March 12, 2018

Kodi Talbott Graduated March 8, 2018

Mission Conference March 10, 2018

Preparing for photo with Elder Rasband

Elder Lemon singing at Mission Conference

March 12, 2018

Another great week to review.  We feel so blessed to be having these wonderful experiences in San Clemente, California.

Monday we celebrated St. Patrick's Day a little early at an Empty Nesters Family Home Evening.  I was asked to bring an appropriate dessert so I searched Pinterest and came up with a green trifle that I thought would work.  However, my best laid plans turned the project into quite the challenge.  The trifle was made of brownies, whipped cream and pudding that had green food coloring--how hard could it be?  I decided to make individual dessert cups.  I made the brownies using a boxed mix and even though I undercooked them they came out extremely hard, but I could make them work.  Had some canned whipped cream that I thought would make the dessert look great.  But...I put it on too soon and they looked awful.  So, we stopped by the store on the way to the FHE and bought Cool Whip--I forgot that would be frozen. So, I tried to melt it using the car heater.  By the time we reached the destination I could cut out a hunk for each cup.It was a comedy of errors.  But, it tasted good and it was green.  We had a discussion about personal experiences with General Authorities.  Bro. Lusk, who is probably in his late 80s, gave a history of the growth of the church in the area.  He has seen it all and had great stories.  Bro. Rober told of being in a stake where Elder Holland called a new stake president.  Before leaving he said the only advice he had for the new stake presidency was to follow Alma 7:23.  Good advice for all of us.

We had two graduations on Tuesday and had to say goodbye to some of our faithful marines.  I got to know Kodi Talbott the Sunday our dinner was late. (A tender mercy)  He is such a special young man.  Hope to stay in touch with him through the years.  Neil Delterrera has been taught by the missionaries at the Basilone Branch and is anxious to continue his lessons at 29 Palms.  Hoping to hear that he is baptized soon.  Chance White was one of those marines who is always faithful and expressed his gratitude for the support he received at SOI.  In the remarks from the Commander that day, he called the graduating marines a national treasure and I definitely agree with him.

March 7 we celebrated the birth of Scott and Reese.  We had a wonderful chat with both of them.  We feel so grateful to have them in our family.  Both of them are loved beyond measure.  Chelsey was full of giggles that night.  It was great seeing her feeling better.

It felt fantastic to return to the Thrift Store on Thursday.  I sorted and got to chat with several of the other ladies.  Nellie had just returned from a trip to Australia.  She shared the pictures she had taken there.  We talked a lot about her family and how we are here serving as missionaries.   Elder Rasband gave a talk in the last General Conference entitled By Divine Design.  In it he says he doesn't believe there are any coincidences.  Heavenly Father puts us in situations with specific intent in mind.  "The Lord is in the small details of our lives, and those incidents and opportunities are to prepare us to lift our families and others as we build the kingdom of God on earth."  I feel as we serve in various service opportunities we have the opportunity to lift those around us and share the gospel through our word and deed.

Our attendance at the Addiction Recovery Program on Thursdays has been a blessing in our lives.  The people there who are working to overcome their addictions are examples to us of how we can embrace the Atonement and come to know our Savior.  I want to know Him like they do.  I hope we can achieve this goal without facing major addictions as they have.

Friday we got to talk with Heidi on our way to the San Onofre NMCRS.  She is such a great woman and wonderful mother.  So thankful for her.  The women we work with at the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society are also examples of compassionate women who make a difference in the world.  It was International Women's Day this week and I'm thankful for the women in my life who exemplify noble womanhood and inspire me to do better.  

On Saturday we met for a mission conference at the Newport Stake Center adjacent to the Newport Beach Temple.  We arrived 10 minutes before we were told to be there but ended up being 5 minutes late (they forgot to email us the time change).  So we got there just in time to assemble with all of the missionaries for a group picture with Elder Rasband, Bishop Davies, Elder Patrick Kearon of the Seventy and Elder Acosta our Area Seventy.  I will briefly review some of the instruction we received that day.  Bishop Davies quoted Joseph Smith's testimony saying he received instruction and intelligence from the Angel Moroni.  Intelligence is light and truth.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.  Every time we attend a meeting we should receive instruction as to the technical aspects of our service and intelligence of light and truth.  He shared a personal story that took place when he was trying to decide whether to serve a mission.  He had a talent for fixing cars.  In a dream he was driving down the street and came across an older couple whose car had broken down.  He was told to stop and help them.  He was happy when he got them on the road.  When he woke, he had the distinct impression that the counsel from these two people would bless his whole life.  He later accepted a call to serve a mission in Uruguay/Paraguay.  After a crazy flight to his mission, he disembarked from  the plane and was greeted by his mission president and his wife (the same couple who he had seen in his dream.)  He said he vowed to follow their counsel to the letter and it has blessed his whole life.  He testified that by following President and Sister Clark's counsel, our lives would be blessed.

Elder Acosta testified missionaries have the gift of discernment from the Holy Ghost.  This gift will help us know how to teach and interact with the people we are blessed to contact while we are serving.  Elder Lemon, an elder serving in our mission, sang a beautiful song during the service.

Elder Kearon is now one of my favorite speakers.  He is from England and joined the Church when he was 26 after two years of meeting with a variety of missionaries.  He now serves in the Presidency of the Seventy.  He challenged us to "Become the message!" enjoy our mission, work hard and worry less.  We should always do more than we are invited to do.  We should thrive on opposition.  

Elder Rasband had asked us all to study his last conference address "By Divine Design" but he didn't really discuss that.  He said he was following his own advice by being a first responder to his promptings.  His advice to the missionaries who served under him as a mission president was to always be worthy to have a current temple recommended.  He reminded us that all mission calls are made under the direction of an apostle.  Before we leave our mission, we will know why we came here.  We need to be our #1 convert.  We don't know the future consequences of our service.  The mission president has the keys for our mission.  We should not be whiners.  We should be thankful for wherever we are called to serve and who we are asked to serve with.  If we are worthy, obedient and spirit directed, we'll be led to the elect.  Our families will be blessed because of our service.  He challenged us all to ask for a spiritual witness of President Nelson's calling as our prophet.  He delivered a very powerful message.  The meeting was wonderful and it rained all day so Elder Halvorsen was thrilled!!

Sunday we again had a small turnout at our morning meeting--only two marines.  But, as a testimony that every marine counts, the one marine Jacob Barker (visitor) who came last Sunday morning by himself talked to me this week.  He apologized for not returning to our evening meeting last Sunday.  He was on guard duty and couldn't find anyone to switch with him.  He really wanted to be there.  He said he's now been put in charge of assigning guard duty so he will always make sure that he is available for our meetings because he really enjoys them.  So, our efforts are never wasted--no coincidences. Jacob was there by divine design.  

President Stephens spoke at our Fireside about repentance. He shared that he was inactive for his first eight years in the marines.  He went on deployment and came home to find the missionaries at his home teaching his sweet wife.  She had read the Book of Mormon they had given her and was anxious to learn more.  He told how awkward he felt returning to church and he remembered the first meeting he attended the speaker talked about repentance.  He said he needed that.  He testified to the marines that repentance is a great blessing in our lives.  It is always available to us and no one can ever tell us we can't come back.  He reviewed how to repent and then bore a powerful testimony of how being a member of the Church has impacted his life.  I'm sure his message touched the hearts of many in attendance.  We said goodbye to Ben Dawson who leaves for Okinawa on Wednesday.  His wonderful family will be here until June before they join him.  We love this family and are so thankful Ben was with us for a few months before his next deployment.  Andrea related that during their 36 months here at Camp Pendleton, Ben has only been here 11 months.  So, we feel so thankful that we had him for four months.  He is such a wonderful man. We're going to miss him and have promised to help Andrea and the kids while they prepare for the move.  

Scott, Nicole and their children spoke in their Sacrament Meeting on Sunday and shared their talks with us.  They were excellent.  Talk about great examples in our lives.  They spoke about love/charity and service.  Nicole shared a talk that was given a few years ago by Cheryl Esplin at a girls' camp.  She asked the girls to talk to each other with a mirror in between them.  When they were focused on themselves they couldn't really relate to the other girl.  I remember that talk and loved the message but haven't thought about it recently.  What a great reminder that true service requires that we focus on the needs and emotions of others.  Nicole shared a favorite song from the musical Dear Evan Hansen that she loves called Waving Through the Window.  He is waving through the window but everyone passes by without noticing him.  As missionaries I hope we can follow Nicole's example and notice those who need our love and service.  I loved that Ivey said Grandpa Halvorsen is the happiest person she knows because he learned long ago that happiness comes from serving others.  So blessed to have these wonderful examples in our family.