October in the Mission

 We learned from our Prophet that we need to Think Celestial. We are working on that. It is uplifting and makes me want to focus on all the positives. We are so greatly blessed. 

We have been trying to find good things to do and fill our time. We have been through "JustServe" many times and found several things. We learned about Food Share and are impressed with their amazing ability to gather food and get it to people in need. We have also gone to Community Action several times. One morning we packed boxes for almost 2 hours. Lewis was definitely tired and my left arm was a bit sore. It was great. Very organized. We were doing disaster boxes with food that could be stored for a long time. We were able to chat a bit with the people we worked with. The woman to my right could speak both Spanish and English so she helped me learn some new words. We learned that this organization fed the place we went to last week. We were told that people line up 4 hours early to get in line to receive food boxes. He said the first one is always a couple that comes with a big van to pick up boxes for 8 neighbors who are unable to come and pick up the boxes for their families. They do ask for ID and proof of income but he said they never refuse to give people food. He told us that this organization began during COVID-19 and keeps on because so many people need the help. They collect the food from grocery stores and farmers and are able to buy packaged food for a hugely reduced price. They are feeding many, many people. Oxnard does look a bit like a foreign country with people on bikes with huge loads or pushing carts overflowing with lots of items. There are many elderly people out walking and it looks like they might not make it across the street. But I guess it is good that they are out and about.

I continue with my DuoLingo and my Come Follow Me app. They are small efforts but help me stay engaged. We had our first lunch with Emily. We went to Hunan Garden in Oxnard. It is Emily’s favorite Chinese restaurant. I really enjoyed my lunch it was vegetables with fried rice and had soup as well. Lewis got the same thing. Emily got the sweet and sour. Good food and our dishes were less than $9.00. I am finally realizing that anything under $10 is cheap. We had fun talking with Emily and she got to relax a bit. She is comfortably settled again. She told us that on Saturday she was all of a sudden anxious about her decision and very unsettled about what she should do. The RS President Gail Lassen had told her that her sister is an oncology surgeon and would be happy to talk with Emily. So, Emily asked and the sister called her and spent plenty of time answering her questions and helping her to feel settled again. She has an appointment with another reconstructive surgeon and then they will set up the appointment. She is hoping it will be soon so she can feel better in December. David and Jenny came over after work with a drill gun for Lewis to make holes for the holder for the car’s electric cable. Unfortunately, they had to wait a while for us to get home. There was a lot of traffic. We enjoyed spending an hour with them. Jenny got to see our new apartment and we learned more about her parents and their coming plans.

I read a very long article titled Inequality and Narrative in the Book of Mormon. It is from BYU and describes the governments and the societies and their system's influence on the people. I found it very interesting. Nephi taking the brass plates had a huge influence on their culture. It described the differences between the Lamanites and the Nephites and how things were so much better when they cooperated with each other. The speech of King Benjamin laid out the ideal society and how Mormon deepened and expanded the policies taught. How sad it is that their culture ended up like cannibals with no morals on either side. Lots of things to think about.

We went to another location of Food Share. This must be the main one. A bigger warehouse and another building for offices, I guess. We assembled boxes of produce. It was cabbage, celery, zucchini, and carrots. The carrots were too small or too old but the rest of it was big and delicious. The cabbages were huge. I hope the people who take them home enjoy the food. The guy in charge of our little group took Lewis and me on a tour of the warehouse. They have an area where people can come and shop for no money. They make boxes for seniors, people without kitchens, or homeless teens (he said) that contain food that you can open and eat and provide a pretty balanced diet for a week. They have big cold areas to hold the produce until it is given to consumers. They have refrigerated shelves where they put the things that the grocery stores donate. A lady was combing through and throwing out anything she wouldn’t want to eat. There was a large area where a special group assembles boxes. He said that they are a self-selected group that comes every week. They bring their own goodies to eat and have a boom box and find it a great social event and a way to contribute to the community. He said they never have any openings. We were impressed with how well so much food is saved from being thrown out or acquired for greatly reduced cost from manufacturers that can food. And the local farmers will often let them take the food if they pay for it to be picked. We worked hard and decided that we should check out the Mexican restaurant that Leiann and Cary liked on Telephone. It is called De La Cruz – the home of big burritos. We each got a vegetarian burrito. They are big and it was very good. I still like Baja better but this was very good and a little bit less money. I made breakfast cookies that we thought were very good. 

We went to the store again and I filled up some more jars. We treated ourselves to a Polo bowl. It was delicious. We made a big pot of beans again. Good thing we like beans and they are cheap and good for us. We are also eating a lot of fruit and vegetables and grains. I am eating too many nuts as well.  We went to the Temple. It has been 25 years since we attended that temple. The Visitors Center has been remodeled again and is lovely. There is a room that looks as if it was built of stone blocks and it is a quiet place to think about the Savior and His world when he was on the earth. Lots of displays and delightful young female missionaries who are very friendly. We had to re-remember the layout. There was still a pin cushion full of pins. When we lived there you would have seen several pin cushions in several places but I enjoyed remembering how things used to be. They are back to moving from one room to another. So happy to have been able to go again. We will go again and again but we can’t do it on the electrical power. Most of our daily trips have been within the electricity available.

This is the Visitors Center. You know what the temple looks like.

Beverly replied about my birthday greeting to Jessica. Jessica also replied again and was very friendly. Yay! She said she is looking forward to coming to the family reunion next summer. That would be wonderful!

We went to the El Camino Real Ward at the Gary Building. So amazing to me was the response to the opportunity to bear testimony. The bishopric member conducting the meeting was saying that everyone needed to be brief so there would be time for everyone to have a turn. That seemed strange to me. For years the number of people bearing their testimony is just barely enough to fill the time allotted. There are some long pauses. But before the man even sat down people began to move to the front of the chapel. They filled up half of the seats. We gringos should take a lesson from this ward! They were males and females of all ages and in two languages. The youth all speak English so there was a translator for them. I was impressed. There was one brother who was totally unable to speak well and I doubt anyone understood what he said. But he was comfortable and short and everyone smiled. There were many youths who bore their testimony. Some had written down their testimony and read it. I thought it was wonderful that so many wanted to participate. The whole group ended with just enough time for the last hymn and the closing prayer. 

The group that hopes to be a branch was less forthcoming and had a lot fewer people. There were several pauses. There were not very many people in the room. Most of them did get up and bear their testimonies. Lewis did. I decided I could wait for next month and I need to do some preparation. I have only been engaging with Duolingo mostly and that is not sufficient. I am only getting about ½ of what is said. Things are coming back but I do not yet speak much Spanish.

The Camarillo Stake President, President Thunell, asked us to call Jonathan Kent (his Executive Secretary) to make an appointment so he can tell us how we can be helpful to the fledgling group. Brother Zurcher is doing a lot and things seem to be going well but they need lots more people to do all the things. We left later after talking with everyone. We have an assignment to make Ranch flavored popcorn for the Linger Longer next week. 

We were invited by Brother and Sister Soto to go to their house for FHE. They invited two families that are their friends but neither of them was able to come. They asked us to come anyway so we could become more acquainted. They are wonderful. Fully capable in English but Spanish-born. Bellia is from San Salvador but came as a young adult. She had a terrible time learning English but mastered it. Her husband grew up in Fresno or nearby. They have been helping in the Spanish wards for almost 20 years and have been temple workers for that long also. They attended English wards while raising their children. We enjoyed getting to know them. We need help to find people we might be able to help. The husbands of both of these families are less active and one is not yet baptized. 

 On our morning walk the house with the fruit trees in the front yard has its owner outside as well. He is a small Asian man and offered us a ripe fig. He told us all about a doctor he reads online. He has served in the Navy for many years and then worked in corrections. He said he got fat and found a way to get rid of that and his diabetes. He said that natural fats are good for you because they circulate in the blood and don’t get stored in your body. He doesn’t eat carbs. He is leery of fruit because of the fructose. He has a flat stomach and says he weighs 120 pounds. He lost 80 pounds. He was full of advice and it was very interesting. He drinks ghee, coconut oil, and olive oil every day. He also gave us a dragon fruit that he grew and a little jar of some spread that had figs and oils in it. Very healthy! He says. Fun to meet new people. We didn’t get a chance to tell him our story but maybe we will see him again. See what he gave us. The dragon fruit is from his yard as well. Did you know the dragon fruit looks like this? Tastes something like a kiwi. The flower is the beginning of another dragon fruit and the tree is the source of the fresh fig. Delicious and fun. He protects some of his fruits with aluminum foil.

We seem to have our new medical insurance in place with Keiser Permanente. I answered a lot of questions on the phone to get my medical records updated. I had to ask for definitions to get through the gender category. Life used to be less complicated. Little kids should not have to deal with all the options I was given. 

We have connected with Hermana Woolley and Hermana Andrews. They ask us to come with them to appointments with men. We are always happy when they call. We had two appointments for the first night with Luis and Yayo. Our second visit was to read scriptures to Brother Yayo. He was run over by a car at age 5 and it is a miracle that he is alive. The car went over his head as well as the rest of his body. He is very hard to understand but he speaks both English and Spanish. He uses a motorized chair and can stand and can walk with some support. He is very friendly and outgoing. He bore his testimony last Sunday so we knew him by sight. I couldn’t understand what he said into the microphone but I could understand some of what he said in his home. He is in a big building that is Senior Apartments. He went to Oxnard High School and played two CDs for us. He gave us one to take home. He did a very impressive film of a high-strutting actor and did a parody of Tom Hanks with Wilson. And another one where he is a big gangster from the Mafia. I thought it was great that this man had a chance to be something other than the one with so many handicaps. He manages to do a lot of living with his challenges.

We went nice and early to the Community Action food pantry and helped them get set up before the time the people could come pick up their boxes. There is so much food. I shudder to believe that much of this bounty would go into the trash. Although they are doing a whole lot in the county to use waste as compost. Food Share has 8 acres where they grow food and another big area where they bring all that is past the eating stage and turn it into compost every six months. It really wears Lewis out but he goes for the heavier things and is always in a hurry. He needs to slow down a bit. But he gets a whole lot done. They say that they usually have about 350 cars come between 9:00-12:00 on Thursdays. The people are great. They are working hard to help others. There are some volunteers that are on the spectrum and one who talks like Becca with a whole lot of hysterical laughing. He is happy to be involved. That is my interpretation. It would be so sad to have good food trashed when hungry people need and appreciate it. I just hope they know how to cook and enjoy all of the vegetables. The variation of what is donated is a surprise to me. There are a lot of prepared foods from high-end grocery stores that are ready to eat. I have never seen some of the goodies that go into the boxes. I hope the right food goes to the right family. 

I started downloading the Barnard/Wyatt photos that Amy sent to the girls via a link on Facebook. It isn’t an easy task but I am making progress.

On Becca’s birthday, I sent her a card by sending a link so Christie could take her phone into her bedroom. Christie said she laughed at the music. Nancy texted a Happy Birthday to her as well. Christie said it was going to be a 3-day celebration. They are going to the museum today and an event of some sort tomorrow and I don’t remember what she said about Sunday. The girl who is both Becca’s and Christie’s favorite is now on a service mission. She came over for 4 hours yesterday and Becca loved it. I hope she can be involved with Becca in the future. Christie needs help and she is wonderful with her and capable of doing all the things as well as enjoying Becca’s company. 

We decided to go to the Ventura Harbor. We saw the private yachts and the houses near the ocean. There is a park right at the water's edge. Lewis took me to go with him to try out the kayaks that the young men used on a campout. I do remember that I fell into the water either getting in or getting out of the kayak. Lewis saved me and all was well. I didn’t remember the park but I do remember the kayak cruise in the little bay. It was before we were married, I think. We went to WinCo and bought some more food. Lewis made bread and I made flavored tofu and a stir fry.  Good food. 

We got up early and were at the Camarillo Stake Center before 7:00 for the Stake General Priesthood Meeting. Lewis said one thing was they recommended that the sacrament prayers be spoken more slowly so people will focus on the words and be more mindful when they take the Sacrament. Lewis thought that was a good thing. I took the ranch-flavored popcorn we were assigned into the kitchen. Then we drove back to Oxnard to attend the El Camino Real Ward. Lots of greeting people before the meeting starts. Everyone is very friendly. And half of the members are late. Even more than at home. I was very impressed with the first talk. It was delivered in English and translated. The Bishop is an excellent translator. It helped me to hear the English and then the Spanish version. After the meeting, I asked him if I could have a copy of his talk. He was happy to provide that and asked for my email. He also asked me if I knew a Ben Pettingill. I sure do. He was his 6^th grade teacher and said that Treva and his wife were friends. When we got home, I forwarded the talk to all of the active kids. Three have thanked me already. Great talk that was very clear that the commandments of God are the one and only way to find happiness and not just a way to manage us or deprive us of our preferences. There was an announcement at the end of the meeting that next week some changes would occur to the El Camino Ward.

Next, we went to the Las Posas building in Camarillo and met with the Stake President, President Thunell. He told us that there will be changes to both Spanish units. He wants us to put the priority on Camarillo ahead of the Oxnard ward. The Oxnard ward has a large number of capable people who are doing well. There are always more people becoming inactive than is good but they are managing well to continue to reach out. The new unit in Camarillo will need a lot of help. They have a very long list of Spanish speakers in Camarillo who are members but are not attending. They have a master plan to work on that and want us to be available to help. There are two Spanish-speaking high counselors who will be very involved and the Stake President said he would be involved as well. There is a lot of work to be done and he wants us to focus on it. I think President Rodriguez will not have trouble with that. He has arranged to assign more missionaries to Camarillo. There is only one set of sisters there now and they work in Oxnard as well. There are meetings that the new leader may want to invite us to and it is during the time that the El Camino Real meeting occurs. We told the President that we needed more to do and he is sure he can keep us busy. There is probably a lot of night driving which is not a favorite but somehow it will work out. President Thunell is happy we are here at this time doing this job so we can support the fledgling new unit.

We heard part of the Primary Sacrament Meeting in the Stake Center and then went to Sunday School in the RS room. There were only six people with us and the sisters. We certainly need more people to attend! Then it was time for popcorn. They had lots and lots of popcorn in lots of flavors. I missed out on the caramel but ate plenty of the savory popcorn. We hadn’t eaten yet so we ate a lot of popcorn and talked with lots of people including Emily and Edger. Great day. 

Went to Food Share at 9:00 and worked until 11:00. Lewis made all of the boxes. The person in charge was not there so a girl from a desk came and helped us. It was our second time and the first for the five of us. Lewis worked very hard. We were not the most efficient. They usually have 8 people to help. But we got 4 pallets of boxes finished. I did nearly 2 pallets of celery. Lots of celery. I hope it all gets eaten. I like it!

We texted Treva and met her at the Polo Loco near her home in TO. We had a pleasant time with her. She talked about her boys and her work. She has taken over the clients of a woman who owns the salon. She decided to finally retire and Treva is happy to do her clients. She enjoys doing hair and it seems to be going well. She told us about the salon’s work with “glue on hair”. It is very high-end, expensive, and looks totally normal. The people must come in every 2 or 3 weeks to have any that might have been lost replaced. Treva says it is exacting work, especially around the hairline, but she enjoys it. She says one man has never told his wife that his hair is not natural. She has no idea. It is wonderful for women who have lost their hair to cancer. She told us about a book Thyroid Healing. I need to read it. Lewis downloaded it. It is gluten free but I’ll read it and see what I think. Treva said she did the whole journey with a friend who had cancer twice. She healed and is now cancer-free. Treve said she has thyroid issues and is very much improved with the same diet.

We had a delightful evening. The Sotos invited us back to their home and their friends. Manuel and Ana Lara are a couple that they have known since the husband was a little kid. Hermano Soto was best friends with his older brothers. They attend the Chanel Islands English language ward because they want their children to be close to their fellow YM and YW members. The other couple were Manuela and Raul Ornelas. She is active and he has not been baptized but spoke of the church positively. I really enjoyed our conversation about the themes we remembered from the General Conference. I should have brought my notes but we all remembered some highlights. Good people. 

Lewis had the idea that we should try to contact Spanish speakers in the Valley Vista Ward about the coming changes that will be announced on Sunday. He contacted Brother Stolworthy who is the ward clerk. Lewis had access to a list in the past that was categorized by where the houses were located. Brother figured out how to access that and sent it to him. He printed out the lists. He wrote a note and I put four of them on a sheet of paper. We went to Office Depot and printed some out on card stock. We couldn’t contact the sister missionaries in Camarillo (Bradshaw and Wheatly) because they were having a Zone Conference. But they called afterward and they said that they thought it was a good idea and could participate on Thursday. Leiann and Cary called today and we got to catch up a bit. They are still having a great time. They enjoy seeing in person so many things that they have read about or learned in history classes in school. It must give us a whole new perspective to be able to see what we have only imagined in our minds. I’m sure that when we are beyond the veil we will wish that we took the eternal future a little more seriously every day of our life. (Think Celestial)

I went to dinner with Kathy, Chris, Jeanine, and Mindy, and Gracey, and Emily. It was great to all be together. We went to AM Noodles. It is a Thai restaurant that Mindy and Gracy love. It was delicious. I was horrified that we spent $169.00. Will I ever get used to the inflation that has changed things over the years? I was happy to have had the opportunity to talk with my sisters. Kathy and Emily were in conversation most of the time and I’m happy about that as well. Kathy only knows Leiann and Christie well. We picked a date for next month and I’m excited to have this opportunity. I drove myself and got there and home just fine. Even in the dark with fog. I don’t drive very often these days

Went for a walk and were able to talk with the man who gave us the Dragon fruit and the fresh fig. I got to tell him that really enjoyed both of them and appreciated his sharing. The sisters Wooley and Andrews want us to go with them to visit Yayo again. So, we will be there at 8:15 tonight. I made a lunch date with Emily because this is her day off. I had a vegetarian burrito and loved it. We learned more about Emily’s needs after the surgery next week. She went through our list and helped us understand who speaks Spanish. We went with the sisters to visit Yayo. We read a chapter of Isiaha and afterward, we played his electronic basketball game. One of the stand-up kinds you can find in a mall. I finally knew which button to push by the time it was over.

We went to Community Action and filled boxes for 2 hours. Pretty tired after that. It was good that we were there because there were not as many workers as we had seen before. Some people got restaurant-sized bags of shredded carrots, riced cauliflower, sliced red onions and chopped green salads. I hope they went where they will use and enjoy so much food. Then we went to the mission office and talked with Hermanas Wheatley and Bradshaw. They took half of the names and we took the rest. It is a list of the Valley View Ward and we just highlighted the Spanish surnames. Emily crossed out some who are English-speaking and want to remain in the ward. We hope we can find the people who only speak Spanish or prefer to join with people from their culture to come and help us build a big happy successful ward. Lewis and I spent more than 4 hours. We found almost all the residences on our list. No one was home though so we left the information on their doors. We talked with one man and he will share it with his wife and children. We found out that one young girl moved a year ago and no one had a new address for her. We got it all done! I hope the sisters have success tomorrow. 

 We got home in time to brush our teeth and go to the Mission Home. It is a lovely home and they have a covered veranda outside the second floor that has a lovely view of the mountains and overlooks the other houses. We had Posole with lots of add-ins. I really liked it. Hominy soup with shredded pork, shredded cabbage, radishes, hot sauce, tortilla chips. They also served ribs and mashed potatoes. I’m sad it didn’t go back for the mashed potatoes. There was a lovely fruit tray for dessert. Sister Nixon brought cookie dough and she baked some after dinner. Lewis gave me a bit of one and it was very delicious. She is the cookie whisperer apparently. It was a coconut and pecan cookie. We met the Moons for the first time as well as the Stars. Such great names. Moons are working in Ventura at the Institute, teaching and mentoring the YSA ward. They live in Leisure Village. The Stars are further north in Santa Barbara teaching and working with YSA also. It seems that they are near the end of their call. The Russells, the Parrys, and the Nixons are in the office all of the time, so we are acquainted with them. The Rodrigues are absolutely wonderful. So down the earth and humble and also inspired. We learned that President Rodriguez was raised in a family that was doing well in the north of Mexico but decided to move to the south and lost everything. They were so poor that feeding the family was not going well but they did find and join the church. He said that was the reason they needed to undergo the difficulty and it was worth it to find the Gospel. Eventually, he was able to go to Texas and meet his wife. He worked for an insurance company and rose to prominence with the company. We suppose that he was well enough off that he could quit his job and support them for three years on a mission. They have four children who are all married and doing well. Sister Rodriguez studied architecture before she was married and stayed home with the children. She chose to teach high school when her daughter, the youngest went to high school. We didn’t get a lot of details but they are a wonderful family, and they were very surprised to receive the Mission Leader calling. Neither of them learned English in school but are very well-spoken in English with lots of time living in Texas. They love the missionaries and seem to be doing great. 

We are receiving many missionaries this next transfer and many of them are Spanish speakers. Yay. We hope we will have more in Camarillo. They also told us about the Mixtec groups. The one in Santa Maria has grown rapidly and there is supposed to be a group in Camarillo. They do not have a written version of their language. The Church has agreed to print some of the basics and some of the Book of Mormon in their language. It may take a while. It will also be a learning curve for the people to learn to read their language. They may need to learn Spanish also if they want to succeed here. And to live here they need English as well. It is exciting that perhaps they too will find the gospel. Sister Woolley is fluent. She learned it rapidly here on her mission. The President asked her to speak in Mixtec whenever she meets new people in order to find those who use the language. There are supposed to be perhaps 20,000 Mixtec speakers in CA. There is also permission to have a 7:00 short Sacrament Meeting on Sundays for people who work in the fields seven days every week. They plan to Zoom from the Gary building to Camarillo. We hope for the beginning of growth here like there has been in Santa Maria.

We went to the temple. It is the day chosen for the El Camino Real Ward in Oxnard to go. We arrived very early and went to the available endowment session. It is always wonderful to be in the temple. We were happily surprised to find that Yayo was in our session. He speaks both Spanish and English and he was able to do the walking involved in moving between four different rooms. Amazing what he can accomplish. Another memorable experience for me was when I was welcomed by a black man at the end of the session. It made me very happy. There are very few black people in Idaho that I have seen. I am so grateful that there are temples all over the world being built. All people will have the opportunity to go to the temple. We are not there yet but moving in the right direction with all of the new temples announced and under construction.