April showers bring girls and babies!

What a great April Surprise!

Has it been a month since I posted? That just goes to show you, April was a busy month.  It started out with an interesting opportunity. We were asked to speak, along with 3 elders, to a group of Chaplains. They wanted to know about our beliefs and how our missionaries could help patients in their hospital. We got to tell them about the experiences that we had had with chaplains. They were such kind people. Thank goodness there are caring folks like them to help others through difficult times.


The Poway California Stake held an amazing presentation for anyone and everyone. Moses' Tabernacle was a life-sized replica that was open to the community to visit. On the evening that we chose to go, there was a multi-denominational panel discussion as to the pertinence of the tabernacle to their religion. There were many Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, and Latter-day Saints in the congregation. We heard our first "Call to Prayer" It was cool, but I don't think i could listen to it five times a day! It was so sad to hear, only a few weeks later of the shooting in the synagogue in Poway. The community was heartbroken.


We passed our background check! No skeletons in our closets. Now we can go to the consolidated brig for Wednesday nights' Bible study. This is where they send military men from all branches of service for "jail time." The Religious Programs' specialist said that most were in there for sexual assault. There were only two church members in our group, both good guys. I will admit that it was a little freaky when we left. We had to walk through the gym where a lot of big, tall, muscle bound prisoners were playing b-ball. I didn't know whether to smile at them or keep my eyes focused on the ground. The few guys sitting on the sidelines were friendly. No worries!

We've learned to be flexible. Some of our days have regularly scheduled things, but, often we get phone calls for help with newly transferred marines or sailors, or hospital visits, or other assignments. We've manned the visitors' booth at the temple, given rides, taken guys on outings and we even got to send off one of our marines to his 8 month deployment in the China seas. (We hope we get to see him again when he comes back.)

Sundays are exhausting. We start with an early morning Sacrament meeting at MCRD, then pick-up a guy a Balboa Hospital and drive north to a YSA ward that starts at noon. (The nice thing about that is that they always have a meet and eat afterwards!) THEN we drive back down to take him home and get back to our apartment at around four o'clock. What do you think we do then?
                        A) Study "Come Follow Me"
                        B) Make a nice Sunday dinner
                        C) Take a nap
                        D) Veg out and Facetime our kids

The BEST part of the month was my birthday! My cute gals and two grand babies came to visit. Abby and Manina were here for a few alternate days, Rachel and Mikaela and Harry and Alice stayed for all the fun. We ate a lot, went to the beach and the harbor, visited the Carlsbad Flower Fields and just enjoyed being together.

Can't wait to see what May brings!

We love our mission and are so thankful to be in beautiful surroundings working with wonderful military, missionaries, and members. What a blessing the gospel is in our lives!!

(by the way, D)