History in the Making

The California Ventura Mission has been asked to be the "parent" mission for the new Bakersfield Mission - thus, we had a meeting with some of the staff from the San Fernando Mission - the other mission that is being split to form the Bakersfield Mission.  These lovely people traveled to our office Monday to review how we "do" things, so that when we turn files (including missionary, vehicle, apartment files) and board cards over to the new mission, everything will be uniform.  As every mission does things a bit differently, they will have to make some changes in the files they will be sending to Bakersfield.  We all agreed that it is exciting to be involved in assisting with the new mission. 

It will be hard to "lose" one third of our missionaries, though, never to be seen again in our mission.  But we know the hand of the Lord is in all this, and it will all be good :)

Elder Alldredge and Elder Lowry,

Assistants to the President, San Fernando Mission

(our Assistants met with them, but had left by the time we took pictures)

The Trumans, Elder and Sister Jeppson (senior office couple),

President Castro,

Elder Phillips and Elder Slayton (volunteers) - us

President is a gracious host.  We all met together (12 of us) and introduced ourselves and began the morning with a word of prayer.  Two and a half hours later, prior to the departure of the San Fernando staff, we again had prayer. 

Come June, our staff (Ventura) will train the senior couple who will be running the Bakersfield Mission.  We will have them with us for a couple of weeks, one of them being transfer week.  We know it will be a big responsibility to train this couple, but what a huge responsibility for them to be running a new Mission Office!