Schedule Change, Mormon Battalion, Safari Park

At the 2017 Worldwide Missionary Broadcast, it was announced there would be changes to the daily schedule of the missionaries. We love that it gives a list of things that need to happen during certain hours of the day, but the missionaries can plan and decide for themselves when to schedule everything into their day.

It will be a better schedule for them on preparation day to be able to get started on their activities two hours earlier in the day. The thing the missionaries have expressed great happiness over is not needing to plan at night when they are so tired. I love the opportunity this schedule gives them to go to bed earlier if they feel they need more sleep.

Another change was the reporting of the key indicators. Pretty much since we got here, Glen had run the number analysis to determine the most important key indicators for the missionaries to be concerned about and to report on and he implemented that change soon after we got here.

The missionaries seemed to have a bit of an adjustment with the change in focus of what he wanted reported, but the numbers supported the necessity to concentrate on new investigators and investigators at church which lead to baptisms. The contacting goal which they had been working so hard to achieve each day was no longer tracked.

When the announcement came for which of the key indicators were to be reported, they are exactly the ones Glen was focusing on with the addition of investigators with a baptismal date.

We watched the broadcast in Murrieta with that zone and the Temecula zone in attendance. When this announcement was made, the whole group of missionaries turned in unison to look at their mission president in awe and with renewed respect in his ability to lead the mission in the right direction.

Almost immediately he received this text from a companionship of missionaries in another zone.

The assistants told us there was the same reaction with the missionaries in the building where they were attending the meeting.

Just gives us cause to pause and give thanks for revelation as it pertains to individual callings and the people to whom you have stewardship over.

We had another group of missionaries complete their First 12 Weeks of training and so it was time to take them and their trainers to the Mormon Battalion Historic Site. But first it was a Mexican buffet lunch at Tequila Factory.

A few of the missionaries are ones that will be going home soon and have never had the chance to go to the Mormon Battalion.

We found ourselves with a couple of free hours on date night, so we decided to check out the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We got in free with our zoo passes. The weather had finally made a change from the unseasonable cold and rainy to a bit warmer and sunny. We just couldn't pass it up.

My niece told us you see an elephant every day if you look for it. Well, I can say this is the only elephant I have seen since the last time I was at the San Diego Zoo... So I'm not so sure I believe that saying.

This zoo differs from other zoos. On the 1,800 acres of land, the animals are exhibited in a natural environment rather than in cages.

There was a lot of cactus growing in this particular part of the zoo.

You can walk around the zoo or you can pay (a lot of money) to take different safaris. The balloon safari was not in operation because of the wind.

This warning sign throughout the park made me want to steer clear of veering off the path.

The African safari tram ride was included in the price of admission (or in other words was free to us), so we took the last African safari ride of the day.

We had such a great, relaxing and enjoyable time at the safari park. We will definitely have to go back again and again until we see it all. It does a body good to get out in nature once in a while.

Quotes of the Week

God's love there for you whether or not you feel you deserve it.  It is simply always there.
--Thomas S. Monson

Draw close to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Be of good cheer.  Keep the faith.  Doubt not.  The storms will one day be stilled.
--Joseph B. Wirthlin

The purpose of faith is not to change God's will, but to empower us to act on God's will.  Faith is trust.
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

We are the Lord's hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children.  He is dependent upon each of us.
--Thomas S. Monson

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Glen has been having issues. For quite a while now. For years in fact. After a couple of years of his shoulder killing him, he finally had surgery. That was two years ago. He never got full relief from the pain.

We thought he would need surgery again a year ago. MRI showed no need for surgery. Still having pain. Still annoying.

Flash forward another year to now. Shoulder still hurts. Pain is getting worse. He got another MRI.

We are sure he will need surgery this time. Ortho doctor said no. Try a cortisone shot and physical therapy. The cortisone shot helped a lot. He's now been to two therapy sessions and he is very pleased with the therapist and how it has been helping. Time will tell.

That's not the only doctor Glen has been visiting. He decided he wanted in on some foot doctor action since I've been spending so much time there.

He had his toenails yanked out several years ago and has claimed it was the best thing that's ever happened to him. He recommends toenail-less toes to everyone. He doesn't have to cut his toenails on those toes. His socks don't get holes in the toes anymore. He is not in pain. It's the best. So he says.

Except for the part that his right toe is growing a sliver of a nail that has been bugging him ever since he got his toenails yanked out. Which means for several years now. So he decided to go for it and get that yanked out and chemically burned once again.

Here is the finished look. YUCK!! I watched the doctor cram a gigantic wooden toothpick down into his nail bed. Three times! Getting all the chemical stuff to seep inside where the nail sliver used to be. It was DISGUSTING!!!

The good news is Glen says it doesn't even hurt. That is shocking after watching the trauma that was inflicted upon that big toe.

Let's move on to something more pleasant to look at besides a nasty big toenail-less toe. This would be Elder Ruhl who loves to take selfies when he gets a hold of my camera.

He was in charge of taking a photo of all the Spanish missionaries after our Spanish conference, complete with homemade tamales.

We have the smiling photo.

And then the serious face photo.

It was a very enjoyable day when Glen went to the mission office to do exit interviews and let me stay home to get some things done. I cooked up 8 packages of turkey bacon to put in the freezer. They are good to pull out when I need a little protein for a quick breakfast.

I was able to cook a delicious meal for him to eat after his long day at the office.

I was even able to get a much-needed haircut.

We found ourself with an unscheduled afternoon one day so we decided to make it a long date when we drove to the ocean and parked strategically so we could see the ocean from the comfort of our car.

The weather had been so rainy and windy and there were high surf warnings every day. We wanted to get a view of the high surf. We watched for a couple of hours. Glen napped during part of the time. I studied Spanish during his nap time.

We stayed long enough to see the sun go down. It was beautiful!

Glen had one of his super long coordinating council meetings on Sunday which meant I had hours to myself at home once again. I love it when that happens! Except for when I blow a fuse and can't for the life of me find the electrical switch box in this house. 

So I had to make do with no kitchen lights by bringing in lamps to light the kitchen so I could fix our Sunday dinner. The stove was working, so I had a light over the stove. And the oven was able to cook the chicken. It was annoying. Glen found the switch box outside on the side of the house by the garbage cans. 

Apparently it has been the wettest winter anybody has ever experienced in southern California. It has been one way to get the dead fronds off the palm trees.

Look at the size of that thing. A few of them can fill up a trash can in no time.

All the rain has sure made it green and beautiful around here. Even though it's winter, we still see flowers all around us. This is the view from the side of our house by the electrical breaker box.

I love where we live. As Klarissa commented when she saw this picture, "Looks like Hawaii." We are living in paradise. And we love it!!!

Quotes of the Week

The touchstone of compassion is a measure of our discipleship; it is a measure of our love for God and for one another.
--Howard W. Hunter

The Savior also offers an intensity, depth, and breadth of joy that defy human logic or mortal comprehension.
--Russell M. Nelson

Remember you are never alone.  Never forget that you are loved.  Never doubt that someone surely cares for you.
--Thomas S. Monson

Virtue is akin to holiness, an attribute of godliness.
--Ezra Taft Benson