Let's Start Here!

an uprooted redwood tree

I tried to get an image of how old this redwood tree was.

There were no whales this day.

It's really been too long since I posted anything, so we'll start with the Senior Couple's Activity Day. The full-time "old" missionaries took a trip up to Armstrong Redwoods Park and came back by way of Bodega Bay for dinner.

Oakland Temple Trip May 19, 2011

Elder Adamson, Sister Adamson, President Bingham

We were able to go as a Zone to the Temple on Thursday, May 19. It finally quit raining for one day. Some members drove missionaries, we took our van, and Neuenschwanders took one of the mission vans, so we could all get there. The temple president is President Hunter, a son of the prophet. He showed a group of them into his office to see the apron that had belonged to Brigham Young. Then we went outside for pictures. My camera died! I only got one picture. Hopefully some of the other missionaries will remember to send theirs to me. We always stop at a food court to eat on the way home. It isn't in a mall, just a place all it's own with every kind of food imaginable. While we were there, some people came up and bought the Sisters their lunch. The Elders were singing (Elder Volavola had his uke) and it was OK. It seems like most of them can sing and play the piano. All you grandkids keep up the piano lessons! The man in the picture with us is our Stake President, Perry Bingham. He's lived here since he graduated from dental school. He is from Utah and his wife is from Idaho.  She was in Tennessee visiting their daughter's family.

Baptisms

Sophia's Baptism

Sister Leyton and a member of the Spanish Branch - can't say or spell her name!

Natalie - a cute, cute girl (who is bending down for the picture!) in the Spanish Branch. She is going to BYU/ID in the fall. Her father was baptized a few months ago.

Our District leader, Elder Andrew Clark - Elder Volavola & Phil

Elder Connor Van Gilder, Elder Jordan Barrett, Elder Ben Johnson

And Elder David grin Bittner

We attend baptisms every week....even participate in most. We have some baptisms coming up with investigators we are teaching. This baptism was Sophia. Her mother was baptized 2 weeks ago. Elder Adamson confirmed Sophia in the Spanish Branch on Sunday because her mother speaks Spanish and English, but attends the Spanish Branch. We (Stony Point Ward) have Sacrament meeting at 9am - then Primary combined with Spanish Branch and other Sunday School lessons in either language. Then we have combined language YW, and RS & Priesthood in both languages. Then the Spanish Branch has their Sacrament meeting at 12:15pm in Spanish. I've been able to give copies of the Book of Mormon to Spanish and English children and YW/YM. It's great to see them read the testimonies written inside. One 11 year old boy is reading the Book of Mormon and studying with us every Sunday so he can be baptized. A great young man!

Camp Liahona (Girls' Camp) Service Project - Splitting wood and visiting the camp missionaries May 21, 2011

Lunch with the Camp Missionary Couple - the Hunts

Around the table - Sister Julie Neuenschwander, Elder Joel N., Elder Hunt, Sister Hunt, Phil, Sister Suzi Simkins, Elder Doug Simkins

getting out of the tree  - after the next "awkward" picture

Seeing if I could fit in the tree stump

Phil at the entrance

Elder & Sister Simkins (from Price & now Washington, UT (like us)) serving in Fairfield

The only way to get to the other side of camp

Captain Moroni Redwood tree - 2400 years old!!!!! Here before Christ was on the earth.

Santa Rosa Zone - April 2011

Our Zone leaders - Elder Jason Bohnet & Elder Michael McBride

Just so you don't think it's date night, Elder Erich Gardner had his arm around his disappearing companion. Left to right:  Elder Jordan Barrett, Sister bianca Gorder, Sister Audrey Hurd, (Elder Bringhust's chair), Elder Gardner.

Left to right: Elder James Miller, Elder Mark McMullan, our YSA Ward Sister Bethany Cottle, Sister Jessica Thurston, Elder Ben Johnson, Elder Barrett

Our Spanish Sisters: Hermana Eloisa Martinez & Hermana Natasha Leyton.

Elder & Sister Neuenschwander - the amazing Fleet couple from Star Valley.

Elder Morgan Jackson, Elder David grin Bittner, Elder Livai Volavola, Phil

Elder Gardner in the back - Our Spanish Elders: Elder David Manciati & Elder David Bittner (our nightly "Smoothie" visitors)

Our Spanish speaking group again - cheezy smiles!

The invisible chair companion - Elder Bringhurst with the Zone leaders.

Okay, okay. I know it's been forever since I posted anything. Here's some pictures of the Santa Rosa Zone as we finished Zone meeting before last transfers. Since transfers are happening again next week, I thought I'd better get a few snapshots up. We used to have Zone Meeting before District Meeting, but now it's on separate days. Our zone is one of the largest. We have 2 Spanish Elders and 2 Spanish sisters that cover a huge area. We also have the YSA Sisters that cover the whole stake. The YSA sisters come to our apartment every Monday morning at 7am to do their wash and email their family. They fix breakfast for us all and have a good Gospel discussion with Elder Adamson before we head out to the mission office. We're usually late because I can't get him to stop talking. He misses the Sunday night gab sessions with our family.Sister Cottle and Sister Thurston are great missionary sisters.

March Transfers and Departing Missionaries

Sister Beefelt, Elder Thueson,  Elder Adamson, Elder Abbott, Elder Reed, Elder Harper, Elder Bosch, Elder Webster      (kneeling) Elder Donaldson, Elder Elkins, and Elder Isaacson

I was taking some shots of missionaries at the Oakland Temple while waiting for the full group to gather. I wasn't going to include all the pictures, but look at Elder Thueson......every picture, posed or not, he's giving the "thumbs up". It's interesting to see how personalities come out at picture taking time. I marked the caption of the full group of departing. We missed Sis. Beardsley, as she left a week early. Sister Beefelt didn't quit smiling even though she was "a sheep among..."well, you get the picture. It's hard when you've not been without a companion for 18 months and are all of a sudden a solo sister. She held onto the fence and didn't quite know where to stand.


March Transfers were a change for the Mission. And a start for more changes. All transfers now happen on Monday. Departing missionaries get to attend the Temple on Tuesday....THIS transfer. Starting in June, the departing missionaries will go home on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. May and April, we have only 2 missionaries departing. But still have full groups of arriving missionaries. Schedules always change for the better after evaluation of what we do right and what could be improved on. Notice I didn't say what we did wrong. As long as you are trying to do what is right, you are never wrong. Good philosophy for life! (So grand-kids, always move forward by trying to do what is right!)

Pictures of some Friends in Stony Point Ward

Drivers Beware!

If you thought it was hard getting a driver's license, try getting approved to drive after having some violations. This is a Defensive Driving Course being held at the office for a few missionaries. There were other groups on another day. Don't let Elder Poulson's happy face fool you - it's a process they do not like.

Fun at Zone Conference - Right!

Elder Adamson with our smallest group of vehicles.

Inspecting cars at Zone Conference is a lot of fun - NOT!!! We have to check everything about the vehicle. I say vehicle because we have cars and trucks. The church wants all vehicles kept in good repair and taken care of because at 50,000 miles, they are sold and the mission gets a new replacement. Elder Adamson and Elder Anderson have been handling the Fleet department, but now that Neuenschwanders are initiated, they will take over, with Elder Anderson doing the job of getting cars ready to sell. Elder Adamson is the Office Manager, which means he gets to know everything and cover on days someone is not there. He also gets to do Transfers!

Seniors at Zone Conference

Sister Stewart - Mission nurse

Elder Anderson - Assistant Fleet, and Sister Anderson (Service Missionaries)

Sister and Elder Neuenschwander Fleet Coordinator and Secretary

And what do Senior Missionaries do at Zone Conference besides eat? Well, Sister Stewart teaches a section. Elder and Sister Neuenschwander teach a section. Elder Anderson shows a vehicle/Fleet dvd. And then we all go outside - rain or shine and inspect all the cars driven in that day!