Mission life

Kathy going into work, notice my "EIRMC Labor and Delivery" skirt and computer bag.  I was told on my mission call that I would need a lap top computer.  I wear a dress or skirt everyday so I love having a variety.  I even have the required pink shirt. (L&D had to  have white, pink or black shirts).  Sister Reynolds said that the skirt "reeks of love" when I told her the story behind it.  My friends at EIRMC L& D took scrubs and made the skirt for me.  Thanks Marie for making the scrub skirt and L&D for being so great!  I am wearing my bracelet that my friends gave me,also, and I think of them every time I wear it.

I asked Elder McOmber to get some pictures and he went crazy taking them.  This is me at my desk.  I have to chart my nurse's notes in the computer.  I also make power point presentations, I do research about medical stuff and received emails.  Much of my responsibility is on the phone.  I take calls: medical questions, etc from elders and sisters, then send them information that they ask for.  I talk to Dr offices, my AMA-Dr Peterson, and parents.  I have a medical supply cupboard in this room with things for elders and sisters if they get hurt or need something.  I am also working on a slide show of elders and sisters for Christmas. 
It is always cold at the office, so I am usually in a sweater or jacket.  I know I should not whine, temperature has been: low in 50's and high in 60's.  I guess I have acclimatized.  It is really cold in Idaho.
 

One of our elders was in the hospital most of this week.  He was very sick.  This is the day he was discharged.  I was impressed with the hospital he was in.  It was clean, quiet, and he received excellent care.  I worry over these young men and women as if they were my own kids, in a way they are!

Our elders ans sisters love to come to the office and study the map of our mission.  They like to point out all the areas they have served in.  They are great.  This is looking out the door of my office.  I am sitting at my desk.



We were helping move elders this week and these two make me laugh.
They love life and their missions.  The other elder was thinking.  He loves his mission also. 

Elder McOmber loves to shop.  He does a good job of comparison shopping.  Here he is shopping for bedding for new missionaries coming in.  He also buys items for the apartments.  He has all the good deals scoped out.  He likes shopping better than I do. 

Elder McOmber fixing a vacuum for some elders.
There is never a dull moment on our mission.
We stay very busy and like it that way.  Elder McOmber
would be restless if he wasn't puttering all the time.

 

The Elders all like Elder McOmber. 

 

 

Thank goodness for technology.  I was
happy to get a picture of two of my granddaughters
and a friend.  It was Kamy's birthday party.  I miss my
family! Kamy in front, Maci in middle and friend, Bianca{?}
 

 

And a grandson as he is dressed up for a basketball game.

Elder McOmber and myself at the Newport Beach Temple.  We go about once a transfer.  Time does not go in months on a mission, it goes in transfers (6week periods).  When you ask an elder how long he has been out he will say  "___ transfers".

"Wherever our members and missionaries may go, our message is one of faith and hope in the Savior Jesus Christ."

”Boyd K. Packer, "The Atonement", Liahona and Ensign, November 2012

The family is ordained of God

 

Happiness in Family Life

is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

~ The Family: A Proclamation to the World ~

Sara. Glen, Maci, Quin on Bailey, Gammy, Chad, Papa, Caleb, Annalea
Avri, Liz, Jody, Chandler, Colton, Annalea
Amy, Stetson, Miranda holding Neli
This is the part of our family that had Thanksgiving in San Diego at Chad and Amy's home.

Our strengthened family cultures will be a protection for our children from “the fiery darts of the adversary” (1 Nephi 15:24) embedded in their peer cultures, the entertainment and celebrity cultures, the credit and entitlement cultures, and the Internet and media cultures to which they are exposed constantly. It will help our children live in the world and not become “of the world” (John 15:19).
                                                                                                              Tom L Perry

Miranda

Our mission president encourages visits from our families.  He gave us time off to spend with them.  It was like our week "vacation".  He wants more seniors to go on missions and if others see how wonderful the mission is, more will go.  I know this visit from family helped me, lifted my spirits.

Annalea

We had lots of fun together.  It was in the 20-40 degrees in Idaho, so those from there appreciated the 60-70 degree weather during the day.  Didn't seem like Thanksgiving to them.

Stetson, Chandler and Colton on Seal Beach Pier

Miranda wrote her name in the sand and her dad added the subscript.

Then Jody tried mimicking Miranda and landed flat on his back.  Miranda added the same subscript to Jody's sand writing.

Glen, Neli, Sara
Quin, Avri, Maci
The Quigleys
They came down on Wednesday and drove back to Idaho on Saturday.  It was a FAST trip, they brought Bailey down to
San Diego.(he had basketball practice and couldn't come with the rest of his family).  We appreciate them coming.  It was so good to be together.

Miranda and Liz

We are missed at home in Idaho.
And we miss them!
 

We went one day to Knottsberry Farm and rode rides.  Of course
Papa loved this old Chevy. We watched as Miranda and Jody
rode one of the tall Roller Coasters.

On the merry go round in Knottsberry Farm

Monday was our Anniversary.  Lonnie loves to tell the
people at the restaurants that it is our special day.
They sang to us.

We went to the Discovery Science Center where they had a
special Indian Jones exhibit.  I was able to continue my calling
as mission nurse where ever we went.  I received calls in all of
the places we went.  It  was hard to hear in this place as there were
lots of kids making lots of noise.

Miranda on a bed of nails.

 

Miranda wanted to see the San Diego Temple.  It was closing for Thanksgiving, but we were able to sneak in for a couple of quick pictures.  We were on our way to Chad's house for Thanksgiving Dinner.

 

Chad deep fried 2 turkeys.  Stetson, Colton  and Avri helped season the bird. 

 

There were somewhere around 40 people for our Thanksgiving Dinner.
We were able to visit with the Elders in Chad and Amy's ward.
Chad is the Ward Mission Leader(Amy is a good support and is in the Relief Society Presidency).  He had some people
who are taking the missionary discussions to dinner.  We were
able to share our testimonies.  There were some people from South Africa there
visiting that we enjoyed talking with.

Avri(as a missionary-she has Amy's missionary tag on)

Maci as a Missionary

 

Cousins

Enjoying the warm weather.

Bailey likes to make people laugh.

 

We made pillowcases for Christmas for all the grand kids.  They opened their presents while at Chad's.
We did not play any of our usual Christmas Games, but we did play 5 Crowns and Mexican Train.
 

Quin is using his pillowcase as a sleeping bag.  It is his new "favorite blanket".

 



Glen and Sara getting ready to leave

Jody, Bailey, Liz, Miranda, Stetson on Signal Hill, The Pacific Ocean is in the background, but it is too hazy  to see.

 We were able to go to Chad's work and see some of the dolphins that he works with.  The family was able to touch ("pet") them and they took turns giving the dolphins "high five's" and feeding them fish.  Chad's work is very intriguing.  He showed us where he draws blood for samples to make sure the dolphins stay healthy.  They "talk" to him and performed for him.  We are not allowed to post pictures which is too bad as I had many very good pictures.  We will be obedient.



Neli, may we all appreciate the wonders of life!

Near the end of his life, one father looked back on how he had spent his time on earth. An acclaimed, respected author of numerous scholarly works, he said, ‘I wish I had written one less book and taken my children fishing more often.’ Time passes quickly. Many parents say that it seems like yesterday that their children were born. Now those children are grown, perhaps with children of their own. ‘Where did the years go?’ they ask. We cannot call back time that is past, we cannot stop time that now is, and we cannot experience the future in our present state. Time is a gift, a treasure not to be put aside for the future but to be used wisely in the present.”
                                                                                                               Thomas S. Monson
 

I pray that my children and grandchildren all realize how much we love them and are thankful for the time we were able to spend with them!
They  have all made it home safe and sound, and we are back to work.  We visited a set of elders to take care of medical issues soon after they all were gone home.                                                                                                   

"Week in Review"

      When my kids were young (like in the 1980's)  for Family Home Evening, we would keep a notebook with who did the Scripture, Prayer, Lesson and snacks, then after all that, we would write the "Week in Review".   It is so fun to read now what we thought was important to very young kids.  Well this week has been VERY BUSY (nothing new) so I thought I would include a "Week in Review".

      Sunday there was church, ward choir, stake choir and the Departure Fireside.  The Elders and Sisters that are going home this transfer, bear their Wonderful Testimonies.  It is impressive to see how they grow over the time that we have been here.  There are also special musical numbers by our talented Elders and Sisters.  They do a wonderful job.  There are investigators and new converts and members that have been influenced by the leaving Elders and Sisters.   It is a very spiritual meeting.  

 

Some of our Elders at the departure fireside.  There are refreshments
after the meeting so everyone can visit and wish the leaving  ones
farewell.

On Monday, after work we had 5 of our missionaries over for dinner.  They are the missionaries in our ward, the day before transfers.  They gave a wonderful spiritual message.

 



Sister Bradshaw, Sister Scott, Elder Williams, Elder Carter, Elder Tolman, Elder McOmber

     
     Tuesday we worked all day.  It was transfer day. We get new Elders and Sisters also. There were 4 Visa Waiters as well as our new ones.  It is always a busy day.  Then there was Relief Society meeting in the evening.  I made a huge pot of minestrone soup, which seemed to be liked.  We had a service auction.  Elder McOmber left the motor home keys in the car, so he was locked out.  I left the meeting early.  I wanted an apron,and left my points with a friend.  I guess everyone wanted that as I did not have enough points. 
     Wednesday, Elder McOmber helped move 2 sets of Elders. We cleaned and organized the office in preparation of the Mission Tour by one on the Quorum of the 70.  
     Thursday, Elder and Sister Porter came to Tour our mission.  They did some apartment inspections.  Since we have been checking apartments, we hoped the Elders had kept up the "Cleanliness is next to Godliness".  ( there were 3 devotionals for each of the Zones).  We had an office devotional.  Elder and Sister Porter are very down to earth and personable. He told us that as the numbers of missionaries increase, we need to make sure the missionaries can feel of our spirituality, it will bless their lives.  He said that it no  matter what level pf spirituality you are on when you start your mission, you will be better at the end of the mission.
     Sister Bubert, our mission president's wife talked about the fishes and loaves from the New Testament.  Jesus can multiply our talents just like the loaves and fishes.  The church makes ordinary people great.We need to run to Jesus like the people did then. 
    President Bubert said "This is the happiest place on the just don't forget to tell your face".  He also talked about being led by the spirit.
      Sister Porter Talked about serving with all your heart. Have the light of Christ on your countenance. 
       Elder Porter is awesome with the scriptures.  He spoke on the 3rd lesson in Preach my Gospel, "The Gospel of Jesus Christ".We don't earn our salvation, we have to qualify for it.  As we have faith in Jesus Christ, His strength will be with us.

Sister and Elder Porter

Some of our Elders at the Zone conferences.

      Friday, the office had a luncheon with the Porters. It was yummy Hawaiian Bar B Que. 
      Saturday, Chad brought his trailer up.  Annalea, Chandler and Colton are spending the next 4 days with us.

 Liz, Jody, Miranda and Stetson came down for the Thanksgiving vacation.  I am so thankful that they had a safe drive here.  It was 13 hours drive.  Of course, it was raining when they got here.

Colton, Chandler, Caleb

Annalea and Miranda

Colton and Stetson

I have had many phone calls from my Elders and Sisters, it is the beginning of cold season....

This is a picture Sister Reynolds (works in the office) gave me...I am going to use it in a presentation.

   I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember from Whom all our blessings come.  I certainly am thankful for much!!!  I plan on telling Him tonight in my prayers.