Christmas 2023, Baptisms, Newport Beach Temple

 Ahhhh!  We are finally to the last day of the year in 2023 - What an interesting year this has been!  From the normal life in St George for half the year, and then whisked away to a new life as Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chula Vista, California serving a highly active group of Young Single Adults.  Our association with this amazing group of Young Adults has caused us to have greater hope for the future.  The young Missionaries have great faith & amazing testimonies of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel - we are continually uplifted by their purity & the consecration of their FULL time in gathering Israel!  

Christmas was the first of our week - Monday - so we decided to host a Christmas morning breakfast for 9 of the young Missionaries in our small apartment, so that they would have a small "family" type get together first thing in the morning.  Debbie made plenty of egg, sausage, and cheese quiche for all of us, and then a pile of pancakes with REAL maple syrup and butter.  After breakfast was cleared up, we all sat down & shared with each other thoughts & impressions we had about Christmas & Christ!  It turned out quite nice & brought a beautiful spirit into the room.

For Debbie & I, the Cello case became our Christmas "tree" with a couple of Amazon gifts at the bottom; simple but comforting that we were here striving to bring Christ's gospel to others - the true meaning of Christmas!

Following breakfast with the Young Missionaries, we ended up throughout the day visiting family using skype, face-time, & messenger - ah, the wonders of technology!!

It was meaningful to still share some time with each of our kids & grandkids - It was fun to feel of their enthusiasm to give & receive gifts.  One particularly funny 2 year-old granddaughter (Tilly Hardy)  was so completely enamored with her yellow & blue "Snow White" dress AND purse that she couldn't stop smiling & twirling!  I had a feeling that if anyone had tried to take away her new purse, she would have yanked their arm off to prevent it!!  No way was she letting go of it!

We decided to try something new for Christmas dinner, so we found a Himalayan restaurant that was open Christmas day with some wonderful dishes of Salmon, rice, vegetable dumplings, and some kind of special sauce - all very delicious!

Most of the weekly YSA activities got cancelled because most of them spent Christmas with their families but we were able to participate in several baptisms.  One of them was a young Hispanic Single adult who had wanted to date the Elder's Quorum President's younger sister and as the story goes, the EQP said it probably wouldn't happen unless he got baptized!  Well, it started the young man taking the Missionary discussions & developed into a spiritual experience for him, so he decided to get baptized!  Fortunately along the way, he developed a testimony of the restored gospel, not just a desire to date the EQP's sister!!  

The other Baptism we got to experience was with our Grandson Gideon Kirkman via Face-time.  As an 8 year old, he was excited to have his Dad baptize him & his family support him!

We did manage to get up to Newport Beach Temple to enjoy the Lord's Spirit in His Holy Temple - The Temple helps us to focus on what really matters in this life & God's plan for us to follow.  We are thankful to be able to go!

One of the most enjoyable activities we experience here is helping to teach the friends of the Missionaries - we had two lessons with them & 2 different friends, both progressing towards baptism.  They have good questions, and really appreciate the truths they are learning about God's restored gospel & His plan of Salvation for His children.  The simple truths starting with who they really are (children of a loving God) & the truths about our Heavenly Father & His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are game changers for them.  The world is so confused about the nature of the Godhead, but the reality & simple truths that we know brings peace and helps us develop faith in God!

We wish all of you peace & joy in the year to come!

 

From the California San Diego Mission, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.  Love, Stan and Debbie

Cookies, Caroling, Cello, Coronado and more...

One of our favorite family traditions for many many years has been to go Christmas Caroling.  We asked the Elders and Sisters to join us this year.  We had a choir of heavenly angels going from door to door to bring the Christmas spirit to whoever would open their door.  We made four batches of cookies to take as a gift to those we met.  Stan made up a page with scriptures from the Bible and the Book of Mormon that prophecy of Jesus Christ's birth.  We made copies of this along with a copy of The Living Christ and rolled them up in a scroll to hand out with the plates of cookies.  Some people were very grateful for the homemade cookies as well as the messages of Christ. Others, well, not so excited to have a group of young adults caroling to them.  The funniest one was a couple who were obviously on the other side of the door. We could see the husband watching us from the stair landing, and the wife standing in their entryway, but never opened the door.  Maybe they just wanted to listen; who knows!

We also wanted to give a gift to our pickleball friends.  We have shared messages about the Church, Jesus Christ and what we're doing here with many of the people we play pickleball with, so naturally wanted to share a Christmas gift with them.  Each person received an ornament with a name of Christ, the handouts I described above, and a bag of candies.  They seemed to be very grateful.  One lady came up to me the next day and told me she really liked reading the words about Christ. She said that there isn't much said about Christ at Christmastime anymore, and she was grateful for the reminder.

We invited the Elders to pickleball on our P-day.  Some of our pickleball friends enjoy it when we bring the missionaries with us.  Stan has fun teaching them the game, and then beating the youngsters!

Stan performed at the Mormon Battalion for the third time this month.  The Battalion sponsored a Christmas concert every Friday this month.  About an hour before the concert, the missionaries would walk the streets of Old Town San Diego (lots and lots of people on the streets on a Friday night) talking to and inviting people to come to the free concert.  They usually had a few takers.  It's been a great opportunity for Stan to be part of the mission music crew!

With Christmas near, things have slowed down with the young adults.  Many of them have left to go home to their families for the holidays.  We did have a fun White Elephant gift exchange at the Bishop's house.  The craziest gift was one that one of the Elder's selected.  It was a pink fanny pack that had the image of a man's hairy belly button on it.  The poor Elder couldn't get anyone to "steal" it from him, and ended up taking it home. I don't think he's going to put Books of Mormon in it to hand out to people!

Since we didn't have Institute this week, we decided to drive over to Coronado Island and look at the lights at The Del (Hotel del Coronado).  The Del was built in 1888, and was "considered an architectural masterpiece.  Outfitted with electricity and every modern amenity, The Del was a destination resort before the term existed."  

We enjoyed a lovely stroll around The Del, watching the changing lights, listening to the Christmas music, and being amazed at how lovely the temperature is here in December!  No need for winter coats here!

It's hard to be away from family this time of year, but we feel grateful to be able to share a message of Jesus Christ with those we meet.  We've noticed that there is very little if anything about Jesus Christ in the stores, or displayed on people's front yards. Occasionally we'll see a Nativity on a front lawn display, but it's not very common.  Everyone says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".  In talking to people, we find that there are others that feel the same way we do.  Let us not be afraid to speak of Christ in our homes and with our friends and neighbors.  

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord."  Luke 2:10-11

You need Jesus! , Mormons worship cows in the Temple?, Another Great Granddaughter! Jay gets baptized.

 This has been an interesting week!  I woke early this morning thinking about the young single adults that we are trying to help along the way; but in particular, those that perhaps are considered "outcasts" of society that have found their way into the gospel net that is spread wide.  We had our young single adult institute "Christmas" party last night, & we met a young lady who is now 24, has been in and out of the foster care system for many years, has been in trouble with the law in various states,  has failed 3 times out of college trying to go to school, and has had a very messed up life.  In almost every way, she is an outcast of society; yet her Mother, that she is temporarily back living with, told her "you need Jesus" and referred her name to the Missionaries earlier this year.  After being taught by the Missionaries, she was baptized a member of Christ's Church and became a  member of the Young Single Adult Ward.  She is trying to piece her life together, start on the pathways BYU program and find steady work so when she leaves the government help program in a year, she won't become homeless.  Yet despite her troubles, she is smiling and has found a home with the group of diverse Young Single Adults, all trying to "find Jesus" like she is.  It is a testimony to me that our kind, loving Heavenly Father & His perfect Son Jesus Christ truly love all of us, and certainly his "lost sheep" just as preciously.  The discarded, downtrodden souls who seem to be forgotten are sought after by a loving God!  It reminds me of the parable of the lost sheep & the Savior seeking after, finding, and carrying the lost sheep back to the fold on His shoulders.  Truly the outstretched arms of the Savior continues "all the day long".  I can't help but feel grateful & even guilty that I was blessed with such loving parents & a family who cared for me so much to provide such a wonderful start in life!  As a funny side note, this young lady is now trying to get her Mom to come to Church, but she said she won't come yet until she finds out that the "Mormons don't worship cows in their temple"  I had a good laugh when I heard this, and then shared with her a picture of the temple baptismal font sitting on the backs of 12 oxen explaining that we don't worship cows, but that the oxen are a symbolic representation of the 12 tribes of Israel!   

Another Young Man, recently baptized, shared with us that he was bullied & beaten by his Father earlier in life, but recently found the Church, was taught by the Missionaries, and has found meaning in life with the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  He was baptized just a few months ago & is so excited about his growth in the gospel & his future.  His life has greater purpose & meaning now that he has "found Jesus".   We all so desperately need to "find Jesus" in our lives because He can make so much more out of our lives, than we can make ourselves without Him!!  

Tuesday & Wednesday were both busy days for Debbie & I when we were asked by the Mission Leaders to help feed (with one other Senior Missionary couple) close to 80 Missionaries during leadership training & new Missionary meetings those days - we fed them ham, cheesy potatoes (funeral potatoes), tossed salad, rolls, beans & bacon, brownies and ice-cream.  It took most of our day during each of  the 2 days, but it was rewarding to meet some of the Missionaries!

The Young Single Adults had their Christmas party on Friday night so we enjoyed spending the evening with them - they sure love getting together & visiting with each other in such an accepting way!

Saturday morning, we were able to participate in the Baptism of Jay.  A month ago, we helped to give him rides to Church & Church activities when he asked us how he can be baptized into the Church, so we explained that the Elders could help him with that!!  So, yesterday, we gave him a ride to his baptism & had a wonderful time seeing how the power of God is manifested in the ordinances of the gospel.  Jay is from Haiti & finally got permission to emigrate to the United States on a 2 year work permit - he says things are bad & politically unstable in Haiti, so he is the first of his family to come to the United States - he lives in very humble circumstances in a house with several other Haitian people, sharing bathrooms and kitchen, and has worked at various jobs to help pay for the rent.  We got him in touch with Deseret Industries to help get some better job training & he seems to like it there.  He is hopeful to get the rest of his family to the US, but in the meantime, found the Missionaries & loves the Church & the Young Single Adults.  

We hit another jackpot this week with the birth of another great granddaughter!  One last week and another this week!  Freya Nagle was born this last Wednesday coming in at 6 lbs 14 ounces, 20 inches long & all 10 toes & 10 fingers!!  She is a cutie!  She wasn't due until early January 2024, but I think that Mom & Dad wanted the extra tax deduction this year!!

We are grateful for our Mission & are learning to love the Young Single Adults.

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread, Testimonies, Posada and Live Nativity, and an Apostle

Our new baby great granddaughter, Camille, is thriving and doing well.  I just have to share some pictures (can't be helped when you're a Great Grandma so far away).

Here's a picture of the proud Daddy, Shayden.

For Family Home Evening, we made gingerbread (graham cracker) houses with the YSA's.  It's the perfect time to visit and share with them.  While we were visiting with one of the sisters, we found out that she is a criminal investigator; she works for the Navy.  Now I know why she was so good at asking me questions!  I'll watch what I say next time (HaHa jk)

We attended two different testimony meetings this week.  At the last District Council meeting of the Transfer (every six weeks), we all share our testimonies.  Then, there is also a Departing Testimony meeting for the whole mission.  Those missionaries who have finished their missions share their testimonies.  It's a wonderful, sweet time to listen to the missionaries share their experiences of learning, growth, and leaning of their Savior, Jesus Christ.  Listening to these testimonies is a powerful witness to me of the inspired missionary program of the Church.  These young people gain so many life skills and experiences, as well as testimonies, that they would not receive without the hard and challenging experiences they have.

I mentioned that transfers were this week.  In the past, the missionaries would receive an email on Wednesday night telling them if they are being transferred, where they will be going, and who their new companion will be.  The President decided to change the protocol.  To prevent gossiping, they were only told that they would be transferred, but that was all.  Friday morning, all who were being transferred, met at the mission office building, found out who their new comp and area would be via an overhead screen.  I think this made it more stressful for the missionaries, not knowing for two days.  But, I get the reason.  Apparently there is some gossip that goes around when all is revealed two days before it happens.  Sometimes missionaries talk about other missionaries and tell things that might not be the most positive.  As our President says, he would not want to be judged by his worst day.  Neither would any of us!  

So our District changed quite a bit.  We no longer have any sisters - all Elders!  I will miss our Sister's at DC.  I love the Elder's too, just can't give them hugs.  

After the Transfer meeting, we went over to the La Jolla Institute building for lunch.  All the Senior missionaries who work with YSA's and all the Institute teachers were invited for this lunch.  The food was delicious and it fun to get to know some of the others working with the YSA's.  

When we drove up I-5 to the Institute we saw the San Diego temple off the freeway.  It is in a process of being remodeled.

That evening we headed up to the Mormon Battalion for the Posada, Live Nativity and music program.  A Posada is a reenactment of the journey Joseph and Mary  made trying to find an inn where they could stay and Mary could have the baby.  Near the Mormon Battalion, there is a street with historic homes.  This was the area used for the procession.  There was narration and singing as they went from house to house, ending up back at the Mormon Battalion where an outdoor stable was set up.  Mary, Joseph and baby, along with live animals, were staged for pictures and pondering by the onlookers on this momentous historic scene that changed the world forever.  It was really a beautiful and moving experience.  There were probably about 500 people following the procession.  

A stage was set up at the other end of the lawn and Primary children and missionaries put on a musical program with singing, stringed instruments, trumpet and guitar creating beautiful music about the birth of Jesus Christ. Stan was asked to sing in the choir.  We found out that there were hundreds of people from the community that came to this program.  They also had a service project set up, as well as hot chocolate and cookies.  It was quite an evening to behold.

We've found that Saturday afternoon is good for visiting, so we headed out with a list of names and addresses, bags of treats and a handout with a quote from Pres. Nelson.  We didn't have very good luck finding people home.  But we did have one success.  We found one young man home.  His mother answered the door and invited us in, when she realized who we were.  She invited her son in, and his girlfriend as well.  The young man's name is Hinckclair, which is an unusual name.  I asked him if he went by this name or a nickname.  He said he goes by Hinckclair, and that he was named after President Hinckley (an earlier prophet).  His mother proceeded to tell us that when she was pregnant with him (she was living in the Philippines) that Pres. Hinckley came to visit the islands.  When she was in the same room with him, she said the baby started kicking and moving around; she thought he was going to come right then!  So, that his why he is named Hinckclair.  Interesting story.  

Apparently he hasn't been to Church for awhile, but would like to come back, but he works on Sunday's.  We invited him to our activities and to Institute.  He attends college right across the street from the Institute, so maybe he'll come over for dinner and the lesson.  His girlfriend is a member, too, so maybe we can get them coming to Church again.

Sunday's can be a busy, but fulfilling day.  We started off with a Stake Missionary Correlation Meeting.  I'm impressed with the good works that are happening with the missionary work.  We have been asked to teach a Mission Prep class beginning in January.  This will be mostly high school seniors and young adults who are interested in preparing to go on a mission.  This should be a great experience.  We need to get the word out with some advertising, and work on lesson preparation.

We're also teaching a Temple Prep class in our ward.  I'm loving teaching about the temple and preparing the young adults to get a temple recommend.  It will be a blessed experience to go to the temple with these young people; I look forward to that day.

This evening we had the blessing of being able to attend a Devotional for the YSA's in the region up in Escondido, 45 minutes away..  Elder Gary Stevenson, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, was the invited speaker.  We gave a ride to our newly baptized Eric from our ward.  We had a delightful visit with this amazing young man.  He is so committed to Jesus Christ and His Church upon the earth.  He told us that he wants to be part of the Church for the rest of his life and into the eternities.  That's commitment!

Because the devotional was for YSA's, we sat in the very back of the cultural hall.  We couldn't even see Elder Stevenson, except on the screen.  He gave a wonderful Christmas message, quoting scriptures from the Book of Mormon that tell of the birth and life of Jesus Christ.  He reminded us that we only have two weeks until Christmas Eve.  He showed on the screen this picture of a Christmas Tree made up of words and phrases of things we can do for others. (Not sure if you'll be able to read the words or not.  Sorry.)

He invited all of us to think of what we can do to show love, share with others, and invite people to come and see what we're all about.  He encouraged us to do the things that we were thinking about in the next two weeks.  Not to let this time pass.  

At the end he bore a powerful apostolic testimony of Jesus Christ.  The spirit was palpable.  I wondered what I did to be so blessed to have been in that room with the young adults and Elder Stevenson.  It was an evening to remember.

Great Grandchild, Exotic Minivan RV, and Temple Prep

 Yea!  We made it through another week here in beautiful San Diego; voted the most expensive place to live in the United States!

This week was a very busy one, but our most memorable event was the birth of our 1st Great Granddaughter!!  Camille Agnes Nagle made her appearance on Friday, December 1st - 6lbs 7 oz, a week premature, but doing pretty well.  The happy parents are Shayden & Lexi Nagle.  There is nothing like the birth of a beautiful innocent child that brings gratitude, reverence, & wonder to an otherwise chaotic world.

We took advantage of our "P" day (preparation day) to do a bike ride around the San Diego Bay.  The weather was another 70 degree sunny day with a light breeze - boy, are we grateful for such a mild climate - as you can see from the photo below, it is like a paradise with the palm trees & sandy beaches!

On our ride, we came across a group of Marine recruits, jogging & singing on the way - we are blessed to have a dedicated Military out there helping to preserve our freedoms!

Along our ride, we came across a very interesting decked out Mini-van  - someone had quite the imagination!

The Young single adults sure like to play volleyball, so the Family Home Evening after starting with a spiritual thought, quickly morphed into some volleyball play for the rest of the night.  We then had the opportunity to sing some Christmas songs with the Chula Vista 1st ward. We were recruited, along with the YSA's, to prepare for the Christmas program (We will join with their Sacrament Meeting on Christmas Eve.)

At Missionary District meeting, since transfers were coming in a week, we took 6 of the young Missionaries out to In n Out fast food place to treat them before some of them would be leaving with a new area & assignment.  As usual, the young Missionaries were polite & grateful. - we sure have a soft spot in our hearts for these young "hero's" dedicating 2 or 1 1/2 years of lives at their expense to serve others & the Lord.

For institute,  Debbie made her Mom's recipe of home made Mac n Cheese - it was a hit as the YSA's gobbled it down.  It is always difficult to know how many YSA's will show up for institute, so we usually make a little too much & get people to take home some of the extra!  The regular institute teacher, Brother McKay is finishing up Elder Neil L Andersen's "The Divine Gift of Forgiveness", which has been an amazing course of study.  Near the end of the book, Elder Andersen counsels us as follows:  "The Greek word for perfection means completed.  We are completing ourselves as we continue the process of becoming.  Moroni exhorts us to 'Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him...that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ'.  If we find ourselves temporarily facing setbacks, we don't become discouraged.  We focus on our love of the Savior and His love for us, and we move forward.  Week by week, year by year, our repentance and resolve draw us closer to Him.  We become more loving, more obedient, more holy in our discipleship.  We feel the power of His Spirit upon us, and we know that our sins are being forgiven.  We pray that one day, through His grace, we might stand clean and pure before Him, our tears wetting His pierced hands and feet."

Wednesday had us doing apartment inspections again!  It seems to come around fairly quickly.  Two of our 5 apartments were kind of messy & dirty, so Debbie had to kindly correct them! Of course, Debbie spoiled them with some treats.  As we also expected, the Sisters seem to always beat the Elders when it comes to cleaner apartments!

After getting home from a Mission assignment on Thursday, Debbie & I had a few free minutes, so we decided to watch an episode of "Amazing Race", so we propped up an old chair to place my tablet on (we don't have a tv set in our small apartment), and sat down on a couple of squeaky old rockers next to it to enjoy the program.  After looking at us, we had to chuckle at the lack of luxury amenities in our "retirement".  Despite this, we seem to be happy serving the Lord, who with His Love mercifully compensates and blesses us as we strive to invite others to come unto Christ.

Saturday night, we had the opportunity to participate in the Senior Missionary fireside at the Mission Office in San Diego- many of the other senior Missionaries were there to enjoy the dinner, gift exchange, & fellowship.  Debbie got a simple, but pretty Nativity set; it was enjoyable.  I had to leave early to participate in a musical evening at the Mobat (Mormon Battalion Historic site), where I got to sing "Away in a manger" with a Missionary ensemble.

Sunday, Debbie & I started to teach a Temple Preparation class to a dozen YSA's during the 2nd hour at Church.  It is an exciting time for the YSA's to contemplate their progress on the covenant path by preparing to receive their own endowment in the Lord's Holy Temple.  They were curious & excited - we love teaching them about this upcoming event in their lives.  President Nelson has taught strongly about the importance of making & keeping our covenants we receive in the temple.  The ordinances of the temple are essential for us to be able to return to our Heavenly Father & live with our Spouse & Family for the eternities!

Later Sunday night, we enjoyed the 1st Presidency Christmas Devotional with our Stake with light refreshments afterword,  The Missionaries enjoyed a little fun doing a "live nativity" scene!

Have a wonderful week!