All Mission Conference and Transfers

Monday, January 31 was All Mission Conference in San Rafael. The ones in Eureka left at 2am to make it to the meetings. Also, we had new missionaries flying into Oakland at 9:30am. So transfers needed to be done the same time. And exchanging vehicles.  Whew!!!!!
Elder Kearon form the Seventies and Elder Packer from the Area Presidency were our speakers. They were actually the reason we had the day so full and on a Monday. We had a wonderful day of messages and being uplifted. It is good to meet these brethren and realize they are dads, and working men along with their callings. It was also good to have Sister Bunker attend. She has finished her radiation treatments and is starting to get some strength back. I still don't know how she has been functioning with chemo, operations and radiation. She and President Bunker have been blessed for their service.
We found out we had 60 baptisms in the mission for January - 21 last week.  We know 3 of those baptized in our Ward boundaries. I was asked to speak at a double baptism for 2 sisters and play the piano. Seeing new brothers and sisters and the joy on their faces strengthens my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm learning more each day.

I didn't get any pictures.....what a bummer!

Sacramento Temple

Sisters Bytheway, Stebar, and White. Elders Watts, Lybbert, Bisnet, Marriott, Roper, McMurray, and Williams. All great missionaries!

Today we took the departing missionaries to the Sacramento Temple. It was a great experience. We had never been there. It was like a miniature Mt. Timpanogos Temple. It was really pretty inside. It's 2 1/2 hours from Santa Rosa.

Friends and more food

Our first California seafood dinner was with a wonderful family - Gerald and Julie Gwin. Gerald is not a member, but only in name. They fed us some of the most wonderful crab, shrimp, molluscks, clams, and sauce and bread.. It took 2 hours to eat because of using your hands and talking while you enjoyed the cuisine. Good friends!

Pomo Indian Sister

 This is Sister Franklin. she is a Pomo Indian. There was an instant connection to her and her family. Her husband was branch president for the Lamanite branch when it existed. He has since passed away. I really love her and her family.

This is Tami Lucas. She keeps making quilts for all the general authorities. Her passion is genealogy. She has now been called into the Primary and loves it.  She and Adrienne are very close friend.

Elder and Sister Snow hand over the "Keys to the City - Office"

 Elder and Sister Snow have been handling the office  for a number of months. Elder Anderson has been handling the Fleet by himself. We won't be that ambitious. The Neuenschwanders are coming in March and the Murrays are here 3 days a week so we can have time to  visit and teach "our families". in the Stony Point Ward. The Snows are great people and hard workers. Hope we can fill their shoes. At least I can read Elder Snow's "poker face". He can't help but laugh when he is trying to put one over on the missionaries. Sister Snow keeps volunteering us for KP duty when all 200 missionaries meet. We've got to rope her in.

Senior Missionaries Social

OK, so we do socialize once in awhile. Let me introduce you to the group. From left to right:
 Elder and Sister Snow from Roosevelt, UT, going home on Feb. 8; Elder and Sister Neuenschwander from Star Valley, WY; President and Sister Bunker, our mission president (young aren't they); Elderly Elder Anderson and Sister Anderson, he's 81 and she was his sister-in-law until they married after her sister died...good people and better story; Bro and Sister Stewart, she's the Mission Nurse, and yes the picture tells all; Elder and Sister Murray, Service missionaries who served a full-time mission at the MTC during the time we were there and apparently didn't get enough of the office the first time so they are back. And of course us. All great people and good friends.  This was supposedly a birthday celebration for Sis Snow (Jan12 - 63), myself (Jan 13-62) and Sister Neuenschwander (Jan 26 - 64), but we think it was a farewell party for the Snows. The president was presented with a pair of yellow rain bike pants as a reminder that ALL missionaries are to come with rain gear. Lots of good food and a fun time. Thanks to Sister Snow for putting it together. (Even if it really was her farewell party).

Christmas Day!

 Notice the BYU hoodie I'm wearing. Some things you just have to get for yourself. I'm still in the BGS program at the "Y". They have put me "on hold" until after our mission. I hope I don't have to retake Algebra. Lots of gift cards for fun stuff. I used mine for clothes and a folding camp chair - a lounger (not like mine at home; one that squashes together).  Food gift cards have sure come in handy on long days at the mission office. We also got some copies of the Book of Mormon to hand out. Yahoo!

All I want for Christmas is a new tie!

Christmas Eve at Bishop and Dana Preston's house

Waiting for pie!

Preston Family

Elder Anderson in Bishop's Massage chair.

Enough with the pictures!

We were able to have dinner with the Preston family on Christmas Eve. Elder Jackson and Anderson were there also. Lots of good food, good friends, and music! Ben is heading to USC (not University of South Carolina!), and Bev is heading for Semester abroad. Davy is in 11th grade. Sister Preston is one of the best accompanist around. Bishop Preston is a great singer. Elder Jackson is a professional singer and Elder Anderson is a professional Jazz trumpet player. They are the 2 oldest Elders in the mission...besides Elderly Elder Anderson.

Max's 1st Birthday and Lisa home from the hospital

Really?! This is all mine????!!!!

We were still at Lisa's and Tyler's when Max turned 1. Once he found out he wouldn't be in trouble for sticking his hands in the food, the cake was a goner!

Home in St. George

I had a request to publish a picture of our home in St. George. I think it is so the missionaries here can find it when they come to visit. This was the day we left for the MTC in Oct. 2010.  Need an address???
2315 S. Camino Real
Washington, UT 84780
We sold our home in American Fork the week we got our mission call. The Lord does have a BIG hand in our lives. The kids in St. George area found this house for us while Phil & I were at the beach. Long story, but we were able to purchase it and live here for a couple of months before we left for the MTC. The Bell's are living here til we get back.

Miracle

We made an emergency trip to Utah because our daughter, Lisa Hughes, had a life-threatening experience on Dec. 29. She was in a coma for 25 hours due to a heart condition. We had no idea what had happened, and neither did anyone else, as Tyler found her lying in the snow on their driveway. She has no memory of what happened. All we know is that we were told she was given a 1% chance of surviving. And survive she did! All the faith and prayers of family, friends, wards, and even people we didn't know brought her back to us. She's doing great now, with no lasting effects caused by her being unconscious for so long. The Dr.'s inserted a difibrilator into her chest so there will be an instant shock to her heart if she has another episode. I could tell a whole lot more about this experience, but let's just say God answers prayers and fills us each with hope. We stayed in Utah until we made sure she was OK, then we headed back to our mission in Santa Rosa California. 

Christmas Tree in our "Home"

Our little Christmas tree is just right in our apt. It looked pretty good when we put it up, but looks better now that we have presents under it from our family and friends. Thanks so much for the cards and gifts. We are having dinner with the Bishop and his family on Christmas Eve, after we deliver a few presents around the mission to missionaries whose families were late mailing out. We'll spend Christmas with missionaries and visiting.

Everyone have a GREAT CHRISTMAS!

Friends and Food

This is a family, or I should say 3 generations living together, that we had ribs with...and not even southern style. Ricco  loves to try out new recipes with meat and we all love eating. Grandma Raylene is fighting breast cancer after having had a quadruple bypass in January this year( and losing her husband in Dec of 09) and just had surgery on her eyes yesterday, and is having her gall bladder out tomorrow. Now, anyone want to complain about their health?

Oakland Temple

Phil with two ward member friends who drove Elders to the Temple...Les Wood and Jim Frasier.

Phil looking out over Oakland on a misty day. It has sure been raining a lot!

Oakland Temple

Once every quarter, we get to attend the temple. We went to Oakland this time. The missionaries are supposed to get a ride with members. We were taking our van, but at the last minute wound up taking the Mission van in order to take a couple of extra Elders who got stranded with no ride.



 

This was the same day we picked up turkey roasts that had been shipped to us by NORBEST via Leonard and Laura Beckham in Moroni. We served it at our Mission Christmas Conference. My camera went bezerk that day, so I have no conference pictures. Check out the Santa Rosa Mission blog to see them.

Ward Christmas Party

I got a few shots of our Ward Christmas Party. The little girl with Santa is Brynn, and the little boy is Heath. The rest are just group shots. Enjoy!

Crazy and Busy!!!

Crazy and Busy are the two words that should describe these last 2 weeks. We've been training at the office. And of course, it was the most hectic time of all. We feel like we've neglected our Ward friends, as we don't get home until late and then are working on projects until all hours. Jane isn't particularly happy about not having any time to visit and teach. She did get to play the organ for Sacrament Meeting on Dec. 19, our Christmas program. She's also been playing in RS or teaching Primary (she kept sneaking in and watching). Phil enjoys Gospel Essentials (Principles) and even got to teach one Sunday when the Elder who was to substitute forgot.

We've made a couple of trips within the mission to inspect apartments, and close a couple of apts. down so the missionaries could  move in with members. we're starting to really appreciate our little CLEAN apartment.

Transfer Day Dec 2010

Thought you might like to see Elder Kyler Walker from our Stake in Washington. His dad is Bishop of the 12th ward in Washington Fields Stake. "Hi! Mom and Dad, I made it!"

Transfer Day Dec 2010

Today was Transfer Day.....Again. This happens every six weeks. This time Jane got to figure out the "loop" while training in the office. Didn't have time for pictures because of orientation. We did get one of Elder Ames and Elder Ryan Williams (who looks like Russ with blue eyes) with us because Elder Williams was transfering out of our Zone. He had been our Zone Leader with Elder Ames.

Robert Silva's Baptism

Monday, November 29, 2010, Phil was able to baptize Robert. This very special young man has been taught by the sister missionaries, Stebar and Wang. Sometimes his lessons have been at our apartment. We feel blessed to have been a small part of his conversion.  His mother is not a member. She and Robert live together in an apartment in Santa Rosa.