First of all, transfer day is really a neat and special day! Yes, it's very busy. But it is also a very spiritually uplifting day. I love it! It's probably the longest day we put in. For instance, we left our apartment Tuesday at 7:05 a.m. and returned at 9:35 p.m. We get to do an orientation meeting for the new missionaries, attend transfer meeting, hand out packages, [and Elder Mecham is busy making sure bikes no longer needed are stored and bikes needed are located, mattresses moved into an apartment for a new tri-companionship, etc. etc.]; we check rosters to see if all the information is correct after transfers and if it is, get the mail out for the last two days, have dinner at the Mission Home, attend the departing missionaries testimony meeting, to name some of what transpires that day.
Sister Anderson and Sister Hulme.
They were serving in Santa Paula (we took them to lunch last week at the California Pizza Kitchen, but I forgot to take pictures that day - imagine that!). Sister Hulme previously served in Oxnard and helped with the keyboarding class. I surely missed her when she was transferred to Santa Paula. The Santa Paula Spanish branch meets at the stake center in Ventura, so we got to sometimes see these two on Sundays. Great sisters! Sister Anderson is still there, with new companion, Sister Foster.
Sister Hulme is now in Thousand Oaks with Sister Vandenhazel (right). They are training the new sister, Sister Sorenson.
Elder Schiess (departing AP) and Elder Garrett. We know Elder Garrett well, as he served in Oxnard for the first few months after we arrived. You should have seen him just pick Elder Schiess right up off the ground for a big bear hug. It is so fun to see the camaraderie between the missionaries :)
Elder Smith and Elder Haws, the (former) zone leaders in Camarillo. Elder Smith is still here with Elder Ipsen. Elder Haws has been here as a ZL in the Camarillo Zone ever since we arrived in April. This week he was transferred to Bakersfield East. We love him and we will miss him! I remember that he and Elder Rapier (his companion at the time) spoke in church our very first Sunday here on the mission. I didn't know either of them then, but I was impressed with both of them. They were so humble and bore such strong and sincere testimonies!
Sister Palafox and Sister Baker, just two of our great sisters in this mission :)
Did I ever journal the time Sister Anderson and Sister Hulme called to report they had a huge, disgusting bug in their apartment, and they were worried about finding more? Well, it turned out to be a Jerusalem cricket, and yes, they are huge and disgusting-looking. By the time we got there with a bug bomb, we found the poor creature dead and on the front sidewalk. It was hilarious to hear their tale. Sister Hulme saw it, screamed, and ran for the Raid. Then she couldn't find the bug. They both searched for the longest time before finding it in the closet by their vacuum. They killed it with the Raid. They were so freaked out about it.
Another time, they called Elder Mecham to report that their frig had a horrible odor. And it did. They had cleaned and scrubbed it. Elder Mecham and Elder Blue took it apart and wiped it out again to no avail. The sisters ended up being the proud users of a new refrigerator. Their old one was put in a garage, cleaned (again) with a bleach cleaner and left open to air out for several days. It now belongs to some unsuspecting elders who have no idea of its past history :)
My wonderful friend Brenda had surgery Monday morning. She had a staff infection that settled in a valve in her heart. They replaced the bad valve and did some other repair work on the aorta. She was able to go home Friday. Her husband, Gary, has not allowed calls or visitors until Brenda gets stronger. I spoke with him Friday and he said she was doing "great." Sounds like she was very sick, so I hope this surgery takes care of her problem and that she will soon be well again. Been keeping her in my prayers.
Another wonderful friend, Becky, was the go-between for me, the former co-workers at the FBI, and Gary, to keep us informed of how things were going. Then I learned that Becky was going through an awful time herself! She had some new dental implants, and things went very awry! Evidently the jaw bone became infected, and as a result there was bleeding around the implants and excruciating pain. She had to get numbing shots a couple times a day to just cope with the pain, plus she is on lots of antibiotics. She has dealt with terrible nerve damage in her mouth for years, and this just made things so much worse. So, been keeping her in my prayers as well
I was glad that yesterday (Saturday) we were able to attend the Los Angeles Temple, and I was able to put the names of these two dear friends on the prayer roll there. I feel pretty helpless to do anything, but I can pray for them!
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