News from CAM                                                                                                         April 26, 2017

Dear Loved Ones All,

What a fun week!  Being a Senior Missionary has some fabulous perks!  But I will tell you about this weeks after I report on our regular missionary duties.  I got to repair 4 problem pants on Monday.  Well, actually two of them needed to be hemmed.  That requires hand sewing, which takes much longer than just re-stitching seams by machine unless it happens to be the seam just below the zipper or by the pockets of lined pants which also requires hand sewing, or trying to make new cloth in huge ripped holes.  What am I saying????  Most of it takes time.  J  

We spent quite a bit of time visiting people in different hospitals or care centers located in Tustin, Anaheim, and Garden Grove.  Most of the places are outside our area so the young missionaries can’t visit them, and not many of the members do, so we are about their only visitors.  Keith has been moved 3 times, and our Hungarian Lady has been moved twice, so it is a little crazy trying to keep track of them.  We also went to visit with members that we knew we could catch at home, some less active and others who just needed visits.  Multiple sisters had birthdays, so I dropped off cards to them that I took some time to make.  I actually like to make cards so it is relaxing for me, but I do miss my tools and supplies at home.

 Elder Macbeth did his executive secretary responsibilities on Tuesday evening as usual, and I went to the Family History Center.  If I am not down there by 7:15 pm, one of the ladies comes to find out what is taking me so long.  I guess they think that is my assignment on Tuesday evenings and that I need to be making my own file.  Maybe I’ll actually learn how to do at least some of it.  I have discovered that my memory on my kids, their spouses and children, and my siblings and their spouses is sketchy at best, and if they are not dead I am having to make phone calls to fill in the blanks in the group sheets.  Who knew that I should have brought that with me since Paul has that on his computer at home? 

On Wednesday morning we had our interview with President and Sister Taggart.  It is nice that they seem pleased with our service in our missionary service.  And they gave us permission to take some time out to be grandparents!  J  So after we served lunch at Mary’s kitchen, we hustled on down to Laguna Niguel, because our oldest daughter Jayann, had flown in the day before with our mission miracle baby and was at Brad and Becky’s.  It also happened to be Brad’s birthday, so we got to doubly celebrate with some of our kids, their spouses, and grandkids. I also baked my cookies down there for the missionaries the next day since Thursday was fully booked with District Meeting, hospital visits, stopping at the Mission Office to pick up a package, making and taking dinner to one of the ward members, and attending Book of Mormon class.  It is nice that it is well attended and we love it when we even have investigators there. 

Friday and Saturday we got to spend the whole time loving our kids and grandkids.  Baby Bridger is absolutely adorable so he fits right in with the rest perfectly.  It was super shocking to see how pale he looks coming from the cold north next to the darkly tanned California cousins.  Family is the greatest and so it is easy to understand why Heavenly Father wants us all to come home to him.  I also started the Black Forest cake for Brad’s birthday celebration dinner with the rest of the family on Sunday.  It is a major undertaking that requires at least two days, because the frosting walls have to season to accommodate the fillings.  Becky, Jayann, and I all worked on the cake.  We assembled a cherry filling layer first, then the chocolate mousse layer, then the whipped cream layer, and put the top cake layer without the final cherry filling, and frosted the perimeter before putting it into the fridge overnight.  Then we brought Jayann and Bridger up to our place (thanks Raine for the use of the Pack N Play) because I had to sing a solo at Sacrament Meeting the next day and I decided that instead Jayann and I would sing a duet.  We sang “How Great Thou Art,” and since she can harmonize so well, it was wonderful.  Elder Macbeth was concluding speaker.  It was fun to show Jayann and Bridger off since of course everyone has heard about our miracle “BMW.”   It didn’t hurt that he was the perfect little baby with nary a noticeable fuss the whole time.  I got to sub for the R.S. teacher and he slept through my entire lesson.  According to President Uchtdorf he was getting “the best sleep.” After a quick lunch, we went back down to Laguna Niguel to finish the final touches on the cake before Brad and family got home from church.  (They are the last ward in their building.)  When the cake is finished it weighs 17 lbs.   It is half the size that I used to make for Elder Macbeth’s birthday when all the kids were home and all our friends wanted to come have some of his cake.  Anyway, Brad and Becky had all the fixings for shishkabobs so it was a fabulous meal and the company was fantastic. 

The next day was our P-day so we brought Jayann and Bridger back again with us.  What fun!  But that is a story for next week.  Hope you all had as wonderful week as we did, and that this week will be as wonderful as well.

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