Sunday, June 25, 2017
San Diego Temple Pictures
Our First Month
June 25, 2017
It's another beautiful day in San Clemente. You certainly can't beat the weather (except it is 90% humidity today).
We have been working to get a good schedule in place for us to accomplish as much as possible. Tuesdays we attend graduations for our marines. Wednesday is spent working at the Navy Marine Relief Society helping marines with financial budgeting and loans. Thursday we volunteer at the Thrift Store and we will soon be driving to San Diego to attend Family Day with those who are graduating from MCRD (Marine Corp Reporting Depot--Boot Camp). Friday is spent texting marines and inviting them to Sunday meetings and tracking those who are in transit to Camp Pendleton. Saturday we have available to take marines to the temple or other activities. Sunday is our busiest day with meetings at 9 am and 7 pm. We soon will start attending the San Clemente Ward at 1 pm in hopes that we will meet marine families who live on base.
The most exciting event in the past few weeks was taking Hayden Felt and Todd Ecton to the San Diego Temple for an endowment session. It took the entire day but we loved it. The temple was amazing. They have an area in the temple that is filled with flowers. As you look through the skylight you are able to see the spires and the Angel Moroni. It is breathtaking. We still have family names that I found before we left (Thanks to Scott and Ivey for helping with the baptisms). So, it is exciting to be able to do the work for our family members in San Diego. It was a wonderful spiritual experience.
We love our marines and are thankful to be working with these outstanding young men. The number attending our meetings really varies. We can have 8 one Sunday and 58 the next. Wards take turns providing a home cooked meal in the evening. One night the ward brought one pot of chili and we had 58 marines. I didn't think there was any way they would be able to feed the entire group. At the end of the evening, there was still chili in the pot. It was truly a miracle.
We've been able to have dinner at our Branch President's home. President and Sister Stephens live right by the San Clemente Pier. Elders Fullmer and Bowen joined us for dinner. Sister Stephens is Japanese so she called the main dish sushi without raw fish (so it was a new dish for me). Elder Fullmer shared his talent of playing the bagpipes outside so we had an audience with the neighbors. He was really quite good.
Yesterday we were invited to Phil and Diane Wooley's house for a traditional "Awful Waffle Breakfast". It was far from awful. She made the most delicious lemon curd and the waffles were amazing. The Elders were there with us so we had a great time with them and their daughter's family.
People are so kind and generous.
For our P-days we were able to visit the San Luis Rey Mission and spend an afternoon at the beach watching the surfers (the water is really cold). The Mission was established by catholic monks in 1798. It has been restored and it is really lovely. Monks still occupy the facility and hearing their chants echo through the chapel was a unique experience. The mission system was actually built so there is one day's horse ride between the complexes. Travelers used them as inns as they traveled up the coast. The grounds are beautifully landscaped.
We're enjoying our apartment. Dad is working out in the fitness center and I'm actually enjoying doing water aerobics in the pool. It is a nice bonus to have the facilities so close.
We've been invited to the Mission Home for lunch today where we will get to meet Alex Boye'
(He is in town to do a special fireside tonight). Brad will be the fireside speaker at our marine branch at the same time. Brad has also asked to be the main speaker at Zone Conference the first week in July to share the Candy Bomber story.
We are busy and happy. As Marine Hatch always says--We are living the dream.
It's another beautiful day in San Clemente. You certainly can't beat the weather (except it is 90% humidity today).
We have been working to get a good schedule in place for us to accomplish as much as possible. Tuesdays we attend graduations for our marines. Wednesday is spent working at the Navy Marine Relief Society helping marines with financial budgeting and loans. Thursday we volunteer at the Thrift Store and we will soon be driving to San Diego to attend Family Day with those who are graduating from MCRD (Marine Corp Reporting Depot--Boot Camp). Friday is spent texting marines and inviting them to Sunday meetings and tracking those who are in transit to Camp Pendleton. Saturday we have available to take marines to the temple or other activities. Sunday is our busiest day with meetings at 9 am and 7 pm. We soon will start attending the San Clemente Ward at 1 pm in hopes that we will meet marine families who live on base.
The most exciting event in the past few weeks was taking Hayden Felt and Todd Ecton to the San Diego Temple for an endowment session. It took the entire day but we loved it. The temple was amazing. They have an area in the temple that is filled with flowers. As you look through the skylight you are able to see the spires and the Angel Moroni. It is breathtaking. We still have family names that I found before we left (Thanks to Scott and Ivey for helping with the baptisms). So, it is exciting to be able to do the work for our family members in San Diego. It was a wonderful spiritual experience.
We love our marines and are thankful to be working with these outstanding young men. The number attending our meetings really varies. We can have 8 one Sunday and 58 the next. Wards take turns providing a home cooked meal in the evening. One night the ward brought one pot of chili and we had 58 marines. I didn't think there was any way they would be able to feed the entire group. At the end of the evening, there was still chili in the pot. It was truly a miracle.
We've been able to have dinner at our Branch President's home. President and Sister Stephens live right by the San Clemente Pier. Elders Fullmer and Bowen joined us for dinner. Sister Stephens is Japanese so she called the main dish sushi without raw fish (so it was a new dish for me). Elder Fullmer shared his talent of playing the bagpipes outside so we had an audience with the neighbors. He was really quite good.
Yesterday we were invited to Phil and Diane Wooley's house for a traditional "Awful Waffle Breakfast". It was far from awful. She made the most delicious lemon curd and the waffles were amazing. The Elders were there with us so we had a great time with them and their daughter's family.
People are so kind and generous.
For our P-days we were able to visit the San Luis Rey Mission and spend an afternoon at the beach watching the surfers (the water is really cold). The Mission was established by catholic monks in 1798. It has been restored and it is really lovely. Monks still occupy the facility and hearing their chants echo through the chapel was a unique experience. The mission system was actually built so there is one day's horse ride between the complexes. Travelers used them as inns as they traveled up the coast. The grounds are beautifully landscaped.
We're enjoying our apartment. Dad is working out in the fitness center and I'm actually enjoying doing water aerobics in the pool. It is a nice bonus to have the facilities so close.
We've been invited to the Mission Home for lunch today where we will get to meet Alex Boye'
(He is in town to do a special fireside tonight). Brad will be the fireside speaker at our marine branch at the same time. Brad has also asked to be the main speaker at Zone Conference the first week in July to share the Candy Bomber story.
We are busy and happy. As Marine Hatch always says--We are living the dream.
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