The Greens are on their way!

Penny and Randy are on their way here for their mission and will arrive sometime tonight They will stay with Nathan and Nicole tonight and then come out to the mission home and stay with us until they can get into their apartment. The man that Randy is helping replace had a heart attack yesterday. A mild one but they put a stint in an artery that was 95% blocked and sent him him that evening. So he is resting and I am trying to reassure Randy the job isn't meant to kill him.
It has been quite a week. One mission president's wife described weeks in the mission like waves that wash a shore. Some are small and lap at your feet and then suddenly one comes in that knocks at you and get you thoroughly soaked. This was one of those weeks. Only difference is that now after all most 8 months we expect it to happen, aren't running on adrenaline and keep our balance a little better. One high moment is counterpointed by a real low.
Tuesday evening we went out of the mission (with permission) to Chapman University in Orange, CA.  What a wonderful place. There at their interfaith chapel they hosted the John A. Witsoe Foundation dinner and program with Bishop Caussé speaking. It was really nice. That is where the university librarian let me hold the first edition of the Book of Mormon. The head of BYU Studies handed it off to me. He had been trying to figure out who may have owned it. He has worked a lot on the Joseph Smith papers.  Anyway it was a fun evening. We stayed overnight and headed home along the Coastal Highway which is very beautiful. We also drove through Camp Pendleton which is where the Marine Recruits in our mission finish up their training. The highway goes straight through the base.

Bishop Caussé.  He gave a great talk on the welfare system of the church and the humanitarian aid the Church delivers world wide.

Once back in our mission we were dealing with mental health issues of missionaries and also happenings at the MCRD (Marin Corp Recruit Depot) Mark truly never gets a break.  We did have some quieter moments to go over transfers, in coming missionary lists, talks we have to give and study. Today we speak at Poway stake conference. But a 6 minute talk is getting to be a whiz. 6 minutes is a short talk.  Funny because I can remember when we were asked to give 2 1/2 minute talks in Sunday School and that seemed like forever as a kid.

We attended a baptism last night of a sister that our sister missionaries taught.  It was very touching. She was converted by the kind friendship of her neighbors. They invited her boys to cub scouts, helped fix a broken car, got her husband to the doctor. Gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon which  she started to read and found incredible peace from it. Simple things that brought our missionaries into her home to teach her. It was a a beautiful baptism and one done with great faith because the hot water heater was not working and the water was ice cold. And it is cold here right now  It was 36* this morning. (I know you feel real sorry for me right)

I love these sister missionaries. The second one from the left is here from temple square right now for two months and the only member of her family. They have such powerful testimonies and teach so well.

Ok so here is the quote of the week. 

 Elder: Wow I got some sore muscles this week from working out. My back really hurts. Now I know how a 50 year old feels!

Me: Really! That old huh. Imagine.

Love this work. We pray for you each day. Keep sending us your Marco Polos and other messages because they make us feel connected

love you all

MOM