The Real News of the week and then some other stuff

Well the real news of the week is the safe arrival of Diana Janae Stubbs. Baby girl and mom are doing fine which makes us very happy and feeling very blessed. Our prayers and blessings to Oregon and the Stubbs clan up there and their newest member. We love you.

We finished up interviews this week. There is no way around it. It takes 8 days to interview all the missionaries in the mission every six weeks. Mark has done it twice now. Thursday was the longest day because several interviews took a very long time because of personal crisis and just "things" and then in the middle of it all he had to direct an emergency transfer.  It was 7pm by the time we finished and Mark had worked straight through the day without break. I had slipped him gatorades and nuts and cheese but that was not much.  One sweet sister missionary realized what was going on and came back to the building with subway sandwiches for us.  She said,"His stomach growled when he was interviewing me and I knew he hadn't eaten much all day."  Made me cry.  This same sister is almost through with her mission and doesn't have a place to go home to. Her parents had a bitter divorce.  No one emails her on her mission except one sister has emailed a few times because the family members have all taken sides and won't take to each other and they don't know what "side" she is one and so no one talks to her and a ward member has supported her on her mission.  The sister missionary complains about nothing just asked for advice about where we thought she should go.  If I was back in Orem I would take her in in a flash.  She is bright and talented and very Christlike. One of our best.  Breaks my heart what conditions some serve under.

On Monday since we didn't get a complete eclipses, I made a box to safely view the eclipse with and took it to interviews.  The missionaries had fun using it to see our partial eclipse.  It worked!.  Your pictures were so fun to see.  It was a wonderful moment in the natural world we live on.

I also made some high protein no bake snacks from a recipe I got from Wendy a few years back and I had them at interviews for the missionaries to try and take the recipe if they wanted.  The sister missionaries especially took the recipes. The Elders just ate a lot. But I do think I will bring recipes to the next zone conferences. They seem to like help on that area.

Thursday after interviewing days were done I went to El Cajon with two of my sisters missionaries and met with one of our senior couples who are teaching Congolese members English.  The men went on a field trip to the Post Office and we showed the women the Days for Girls kits and distributed kits to them and for them to take home to their teenage daughters.  It seemed to work out.  This despite the difference in languages.  Two of the women spoke enough English and with my picture flip chart they seemed to understand.  Sister Stinson who works with them said they got it because they were talking so much with each other and pointing to the pictures and looking closely at the kits.  IT was a great experience.  My sister missionaries want to do it again.

Friday I had all the Sister Trainer Leaders out to the Mission Home for a meeting to go over what they do and teach me and share ideas. I also wanted to make sure the Zone leaders are using them in training sessions and what they would like to do at the Mission Leadership Councils.  It was kind of awkward at first because they were all aware of the emergency transfer we had to do on Wednesday and it was like an elephant in the room with one of the missionaries there but we finally got the discussion going.  I fed them lunch and Italian sodas and they all seemed happy when the left. The two sisters who came in from the Imperial Valley we told them to go on splits in San Diego then return at night and stay at the Mission Home.  The were thrilled. One is from Argentina. We fed them a waffle breakfast this morning, went to the office with them to get the mail for the Valley and they could go through the stuff missionaries leave or give away.  They picked up a new skirt each and got their packages from home. They will be heroes when they reach the Imperial Valley with all the mail.

Here are pictures of my sister Trainer leaders

Friday night Mark and I decided to find an Middle Eastern Restaurant in El Cajon and eat. So on El Cajon Blvd between the tattoo shop and the pawn shop we spotted an market store with a grill. WE went in and ordered sawarma both lamb/beef and chicken. Only the cashier spoke English. We helped us get the order. Her husband speaks some English. He is from Syria. We walked around their little store while we waited for our food and then we ate it out back where they had set up a small court yard for customers. There was a group of young men there smoking the water pipe. Would have taken pictures of that but it seemed kind of rude. The American cashier said they set up the courtyard because the people live with so many people in their apartments they need a place to come and enjoy the outdoors and eat and relax.  It was a neat experience. WE told her who we were and why we lived in La Mesa.  They brought us out a free dessert.  There was so much food. We couldn't eat it all so we called our Arabic Elders and invited them up to the house to finish it up. They had just finished teaching so came up and ate up the food and taught us some Arabic.  They are really fun to talk to. They are Skype teaching some families in France, Germany and about 3 miles from their homes in Virgina all in Arabic.  It is amazing. The nations of the earth have come there.

Oh and by the way there are coyotes on Mt Helix. One was in our yard as we ate breakfast this morning. Bold as can be. Just stared at us. Didn't get a picture though. Well today after we got the sisters off to the Imperial Valley we went to Balboa Park for a real P-Day. We climbed California Tower, explored the museum of man and the Alcazan Garden. On the way home we drove by the zoo so we could see how to get there when you come. You can't get away from all the phone calls and texts.  But they are learning not to call the President with a problem unless they have a suggested solution. Then he will tell them whether or not they can do it. But don't call and expect him to just solve their problem. It is an interesting transition to watch some of them handle. Ok a few more pictures and I will quit.  This has been too long. I love you all and appreciate your prayers. We can tell people are praying for the missionaries. We feel so blessed.

The California Tower. Its a big landmark in San Diego

Mark in the tower on the phone as usual but he has a ball cap on. That is how I know he is on P-Day

A shot of the Alcazan garden replica of garden in Seville

A street performer.

Thanks for hanging in there if you made to here. love you