Two Week's Work

Two weeks - a ward PEC Meeting and a Ward Council Meeting.  Names to be called, visited, and reported on.  A list from Bishop Martin, a list from his wife, the Relief Society president, a list from the Young Women president.  Then off to do the work.

San Diego 4th Ward is geographically large, at least to us who come from Harper Park Ward.  It's boundaries along with San Diego 1st Ward make up most of the inner city.  Our borders go from Interstate 8 on the north where the very new and nicely appointed Stake Center is located, clear down to the coast just below Coronado Bridge.  The I 805 and I 15 run north to south through it along with Highway 94, a east/west freeway.  I would guess the north/south length is about 10 - 12 miles and the east/west is about 5 miles.  We live about 3 miles east of the ward boundary but it is a quick trip west on El Cajon Boulevard or on I 8 to arrive within our ward area.  

The missionary companionship assigned to our ward, Elder Smith and Elder Sheppard live in an apartment complex right on I 805 in the heart of our ward.  Going through the city to get to their apartment is an education in cultural diversity.  There are neighborhoods of people from what seems every area of the world overlapping into each other.  Driving west on University Avenue yesterday we saw a group of people leaving "church" dressed in what appeared to be traditional Somali clothing.  There are two very ornate Buddhist temples in the area, colorful murals on the walls of schools, obviously with a Mexican flavor.   The San Diego mission has missionaries who teach in Thai, Arabic, Mandarin, Tagalog and of course Spanish (there are about 10 elders assigned to the Spanish ward that meets in our building and the Spanish branch which is close to Coronado in Barrio Logan) and probably other languages.  The shelf in the office of Books of Mormon in other languages must have at least 20 languages represented and they get calls for all of them.

Not only is there a diversity of cultures, there is a conglomeration of neighborhoods that continues to surprise us each day as we search out members.  Vast neighborhoods of small, probably 3 bedroom, 1 bath homes build in the 1950's cover the hills and spill down the hillsides.  Many are now rundown rentals in areas that once housed the postwar boom families who have long since moved out.  Many areas have apartments interspersed with these little homes on narrow lots and more than once we have found members or investigators living in little extra buildings on the back of the lot, down the driveway.  Streets run for miles but if a canyon intersects, then the street stops and then just continues on the other side of the canyon.  Thank goodness for Google Maps.  

The majority of the people we are looking for live in gated apartment buildings, thus we can't get in; have phones that are disconnected, or in some cases they just haven't answered our calls - yet.  But...lest you or we get discouraged we have had some success.  

We were sent to find a single sister with three boys who has had a very difficult life and is struggling to turn her life around.  The elders helped us find her on Sunday, February 15.  She is without transportation so we offered help.  With follow-up from the elders and us, we picked her up Sunday morning, she happily came and expressed several times how glad she was to have been there.  From a phone call and a follow up visit we found a mother of 4 children whose husband had left her 2 weeks before for a cute little 18 year old.  She is devastated.  Although she was married in the temple 15 years ago she has not been living the gospel but feels the need to come back and make it part of her and her children's lives.  She came to church on Sunday also.  Two women who chose the world for many years and are now trying to choose the Lord's way.  It will be a very difficult road but they have made the first critical step.  

It was interesting to sit in our Sunday meetings looking at everything from the perspective of wanting so much for these women to be able to change their lives through gospel living.  The sacrament hymn and the sacrament itself had greater meaning to me.   Our prayers have become more focused on the needs of those who need the gospel.  

We have also visited Yousry, an Egyptian married to a member, who is interested in learning about the gospel.  Today we began a lesson on the First Vision which morphed into trying to answer his concerns about who or what God really is.  We shall address that in greater depth next week.  He is seeking truth, but with a Muslim background.  His thoughtful questions will keep us thinking.  Happily he wants to meet every week and Bruce is happy to oblige with the teaching while I try to keep him from overwhelming Yousry with doctrine.  Our two meetings have been quite worthwhile.

Our Elders, whose picture I couldn't post, are wonderful.  They work effectively and well together and are very pleasant to be around.  Transfer calls come tomorrow.  We worry that we may lose one of them.  Such is the life in the mission.  At least our companionship will remain in tact not just for two weeks or two years but hopefully through eternity.

Life in Reverse Order

 This is the chapel of San Diego 4th Ward.  Designed by the architect who 30 years later designed the San Diego Temple, it is unique with wonderful acoustics - you can hear someone speaking at the pulpit in a normal voice in the back of the chapel with no amplification.  The organ has a beautiful, mellow sound.  Unfortunately, the pews are not full on Sunday with only about 120 out of 700 members attending. That is why we are here.

 A visit to Point Loma National Park.  The lighthouse with the home of the keeper at the bottom.  The wind was blowing strongly, as it probably always does up there on the headland which helps form San Diego Bay.  Below is a view back to the city.  We will improve in our camera skills.  Just know that beyond the green is the bay and beyond that a large Naval air station and beyond that the skyline of San Diego.  This was our Friday excursion followed by dinner in Old Town.

After attending the funeral for an elderly man in the 4th Ward, we visited Balboa Park on Thursday afternoon.  What a beautiful place.  It is famous for the zoo, but the buildings, originally built for a World Exposition in 1917 have been preserved and put to use as museums.  We hope during our time here to visit many of them.  Above is the carillon tower which chimes every quarter hour.  To the right is the botanical garden, the largest building of its kind made out of wooden lathes.  People who visited in 1917

were amazed at the tropical plants displayed.  The museum area is connected by beautiful walkways, ponds, plantings and many places to sit and enjoy the scenery.

Least you think we just play, we now have lists of people to find, visit and discover how to best help them return.  We spent President's Day going from address to address, and actually found one woman with whom we had a pleasant visit.  We have already received a dinner and a lunch invitation from individuals who don't even know us.  Tonight we go to dinner and then on a visit with the Elders assigned to our ward to a less active man who they feel would benefit from friendship with us.  The work is truly beginning.   We don't pursue our missionary labors in "Greek" t-shirts but want Bob Bolen to know we appreciate his efforts to share the truth in Huntington Beach.  The lush greenery is just outside our apartment pool!

We've Only Just Begun

February 16  A Happy Family Home Evening to you.

This blog comes minus photos.  My computer expertise has been put to the test and found wanting.  There are pictures, but they don't seem to be available.  The phone doesn't want to give them up.
Suffice to say the past week was one of getting settled, getting acquainted and getting around the city.

San Diego is a set on a series of mesas intersected by canyons which makes for very interesting terrain and lots of picturesque views.  We happen to live in La Mesa, just to the east of the city line.  The RV Park in which our apartment is located was built in the bottom of a canyon where the creek runs which I believe comes from Lake Murray which you saw in a picture last week.  I will have to post some pictures of our "park".  It is quite nice, very well used and well maintained.  There is a good sized pool by our apartment building which has 5 apartments, a game room, meeting room and the office.  Three of those apartments are and have been occupied by senior missionary couples for quite a long time.  Other than the noise from the freeway, it is a very comfortable place to live, close to stores, easy access to the city and especially to our ward.

Yes, we have been assigned a "job".  After meeting with President Schmitt on Tuesday February 10 and in consultation with the president of the San Diego Stake, we are now serving in the San Diego 4th Ward.  In the past week we have met the bishop on Tuesday evening and talked to his counselors that same night; attended ward PEC meeting Wednesday evening to get a feel for the ward and its needs; attended the funeral of a longtime member of the ward on Thursday; helped clean the ward building Saturday morning; attended ward choir rehearsal before Sacrament meeting and then sang with the choir in Sacrament meeting; acquired a list of members of the ward the bishop wants us to visit; went with the full time Elders in the ward to visit a single sister who has 3 boys and needs to be encouraged to return to church; attended the monthly Mission Fireside at the Chula Vista Stake Center Sunday evening where a missionary choir sang, several young missionaries sang or played violin and cello, 3 new members bore their testimonies and President and Sister Schmitt shared very good, short talks on the fact that our Father is seeking to save our spiritual lives and He knows us and gives us much help to return to him.   That was a perfect way to end or begin our week - however you want to look at it.

A senior mission has a different feel; we make our plans and work according to our schedule.  Most mornings Bruce swims in the pool just outside our apartment.  I walk all around the RV park. And we can get as much sleep as we need.  With no people to visit last week we took the time to visit the famous Balboa Park which has a right to be famous.  Numerous buildings designed in the Spanish Classic Style for an Exposition in 1917 have been turned into museums with wonderful walkways, plazas and ponds between them.  We spent an afternoon exploring.  Another afternoon we went to Point Loma which is the peninsula that creates San Diego Bay.  There is a National Park there commemorating Cabrillo who was the first European to see the bay and also the lighthouse that marked the point for many years.  The views from the point are what people would say are breathtaking - looking west over the vast ocean and east back towards Coronado Island and the city.  That particular day the bay to the east was dotted with sail boats and as we looked west we spotted a whale or whales spouting and diving about a mile of the coast.  We stopped in Old Town, the original area settled by Europeans with help from Mormon Battalion men, for a very tasty dinner at a highly recommended Mexican restaurant.  One nice perk for senior couples is we don't have a district to stay within.  As President Schmitt said, "You can go anywhere, just don't leave the mission without texting me."  So we explore when we can.

We now have a list of people to visit.  We spent Washington's Birthday morning making calls and the afternoon looking for addresses, finding one home, others no longer there and even getting invitations to dinner tomorrow evening and lunch on Friday from total strangers (at least to us).  Not bad for a day's work.

This is really what we expected from our call; an assignment to try and find lost sheep and hopefully build in them a desire to return.  There are many in this area - our ward being in the most densely populated part of San Diego.  There is work to be done and as some song says, "We've only just begun".

Leaving Home - Arriving "Home"

We left all this...

Christmas shirts this year

A Heart Attacked home from several home teaching families - they surprised us while we celebrated Julia's 2nd (Mal's and Melissa's daughter) birthday,

For the privilege of spending a week at the MTC with about 60 these good couples, including the members of our district; Elder and Sister Morgan who are going to Denmark to do Archival Retrieval and Elder and Sister Kearns who returned home to Layton to work with less active members as full time missionaries for two years.  We are standing with one of our three outstanding teachers.  Well trained, kind and willing to push us beyond our comfort zones in discovering how to approach people, discern their needs, and then role play doing exactly that....

  To come to this....Not a bad view from our large bedroom window.  The pool is actually big and warm enough for Bruce to swim laps each morning.  Right next door is a little stream that widens to a pond lined with bullrushes and full of ducks.  We even have wonderful neighbors downstairs - Elder and Sister Barlow from Lewiston, Utah, a cousin to Bruce's mother Wilma (He is the son of Granville, her mother Matilda's youngest brother) and Elder and Sister Lawson from Kaysville.  They kindly had us to dinner with Elder and Sister Monk on Friday evening. The Monks were in the MTC with us and are teaching at the institute connected with Grossmont Community College just a few miles east of here.  There is another couple living close by, the Storrs.  They are living in their motor home in our park here.  Yes, I didn't include a picture of it, but this little apartment complex is in the middle of a very nice RV park of about 200 spaces,  here in LaMesa.  Our accommodations are quite nice.  A very sunny apartment with plenty of space for computer, printer etc. (which by the way we are figuring out how to use all on our own!).  There is only one drawback to this very conveniently located apartment with nice amenities.  It is right next to Interstate 8 - I mean right next to it.  The frontage road runs right along the wall of the freeway.  So...the noise level is a little higher than we are used to.  But it gives one lots of privacy.  You can talk, turn up the stereo and no one will notice!

      As for missionary work, we haven't begun.  We met President Schmitt's wife at church today and she indicated that he has been buried in meetings but said she would tell him she had met us.  I suspect we will hear from him tomorrow when all the meetings have ended.  In the meantime we've been able to settle in, do some shopping, visit downtown San Diego yesterday and get caught in traffic surrounding Petco park which was hosting motocross racing.  We also visited Lake Murray Park this afternoon, just 1 mile from where we live, sitting in the middle of suburbia but far enough from the freeway to be quiet and a little shang-ri-la.

So here we are.  Stay tuned.  By next week we should be fully engaged in the work. We'll let you know what it is really like.  And since I said that I won't be afraid to admit that I've been a little lonely, missing family and familiarity.  But meeting with saints today in the La Mesa 1st Ward was an antidote - another reminder that when you lose yourself in the service of others you are blessed.  We know it is true and now we get to prove it all over again.