Gary and Lynette Snyder came to stay for three days.  Gary and Roger grew up together in Burbank and they have stayed in touch all these years.  It is so fun to have them get together.  They act a little bit like their younger selves and it is great.  They showed up Thursday night and we stayed up talking till about midnight talking.  That made getting up the next day for the office a little hard but we did it.  We worked until about 2:30 and then got off to play.  We had a fun guided tour by tour guide Roger of the beaches and best spots on the coast of San Diego.  We went to dinner and played games until too late that night too.

Sunset at Windnsea

Pacific Beach pier

Saturday was a treat too.  Don and Cheryl Elm came down and played with us.  Don was another one of Gary and Roger's friends.  These two couples are some of our most favorite people on the earth.  They are so fun hearted and great people.  Don and Gary both have serious health challenges and are such great examples of handling trials with courage and joy.  We took the opportunity to go to the Marine Corp Base for a special presentation. Don and Cheryl drove down from Valencia for the day.  It was so fun to catch up.  The Marine Corps Marching Bugle Band and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team performed we were invited.  Several other missionary couples were there and we brought along the gang.  It was a bit hot Saturday and we were worried but we were able to sit in the shade and there was a slight breeze.  Perfect.  

The audience

Marching Bugle Band

The Silent Drill team in the background.
They were getting ready to post the colors here.
Notice the five men standing in the back row.
It is obvious they are Marines from the
way they are standing erect with their arms
straight and hands clenched.

Don and Gary getting a
ride back to the car.

We went to dinner at Guadalajara's after the performance and just stayed and talked forever.  Good food and great company.  We feel so blessed to have them as friends!  

My brother Alan's daughters were here this week for spring break.  We kept trying to get together but weren't very good planners.  We were busy with our friends and for some reason they would rather play on the beach than play with us!  Can't blame them.  They were staying right on the beach in a beach house and the weather was amazing!  I think that they had a great time.  We finally caught up with each other today at church.    It was so fun to see their growing families and to hug them.  I was so proud of them and how they have chosen to live their lives with the gospel in the center.  Their children are confident and have a light that is apparent.  What a difference it makes!

Well - This week and one more and then we are coming back.  It hardly seems real.  I was going to drive with Roger but we checked the flights and got one quite cheap so we decided that I would fly.   That way there will be more room for our stuff coming home and Roger can just get in the car and won't have to stop for me.  I think that he wants to grab a few hours at San Clemente's T street too before driving in.  I will fly in on April 1st and Roger will drive in that night.

We love being a part of the missionary force here in San Diego.  We love the missionaries.  We love the other senior couples.  We love having good things to do each day that make a difference.  We love the spirit that accompanies this work and the building of our testimonies that comes each day.  We love our mission president and his family and are amazed at their sacrifice and commitment.  I can't imagine missing this opportunity.  We are so happy for Landon and his call to serve.  Do you know that your mission's south border shares our mission's north border on the east?  We hope each of you kids and grandkids plan a mission in your future.  Don't miss the opportunity to represent Christ and do what he needs us to do.  There is nothing like it in the world.

I know that this church is true.  I know that God lives and loves us.  I have learned that Christ is in charge of His church and that He is involved in the details of it.  I know that because I have seen so many miracles unfold as we have served here.  I know that the Book of Mormon can make a huge difference in all of our lives.  Reading it regularly is something I am learning to do and I can see and feel a difference in my life because of it.  I am so excited for conference and the opportunity to see and listen to our Prophet.  I know that he is God's prophet and if you want to know what God wants you to do in the next six months (which I am sure is pretty important!) make sure that you watch Conference.  I promise you that if you go with questions in your heart and listen with a sincere heart - you will find answers that are just for you.  Just what God wants you to know and do.  The Holy Ghost will testify to you in your heart and mind those things that he wants you to know.

Until next week.....