New month. We went walking and did the laundry. I did almost all of my referrals. That took me to noon. We went to visit Jennifer and Gina but neither were home. We went to Costco to get a few things for us and grapes and lettuce for the missionary sandwiches on the Temple trip. I caught up with my journaling and started on the blog for March. We went to take bread to Gina and Jennifer but neither one of them was home. I uploaded all of my recent photos. Put them in Lightroom and did all of the tagging. Sorted out the ones I wanted to add to the blog.
I tripped over this in my computer. Jacey sent these statements to us years ago. I love it.
Did a lot of work on the referrals. The numbers are looking better. We met Emily at the Taco Shop in Ventura. It was good. But costs more than other places. I don’t think we will go back there. Emily got a bowl that looked really good but we didn’t choose the best items. For my blog posts, I pare down the journaling and add the photos. I can take a lot of time doing simple things. We washed all of the grapes and let them dry. We also washed all of the Romaine lettuce and wrapped the leaves in a towel. That will help to be able to finish tomorrow.
We went to our English Connect class. Only Xochitl and Jose.
They are both working hard to improve their English. It seems so daunting but
they are making progress. She had asked us how to pay tithing so Lewis took her
down to the Bishop’s office and got her a tithing envelope with the little form
to fill out. She was worried that she hadn’t paid tithing yet and she had come to church for several Sundays. We passed the open Family History center and we told her why
we have one and what it is for. She was very interested so we took her out to
our car to get a Mi Familia book to fill in with her 3 generations. We got to
talking and she said that the night Lewis gave her a loaf of bread it was a
miracle. She said that she did not have any food in her apartment and she was
so very grateful for the bread. She is well educated and has a long work history.
But she is currently taking care of a wild little 4 year old girl. She is
waiting for something she wants to do is available again. I hope she can get it
all resolved soon. She is a lovely person. We will go visit with her and get to
know her better.
Did just the new referrals today so we could dive into sandwiches. This is sandwich day. We made 55 sandwiches on Hoagie rolls with turkey, cheese, and lettuce. We bought Romaine lettuce and cut out the crunchy centers. It worked pretty well for the longer sandwiches. We wrapped them each in aluminum foil. There are three with allergies so we had gluten-free bread and left out the cheese to accommodate them. We have little packets for mayo and mustard to be added if the missionaries want them. We made 55 little bags of red grapes. We gathered ice to fill the cooler. Sister Moon has chips and water. We did have some meat left over so Lewis took it to the office and Sister Nixon will use it with her sandwiches. I chopped up the lettuce centers and chopped them up and added them to our current soup. I liked it even better with a small amount of crunch in the soup. I finished the blog post for March. Listened to several Marco Polos. I love being able to see and hear our daughters. I should be on there more but I like to be the viewer more than the viewed.
Time for the Temple trip. They told us that they were able
to go last September. So, the males might be able to go 4 times during their
mission. Elders go on a mission for 2 years and the Sisters go for 18 months.
It is such a wonderful thing for them to be able to go. We put all of the
sandwiches (including the special ones for missionaries who have allergies)
and the grapes in two coolers with ice bags on the top. And the bags, the small
packets of mayo and mustard, and napkins. The Moons had chips, popcorn,
Cheetos, and water bottles. We went to the mission office and when the bus
arrived, we put all that stuff in the bottom of the bus. The driver, Jose, was
very friendly and the bus was shiny new. Sister Moon checked off everyone on
her list and everyone had their Temple recommend. It was a long drive but the
missionaries had fun talking with each other. The missionaries had an
assignment to complete and then had free time to chat. We brought our earbuds
(very old-school ones) and listened to podcasts on the way. When we neared the
temple the missionaries all sang, "I Love to See the Temple”. It was beautiful
and I think the bus driver was impressed that young adults would do that. We
got there in plenty of time. President and Sister Rodrigues were there. The
first group went at 8:30, we were at 9:30, and another bus load came for the 11:00
session. Took photos after. Then we served everything from the coolers and
boxes as they got on the bus. After they finished their lunches. they had
another assignment to do on the way home but then they were able to visit with
each other. Such impressive young missionaries. They are changing the world.
Brother Moon was up at the front and spoke to the driver in order to get to know
him a little bit. After all had exited the bus, I saw that the missionaries had
all signed a new Book of Mormon and a couple of them and Brother Moon gave it
to the man and he seemed pleased. It was cold and a bit rainy but no rain when
were passing out sandwiches. It was a lovely day! Unfortunately, I didn't take my own photos or ask the missionaries to share theirs. We did some referral work and were happy that was all that was required today.
We cleaned up everything. Lewis made bread. We went to take
bread to Xochitl and Gina. Gina wasn’t home. We bought a package of crayons and
a coloring book because Xochitl babysits a four-year-old and she will need to
bring her in order to listen to the first session of General Conference
tomorrow. There is a brunch afterward. Time and food is the best way to get
people to have a chance to get to know each other and feel comfortable in our
little branch. We made a whole lot of pancakes and waffles for tomorrow.
Random photo of the area rug in our living room. I really like the pattern. I do not like that the white background reveals anything that shouldn't be on the floor.
Saturday, April 6, 2024
We left for Camarillo at 8:30. Turned out that the four year
old was sick and had to stay at home with her parents. Xochitl was late but we didn’t need to
babysit. She seemed to be glad she was there. She is receiving the lessons from
Elders Hogg and Jones. She wants to have the lessons more frequently. She
doesn’t want to wait long days for another one. She sat with several ladies for the
brunch and I trust she was comfortable with them. Azu was nearby so I’m sure
she was included and appreciated. 7 year old Abby was her usual self – very
confident. She does whatever she wants to do. She is learning to be more quiet
but she is never seated for very long. I wonder how she manages school. But she
is smart and learning a lot about the lessons and the Primary songs. Hermano
Law let her use his phone with the Primary songs and her favorite so far is the
one about Nephi – “I will go, I will do”. Good song for all of us. The food was
very plentiful and delicious. We all ate a lot. Beautiful strawberries,
blackberries, blueberries, and oranges. And tamales, Mexican potatoes, and
quiche. Pancakes and waffles and 4 big pizzas. They also had birthday cakes for
all with birthdays in April. They all sang to us. And I got a birthday greeting
from so many. They take birthdays seriously. I also got a beautiful tiny
daffodil plant from the Parras. I love it. We had four investigators who came to
a Saturday morning General Conference that they had never heard of before. Impressive.
There are lots of good people who know a good thing when they find it. I hope
they listen to the other sessions as well. Xochitl said she had the link and knew how to access the other sessions. We went home and enjoyed the two more sessions on Saturday.
We listened to both of the sessions on Sunday. We are so grateful to have prophets to guide us. We are so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ who has made it possible for us to have unimaginable blessings for us if we will trust in him, repent of our sins, be valiant in gathering Israel, and by keeping the commandments. I was touched by the talk Sister Porter gave to the children. It was simple and beautiful and I was glad for the guidance. So many amazing talks. I took notes. I have 14 pages of things worth remembering and most of all – living. I will review them. It was new that some of the apostles did the conducting. Elder Holland, President Eyring and President Nelson were filmed seated. President Nelson said earlier that they have lifelong callings. They do not get to retire. So they are grateful that it is possible to make it more convenient and less difficult to walk to the podium and stand for 20 minutes or so. I also listened to the first session again because I didn’t understand everything in Spanish. So much easier in English for me.
We talked with Rich and Khristine and caught up with them. We
got in on the guesses for the birthdate of Josh and Catalina’s first baby. Lewis
and I have been talking about whether we should buy another house as a rental
when we return home. Lewis doesn’t want to bury his “talents” when he could
increase them and I am always nervous about insufficient savings. We’ll figure
it out. Talked with David also. He and Jenny are in Texas for the solar eclipse.
Christie and Travis are in Arkansas for the same reason. We will have to have them all tell us
about it during the Family Reunion.
Preparation day (P
day) for the missionaries. I only sent notices of the brand-new referrals. I
told them to send a kiss to their mothers when they call their families today.
Lewis went to the office to turn in his receipts
for the food for the Temple trip. He learned that we will drive a Sister to the
Burbank Airport on Thursday. She has been a visa waiter and is finally going to
Peru. We are listening to a book about Russia in the very early 1800. There was
an LDS family in Russia who went with Elder Lyman when he dedicated Russia in
1903 to be open to the preaching of the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. There are references to Talmage’s book “The Articles of
Faith”. I haven’t read that book since I was a teenager. Should read it again. Joshua’s
birthday today. Lewis made bread.
Almost every morning we go walking, I do the We Believe and Duolingo apps. We read the BofM together and I read one chapter out loud in Spanish. I worked on the referrals. In the afternoon we went to visit with Jennifer. She is a member but they can’t find her membership. The ward in which she was baptized is gathering photos from her parents and when they have proof they will make a new membership number for her. We took her a loaf of bread and some missionary handouts. We gave her the booklet, Mi Familia and she will fill in the information she knows and we will take her to the Family Search Center and help her to create her tree. We talked briefly about the temple. The branch wants to have a group temple trip every month. If that doesn’t work for her, we offered to take her ourselves to do baptisms. We can’t do that until she is a member on the books and has a temple recommend. She is currently working in a restaurant/dance place. She wants to use Pathway to increase her ability to better her employment. She speaks English like a native and she is happy to see a way to progress both spiritually and economically. She did have a pretty wild time in her teens with alcohol, drugs, and tattoos. She has the scars very visible on her arms and legs but she won’t be the only one endowed with tattoos. Soon the restaurant will be open on Sundays and that will be a problem. Hopefully, she can find another job that pays as well quickly.
English Connect class. We had Xochitl and Martha and three
new males. They each came a little later than the first one. They split up the
more advanced and the newbies. I wish we could keep Elder Hoggs and Elder Jones
forever but that isn’t the way of things. Ideally, we would have someone called
from the Stake who is an excellent teacher so there is continuity and the
quality is always high. Lewis spoke with the Stake President months ago to ask
for someone to be called but it hasn’t happened yet. It was a good class.
Afterward, the missionaries had a lesson with Xochitl. The last guy who came
asked to stay. I never got his name. We had been asked to stay so they wouldn’t
be alone with a female for a lesson. It was a wonderful experience for us. They
were teaching about the need for an organized church to receive the ordinance
of baptism. They told the story of Joseph Smith in the woods and the importance
of the Book of Mormon. The Bible is and always will be very important but the
Book of Mormon is another testimony and it clarifies many things that are not
clear in the Bible. Xochitl has had several other lessons and she is not at all
fearful that what they are telling her is not true. I didn’t understand
everything she said. She had an amazing experience at the Relief Society
Birthday broadcast, and with a testimony President Parra shared. She did go to an
LDS ward in Mexicali when she went home. She said that she felt right at home in their ward.
People scooped her up and made her feel welcome. She was surprised that there
were many chapels in her city. She said that she has felt welcome and appreciated
by the Ponderosa Branch. The Spirit was so strong when she described why she
wanted to move forward and join the church. It turned out that the man who
stayed was a member and he bore his testimony several times during the lesson.
It was surprising and very welcome that this stranger had so many positive
things to share. The most important thing (to me, that I understood) she said
was that her family had no hard feelings for her to attend and perhaps join a
different church than they were all raised with. She expected to be criticized.
It made me think how important it is that we treat everyone kindly so that
people who are not of our religion can feel comfortable with another church as
well as their own traditions. I’m surprised that she asked that question of her
family members several weeks ago when the church was so new to her. I feel
privileged to have been there. I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. I’m afraid that I wouldn’t have had the courage to embrace a
new church if I heard about it halfway through my life. I admire all of the
pioneers who see the truth and embrace it and all that goes with it - a lot of
work and joy!
Did the usual morning things and
spent a lot of time on the Referrals. Our numbers do show that we are having a
positive influence. The missionaries are so great and have so many things to
do. I don’t want to make them feel bad when there is more stuff piled up to do.
They are making it happen. We went birthday shopping for me. I spent way too
much money on a bra but maybe I will be glad I did. Happy Birthday to me.
Lewis’ dentist's office today wants a medical history before his extraction on
Friday. He drove around and got it started but it is doubtful that it will all
come together in time.
We never got to take David and
Jenny out to dinner for David’s birthday. So it worked out today. They chose
Pollo Loco because we like it and it is less expensive. So thoughtful. I don’t
think it is one of their favorites but they don’t dislike it. Lewis said he
hadn’t spent enough money so we should get ice cream. Jenny said that one of
their favorites is the Gelato place very nearby. I have never had gelato that
I remember. It was delicious. We looked up the differences. It has less cream
and less air. Whatever it is I discovered that it is very tasty and made a perfect ending for our
dinner. They are still sad about Ben's death of course and they are continuing to deal with all
the details that have to be taken care of. Life is moving forward. Andrew is very, very sad and it makes life more difficult for him but he continues to finish his education. He will get a bachelor's degree at the end of the term. We enjoy spending time with them. This mission is a blessing
for many things but our favorite is – more time with our children who live here.
We took Sister Mason to the Burbank Airport. She has been a visa waiter but only for a month or so. She was called to Peru and she has enjoyed her time here and looking forward to being in Lima tomorrow morning. We enjoyed talking with her on the ride. We told her about our opportunity to be there for a couple of days and we told her about Rosie and how wonderful the people from Peru are. Lewis spent more time trying to get the information from the doctor to the dentist before his appointment tomorrow. He got what they wanted to the dentist but then he decided that Lewis needed to be off his one aspirin a day for 5 days before he could have the surgery. So, he will get it done next week. At least it isn’t hurting anymore. I got my referrals done while he was driving around.
We went to English Connect.
Xochitl was there nice and early. Martha came in a bit later as well as our
newest class member Obdulio Meneses. Elder Hogge worked with the experts and
Elder Jones worked with Obdulio and their new trio member, Elder Torrealba.
Martha wanted to ask us a question and we went across the hall so talking
wouldn’t disrupt the learners. She is angry because two English speaking women
go out of their way to give her hard looks. They make her feel unaccepted,
mistreated, and angry. We told her that she should ignore them. They are not
behaving well so she should let it go and not stoop to their level of behavior.
She would never avoid a challenge but this doesn’t seem to us to be
anything worthy of notice or hurt feelings. I hope she understood our effort to
help her, not dismiss her feelings. Daniel Sanchez came but there was
another lesson for Xochitl instead of our missionary meeting. We talked with Obdulio
for a while. I wish I had understood all of what he said. One of his children soon
after birth was unable to breathe. He knew his heart was beating but he wasn’t
breathing. He got to a hospital and he insisted that they treat his child. It
seemed that he said the boy got an artificial lung, I didn’t know that was possible. He is
now a teen. He also told a story that he wanted to learn to play a guitar and
he fasted 9 days and he was given the gift of music. He plays well now and has used
it as a way to earn some money. He said as a child he was interested in fixing
things. He started with bicycles and now is the one and only mechanic in a
business near the airport. He fixes, trucks, tractors, cars, and whatever they
need. He left his family in Moreno Valley because they pay him $36.00 an hour
here. He is sleeping in his car and hoping to find a place for his family to
come as well. He says he has to pay $1,000.00 each month for the past medical care
of his son. He is a brave man with a lot of faith. He is a new member of the
church and proudly showed us his Temple recommend. An interesting and amazing
man who smiles a lot.
Lewis was quiet and I slept until
8:00. I don’t usually do that! Spent a lot of time on the Referrals. We both
worked on our referrals and did the usual routine. Went to the store to get
some ingredients for our contribution for President Parr’s surprise birthday
party at their home. We picked up Martha and Xotchitl came. The house
filled up with all of the leaders and many of the members to celebrate
President Parra’s 59th birthday. Azu set it all up, and many brought
food. She had her sister-in-law and their family to assist. The son Ben
surprised his Dad by flying in two days ago. He kept his father out of the house until 7:00. We all were out of the line of sight and were very quiet. He did
look very surprised to have a lot of people and a lot of food in his house. He
was pleased and so charming as always. He greeted everyone who was there and it
was a very lovely evening. The backyard is completely cut off from all the
neighbors. They have plants everywhere to create a secret garden. There is an
old bike with a big basket. A huge swing with a comfortable seat for two is in the
rear. There are dozens of flowering plants and all of the succulents. There are
many trees. One with huge lemons. The side yard is a lovely passageway with
many arches of climbing vines creating an on and off ceiling to create some
shade for the many flowers on both sides. The theme seemed to be Paris. Hermano Rivera made a big backdrop of the Eifel Tower and there
were French Street names here and there. There were decorations everywhere and
little cards hanging from the ceiling. They must have had fun putting it all
together. There were several salads, slices of bread, fajita vegetables with chicken,
Jello salads, crackers and cheeses, pasta, a huge cake, and several other
desserts. We all enjoyed eating and talking. Adrienne Freeland was there. She looked familiar and I
couldn’t figure out who she was. I went over to her to ask. She was Maureen’s
great friend. She is 83 now and still working for her son who is an eye doctor.
She is close to the Parra’s because she is in their ward and helps them by
caring for their dogs when needed. I was happy to see Martha talking with
Carmen for a long time. Both of them could use a friend. Xochitl talked with
many people. Azu spent time with her. She likes Xochitl. I am so sad that she
is expecting a new job in Arizona before the end of this month. I wish we could
keep her here, but the Lord will do what is best for her. Fabi Rivera (Tali’s
aunt-in-law) who is a good cook, commented that she liked the Magnetic Salad I made. I’m glad. Most of it was eaten. President Parra told Lewis that we would be visiting every week again. The presidency members will
split up with the missionaries and make sure the new friends take their missionary lessons
seriously and develop a desire to be an active member and part of our branch. Azu had asked everyone to bring a copy of their favorite scripture and a note about why it is important to them. It was a lovely birthday gift from everyone.
Our scripture and note
contribution:
Happy Birthday President Parra 2024
We are so very grateful for your unending care for your not so
little flock in the Ponderosa Branch. We feel that you and your wife have been
so very important in meeting the needs of the members and inviting so many
investigators to gather with all of us as we make covenants with God and move
forward on the Covenant Path.
A favorite scripture of Lewis Pettingill
Isaiah
55:8-9
8
¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith
the Lord.
9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
This
scripture helps me remember that I don’t have all the answers to life’s
problems and I should not put my trust in the arm of flesh. My wisdom is
nothing in comparison to God’s.
A favorite scripture from Jeri Pettingill
2
Nephi 10:2
For behold, the promises which we have obtained are
promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto
me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because
of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our
children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the
true knowledge of their Redeemer.
We have eleven children and three of them are not current members of the Church. We are grateful to know that our Heavenly Father loves them even more than we do. We pray that they will come to value the teachings they learned as children and desire to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ and choose the covenant path.
Photos from the Surprise Birthday Party
Above Presidente Parra, Azu Parra, Martha Sanchez and Xochitl
Below Photos from our Devocional Multistaca
On Saturday the 13th we went to the Multi-Stake
Devotional in Spanish at 6:45 at the Camarillo Stake Center. I was surprised to
learn that the Elders of the Ponderosa Branch were in charge of the
refreshments afterward. I suspect that President Parra suggested it. It was
amazing. All Mexican décor for table tops. With fresh flowers as well. Lots of
many things to eat. (We were fasting so we didn’t go through the line or eat
anything.) The men had put up all of the tables and chairs and Hermano Rivera
painted a new backdrop for the occasion! Very impressive and inspiring meeting.
They did have headphones in English but I was seated in the middle down front
before I knew that. So, I missed a lot but I know that President Rodriguez and
Sister and Elder Slaughter’s talks were all about faith in Jesus Christ and how
to get it and grow it even in difficult circumstances. Martha was there and sat
next to Azu so that was good. I didn’t see Xochitl at first but she was there.
She hasn’t missed a thing since she started meeting with the missionaries.
President Rodriguez told us that we do not need to fear. We need confidence and faith in Jesus Christ.
Sister Slaughter quoted the 90th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It says every man shall hear the gospel in his own language. She suggested that everyone can have truth confirmed by the Holy Ghost. He speaks spirit to spirit. With God all things are possible. The Savior's job is to heal. Our job is to love. We can help others to draw closer to Jesus Christ through our actions and words.
Elder Slaughter of the 70s reminded us that we are participating in the most important work in the world right now. We need to grow our faith in Jesus Christ. The amount of faith we have is less important than what we do with it. Believe. Depend. Trust. Rely on our Savior. Depent like a small child depends on his parents. We must have faith. Move forward. The Lord can't steer a car that is not moving. Don't make excuses. Actions are more important than words. We must know the character and attributes of God. We must develop those attributes in ourselves. Become unshaken.
Reel from the Multi Devotional in Spanish:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1244485220271099?fs=e&mibextid=0VwfS7&fs=e&s=aEkTS0
Went to church. We had a branch council meeting before church. Things are going along well. President Parra said that our perspective is important. Two men were in a rickety cabin out in the wilds and they were surrounded by hungry wolves. But they were not worried. They were delighted because they were hunters who knew someone who would pay them $3,000 for each wolf killed. They were not fearful but delighted and felt confident that they would soon be rich. We need to prevent fear and discouragement.
We learned that the Branch YW will
join the Valley View Ward at their fundraiser celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Lewis
and I will bring bread and cookies to auction off. Everyone is invited to
contribute from a very long list of items and then buy all the stuff back. It
is a fun way to help the girls earn the money they need to go to Girl’s Camp
this summer.
It was Fast Sunday. We weren’t sure with all of the special things happening on Sunday this month. The members filled up the time beautifully. We didn’t have everyone we hoped for but 3 friends (I have learned that investigators are called friends now) were there with us. Relief Society was good as usual. When we got home, I sent messages about today’s brand-new referrals. We won’t be home in the morning tomorrow because we will be inspecting missionary apartments to help the Parrys.
We went to three apartments today.
We went to Elders who never read the email about the inspection. We told
them to get busy, and that we would return after our other visits. The sisters were
prepared. They only needed to sweep the porch. We took three big black plastic bags
with clothing inside to Goodwill so they wouldn’t have to do it. The next ones
requested a new shower curtain, a bucket, and a pitcher with a filter for drinking
water. Hopefully, they will get the things they are hoping for. We also took a
lot more clothing away. Clothing still in good shape went to the mission office.
They want to have a Sister closet somewhere I so they can have more
variety in their wardrobes. The others went to Goodwill. They all liked the cookies that Lewis made last
night for them. I was happy to eat 3 when we got home. Oatmeal with raisins and
nuts. Yummy. I got the most recent referral emails sent. We went for a drive to Ventura
beach areas and enjoyed this beautiful sunny day with blue sky and fluffy white
clouds. We could see a little bit of snow. It has been raining for several
days. But today is perfect. I worked on notes for my family stories. Sister’s
dinner is tomorrow.
Great day. Lunch with Emily and
dinner with my sisters and Emily. Lewis went to the English Connect class all
by himself. Our numbers with the referrals are not so great. But we are doing
our job of reminding the missionaries to not overlook them. The mission noticed
the wrong trend in the numbers. I sent a text I was thinking of sending to
our missionaries to Sister Rodriguez to see if she thought it was all true and
would be helpful to the missionaries. She said she has a meeting with Elder Wheeler
(who is in charge of the mission's social media program) and they would discuss
how we can best help.
Emily, Ella, and I went to Thousand
Oaks to a restaurant called Urban Plates. I liked it but it was fairly
expensive. I ordered a mushroom sandwich. They sliced a big
portobello mushroom very thinly and added some red onion and
greenery. The sandwich roll was very good too. I enjoyed it. I had taken several lists of memories of my childhood
that I want to write stories about. They looked them over. Mindy said she would
email them to each sibling. I’m hoping they will also sort through their own memories and
write about some of them. We need everyone’s perspective and thoughts. I put
some items on Family Search in Memories today. I need to do a lot more of that. We
all had fun reminiscing. Ella and Gracie played Uno after they finished
eating. It was a fun evening.
I did a whole lot of referral
texts today. Lewis did more than usual as well. We could spend all day texting
about each one that has not been contacted. They are supposed to contact each and every one daily for at least 10 days. If they haven’t been able to connect
with them and feel they did everything possible they can change it to “unable to
contact”. Some are fake numbers. Many give just the city and no street address.
It is frustrating and hard to resolve. If they can find them on Facebook they
can contact through social media. Sometimes there is an email. It takes them a
lot of time to drive to their homes and it is rare when they are home. But it
is wonderful to connect with someone who wants to hear their message and act on
it. We had an appointment to go to the Family History Center today with Martha
but her feet are hurting her so she canceled. She is diabetic even though she
is thin. She is experiencing a lot of pain recently.
We have a new appointment to go with the missionaries on Wednesday evenings. We went to with Elder Jones and Elder Torrealba but no one was home. It turned out that they had a very long conversation with another young man while just standing on their grass. He is a confident and intelligent man who has spent a lot of time in the Bible. I couldn’t hear well so I missed a lot. Lewis could hardly hear anything. He believes that all churches are inadequate. He believes that Jesus Christ is the church and we must teach ourselves by studying the Bible and doing as Jesus has instructed us. He was not open to any of the missionaries' questions or comments but he was polite and cheerful. The missionaries did a good job but he is not open to the opinions of anyone else at this time. We all parted as friends. It was interesting.
Thursday, April 18, 2024.
The referral numbers are worse so
we spent a lot of time sending texts to the missionaries alerting them to the
referrals that are not being contacted. There were three of my group that had
between 5 and 7 that haven’t been followed up well. No more feedback on the
referral emails. Sister Rodriguez did say the sample text was accurate but it
was very long. Which is very true. We will continue. We went to Costco and
bought blueberries, bouillon, maple syrup, and frozen riced cauliflower. I need
to eat the frozen cauliflower. And we bought some fancy tortilla chips that are
a perfect trigger for me. We went to English Connect and Xochitl was there to
say goodbye to Elder Jones and Elder Torrealba. She is headed to Arizona for a
job that will pay well right after class. I will miss her. I don’t know what is
best for her but I’m sure that the Lord does and will help her. Jose came as
well and there were only 2 class members.
Friday, April 19, 2024 My Birthday!!! I never thought about being 77
when I was young.
I had a royal birthday. I got texts all day long from family and the branch. I sent a game ecard to Fitz. We share the same date. Leiann had left a gift for me on their last visit. I got the present from Lewis that I wanted. Lots of love sent to me. We went out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant. I spent lots of time with the referrals but the rest of the day was for fun. Birthdays are nice. Good thing they are only once a year.
I spent extra time with the
referrals and sent out info about more than 40 individuals who have made a
request. Mindy made a new Morris Directory and I sent it out to our children
who can share with their children if they wish. It is a hefty document these
days. 7 pages. Thank you Mindy for doing this for decades now. Lewis was bored
so we went to Baskin Robin. $10 for two small cups of ice cream. I’m sure we
got sufficient calories for our money. It was delicious. Nice day for a walk.
One of our neighbors moved out today. Lots going on in our communal driveway.
Glad I am not moving any time soon. It is too much work. We have a Branch
Conference tomorrow. And I get another birthday dinner thanks to Emily!
Sunday, April 21, 2024
It was our very first Branch Conference. Azu made name badges for everyone to wear. Each had a flower with a yellow center and a yellow ribbon and she gave one to everyone that came. There were two who came in and sat in the back. Roseanna and Edward spoke both English and Spanish. She has lived in Camarillo for several years. But they left after the first hour and I didn’t get to find out any more. The room did fill up but many were not early. Xochitl is in Arizona but Martha and Gina were there. The Ruiz family is coming regularly now. Carmen Fernandez is always there. Jennifer was not. There were two older women I had seen months ago. Brother Nelson is our high counselor guy and he read all of the ordained leaders from the General Authorities to the Area leaders and the Ward leaders. We all had the opportunity to sustain our called leaders. Aaron Fernandez spoke briefly as the first speaker. He is preparing for his mission this summer. President Parra told a story about a boat they took at the Titicaca Lake on the border of Peru and Bolivia. There were several small holes in the bottom of the boat. He was somewhat concerned but the owner of the boat told him not to worry. They would arrive safely. He told us to beware of small errors in our life. It would take a while to make a serious problem but we are wise to change and fill the holes early and not wait for major difficulties. Repentance is good for us and choosing now instead of later is always a wise choice. President Thuneil was very complementary about the growth and strength of the branch. He expressed appreciation for all who are supporting and contributing to our branch. And he spoke of the importance of the temple. It was a happy and positive day. The Stake Relief Society with Belia Soto as one of the counselors gave us a lovely hour of good things. Each of the Stake Relief Society presidency introduced themselves and left a little message. Belia translated for the English speakers. We discussed a talk by President Nelson from 2021 about making the temple our foundation. It was very well done and we were glad to have been together with all these lovely ladies.
After church, we went to visit with
Martha. We saw her son leaving for work. He is big and strong. She is small. We
enjoyed listening to her. She always has a lot to say. She is struggling now
because she has a new brand of insulin that is causing her pain. She will go
back to the doctor but is seems there is an insurance problem in going back to
the one that works for her. I hope she will be able to get it sorted out. She
is not reluctant to complain and can explain her symptoms so I should work out.
Then we went to Emily’s house. She
offered to make a birthday dinner for me and I felt so special. She had
decorations, flowers, and a wonderful dinner. She made a roasted tomato soup and
grilled cheese sandwiches. We had a big salad and a wonderful brownie cake with
candles and ice cream after a while. The soup was so good we all ate lots of
it. We played Five Crowns and then Rummykubes and had fun together. I think
David and Jenny enjoyed it also. I have been treated like royalty for this 77th
birthday. Pretty special. Thank you, Emily and Edgar, and everyone else as
well.
Monday, April 22, 2024
Dreary day today. They are doing
the final clean-up of the empty home across our driveway. All Spanish speakers,
they had a lot to say to each other below our windows. They seemed to be good
friends. We went for a walk. The groundskeepers were making a lot of noise with
the lawnmowers and grass blowers so we went the other way and took a walk much
longer than usual. When we were almost back we are on a slanted sidewalk
covered with mud. Unfortunately, Lewis hit a particularly slippery spot and
went down. He caught himself with his hands so he won’t get a black eye like I
did. He got quite muddy and his knee is tender. I hope that is all. The clothes
are easy to clean in the washer and dryer. I hope his knee feels better very
soon. He is a good sport.
I did all of the brand-new
referrals and then sent positive emails to those who contacted their people
yesterday. The numbers are not improving much. It takes so much time to
cross-reference everything. Oh well. Hopefully, we are doing some good.
This framed picture of our Savior Jesus Christ hangs above the dining table.
Thank you to whoever put it together and left it for us to enjoy every day.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Did all of the new contacts. Went
for a walk. Went to the mission office to get the bars that connect to the top
of the car so we can take additional things to our Family Reunion. Lewis’
birthday present. We still need a container to hold the stuff we want to put
inside it. We got to go to lunch with Emily. We went to Pollo Loco and we all
enjoyed it. We went to try to visit the Alarcon family but we saw their car
leaving as we entered the street. We taught the English Connect class because
Elder Hogg and Porter had lessons to teach. Martha was there and brought a
friend named Anna. They both understand a lot and speak fairly well. They need
more practice to be comfortable in English. Jose was there as well and he is
coming along very well. He is using his English more in his work at Toppers and
is getting much better. He said he would be gone for a while.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Started out with the referrals.
Then got a message that there was a meeting for Social Media missionaries. I’m
glad I listened. I learned more about how it works and how effectively it
works, some of the time. It is working in some manner all over the world. The
Balkan mission has five languages so they are challenged but making progress.
One mission made bumper stickers (nice silicon ones for the missionaries’ cars)
They have a baptism that came directly from someone walking by and using the QR
code to learn more about Jesus. No limits to the possibilities. Our mission was
#6 last week and #7 this week. That means we went down but still in the top 10!
I didn’t know it was a contest. But my Dad always thought that made for better
efforts. Maybe it will work with Lewis and I.
We went to the Family Search
library at church with Martha. We spent a lot of time but have three
generations in the works. Lewis was helping her to find records to verify the
dates. It is making progress and she is very happy with the work. Hopefully,
she can learn enough to pick it up in the future and continue to fill in all
the blanks. We went with Elder Hoggs and Elder Moon who is on splits today to
visit Lourdes. She had made lunch for the missionaries and they loved it. We
had just gone to Presto Pasta and declined lunch again. She made fresh
tortillas with rice and beans. She did more talking than the Elders but she was
interested in knowing more about baptisms for the dead. She wants her ancestors
to have the opportunity she had to choose to be baptized. We gave her a Mi
Familia brochure and hopefully, she will begin to assemble the data of her own
family. She is a lovely grandmother who has all of her family members over for
dinner very often. She loves her family. Her daughter, Yolando and granddaughter,
Priscilla Amor have plans to be baptized soon but not everyone in their family is interested.
They didn’t need us tonight for
another lesson so we went home. Lewis rescued the bread that he made this
morning and the loaves come out just fine. And I finished our laundry.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
I spent much of the day with the
referrals. There are 3 groups and I try to do all of two groups each day. One
is the most recent that I always do and then rotate the others. Anna came to
our English class again today. She is very nice and is enjoying learning some
grammar and having the chance to ask questions. Spanish is more regulated. For
instance, each letter of the alphabet always has the same sound. English is confusing and not consistent in
many ways. It helps Spanish speakers to know that it is a challenge to learn to
speak English but they can get more comfortable as they listen and become
familiar with the way we put the words together. Elder Hogge is back with Elder
Porter (they are both Assistants to the President) and also excellent teachers.
This will be a good transfer with these two missionaries. They have several
baptisms scheduled. Danny Sanchez came at the end of class for our Missionary
Meeting. They went over all the plans. Hermano Law joined us over Zoom. Our
first baptism was very special but I have some concerns first pointed out by
Danny that a big meal shouldn’t overshadow the baptism. Food is big in their
culture, even more than ours. But perhaps something simple to eat and some time
to talk would be sufficient to help people learn to know and care for each
other better. We’ll see what the presidency decides. It is a big deal to orchestrate
a full meal for a fairly big group. I learned that the couple I met on Sunday
are Eddy and Roseann. They are very interested in learning about the church.
They left early because he had to go to work, not because they had had enough.
Friday, April 26, 2024
We are in the office today. The
Perrys went home to bury their oldest daughter who is 50. Very sad but Sister
Russell told me that they recognize many tender mercies. She came here and
visited for weeks. The whole family has been together recently and several
family members were with them when they got the call that she passed away. She
had a clot that lodged in her heart and it took her very quickly. The Nixons
are gone also but I don’t know they are doing. I hope it is happy. The foyer
had people in it today when we arrived. There was a funeral. Veronica Beach was
here. She was supporting a friend. People said it went well. It took me a long
time to do all of the referrals. Sister Russell printed out an old explanation
of the referral procedures. It is not up to date but the information was
helpful to read. Sister Russell said she was going to recommend that we talk
with President Rodriguez so he knows our side of the story. We could use some
more training. And, it is clear, that some of the missionaries do not
appreciate the importance of taking action quickly and staying with it until
they get what the individual requested or end it if they decide they don’t want
more information and visits. Sister Russell said that we received many more new
missionaries recently and there are fewer seasoned ones. We need to teach those
who do not know how this all works.
I loved the chance to talk with
the Russells while we ate our lunches. They are remarkable individuals and I
enjoy talking with them. They are so smart and kind and wise. At the end of our
day a set of sisters came in. They had a lesson with a male and asked us to
stay with them. We were happy to do it and it turned out that the young man who
came was one of the referrals I had been texting about for several days. So fun
to see that just a name, Rico is a real person who had some interest in their
message. He agreed to set up another lesson. Good work missionaries!
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Did two columns of Referrals. Went
walking. A house near us is for sale. It has 3 bedrooms and a loft and is much
larger than our apartment. They are asking $775,000. It does have a side patio
and opens to the back so it is quieter than ours. Nice place to live but too
expensive. It also has $250/month payment for the HOA. The HOA will replace the
roof and take care of whatever is outside. I am glad we are making the payments
ourselves. The church only charges us $1400 each month and they pay the rest.
In our former missions, we found and paid for our housing but it was much less
money than housing in California.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
We had a branch correlation
meeting before church. Things are moving along well. We have four baptisms
coming up. The Young Women are joining with the Valley Vista Ward for a Cinco
de Mayo fundraiser for money needed for Girls’ Camp this summer. There is an
addiction class starting up in the Stake. We need someone to teach it in
Spanish as well. Sacrament Meeting was pretty full. There was a new family and
Eddy came again. His girlfriend Rosann did not come. She is having surgery
tomorrow. I let President Parra know that and he and Brother Law were going to
try to visit them after all the meetings and give her a blessing. A couple from
another ward gave talks. The husband did a good job with his mission Spanish.
Sister Rivera translated for the wife. She spoke about how we often feel
stressed by doing service on top of our usual activities but it turns out to be
a blessing as the Lord rewards us for our efforts to help others.
The new family was invited by
Lolanda. She cleans their house and she told the mother about her lessons with
the missionaries and invited them to come with her to church. The mother said
she was more comfortable with English so I stayed with her as the Valley Vista
Ward Relief Society would be coming to the room we hold our Sacrament Meeting
in because our branch is small enough to fit in that room. When we outgrow the
RS room we will move into the chapel for our Sacrament Meetings. I think she
really liked the class. Sister Jennifer Pettit (who is 48 years old (she
mentioned this in her lesson and I think she still looks like a teenager) and
has a new last name but I don’t know what it is) is an amazing teacher. I have
listened to her before when we came to the Beach House. She was talking about
how can we have a relationship with God. She asked everyone to think about what
makes them feel closer to God. Answers were hymns and the Primary songs,
scriptures, prayer, artwork like paintings of the Savior, talks from our
General Authorities, etc. She asked for
specific scriptures that are important to us. She got 4 different scriptures in
just a couple of minutes. Made me think I need to be better at choosing
favorites and being able to find them quickly. I was impressed by the lesson
and the responses of the sisters. I love being these women. I think she felt
good about it as well. I was worried that her boys would be out of Primary and
not know where their mother was so she didn’t get to socialize a lot. She did
say that she would like to find a church for her family to attend.
We had a missionary meeting
afterward with President Parra and Brother Law. Danny Sanchez is with his
family and not in church so they didn’t get all of the details but they are
planning to make the upcoming baptisms very special and inviting to everyone
who will come. President Parra already has 15 framed pictures of the Savior.
They will give each one an orchid as well. And they will have a colored version
of the program for them to keep. We talked about having more simple
refreshments than we did for the first one. Perhaps things like sandwiches and
cookies. Perhaps that will be the new norm. President Parra said that the
Presidency can be in charge of the food. He said that before he went to his
current job he worked for Disneyland and did very upscale planning. They
planned for thousands of people and the cost was in the millions for big
events. He said planning to feed people is very simple for him.
In the afternoon, Leticia McClure
called my phone. She and her mother lived with Lewis and their family when he
was in Dental School. Pat was working for a doctor in his office. Elvia lived
with them and cooked and cleaned and took care of Jennifer and Danny for a
place to live. She was from El Salvador and and she reminded Lewis that he was very active
in helping her to go to school and then get the education that enabled her to
become a nurse. She was able to be employed as a nurse and she met her husband
in the Young Single Adult Ward. He was a lawyer who worked with emigration and
helped people to become citizens. They have had a very happy life. They adopted
a baby from El Salvador and later had a little girl. She is married now and
they have two little granddaughters. Kevin came with her. He is a nurse and
also works as a security guy. It was so fun to hear her memories and know that
she has had a good life and is grateful for the support that Lewis was in the
life of her mother and herself and her family. I love to hear good things about
my good husband. He has helped lots of people and loves to solve problems and
do good.
Monday, April 29, 2024
We went to the office. Spent most
of the day on the referrals. President and Sister Rodrigues were in during the
afternoon and they both talked with us briefly about our efforts. They answered
a couple of questions we had and expressed appreciation for our efforts. It is
making a difference in the number of baptisms. 17% of our baptisms come from
social media referrals. It is fun to spend a day with the Russels, the
Parrys and the Rodriguezs. I went to dinner with the hermanas of the Ponderosa
Branch. It was open to all and many were able to come. We went to Ruby’s
Mexican Restaurant where Jenny works. We had a couple of big tables pushed
together reserved for us. Azu, Carmen, Genovia, Lolu, Martha, Cristina, Fabi,
Mariana (? Sister Maddox’s friend and Azu’s too) Laurie, Miriam, Jenny and me.
So much laughter and I never understood the jokes. But I had a great time and
am glad I was able to be a part of the happy time we shared.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Went to the office again. Lots of
referrals to follow up on. I filled a whole sheet of paper with the names I
referenced on my texts. Sister Rodriguez was talking with Sister Russell about
the visit of Edler Braggs who is coming in a week or two. He is the president
of our Area. I’m glad I am not in charge of making it all come together. They
will be here for several days and meet with all of the Stake Presidents as well
as all of the missionaries. I hope we get involved a bit.
Leiann and Cary drove up from
Newport Beach this morning and had lunch with Emily in Ventura. We were able to
leave early and we have English Class tonight. We will be responsible for it
for the rest of this transfer because Elders Hogg and Porter have so many other
responsibilities. They may miss many of the classes this next month. I am
excited about Women’s Conference. It seemed so far away but it begins tomorrow
night. Sent a text to Sue. I haven’t kept up communication with so many people.
Our days fly by very quickly. Martha gave me a spiral journal when we visited her last. So kind. It is perfect for taking notes at Women's Conference.
