Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Follow up Training

Today all the new missionaries who have arrived within the last six weeks and their trainers came to the mission office for follow up training.
Elder Iverson talked about cars and Tiwi.  Elder Floyd covered cleaning of vacuums, mold, bugs and finances.  Sister Felix did a power point on etiquette.  The Sisters/Hermanas stayed with Sister Felix to discuss dress standard guidelines while the Elders went with President Felix.  Then the trainers stayed together to discuss how it has been going over the past transfer while the new missionaries were with 
President & Sister Felix discussing how they were doing.  These new missionaries are loving their missions.  They would like to be out of the apartment doing more finding and teaching but for the first 12 weeks of their mission they have an extra hour of studying with their trainer to work on the fundamentals.  The Spanish speaking missionaries have an hour daily to work on language.
President Felix concluded the meeting talking about the Doctrine of Christ.
Front:  Hermanas Wright, Hirst, Lance, Scott
Middle:  Hermanas Green, Torrico, Sisters King, Hardy
Back:  Hermanas Peterson, Gonzalez
Front:  Elders Atkinson, Hales, Taufatofua, Portillo
Back:  Elders Shaw, Haines, Nielson, Gregory
They are eating Strawberry-Banana Trifle.
The strawberries here are so delicious!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Mid transfer

Yea, they are here!

Hermana Lance
Elder Portillo
President and I picked up food from the Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch and then went to the airport to greet these missionaries.  They were so excited to be here.  It was such a beautiful day and fun for them to have lunch by the ocean.
They are jumping in with both feet!
We know these missionaries will do great here in the CVM.

Both missionaries were able to pick avacados from our trees to take with them.  
The assistants came to the mission home and did a short orientation then we drove to the mission office for the Senior Couples to do more orientation.
This is the exciting part, when the companions meet each other.
Elders Taufatofua and Portillo
Hermanas Lance and Scott

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Just Serve

The missionaries from Ventura and Camarillo zones were given the opportunity to be of service at the California Dentist Association's free clinic.  Everyone involved was giving of their time without pay to help provide free dental service.  Our missionaries helped set up on Friday and came back on Saturday to volunteer.
This event was very well organized.  The patient went from triage to decide what needed to be done.  X-rays were taken, fillings, oral surgery, extractions, cleanings, and dentures. Patients could not move around without one of us volunteers.
Many compliments were given to us and gratitude for the missionaries' help.
We had name tags and we put our missionary tags over them.
Elder Herrera
Elder Bradler
Sister Floyd and walking away is Elder Floyd.
This pic includes Hermana Johnson at the back with her back to us, Hermana Eames and Elder Floyd.
Sisters Hopkins and Jones
We were given t-shirts to wear which was our "pass" to move around freely to go between the two buildings.  The patients had to have a volunteer with them as they went from station to station.
Elder Iverson
Hermanas Kneip and Pirir
People lined up even on Friday morning to be seen on Saturday morning.  We helped Tony who said he was first in line and had been there for four days.  He was getting dentures.  He said he would accept missionaries to visit him.
Randy was so excited to get dentures where his front teeth were missing.  He said he was so excited to get his life back.
Elders Weiss, Summers and Sister Felix
Elders Strom and Davis
While people were standing in line outside, missionaries would take them food.
Elders Slaugh and Jo carried dental instruments to the cleaning area.
Sisters Felix and Iverson
Sister Iverson's shirt is yellow to show she can interpret (she does ASL), some of the missionaries did Spanish.
Elders Atkinson and Hales are cutting up strawberries for the volunteers to eat on their breaks.
Elders Gibb and King
Hermanas Hirst, Scott, Wright
The yellow tag lets others know they can interpret Spanish.
Sisters Houseman and Meglen
back clockwise:  Elders Hatman, Heck, Sisters Greding, Barnum, Elder Nielson
Receiving some instruction are Elders Barrios-Vega, Taufatofua, McLane
Elders Gemar and Routledge
Elder Iverson wrote to the coordinator requesting some particulars regarding the service. 
"The LDS volunteers have helped so much since the church got involved in December 2013. They have made CDA Cares better. We are truly grateful for LDS participation, not just the volunteers, but the connections to the community to help secure donations, get media coverage, support the patients with food/water, etc. The LDS point people I have had the privilege of working with are amazing people – smart, kind, generous and great to work with. Nothing is too big or too small and the answer to any request I have ever made is yes, we can help with that."
  
1,884 people served, $1,5 million in care provided

89 dentures
99 stayplates

1,394 volunteers
311 dentists
78 hygienists
305 dental assistants
28 lab technicians
177 dental students
43 medical professionals (physicians, nurses, nursing students)
452 community volunteers

Monday, April 11, 2016

Where did they arrive from?

After the two missionaries who will be arriving (mid transfer) on Monday, April 18, we will have 146 single missionaries and 5 senior couple missionaries. This breaks down to:
Spanish Hermanas  22
English Sisters  28
Spanish Elders  21
English Elders  75

Below are the areas the single missionaries are from and how many came from that state or country:

Arizona 3
Brazil 1
California 1
Canada  6
Colorado 5
Georgia 1
Hondorus 1
Florida 2
Iowa 1
Idaho 19
Indiana 3
Kansas 2
Kentucky 1
Mexico 1
Maryland 1
Missouri 1
Montana 2
North Carolina 1
North Dakota 1
New Jersey 1
New Mexico 1
Nevada 3
Ohio 2
Oklahoma 3
Oregon 2
Pennsylvania 1
Tennesee 1
Texas 8
Utah 62
Virginia 3
Washington 3
Wyoming 3

All of the Senior Couples are from Utah.

Mission Tour 4/6-4/8

The mission tour began with Elder Hamula arriving at the mission home on Wednesday before noon.  We had lunch on the deck and enjoyed visiting.  He mentioned he had not seen the channel islands so we drove to the harbor and went places we had not seen before.  
We had a special MLC at 1:30 where the Assistants reviewed how we as a mission were doing on the key indicators, Sister Felix spoke about humility, President Felix taught us about true doctrine understood, changes attitude and behavior,  Elder Hamula helped us to understand more about faith and hope.
Elders Boyce and Ruby
Front row:  Elders Ruby, Stewart, Snyder, Deem Elder Hamula, Elders Kuepper, Chatterton, Weiss, Summers
Back row:  Elders Boyce, Campbell, Powell, DuPlessis, Parkinson, King, Gibb, Swenson, President & Sister Felix
Sisters Orme, Lambert, Ulassin, Israelsen Elder Hamula, Hermanas Eames, Johnson, Ricks, Hemingway,
President & Sister Felix

That evening all of the Senior Couples came to the mission home to eat and meet with Elder Hamula.  They were all assigned food to bring which helped out so much.  I should do that more often because it was less stress and the food was delicious.
Elder Hamula was very gracious and thanked the couples for all they are doing and the sacrifices they are making.  He opened it up to answer any questions they had. 

We drove to Goleta to the Santa Barbara Stake Center Thursday morning to begin the conference at 9:00; actually the missionaries were at the church by 8:40 so that Elder Hamula and us could shake hands with each missionary prior to beginning. 
The Assistants reviewed the key indicators with the missionaries and received input as to what we do well in the mission and what we lack.  Sister Felix reviewed 4 aspects of helping the missionaries be better and in turn the mission will elevate.  They were:  Work Ethic, Attitude, Obedience, and Gospel Knowledge.  President expounded more on the CVM target:  True doctrine understood and applied, changes attitudes and behavior.  He reminded us of having both feet in. 
Our mission is down in baptisms.  Elder Hamula helped us in understanding WHO we are, WHY are we here, WHAT do we do, and HOW? This was to help us gain confidence and faith so that we can invite and teach repentance and baptize converts.  At the conclusion of that, he opened it up to questions the missionaries would like to ask.
Elder Hamula interviewed 6 missionaries - getting a feel for the missionaries in this mission.
Yummy lasagna, salad, garlic bread and cake.




Singing Called to Serve to the sisters who served us lunch.


San Luis Obispo Zone
Front row:  Sister Aston, Elders Endicott, Allison, Turley, President & Sister Felix, Elder Hamula, Elders Petersen,
M. Bailey, Swenson, Mata, Sister Besendorfer
Back row:  Elders Aston, Plummer, Sila, Peterson, Bronson, Huston, Chatterton, Peisley, Sisters Campbell, Capener, Scott
Santa Maria Zone
Front row:  Hermana Torrico, Sister Ulassin, Elders Castro, Parkinson, President & Sister Felix, Elder Hamula, Elders Levis, Wayment, Crook, Suarez, Sister Cardon
Back row:  Hermana Green, Sister Israelsen, Elders Lemus, Kuepper, Gardner, Elliott, Harper, Marchant,
Sister Van Der Watt
Santa Barbara Zone
Front row:  Sister Mortimer, Hermana Arkell, Sister Hardy, Elders Avalos, H. Davis, Liddiard, President & Sister Felix, Elder Hamula, Elders Brown, Oakey, VanSlochteren, Stewart
Back row:  Sister Baird, Hermana Morales, Sister King, Elders Garcia, Dorius, Valladares, Harvey, Hubbard, Reed, Campbell
Ventura Zone
Front row:  Elders Boyce, Jo, McCurdy, Weiss, Sister Hopkins, President & Sister Felix, Elder Hamula, Elders Strom, Bradler, Hermana Eames
Back row:  Elders Ruby, Slaugh, Hull, Summers, Sister Jones, Elders K. Davis, Herrera Jr., Hermana Johnson
Elder & Sister Aston, President & Sister Felix, Elder Hamula, Sister & Elder Iverson
Hermanas Eames, Johnson, Sisters Mortimrer, Baird, Felix
Sister Baird has taught me how to take selfies with the tablet.
Hermanas Garza, Morales, Mulloy

Friday morning we drove to Newbury Park to have the second zone conference.  It was the same schedule as Thursday. It was nice having the missionaries arrive early and prepare themselves for the meeting.  They all stood when we entered the chapel with Elder Hamula.  
Lunch consisted of pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw and chips.  Each table had a cake for the center piece and dessert.
President Felix
Hermanas Gonzalez, Peterson, Ames, Frias
Elder Taufatofua, Hermanas Hemingway, Ricks
Sisters Barnum, Greding, McClure, Mendoza
Elders DuPlessis, Deem, Hidalgo
Elders Heck, Hatman, Routledge, Gemar, Garrard
Elders Willis, Carpenter, Klingler
Elders Pace, DeGraw, Anderson
Elders Christenson, Holm, Boyce, Shaw
Elders Powell, Snyder, Nielson
Sisters Deitos, Dye, Orme, Lambert, Meglen
Camarillo Zone
Front row:  Elders Heck, Atkinson, Nielson, McLane, Pierce, King, Gemar, Elder Hamula, President & Sister Felix, Sisters Greding, Meglen, Hermanas Hemingway, Hirst
Back row:  Elders Hatman, Hales, Gregory, Taufatofua, Judkins, Barrios-Vega, Gibb, Routledge, Sisters Barnum, Houseman, Hermanas Ricks, Wright, Scott
Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks Zone
Front row:  Hermana Zurita, Sister Fisher, Elders Lallatin, Holm, Shaw, Chesley, Snyder, Pace, Elder Hamula, President & Sister Felix, Elders J. Bailey, Hidalgo, Hunter, Sisters Dye, Lambert
Back row:  Hermana Soriano, Sister Wing, Elders Corbridge, Garrard, Haines, Peart, Powell, DeGraw, Willis, Herrera, Rosenlof, Sisters Deitos, Orme
Simi Valley Zone
Front row:  Elders Blaylock, DuPlessis, Sister Bosshardt, Hermana Ames, Elder Hamula, President & Sister Felix, 
Sister Mendoza, Hermana Gonzalez, Elders Anderson, Morby, Klingler
Back row:  Elders Mullford, Deem, Sister Coulon, Hermana Frias, Sister McClure, Hermana Peterson, Elders Bradley, Christenson, Carpenter

We met with the Assistants and Elder Hamula after the conference to evaluate.  We determined we will be addressing "finding" and more "effective use of time" in our MLC on Tuesday.  The Council will come up with some specific ideas to help the mission.

Simi Valley had stake conference on Saturday and Sunday with Elder Hamula presiding.  He called a new stake presidency.  President & I spoke in the Saturday night session.

It's been a wonderful week!  When we went to bed last night I said, "We made it!" meaning we got  through the week!"