Spring Back

2014 is a big year for the California Anaheim Mission...we now have IPads!
We were selected as one of thirty missions world wide to put them to work.
Elder Wade was in charge of this project for our mission.
This is the initial training for the MD'S
(Mobile Device Specialists)

This is serious business.

More IPad training. Elder Wade was in charge of training 220
missionaries how to use an IPad in only two weeks.  It was an amazing effort.

Not only do we have MD'S, we have back-up MD's
Here we have Elder Tollefson and Sister Aholeilei

Wait a minute...what's this Elder Wade doing here?
He's not part of the Anaheim Mission!

Saying good bye to two of our very favorites (I know, we say that all the time.)
Elder Barnes and Elder Ollerton

Elder Wade's body guards.  Gotta love our Tongan Elders.

Sister Bowen, Sister Moyes, and Sister Collett
Top secret mission stuff.

The best part of serving from home is still spending time with family.  Sonna and kids came
to celebrate Ruthie's birthday and it was such a treat.
Freshly bathed Luke enjoying a muffin.

Reggie and his favorite carrot bat.

Luke loved playing at the ocean.  

Reggie too!

But Reggie did not love sitting between the ladies at Knott's Berry Farm.

Luke was a much better sport about it, but then he's a good sport about everything.

Reggie, Sonna and Ruthie.

And another favorite heading home...Elder Prieto.  Far left is Elder Gallego, far right is Elder Curtis.  

We have a mission cat...we call him Moroni.  

We took Sister Meza and Sister Toronto out to lunch for Sister Toronto's birthday.
We love this sister.  She feels like family.

Couldn't have a blog post without our AP's.
Elder Weymouth and Elder Morin.
Cream of the crop.

Each month I ask one of the missionaries to be in charge of the bulletin board.  February was Sister Pendleton's turn.
Because of the new emphasis on Facebook, she designed the Savior's Facebook page.
Our mission has had eight Facebook baptisms:
#1 Japan
#2 Hawaii
#3, 4 & 5 Local
#5 & #7 Croatia
#8 Local 
Through the internet, wee currently have missionaries teaching in Africa, Japan, Korea, India, Vietnam,
Canada and all over the USA,
And we're just getting started.

We love our mission, but some days it can be a little crazy.
Most of all, we love the Lord and we love the missionaries. 
We are so very grateful for this opportunity to serve and for the message of the
restored gospel of Jesus Christ that is filling the earth.

In November we said good bye to an extraordinary missionary Elder Wadsworth.  He served as one of the Assistants to the President and did a superb job.  He was always calm and kind, even when there was chaos brewing.  

We had a few days off for Thanksgiving so headed to Henderson to spend
time with precious children and grand children, and to feast on Sonna's amazing cooking.

Ruthie, Riley and Reggie enjoying the feast.  They were each given a future missionary name tag to remind them of the important work they will do some day.

Tyler's dog, Baron hoping for a turkey leg.

After dinner we headed to the part for grueling game of kick ball.

Sister Wade with grand daughter Ruthie.

Walking home from the park.  It was such a perfect day!

Also said good bye to Sister Haffen. She was with us in Anaheim for several months
waiting for her visa.  It finally arrived and she headed off to Argentina.

The Christmas season brings with it mountains of packages for the missionaries.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, this was a normal day's delivery.
Sister Butterfield, Elder Rogers, and Elder Hyatt sorting it all out.

Elder Walker departed just before Christmas, but not before celebrating his birthday. Elder Colbert, one of his old companions baked him a cake just they way he likes it...without frosting. 

The official cake cutter.

Elder Sorenson, Walker and Colbert.

Below are Karin and Marty helping us put together Christmas gift bags. Many of our missionaries are far away from home here money is tight and shipping is expensive.  We knew they wouldn't be getting anything for Christmas, so these dear friends came to the rescue.  

During the holidays we worked at the Creche Exhibit put on by the Orange Stake.
It was an elegant event and the nativities were amazing.
For some silly reason, this is the only one we took a picture of.  The Moose Nativity.  

One of the joys of Christmas by the ocean.  Santa made out of sand.

One of the duties of being a missionary is helping investigators break some bad habits so they can get baptized.
Good work Elder Wade!

Half of the Anaheim California Missionaries at their Christmas Zone Conference.

Elder Morin is a giant missionary...both spiritually and physically.
We love that he's humble enough to pick up the feather duster and help out around the office.

His companion, Elder Hansen.  Together we call them the Twin Towers.  Armed with the
gospel and a feather duster, they are forces to be reckoned with.

Elder Stowers is modeling a suit that once belonged to Tynce Homer's deceased husband.
By divine intervention, it made its way to him and fits like a glove.  God really is
in the details.  Even the details of getting a new suit for a humble missionary who really appreciated it.

Christmas Eve dinner with Elder Wade's family.
Conda, Bekah, Jesse, Sister and Elder Wade

Conda and Bekah

We love being missionaries and are so very thankful for the opportunity to serve. 

Happy Birthday Elder Wade!  You are dearly loved, especially by your daughter, Savannah.

Some of the new friends we've made while serving a mission.  In the left corner is Bob, a decorated Korean War Vet. He and his wife, Karin, (who is taking the photo) teach our Gospel Principles Class and basically serve wherever and whenever needed. Across from Bob is Alex, a homeless boy from Germany whom Karin is helping get back to his family. Then there is our favorite investigator, Marty, and her good friends, Missy and Brad.  We were celebrating Ken and Missy's birthday and had such a great time.  So blessed to know these fine people and to bask in their goodness.

Marty, Alex, Missy and Brad.

November 18, 2013 "So Much to be Thankful For"

     

Saying goodbye to visa waiters is bitter sweet...especially this group. We're so very happy that their visas finally arrived, but so sad to say good bye. They were with us for over four months. I wish I could remember all of their names...Elder Flake is in the center and was a sweetie, Elder Afu is on the left and was notorious for taking up a lot of space.  The second from the right is Elder Cobb. He was notorious for making us laugh so hard our cheeks hurt.  

Sister Stanley and Sister Strickler were also visa waiters.
Both groups were heading to Argentina, but not on the same day.
The Elders left a day early as they would take an 18 hour bus
ride from the airport to the mission.
The sisters left a day later as they would
be flying from the airport to the mission.
We take good care of our sisters!

Don't you think these two Elders have an uncanny resemblance?
Elders Simpson and Snider.  They're so great!

We stopped by Marty's incredibly cool antique shop one evening to give her a blessing.
Ken, who dreams of being back in a rock band, managed to find this get up.
Marty titled this photo, "Hot Elder".

Not sure this is appropriate behavior for a missionary. ;)

Ollerton and Robison...two of the finest!
(How many times have they been pictured on our blogs?) 

One of our very favorites, Elder Graham.

Hyatt, Meza, and Kim...they thought it was purple tie day.

Marty and Dusty.

This is what Marty was taking a picture of.

Had to say goodbye to Elder Poffenbarger last month.  (Yes, that stunning tie is crocheted.)

And to Elder Kenning.  Transfer days should be called tragic days.
It is so sad to see the old timers go.

The Elder on the left is Tongan and named Elder Langi.  I've suggested that this Elder get
a job at the Polynesian Cultural Center as a statue of a warrior holding a spear.
He looks ominous, but is about as humble and kind as they come.
The one on the right is Elder Huber. We have both Samoan
and Tongan speaking missionaries in our mission.

These are our Assistants to the President, Elder Barnes and Wadsworth.
This is their little corner where they keep the mission running smooth.

Funny Zone Leaders...this is the box they use to deliver the mail to the missionaries in their zone.

Elder Butterfield has resorted to desperate measures to get the car reports turned in on time.

Another favorite, Elder Z.  He's gone home to Canada.

This was a gift to Elder Wade from Sister Whitney.
Below and on the right is Sister Whitney, and
yes, she is as crazy fun as she looks and
has also had some experience as a mud wrestler.

   

                                                                                 

We did manage to get out one evening and go bowling with Savannah.

November 15 was a big day at the mission office.
There are two other missionaries who celebrate their birthday on this day...
Sister Dono and Elder Monson.

Plenty of excuses to party!

This is what we found the office on the morning of November 15.  Such a fun surprise!

   

Gangam style Birthday 

         

To wrap up a perfect day, there was a
surprise dinner aboard the
Queen Mary.

              Happy Birthday!  Feels so good to be loved!

Elder Leon, Sister Wade, Anthony Depalmer, Elder Wade, Elder Tollefson, & Brother Reed

This is such a humble and lovable guy.

Clara's baptism with Elder Prieto and Ollerton.
We went with them one time to teach Clara.
She is a dear person who has been through so much.
So happy to see her embrace the gospel and move forward in her life.

They sang "Abide With Me" at Clara's baptism.
It was a little slice of heaven.

Here's another pair that look alike.  For the longest time
we kept getting them mixed up.
Elders Monson and Wardle.