Eight Months Out

Remember the tree? It arrived for our June 1  Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary along with our 11 children and their spouses.  It now sits on the counter by our large kitchen window reminding us of the joy our wonderful family brings even though at present they are not present.




In the housing industry they say it is "all about location."  Serving in the California San Diego really is all about location.  Because we are HERE, we've had lots of family visits in addition to the super duper one in June.  Many have come to see where we live, where we serve, where we attend church; but mostly to do the tourist things for which San Diego is famous.  Pictured below is just one family of all those who came and some of what we did.

 They come ostensibly to visit Grandma and Grandpa but most everyone has toured the Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum pictured above behind Nathan, Amy, Miah, Samuel and Mateo, visiting from Bowling Green, Ohio; the Wild Animal Park, with a white rhino pictured below; the San Diego Zoo, and the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center and of course a full Mexican dinner in Old Town.
                         If I were a better photographer there would be more pictures.

 On the first Monday of each month all the senior couples in the mission get together for a FHE.  October 5 found us enjoying a "Halloween" party complete with costumes and games.  Below are Gordon and Anna Barlow.  Gordon is a cousin of Bruce's from Cache Valley, formerly the owner of a dairy farm that milked 200 cows!  They serve as missionaries to one of the Young Single Adult Wards in the area, work in the mission office two days a week, welcome visitors to the San Diego Temple grounds one morning a week and help with employment in the Sweetwater Stake.  They are a busy and wonderful couple to have three feet from our front door.

We also do "true" missionary work.  To make sure all our "saints" who don't come to our Sunday meetings knew about General Conference we mailed out the announcement pictured at the right about a week before conference.  At first glance I thought Bruce's "Announcement" was a little "flip". However, we decided some humor might create a more positive response. We hope the recipients, while enjoying their Sunday at home, took advantage of the opportunity to hear our prophet and apostles.  If nothing else, the returned envelopes helped us identify those who have moved, sadly many with no forwarding address.


 With list in hand and a better knowledge of the area after 8 months in the mission, we regularly go out searching for "lost sheep" and sometimes find them.  We even get greeted warmly once in a while.  It is a highlight that brightens our outlook and gives us renewed desire to continue.  The full time missionaries serving in our ward regularly invite us to join them in teaching.  We enjoy being with them and helping to augment their lessons, doing our best to let them lead the discussions.  Our current missionaries are Elder Corum who goes home in December and Elder Climer who has been in the mission field 10 days!

Another opportunity we enjoy is participating in the monthly Mission Firesides.   Each month Ginny is responsible to audition and choose special musical numbers prepared by missionaries and then direct a missionary choir at the fireside.  It is a job both daunting and enjoyable.  The real reward comes during the fireside as new converts share their joy in discovering the depth of understanding and joy the gospel brings, the president and his wife share their testimonies and the missionaries teach through their music.  Ginny is pictured here with Jamie Breckenridge who was our organist for the evening at the Santee Stake Center.  Jamie is related to David Carr, Michele's husband.

Last, but definitely not least, Bruce is now teaching all the missionaries involved in Transfer Meeting which occurs every 6 weeks.  He chooses the topic, researches, outlines (on his trusty computer) and prepares diligently to share what he has learned over so many years of study.  John Bytheway he is not, but slowly the missionaries are coming to recognize the wealth of knowledge he's gained and regularly thank him for adding to their understanding and testimony of gospel truths.  

A senior mission is a unique and rewarding experience because for the first time in your life you are working full time in the Lord's service TOGETHER!  We are really enjoying the opportunity.