Arrival 7/13/15

It was a miracle!  All 15 missionaries arrived at the same time without delay.  They all came from the Provo MTC and flew out of Salt Lake International to Phoenix, Arizona and then to Santa Barbara.

Elder Hager

Elder Petersen

Elder DeGraw

Elder Plummer

Elder Levis

Elder Taufatofua

Elder Wilson

Elder Elliott

Elder Bronson

Elder Harvey

Elder Murry

Sister Carleton

Sister Jones

Sister Morales

Sister Lambert

Missionaries are from:  Wyoming, Kansas, Canada, Iowa, Ohio, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, two from Idaho and five from Utah

Two of the missionaries are waiting visas to Brazil.

The Floyds brought the truck and trailer for the luggage.

Elder and Sister McIntosh are now Brother and Sister McIntosh as they have been released from being CES missionaries.  They sold their home in Colorado and have moved back to Santa Barbara.  We were so happy to see them and be able to continue to use their service in picking up the food from the Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch Restaurant.

We didn't stay as long for lunch because UCSB was having freshman orientation and that included lunch at the park.

It is important to have "both feet in" and be anxiously engaged here as a missionary.  The missionaries are jumping in with both feet and saying "I'm committed!"

Many hands make light work.  This made the unloading of the luggage much easier than in transfers past.

CVM Target

Missionaries,

Today is a wonderful time to be a missionary representing Jesus Christ.  Our message is clear.  Our message is true. Our message is vital to the salvation of souls.  May we all understand the critical work that we are doing.  Let's pick up our pace as we go about our daily activities.  We can't out run the Spirit, but we can accelerate to keep up. 

Our CVM Target for this transfer is "We urgently desire the salvation of souls!"

We love you!!  It is wonderful to welcome 15 new missionaries to the Great California Ventura Mission.  We will miss the 20 missionaries who are returning home this week.  We pray for all those missionaries who have returned that they will remember the wonderful times of being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Clean your apartments so that those who will live there tomorrow will be able to put their things away without having to pick up or clean so that they can go right to work. 

We love you all!  Pick up the pace and use all of the time that you have while serving the Lord. 

Love,

President Felix

Medical

Sister Burton, Sister Powell, Elder Burton

We met with the area physician, Elder/Dr. Burton and his wife on Thursday.  Sister Powell is a newly called nurse helping us in the mission.

Sister Powell is such a delight.

Young Bro. Petersen will be serving with Elder Routledge and Elder Gregory in the mission for 2 1/2  weeks.  

Letter from President Felix

What a revelatory experience it was to be with you all and meet with Elder and Sister Grow and to feel of their spirit and love of the work of salvation.  I would ask that each of you review your notes of what you felt you learned during this zone conference.  I learned that "Hastening of His work" really has urgency written all over it.  We need to understand Preach My Gospel and apply the scriptures therein with those that we teach.  It may be hard to hand off the investigators who are not making progress to the ward missionaries, but we need to be productive with our time and not just visiting because they like us.  I urge each of you to reassess your efforts in planning, finding, teaching, working with members and ward leaders.  The Lord will bless us going forward. 

Please be safe in all that you do: where you go, how you drive, always be with your companion, avoid any communication with members of the opposite sex within the mission, no one other than missionaries should ever be in your apartment with you, and do not accept money or ask for financial assistance from anyone other than your family. 

If returned missionaries call you on the phone or visit you, please ask that they respect your time and purpose. Communications with them should only be on 

P days.

I feel that we have so much to do that there is no time to let down.  We are missionaries of the Lord Jesus Christ in all places, in all things and at all times.  We pray for you multiple times per day.  We are disappointed when others report issues regarding our missionaries not acting as missionaries.  We love you so much and we know the sanctity of your calling.  Be the best you can be. 

There will be double digits in baptisms this week and the Lord is pleased with these souls entering into this sacred covenant.  May the Lord bless you all in His service,

Love,

President and Sister Felix

Mission Tour

Elder C. Scott Grow and his wife trained us for the mission tour this year.  He is in the First Quorum of Seventy.  He has so much experience and we were blessed to have him here.  Sister Grow had a lot of good insight as well.  

He focused his efforts on hastening the work and the urgency of what we need to do--baptizing, reactivating, and working with ward councils.

He took time to train the stake presidencies and their wives in two separate dinner/meetings (one for the south part of the mission and the other for the north).

Simi Valley Zone

Elders Hull, Wickern, Sister and Elder Grow, President and Sister Felix, Hermana Garza, Sister Berry, Elders Bailey, Lallatin

Elders Routledge, Gregory, Gaylor, Hamson, Fernandez, Hall, Harper, Stout, Hermana Griffes, Sister Giambattista, Elders Chatterton, Haines, Bawden, Cantrell

Thousand Oaks Zone

Elders Kuepper, Willis, Weiss, Sister and Elder Grow, President and Sister Felix, Hermana Frias, Elder Leavitt

Elders Hortin, Gibb, Simpson, Forson, Sisters Guthrie, Blake, Elders Parkinson, Powell, Hermana Clark, Elders Potter, Goad

Newbury Park Zone

Sisters Barnes, Rasmussen, Sister and Elder Grow, 

President and Sister Felix, Hermana Tauiliili, Sister Reneer, Hermana Pirir

Sisters Evans, Woodland, Elders Morwood, Anderson, Boyce, Jones, Dorius, Campbell, Hermana Jeronimo, Sister Dearden, Hermana Cuevas

Carmarillo Zone

Hermana Johnson, Sister Olsen, Hermana Keith, Sister and Elder Grow, President and Sister Felix, Hermanas Eames, Brown, Miller

Hermana Wixom, Elder Young, Sister Wilson, Elder Rasband, Hermana Winn, Elders Bradley, Reed, Robinson, Fagan, Agle, Snyder, Fyffe, Deem, Hurst, Deschamps, Law, Toa, Fernandez, Lemus, Garcia

Elder and Sister Stewart

We are singing Called to Serve to the Simi Valley Stake Relief Society who hosted the lunch.

San Luis Obispo Zone

Elders Payne, Mackay, Peterson, Sister and Elder Grow, President and Sister Felix, Elders Comin, Stewart, Ruby

Elders Willis, Magoon, Jones, Pace, Dusara, Summers, Sisters Ulassin, Thompson, Hermanas Young, Ricks, Sisters James, Harrison, Elders Walker, Tufts, Waite, Rosenlof

Santa Barbara Zone

Hermanas Soriano, Green, Sister Israelsen, Sister and Elder Grow, President and Sister Felix, Elder Bautista, Sister Orme, Hermana Zarate

Hermanas Shepherd, Clark, Sister Angimarau, Elders Driggs, DeCosta, Leavitt, Martin, Gardner, DuPlessis, Morrell, Santos, Brown, Gruwell, Bartholomew, Clarkson, Moreno, Gregory, Sister Brown, Hermana Wallace, Elder Herrera

Ventura Zone

Sisters Hiapo, Boring, Elder Robinson, Sister and Elder Grow, President and Sister Felix, Sisters Scoresby, Beatty, Coombs

Elders Hale, Gray, Hatman, Corbridge, Liddiard, McKinley, Davidson, Sorensen, Barlow, Lucas, Slaugh, Klingler, Garrard, Hermanas Miller, Hurley, Newland, Huey

Elders Kanenwisher and Yager (at the back)

Santa Maria Zone

Elders Mulford, Carpenter, Hermana Bennion, Sister and Elder Grow, President and Sister Felix, Sister Deitos, Elders Herrera, Fridal

Elders King, Dort, Hermana Killpack, Elders Hunt, Fisher, Beus, Sister Hunsaker, Elders Hidalgo, Lopez, Parrish, Navarrete, Elkington

Sister and Elder Floyd

Moms of missionaries provided the lunch.

2 more

Two more missionaries headed home on Wednesday.  Elder Cavazos's home is in Texas and Elder Phillips lives in Idaho.

We will miss them!

Elder Pace, Elder Cavazos, Elder Peterson, Elder Phillips, President and Sister Felix

Elder Pace will be serving with Elder Peterson.  It will be interesting as Elder Pace has been teaching in English and Elder Peterson was called to teach in Spanish.  They are in an area that has both. We're sure Elder Pace will pick up the Spanish.