Letter from President Felix

Dear missionaries,

Are you on Fire?  If we feed the spark of faith, fan the flames of work and Ignite the quest to baptize, the California Ventura Mission will be elevated.  I know that if we set goals of having 4 new investigators each week and set plans to do it, it can be done.  Setting goals of having investigators come to church requires some planning and will usually involve other members to help.  Goals of having investigators with baptismal dates should come within the first or second lesson.  We can do so much if you diligently strive to meet each of these goals and follow the Spirit. The Lord will bless you. 

The mission-wide conference with Elder D. Todd Christofferson on 
May 6 will indeed be a blessing.  Let's prepare for that wonderful event by being diligent in everything we do.  You should be able to leave from Camarillo to return to your areas around noon.  Please schedule baptisms so that you can return to your area in time to make the preparations for those baptisms. 

Please be cautious in your driving.  We had two accidents this past week, without injury, that were not the fault of the missionaries.  The missionaries will not have a car for some time due to these accidents which is really awkward.   We are so grateful that there were no injuries. 

We look forward to interviews with the Ventura and the Camarillo Zones this week.  We will review the #PrinceofPeace initiative and how teaching has been going since the last interviews.

Ignite the fire within!

President Dell C. Felix

Follow Up Training

It was so good to see all of the new missionaries and their trainers again - April 20.  We did some follow up training.  Today they were more awake.

Hermanas Hirst, Lindsey, Huesca, Price, Sisters McInnis, Adamson

Elders Reeve, Turley, Bateman, Portillo, Anitoni, Taufatofua, Swenson, Stevens

I like to make a treat for after the meeting.  Today it was strawberry cheesecake trifle.

MLC

Today, April 18, we had a great Mission Leadership Council.  The meeting started off with a powerful rendition of Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise.  We're hoping the enthusiasm for the way the song is sung has returned.  After introducing themselves each told of a Book of Mormon individual they identified with and which General Conference talk has influenced them in their work.

The assistants talked about Elder Bednar's talk from conference, Called to the Work.  In Doctrine and Covenants 80:1&2 we are to preach the Gospel to every creature.  Everyone needs the Gospel.  It doesn't matter where one is called, that includes where their next transfer is.

We had a break out session with the Hermana and Sister Training Leaders going over their responsibilities with Sister Felix and the Elders did the same with President Felix.  We made some updates.

We enjoyed a pasta bar, garlic bread, salad, and an oreo crust and ice cream dessert.

Training Leaders

Front:  Sisters Scott, Hopkins, Hermanas Alder, Puertas

Back:  Sisters Fisher, Barnum, Hermanas Flores, Anstee

Front:  Elders Barrios-Vega, Suarez

Back:  Elders Peisley, McLane

Zone Leaders

Front:  Elders Gemar, McLawhorn, McCurdy, Davis, Christenson, Jo, Whatcott, Hales

Back:  Elders Huston, Harvey, Morby, Wayment, Bradley, Bronson, Hunter, Slaugh, Allison

Assistants

Elder Taufatofua, Swenson

We had a council on several items which caused updates.

President did some leadership training and utilized some of Elder D. Todd Christopherson's talk from conference.

Sister Felix and President Felix introduced the new 

CVM target. 

Goal setting is critical in being on fire.  Motivation and the desire of our soul along with a testimony will ignite the fire within.
We are excited to feed the spark, fan the flame, and Ignite!
President Felix received an email this past week stating no more zone meetings.  The Church leaders feel with zone conferences every transfer, zone meetings are not necessary.  Our Zone Leaders will have a District Leaders' Council the day after MLC to train the District Leaders on what was discussed at MLC.  The District Leaders will then have district meeting on Friday and share with the rest of the missionaries.

Departing 4/12/17

These missionaries were able to go out one last time with other missionaries Tuesday afternoon before coming to the mission home for dinner.

Elder Herrera Barahona, Sisters Houseman, Baird, Campbell, McClure, Van Der Watt, Wing, Hermana Wiles

Enjoying time on the deck while writing down a moment they will never forget.

This is after dinner just prior to sharing experiences and testimonies.

Elder Herrera and Hermana Wiles were picked up by a shuttle at 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday in order to catch their flights out of Burbank.

Elder & Sister Andrus's first time in taking luggage for the missionaries to the airport.

This was an emotional departure.

Transfers 4/11/17

Elders Turley and Bateman

waiting to go to Panama

Elders Portillo and Anitoni

waiting to go to the Dominican Republic

Elders Stevens and Reeve

Hermanas Price and Huesca

Hermanas Hirst and Lindsey

Sister Adamson and McInnis

New Arrivals 4/10/17

This is the view on the way to the Santa Barbara airport; absolutely beautiful!

These missionaries came from the Provo MTC.  

We didn't have to wait very long for an hermana coming from the CCM in Mexico.  

In 'n Out at Goleta State Park.
Elder and Sister Iverson

Elder & Sister Clark helped us out by picking up burgers and fries.  

Another beautiful view on our drive back to Ventura.

Putting Both Feet in!  

Elders Reeve, Anitoni, Bateman
Two are from Utah and one from Washington.

Sister McInnis, Hermanas Lindsey, Price
Two are from Utah and one from Colorado.

Before dinner the assistants did some training on the culture of the Great California Ventura Mission and testifying of the importance of applying ideas in Adjusting to Missionary Life.

The three elders stayed at a members home for the night and the Hermanas and Sister stayed at the mission home.  We really can't do very much training on the night they arrive because they are so tired.  It's unfortunate that the missionaries don't go to bed at a decent time on Sunday night because they have to get up so early Monday morning. 

The Floyds

23 months are up!

The Floyds are on their way to the Newport Temple to be proxies for her Uncle and Aunt.  They will spend a day with Suzanne in Arizona and then home to Cottonwood Heights.  We have loved serving with them!  They will be missed by us and all of the missionaries.

We felt they had to have fresh California strawberries one last time.

2 Transfer 4/2/17

Sister Castaneda has been serving in the mission for the last two transfers.  It was confirmed that she should continue serving a mission and her call came.  Her parents met her at the mission home for the opening.  We were hoping that she would be able to continue to serve here.  That is not the case as she has been called to labor in the Kansas Witchita Mission.  She will leave on April 6 to go home and get ready to receive her endowment and then report to the MTC on April 12.

Waffles 4/1/17

After the morning session of Saturday's General Conference the Ventura zone came over for waffles. This has kind of been a tradition.  We enjoy doing this for the missionaries.  It was such a beautiful day so we ate outside.  There were about 35 of us. 

Oh no!  One of the waffle irons broke so I asked Elder Andrus to hold it together with a fork to finish cooking the waffle.

Hermanas Garcia, Huesca, Sister Andrus (sitting), Hermana Alder, in the back Sisters McGuire and Scott

Elders Kelly, Suarez, McLane, Nielson, Kopaunik, Oakey

Elders Wayment, Whatcott, Floyd, Johnson

Elder Palmer, Becca Hurley (came back to visit), Sister Floyd and Hermana DeSilva (mother to Zahaia Cuevas)

Zahaia, Hermanas Alder, Torrico, Huesca, Garcia

Elders Avalos, Mata