Zone Conference/Christmas/ Devotional 1,2,3,4

At zone conferences we have car inspections.  It was not announced and some forgot; therefore some cars were not as clean as they should have been.

The zones in the north went to Goleta at the Santa Barbara Stake Center.

Elder Abbott visiting with Elder Floyd

Sisters from the Santa Barbara stake decorated the tables and helped serve.

San Luis Obispo Zone

Front:  Elder DeGraw, Sister McClure, Elders Wayment, Slaugh, Avalos, Haines, Stewart, Sister Israelsen, Hermana Garza, Sister Aston

Back:  Elder Hatman, Sister Scoresby, Elders Bailey, Magoon, Weiss, Gibb, Wickern, Sister Dearden, Hermana Bennion, Elder Aston

Santa Maria Zone

Front:  Elders Huston, Powell, Garrard, Bradler, Hales, Sister Coulon, Hermanas Hurley, Scott, Sister Campbell

Back:  Elders Corbridge, Boyce, Reed, Barrios-Vega, DuPlessis, Sister King, Hermanas Jeronimo, Soriano, Sister Barnes

Santa Barbara Zone

Front:  Elders Gregory, Valladares, Hildalgo, Judkins, Petersen, Lamb, Davis, Mata, Hermanas Wright, Arkell, Sister Baird

Back:  Elders Snyder, Peisley, Lemus, Lallatin, Willis, Harvey, Bradley, Herrera Barahona, Hermanas Eames, Johnson, Sister Orme

Ventura Zone

Front:  Elders Summers, Ruby, McLane, Hubbard, Bronson, Turley, Hermanas Ricks, Hemingway, Sisters Booshardt, Beatty

Back:  Elders Chatterton, Young, Herrera Loya, DeCosta, Routledge, Taufatofua, Hermanas Griffes, Peterson, Sister Evans

Happy birthday for December

...January

...February

Hermana Hurley entertained us as the MC.  

Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel performed by Elder Wickern's district - Hermana Bennion, Sisters Dearden, Israelsen, Hermana Garza, Sister Aston, Elder Aston, Elders Haines, Stewart, Gibb, Wickern

My Kindness Shall not Depart from Thee, sung by Sister Evans and accompanied by Sister Beatty.

An impromptu whistling of Joy to the World performed by the Santa Maria Zone.

The Little Drummer Boy performed by Hermanas Jeronimo and Hurley.

Piano duet - Nearer My God to Thee - Hermanas Scott and Wright

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear performed by Hermanas Wright, Johnson, Eames, Arkell, Scott, Soriano

The Hakka - Elders Taufatofua, Mata, Valladares, Herrera

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas sung by Elders Summers, Chatterton, Haines, Gibb.

Elder Hidalgo sang Silent Night in Spanish with Hermana Ricks accompanying at the piano.

The Santa Barbara zone put together the Nativity.

Nephi

Hark the Herald Angels Sing performed by Elder Petersen

Hermana Hurley would change her outfits between announcing several acts.  She told us that the Church had changed the dress standards.  Hermanas Garza, Hurley and Jeronimo are modeling them.

We went back into the chapel after the entertainment just like on Tuesday.  After Sister Felix completed her comments and stories, a flash mob began.  We asked the Camarillo zone for the south and the San Luis Obispo zone for the north to do a flash mob singing Angels We Have Heard on High.  The zones were excited to participated and practiced in their zone meetings.  They were told to not tell anyone about it so it would be a surprise.  Both times it was emotional for the Felixes because the missionaries sounded so good and the Spirit was very strong.  In the South the zone didn't even get through their parts before all missionaries were standing and singing.  In the North the zone was able to get through most of the first verse before everyone was standing.

In the Christmas bag that each missionary received there was an angel cookie. A wonderful member in Santa Maria made 14 dozen cookies for us. She is an angel! 

Zone Conference/Christmas Devotional 5,6/7,8

This week the mission was divided in half and we met for a zone conference in the morning and a Christmas devotional in the afternoon.  The assistants introduced the Christ-like attribute of Patience.  President Felix discussed the Doctrine of Christ with 2 Nephi 31.  Sister Felix shared thoughts regarding the importance of love in teaching.

Bro. Abbott who is the Institute director in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria Institutes catered our lunches.  We had garden greens with marinated tomato and cucumber dressing, steamed broccoli, baked potato casserole, stuffed chicken breast with pear herb dressing, and assortment of pie with ice cream.  It was very delicious.

Tuesday we met in the Santa Barbara Stake Center in Goleta.

President & Sister Ridgeway and President & Sister Moffatt

Sisters from the Camarillo Stake set the tables and helped serve.  Bro. Abbott prepared the food.

We sang Called to Serve to the sisters and Bro. Abbott.

Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks Zone
Front:  Hermana Morales, Sisters Ulassin, Fisher, Mortimer, Elders Gregory, Peart, Morby, Plummer, Gemar, Elliott, Crook, Liddiard, Pace, Endicott
Back:  Hermana Green, Sisters Hunsaker, Capener, Jones, Elders Elkington, Swenson, King, Carpenter, Yager, Rosenlof, Christenson, Garcia, Gilpin, Mulford

Camarillo Zone
Front:  Elders Suarez, Deem, Sister Lambert, Hermanas Ames, Cuevas, Zarate, Frias, Elders Brown, Sila, Hull, Hunter, Strom
Back:  Elders Peterson, Kuepper, Sister Barnum, Hermanas Miller, Brown, Pirir, Kneip, Elders Campbell, Harper, Klingler, Payne, Parkinson, Dort

Simi Valley Zone
Front:  Elders Haney, Dorius, Sisters VanDerWatt, Mulloy, Houseman, Elders Allison, Heck, Davis
Back:  Elders Gruwell, Leavitt, Sisters Deitos, Huey, Wing, Elders Hurst, Levis, Gardner

Happy Birthday for December...

...for January

...for February

Elder Rosenlof was the MC for the entertainment.  He told me that he loved doing it and that it could be one of the things on his bucket list.

Elder Young and (arms and hands of)  Elder Ruby.
They were portraying Elder Stewart's morning routine.

A Halleluiah Christmas performed by Elders King, Elkington, and Mullford was on the piano.

Who's on...(missionary style) An Abott and Costello reading.  Elders Sila, Klingler, Harper

Mary did you Know?  Elders Payne and Deem

Feliz Navidad, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas.  Elders Strom, Dort, Hunter, and Parkinson grew mustaches in 3 minutes backstage.

12 Days of Christmas (missionary style) performed by Elder Yager's district.
Elder Elliott, Hermana Morales, Sister Hunsaker, Elders Crook, Gemar, Yager, Sister Ulassin, Hermana Green, Elder Christenson, Sisters Mortimer, and Jones.

Fiddle and fun with Hermana Huey at the violin, Elder Gruwell, Haney, Leavitt, Sisters Deitos, VanDerWatt, Elder Dorius.

Elder Mulford and Hermana Mulloy

O Holy Night sung by Hermana Green and Elder Rosenlof.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas performed by Elder Mulford.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing sung by Elder Peterson, Hermanas Cuevas, Frias, Miller, Kneip, Pirir, Ames, Zarate, Brown, Elder Suarez.

Hermana Brown and Elder Suarez performed a rap all referenced to our mission.

After the program we went back to the chapel where President and Sister Felix did a presentation on angels.
We learned angels are around us and support us in what we are doing.  There are angels among us. (A video was shown with a picture of every missionary in the mission as the song Angels Among Us was sung; recorded with Elder Deem, Hermanas Brown, Cuevas, Griffes and Hermana Ricks accompanying).
We need to pray for angels and we need to be an angel.