Monday, February 27, 2017

February in Pictures

I know that February is a short month but it has passed especially quickly this year. So much to do and so little time to do it. I did take lots of pictures along the way.

Once a month we have a mission office meeting with the mission president and his wife,

the senior missionaries who work in the mission office,

us senior missionaries who work in the different wards (there are three couples now that the Dowells are here),

the mission nurse who works so hard trying to keep us all healthy,
and a few dedicated church service missionaries who serve as counselors in the mission presidency,
help find, furnish, and maintain apartments for us full-timers to live in,
 and even one sister who cooks or arranges the food at mission events/zone conferences.
We love them all!

We have also started taking photos of some of the families we work with. Here is Elder with the Bishop of our ward.
Here is the High Priest Group Leader and his wife, along with the yummy food we ate.
This brother was just released as a stake high councilor and put in as a counselor in the bishopric.
Here is a former bishop with his wife, currently serving as RS President, son, wife, and much adored daughter.
Here, just like in India, households are often multigenerational. Or brothers/sisters and their families can be sharing a home,
or live next door.
These two sisters recently decided to become roommates.
This sister from Guatemala sells imports from back home to supplement her income.

Our ward had a valentine’s dinner and dance.
Latinos love to dance! People of all ages were having fun moving to the music, partners not required. Toward the end of the evening, we did a line dance and almost everyone there was out on the floor. Even after the tables and chairs were put away and the decorations taken down, the music was still playing and I noticed an older sister out on the dance floor still dancing. It’s like there is music in their souls. I love it!

We had two service projects this month: our zone helped in Burbank to count and box up toys, books and games for next Christmas
and one boxing up 10,000 boxes for active service men/women through Operation Gratitude that us senior missionaries supported before our monthly get-together last Saturday.

Last week we were invited to a FHE hosted by one family in our ward
and attended by some young investigators
as well as another family in the ward. A wonderful lesson by the elders and pizza is always a hit.

Elder and I have started taking turns choosing activities for our weekly p-days. Last week I chose visiting the Nethercutt Museum with its wonderful collection of about 150 restored antique cars,
music boxes (notice the violin inside the box),
a fire truck and even a private train car.
Pretty amazing to see, even if you don’t know much about cars. This family made their fortune from the cosmetic company started by their aunt, Merle Nethercutt Norman. They share it with the public free of charge.

The week before we visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library,
complete with the Oval Office
and Airport One.
Again, it was very informative and interesting, even displaying a part of the original Berlin Wall.

A couple of weeks ago, we had our Ecuadorian daughter and her family come for a short stay.
We visited the Getty Center, which was perfect on a rainy Saturday afternoon. We loved that all three grandkids got to spend the night with us.
We showed them our favorite Indian Bollywood movie, complete with popcorn! Thanks for coming!

Tomorrow is tranfers for the junior missionaries with about 10 going home (including 2 from our district so are in mourning) and only 6 coming.

Since we are going home before the next transfer in 6 weeks, we got to go to the temple with them last Friday.

The LA temple is so beautiful! The sun was even shining that day!


Friday evening, one of the families in the ward invited us and one of the sets of elders to their home and it ended up being a going-away party for us and one of the other elders!
Three weeks early for us, but the young elder is leaving this week! Several other families came and after eating and a short program, the tables and chairs were cleared and it was dancing again! I found out at church that they didn't get to bed until 1 am! All of us missionaries left quite a bit earlier than that!
I tell you, they have music and love in their souls and we have loved getting to know them and feel of their spirits. It's been a privilege to serve here and we're not done yet! 

4 comments:

  1. It has been so nice to read about your experiences and see the pictures throughout your mission.

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  2. Thank you for sharing your fun adventures and lovely mission friends! They will always remember you as you will remember them, I'm sure! We love you and when you've rested up after your mission please come see us in Tennessee!!

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  3. Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing.

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