STAR-STUDDED 4TH OF JULY

Celebrated the holiday in great style.  I actually started on "Fourth Eve" by having dinner at a friend's home, then joining her family at the local country club for fireworks and ice cream.  Brooke, who grew up here in Fair Oaks, said they've always had fireworks on the 3rd, which worked well for me because I was busy in the mission on the 4th.

Wednesday was P-day this week and we began at the top end of the mission at 7 a.m. with a 3K run/walk, breakfast, and outdoor games.  We had grills set up for french toast and sausages, a volleyball net, and patriotic music playing on the patio of the Mormon Center, a complex adjoining the temple.  Highlight of the games was the three-legged race when one of the large missionaries just picked up his smaller companion and carried him the whole way!

Next we met at noon at a stake center in Sacramento, the middle part of the mission, for pulled pork sandwiches and  potato salad.  More games followed.  Elder Reid, a new elder and former football player from Alta High, made a great showing by winning the gunnysack race.  Highlight of this segment was probably the water balloon fight, which was welcome in the heat.

Final shift was at the southern end of the mission in Stockton, where we had pizza and watched "Seventeen Miraces," ending at 8:30 p.m., an hour-and-a-half from home.

Watching Sister Lewis feed her sheep is daunting.  She showed up at each event with coolers, ovens, and baskets packed with everything necessary for a fullblown party, including tablecloths and themed decorations.  She always serves fresh fruit at every opportunity.  For the movie portion of the day she provided cups of popcorn, red licorice, and M&M's.  She is always thinking 24 hours ahead; i.e., slow-cooking the pork on Tuesday while providing fruit and nutbreads for the leadership meeting.  The amount of food she shops for, prepares, and serves in style in staggering.

The office staff helped with the morning shift, the MLS (member leadership support) missionaires at lunch, and the medical couple at the evening portion. I went along in my own car, as support, and to help carry games, prizes, and equipment.  The elders cheerfully haul stuff in and out of the cars and are quick to admit that Sister Lewis really spoils them.

It was a great celebration of our country's independance.

SAME OLD, SAME OLD

It's been a pretty routine week here.  Spent Thursday forwarding the mail after the "mail fast" that accompanies transfer weeks.  The mission exceeded their monthly baptism goal, although I'm still working on
a better recordkeeping system.  Next month's "Faith in Every Footstep" goal  includes every companionship in the mission having a baptism--a lofty goal.

We finally made it over to the famous Sunrise drive-in today for nutburgers.  The patty is made of ground nuts.  Also featured on the menu are nut tacos and nut burritos.  The burgers were good--tasted a lot like falafel.  The little "walk-up" is a local legend around here.  Seating is a few picnic tables outside, parking is nearly nonexistent, and we waited 40 minutes for our order, after waiting 20 minutes to place the order. But it doesn't stop people from all around from frequenting the place.  (You get to know a lot about people with an  hourlong wait for food.)

Sister Druyon's 70th birthday is next Friday.  Her children have surprised her by arranging a family get-together in San Diego, including a plane ticket for her.  So she'll be gone for three days next week....time off for behavior.

I find it ironic that I'm here in California, land of earthquakes and summer fires, and worried about the folks and the fires back home.

VISITOR FROM HOME!

Jan was here this weekend, and we had a great time.  The weather and the people both really showed off for her, and she was pretty impressed.

We walked around everyone's "old town:"  Sacramento's, Fair Oaks', Folsom's, Columa's and Placerville's.  Old Sacramento gets good press, but I prefer the small towns' shops and antiquities.  We saw a play in a tiny theater in Folsom with seating for 50.  To use the restroom required leaving the building, walking down an alley, and re-entering to share space with the cast of five.  The play was "Leading Ladies," and was well done in an incredibly modest venue.  We passed on the offer of free wine which they said was to make the comedy even funnier.

The old part  of Fair Oaks is known for its free ranging chickens and roosters.  We found a fun fruit farm (is it still an orchard when it grows berries, too?) that had white peacocks.  Adding these to the turkeys that intrigue me so much, this mission is beginning to have a "fowlish"  theme.

The mission received today a replacement for the big white van, "Moby," that will be going into retirement.  It's been decided to christen the new vehicle "The Reverend," or "Rev," for short.  There's a story about the
local dealership calling one day and saying to Elder Clifton, "Reverend, your car is ready for pick up."  The elders have had a lot of fun with that.  Pictured are the two reverends and the two office elders.

ANOTHER WEEK

Nothing too new to report--the calm before the storm.  Next week is transfer week.  We're sending home 11 missionaries and receiving 9.  Another angle I never gave any thought to is the housing needs from transfer to transfer.  On July 18 we're expecting six new elders, mid-cycle; then for the regular August transfer day we receive six, including a senior couple, and lose 19.  So it's not only matching up companionships but also  housing assignments that requires constant monitoring. 

And speaking of housing, next Monday has been designated as Celestial Apartment Day, with the admonition "Set in order your houses; keep slothfulness and uncleanness far from me."  (D&C 90:18.)

My duties have become routine enough that on some days, like the present week, I'm looking for things to do, so I've been doing some indexing.  Since I'm still a member of my home ward, my statistics count for my stake in Draper.  The elders refer to it as "my mission within a mission."

Took my car in to Les Schwab yesterday to check on a leak in my tire.  The young mechanic who took care of me had moved here just a month before I did from Layton, Utah.  He's a Church member who was promoted to this location.

My sister Jan (blood sister) is coming today to spend the weekend, giving me an opportunity to explore some new stuff around here.  Looking forward to it.

WEEKEND

Here's a typical weekend in the field.  Friday nights the four single sister missionaries in my apartment complex go to the Temple.  We usually stop for dinner either before or afterward.

I've just finished my housekeeping chores and am waiting for a load of washing to finish.  I've made dessert and sesame seed chicken wings for the office elders' dinner tomorrow.  Because they're assigned to the office and they proselyte in a Young Singles ward, they don't get invited to dinner as the other missionaries do.  Tomorrow being Father's Day, we figured they'd be at loose ends, so we're taking dinner to them at the office, which is in the church where we attend meetings.  Besides the two Assistants to the President, there are currently three elders serving in the office; two because of health issues.  One of them is being sent home during next transfers (the one who wants to stay), and one is being kept here (who would prefer to go home).  The third and healthy elder just wants to be out proselyting.

We (the above 4 sisters) usually meet for lunch and an activity on Saturday afternoons/evenings.  We were scheduled to ride the light rail downtown to visit the railroad museum, but they all decided it's too hot (105), so we're going to an air-conditioned movie instead (the new animated jungle one).  Saturday's our P-day, so we do all errands, shopping, etc., on our own schedules.

Yesterday I went to a chiropractor who should be canonized.  She laid me on a table, fully clothed, and "shot" me with a "staple gun" up and down my back and neck, moving my legs to determine where to aim.  Instant relief--I slept well for the first time all week.

And speaking of angels.  I record all the baptisms in the mission.  One of the recent converts was named Angel Elijah!  No kidding, his first and middle names (last name withheld to protect his privacy).  Was he just waiting for those missionaries, or what???

THE WORK GOES ON

Haven't posted for awhile, and am trying to think of things that are newsy and interesting.

I've heard missionaries, when finding a care package from home, exclaim, "Oh, I got a fat box!" because they're usually filled with cookies, candy, etc.  (There's a turkey looking at me through my front window as I write this.)

A local carwash business, Quick Quacks, has made it possible for all cars associated with this mission to be clean and shiny at all times.  We have a card that allows us a superwash every week.  The owner says we should always make a good impression.

The mission had 56 baptisms in the month of May.  The goal for June is 67, and for July 78.  It's fun to watch these "kids," who lose their backpacks, wallets, etc., teach with such power.

The Relief Society social this week was held in a beautiful backyard containing a pool, beautiful flowers, and all types of orange and lemon trees, including Mandarin orange.  I'm attaching a photo for the education of the grandkids.

TURKEY DAYS

OK, here's the proof.  I came home from Church on Sunday to find five of these guys in my front yard, with feather fanned out, as you can see.  There are no predators here, so they're pretty comfortable being approached.   

Monday was the trip to Coloma, site of the first discovery of gold.  It was unseasonably cold, and it rained the whole day.  The elders took pictures of me half-heartedly panning for gold in the river while holding an umbrella over my head.  Not surprising that I didn't find anything, but three of the elders found flakes significant enough to bring home.  Every missionary in this mission goes on a daylong trip to Coloma one P-day during their mission.   They are first shown a film describing the role of the Mormon Battalion in building Sutter's Mill.  Then everyone caravans up to the state park for a tour, games of horseshoes, etc., and panning in the river.  A local RS provides the picnic lunch which was, in this case, served in a nearby ward building because of the weather.  Elders were not disappointed at having to play basketball instead of horseshoes.  (How is it that young men walk into a cultural hall for any reason, and a basketball magically appears?)  They also had a pushup tournament, and President Lewis did 50 pushups!