Memorial Day Service Project

Every year the Serramonte Ward, along with many other groups, helps place tiny flags on all of the 116,000 grave sites at Golden Gate National Cemetery. Saturday morning, Tom and I were at the cemetery at 7:30 AM and left just before 10:00 AM to prepare to go teach English to the Chinese. Our group had not completed placing all the flags in our assigned area when we left.

We learned that there are 131 National Cemeteries in the US.  Never before had I visited a national cemetery. Many of the servicemen have a spouse buried in the plot with them. The rows of headstones go on and on and on. So very many have made sacrifices that I can enjoy freedom. How blessed I am.

Modified Assignment

Elder and Sister Leavitt have arrived in the mission and been given Golden Gate and Bay Wards as their assignment. Tom and I are relieved! It was impossible to adequately cover all five units. now we can concentrate on Serramonte Ward (Filipino), San Francisco 7th Branch (Chinese) and Le Camino Ward (Spanish.) As it is, our units are spread over quite an area and use 3 different chapels.

Presently we are teaching two investigators: Jennifer Tobin who hired an LDS nanny about 10 months ago and liked what she saw in her and Julie Neva, an immigrant from Russian, who is an artist and became friends with an LDS singer. Both are wonderful women and we treasure the opportunity to teach them.

We're also busy teaching Lydia Hernandez the new member lessons, working with several inactive families and continuing to teach English to the Chinese three times a week. All in all, it keeps us thinking about what each person needs and happy because we are busy.

Does the Wind Blow in Pacifica?

Elder and Sister Brighton, the director of the Visitor Center in Oakland, and Sister King, the new mission nurse, came for a walk on the beach and dinner. The picture shows how windy it is here.  Good thing I was raised in windy Southern Alberta.

Sister Lee is 23!

Sister Lee wanted to come to our apartment for her birthday dinner. All the district came. We ordered a cream/sponge cake with macadamia nut paste center from a Chinese bakery. She loved it!  The young elders got creative so everyone could be in the pictures. Note the up-side-down water glasses and the line-up of cameras.

Entertainment

Some of the YW of the Branch did a Chinese dance and our young missionaries put on  a skit. Bobby, who was recently baptized, "MCed" the evening and had so much fun entertaining everyone. He used to work as a tour director and he brings plenty of enthusiasm to the job.

Our students were anxious to bring food to us, or fill our glasses with water etc. It was very touching how they wanted to serve us. It was clearly evident that they appreciate English class. And we thoroughly enjoy them too!

Daophin, Bill and Elder Chan.
Daophin came a little late so he wasn't in the first group picture.

From left to right: Jin Yin, Susan, MJ, Tom, Sue and Bill

Branch Conference

This coming Sunday is the Chinese Branch Conference. Friday evening the Branch held a dinner and program to celebrate. President Dillender, Stake President of the San Francisco West Stake, was there to enjoy the evening. We asked our English class students if they wanted to attend or to hold regular class. The majority preferred going to the dinner and made us promise to only speak English at our table so they could continue to learn. That's an easy agreement to keep. English is the ONLY language Tom and I speak! There was LOTSand LOTS of food and the students had a good time.

Some of the Best Gifts!

Elizabeth, Rachel, Hannah and Sarah sent me a book for Mother's Day. They each (with the exception of Sarah) read me a page. As I turn the pages of the book, I can hear one of them reading the message to me. Their voices are easy to recognize. It's a fun and loving book and a new favorite of mine. They also included a necklace in my package. I'll be more up-to-date than usual. Thank you so much!! I also adore the LOVE notes.

Missed picture of the patio door before the work project!

The Apartment Project: before and after

This Week's Project

The mission is welcoming a new nurse. Sister and Elder Heaton have returned home after serving their 18 months and with over 200 missionaries serving here there is always a need for medical advice. Apparently a single, senior sister who has retired as a nurse is coming this next week and an apartment needed to be prepared for her. So, they asked Tom to work on the apartment upgrade project.

Thankfully two other couples were willing to help us. All six of us spent the entire day on Monday cleaning and repairing the apartment. On Thursday the Whites returned again with us for most of the day. Then today, Friday, Tom and I spent about one and a half hours there finishing up. The cleaning crew consisted of Decker and Gloria White on the left, Hayden and Cheryl Lambson in the center and us on the right. You may want to google Hayden Lambson. He's a wildlife artist.

Mother's Day Flowers

Beth, Randy and family (Ashlee, Kayla, Nicole, Gavin and Ethan) sent me this lovely bouquet and chocolates for Mother's Day. It was a wonderful gift. Sure do love those Browns.

Elder Ho is 20! Happy Birthday to You!

After our District Meeting Tom and I took our missionaries out to celebrate Elder Ho's 20th birthday. This place served authentic Chinese food.  Some of it was very new to me. Elder Chan is standing with Tom and me. He is our District leader. Seated from left to right is: Elder Wu, Elder Ho, Sister Kwun and Sister Lee. Elders Chan, Wu and Ho all knew each other back in Hong Kong. They are enjoying being together as a threesome right now. Sister Kwun is a wonderful pianist. She played at the special meeting on Saturday the 30th. Many, many of the young missionaries play very well, but she is tops. Too bad the seniors don't have a good pianist, and I get called on as a result of that.  Sister Lee was born in Singapore and lived there until she was 9, but recently she has lived in Utah. All the Chinese missionaries play some musical instrument well. Elder Chan the violin, Ho the flute, the rest the piano. They are all dedicated missionaries and wonderful to work with.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Saturday, April 30, 2011 the CA: Oakland/ San Francisco Mission held a special meeting.  It was unlike any other meeting held so far during the term of Pres. Wade and he has been serving here over two years. Pres. Wade stated that he didn't have authority to call ALL the mission together, but Elder Russell M. Nelson did and he arranged for all the missionaries to meet at the Interstake Center on the temple grounds from 2:00PM until 5:00PM with him, Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy, Bishop Richard C. Edgley of the Presiding Bishopric, Larry Wilson of the 2nd Quorum of the Seventy and Robert Packer, the local Area Authority.

Each of us, well over 200 missionaries, was able to shake hands with all the visiting authorities and hear a message from each as well. It was a powerful meeting. Robert Packer had accompanied Elder Bruce C. Hafen to Hillsboro when Tom was released as stake president and he remembered coming and that there were members in the Hillsboro Stake who refer to Tom as "Atticus." That shows a remarkable memory; however, it was his first assignment as an area authority which no doubt made it more memorable for him.

Following the meeting, the whole mission had a photo shoot. The mission had arranged for risers in front of one of the fountains on the temple ground. President Wade had a bull horn and he directed,"Those missionaries over 6' 2" stand on the top." Then, " Next row, all those over 6'." and so on. The photographer was in a lift and took the pictures from about 15' in the air. The old and the frail sat or stood on the front row. That way we should be able to find ourselves when we see the picture. All in all it was a day I'll ALWAYS remember.