News from CAM                                                                                         February 1, 2017

Dear Loved Ones All,

The first month of this year is gone already.  How can that be when it seems like the New Year has just started?  On the other hand, Christmas already seems like a long time ago.  So what was accomplished?  H-m-m-m . . .  We have studied lots, made lots of texts and probably fewer phone calls since they are not usually answered, rendered service to various places, and mostly enjoyed the people.  I guess occasionally I felt frustrated with a few of them, but I am working on that.

It has been soup weather so I made a big pot Italian vegetable soup on P-Day and invited the Westergards over for supper.  There was still plenty left so the next day I took some to share with President and Sister Taggart when we went in for interviews. I am sure they have such a tight schedule that it was probably nice not to have to come up with what to eat.  Of course I included some of my cookies.  We also invited the Sisters for dinner after serving at Mary’s Kitchen because we were sent home with a couple of packages of fresh stir-fry vegetables and they didn’t have a dinner appointment that night.  Our ward has so few active members that there are many nights that the young missionaries don’t have dinner invitations.  I also showed them how to make elephant ears using the raw tortillas that we get from Costco.  All you have to do is fry them in oil, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and ta-da, puffy golden deliciousness.  Sister Matautia says they don’t have tortillas in Samoa, but Sister Benn said she could show her how to make Indian fry bread that would work just as well.

We have also been working on a better system of keeping track of who has received a visit from us and who hasn’t and some comments as a result.  The young missionaries use the Area Book on their I-pad, but it hasn’t been as useful for what we need.

We have made multiple visits to the hospital for some of our members, and continue to try to keep up with those whose health is not very good.  Some seem to be managing fairly well and others always seem to be in need of extra help. 

Because of the rain, the Santa Ana River actually looked like a river instead of a dry creek bed.  We took a picture of it rushing on past some “very Cheap Beach Front property” that I will have Elder Macbeth include in this e-mail.  Of course all the rain has to do is stop and in a day, maybe two, there is no water at all in the river bed.

I ran out of my acid reflux prescription because there was glitch in their refill ordering system which caused me a little grief for a few days until Elder Macbeth got that straightened out for me.  He is just the best companion ever!  J 

For some reason the young Elders in our ward keep having their battery die, so we have had to jump start it a couple of times.  Thankfully it has been when we were available.  So far they have be unable to pinpoint the cause of the dead battery.  We continue with the Book of Mormon Class with the numbers fluctuating, this past week mostly because of the rain.

Amazingly there have been no problem pants this week, but I do have a torn top that needs to be mended for one of the Sisters that I haven’t gotten to yet.  My P-day just wasn’t long enough so I guess I will just have to work it in. 

We attended a World-Wide Broadcast for Missionaries that was pretty awesome.  The Brethren are certainly inspired and their wisdom, and especially the instruction revealed from the Lord is timely and so helpful.  Some of the changes affect the young missionaries more than us, but it is so appreciated when things make it better for all of us.  The daily schedules have more flexibility, and I think that will help in working with the members as well as finding new investigators.  Because of the Broadcast we didn’t have our regular Districts meetings.  That meant that I didn’t bake cookies on Wednesday night.  That seemed strange indeed.

Last month we met with a less active member and his sister who was an inactive returned missionary.  She came home, married a non-member who is awesome but doesn’t attend a church, had a cute little daughter, but decided there was something definitely missing in her life.  She wanted to know how to become active again.  Of course we said the obvious, just go.  We invited her to come go with us to church that Sunday and were pleased that she came.  Her brother didn’t, but he works most Sundays.  Then we didn’t see her again for 4 weeks until we were in Costco picking up my prescription.  She was so excited to tell us that she has been attending the Spanish Ward for the last 4 Sundays and that her Bishop told her he thought she was ready to start taking the Sacrament again.  Also that her husband has started going with her and their daughter.  That was a tender mercy to meet her and hear such good news.

I have been put in charge of invitations and a menu for a “Getting to Know You Dinner and Fireside” for the new members in our ward.  So Saturday I spent the better part of the morning designing the invitations and getting Bishop’s approval so we could print them, fold them, and punch a design on them.  With Elder Macbeth’s help that was accomplished after the printer ink arrived in the mail just in the nick of time.  I’m sure that the Lord sometimes gets weary of our inefficiencies, but He blesses us so that we can accomplish what is needed.

While out making visits on Saturday evening I tripped over one of the cement strips to stop cars in a parking garage because the light was dim and I was looking up at the exit/elevator sign above the door and of course I didn’t even notice that Elder Macbeth stepped over it.  I went sprawling, my glasses flying one way and a shoe another way. But thank goodness he was in front of me to break my fall.  Imagine his shock as I tackled him from behind.  Of course I got quite a jar from the experience but up I hopped and continued on my way.

Sunday was Ward Conference and of course we needed to be to the church for Elder Macbeth’s early 6:00 am and 6:30 am meetings.  When I went to get out of bed I was so sore I could hardly move.  I even had to have help to get my nylons on.  Of course I took some Advil, and it took much longer to get dressed.  It was already time to leave so I had to take my make-up with me so I could put my face on after we got to church.  Thank goodness no one saw us when we went in so at least I looked decent by the time others saw me.  I also took a Tylenol in addition to the Advil to help me be able to move.  By the time Ward Council was starting I was walking slowly but more normally.  When we went to choir practice unless they knew, people just assumed I wasn’t in a big hurry.  By today I am still a little sore, but much more like my old self. The only visible indication that something was amiss is a tiny scratch on my ankle. We got to go to the Bishop’s house for a lasagna dinner Sunday night, and all I had to contribute was a tossed salad.  I also made Uncle Bob Westover’s favorite red onion salad dressing.  Bishop uses at least a third of a cup on his salad.  It appears he likes it, too. Following the instructions from my dentist has paid off in mostly resolving my TMJ problem.  I can eat most anything again.

All is well here in California.  We are loving having a mission miracle baby back home, and are truly grateful for all of the many blessings we enjoy.  Hope this finds you all well and happy and looking forward to a great rest of the week.

Love, Elder and Sister Macbeth                           Go!    Fight!!      WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!J

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