Monday Sept. 9th

Monday Sept. 9^th:

Last night we went to bed early….around 8:30, and got up earlier today.  We planned on getting up 15 minutes earlier, so 6:15 today, so that we could stop at the pharmacy on the way to work for me to get some cough medicine.  I’m not getting better yet, but that is to be expected.  Every time I get a cold, it always settles in the chest, and the cough can last a month or so.  I just hope that this time it can go a little faster.  I may need to get a humidifier after we get moved this weekend.  It was actually nice getting up earlier, and getting to work a little earlier, instead of at the last minute like usual!  Our office hours are 9 to 5, and we usually arrive just at 9 or maybe a little before.  When we get to work, we have a devotional Monday through Thursday morning.  The reason for this is with the 2 office couples, each couple takes 2 days, taking turns who gives the thought and who gives the prayer, and the song goes along with the thought (it is the CD’s we listen to and sing along with), and now we are here, they are still going the same, as we will just take the Crawford’s spot.    Oh, let me tell you the office people:  The Clayton’s, who are from Idaho Falls.  Sister Clayton is the Mission secretary, and Elder Clayton is over vehicles and cell phones.  The Crawford’s, who we will replace, live in San Jose.  Sister Crawford is the Financial Secretary, which I will be, and Elder Crawford is over housing and supplies, which Gary will be over.  By the way, the Crawford’s names are Bob and Linda, which Gary pointed out is like the Gunnell’s.

After work on Monday, well, actually a little before the end of work, we decided to take off early so that we could go and check out internet for our apartment.  We had been told the apartment was wired and the choices were AT&T and Comcast.  So, we figured we could check out both places to compare.  We went to Comcast first, and when we got there, the room was FULL of people, and we saw you took a number to wait.  Our number was 524 I think, and they were on 478 or something like that!  We waited a bit, to see how fast the line was going, and then I remembered that at Walmart on Saturday, we had walked past a table set up by a guy selling Comcast.  So, we decided to just bag the idea of standing there, as it wasn’t moving fast.  We drove to Walmart, found the guy, asked some questions, and then told him we wanted to go and talk it over before deciding, but pretty sure we would be back, as we preferred the no-wait to talk to him that at the Comcast store!  He gave us his number, but we decided we would just go back and sign up, rather than over the phone.  We ran out of time to see AT&T, as the Senior Missionary FHE was to start at 6 at the Mission President’s house.  So we headed south to that.  I will have to put the addresses in here later so we can remember where everything was located. 

Heading south, we got in traffic, and at one point, on the freeway/highway, it came to almost a stop.  When we finally moved over to the carpool lane, which was the only one moving, we found out why…..a guy was actually walking across the road!!  As we got closer to where we were going, we had one point where the GPS said keep left, which we were, in the far left carpool lane….then in like 60 yards, it says, take the next exit…..so we missed it and had to take the next and have it say Recalculating!  We made it fine, though.  It was a wonderful dinner that Sister Watkins put on for us.  We had, I think it was pork, rolled up around something, in a swirl type roll, like cinnamon rolls.  We had twice baked potatoes.  Peas and carrots, a type of bread/roll, and a salad with vinegar over tomatoes, cucumbers and some other vegetables…I know onions was in it too, because I could taste it later!  But, it was yummy!  For dessert, it was pound cake with strawberries and blueberries over it with whipped cream.

After the dinner, we all went into the living room, and the President had a slide presentation showing some of the stats of the last year of the mission.  It is going up at a fast pace!  This took longer than expected, apparently, because the Clayton’s, who were supposed to be over the activity, didn’t have time and were told to just do next month instead.

At the once a month FHE, they always have a dinner put on by the mission President’s wife, and the mission presidency serves, and then an activity that one of the senior couples is in charge of.  It was a long evening, so we got home late and to bed late.  So, I was tired all day today (Tuesday).  Oh, at the FHE, the president had Sister Cattron introduce them, and me introduce us.  The night was a fun time to meet the other senior couples and senior single sisters, who work in this mission at various callings. Some are MLS (member leadership support), some are CES (church education system)…..that was the Wilde’s…and they are from Northern Idaho.  They work at the institute.  One couple, the Cardon’s, are over family history with the Spanish wards and branches…..helping them to find their ancestors.

The couple we are staying with temporarily, the Cattron’s, are MLS.

First Week of Sept.

Tuesday, Sept. 3rd.  Learning more and more about the job, and getting more comfortable with answering the phone.  Finally met the mission president today.  His name is President Lincoln Watkins. 
Gary started not feeling so well, and went to bed early tonight.

Wed. Sept 4th.  The Cattron's arrived today.  The house we are staying in temporarily is the one they will live in while they are here.  They are MLS missionaries:  member leadership support.  So, for the next week and a half, we will share the house with them.
Pres. Watkins and his wife took us and the Cattron's out for dinner tonight, as a welcome to the mission, I guess.  The Crawford's were invited to come too.  I learned later that he always takes the new ones out for dinner, and when you are getting released, he takes you too.  We went to the Black Angus, a steak house.

Fri. Sept 6.  Still learning new things…..I sure hope I will remember it all when Sister Crawford is gone!  Gary hopes the same thing!  He has a lot to do.  Besides housing, he is in charge of ordering supplies…for the office and for the mission supply closet (holding things like Books of Mormon and pamphlets, baptism record sheets, etc…..things the missionaries use).  Elder Crawford never stops….he is one busy, busy guy!  Gary says he must have ADD!

So glad it is Friday!  Melissa wants to Facetime with us tomorrow, so that will be nice!  Also, we have to get a few groceries for the next week, do laundry, ironing, and cleaning up around here.  Hoping to sleep in a bit too.  Gary has had a cold the lasts few days, and he hardly ever gets sick.  Now today, I started coughing….I hope I don’t get sick, I know how long it usually takes me to get over it!  Hopefully, early bed tonight and sleep long tomorrow!

Sat. Sept. 7^th:

Slept in till about 7:15!  Crazy that that is sleeping in now!  Went walking, showered, dressed and breakfast.  Then started laundry and cleaning.  Laundry means not only washing and drying but ironing what needs it too.  We finished up just before noon.  Oh, we were going to Facetime with Melissa today, but it doesn’t work till we get wifi.  We left the house just before noon, to drive around and see some places.  Gary took me to see where the storage units for the mission are located.  On the way there, we stopped at Burger King for lunch.  Then we drove to see the ward building that the Cattron’s are assigned to which is near there…..Cherry St. building (or Ave., not sure which).  The Cattron’s work with all 3 wards that meet in that building.  After that, we drove to see the downtown area, and where San Jose State University is located.  Then headed to Walmart to get some food for this week.  Then we went back to the house to put stuff away.  Then we headed out again.  Decided to go to the apt we are moving into, and ask some questions.  I asked about the address for sure, and getting mail, and I’m glad we asked, because they gave us a phone number to call the P.O. and set up our locked mail box at the apt complex.  The gal said it took a few days for that to go through.  So I will call the P.O. tomorrow (Monday).  We also asked about setting up internet and TV.  We were told that they go through either Comcasts or ATT, so we want to ask some questions of those companies to see which we prefer….going by price and contract length mainly.  I’m sure the internet has to be better than what we had in Arimo!  We also had looked in Walmart at TV’s, and we had looked at Office Depot for printers and routers.  After that, we decided to go to the mall which is near us, the Eastridge Mall, and walk around and see what stores they have there.  We only made it through the upper level.  Stopped in Penney’s first, and got Gary a jacket and 2 pairs of slacks.  Oh, the weird thing about shopping here….which we first learned at Walmart.  No plastic bags.  At Walmart the first week, they asked if we wanted bags, and they only had paper, and we were charged for them. So the next week, we bought the cloth bags!  Too bad we left our Winco cloth bags home!  Anyway, then when at Penney’s checking out, the clerk said, do you want to buy a bag?  I said no.  But  apparently, Gary never heard that conversation.  Because when we were given our purchase, Gary said, what about a bag?  I said, no, but he kept wanting a bag, so then another clerk said, just give them a bag.  It is made out of a light cloth type, not plastic.  We are learning fast that this is a green state!   I explained to Gary as we left that I had already said no for a reason.  Well, we put our purchases in the car, then walked back in to finish walking around the mall, upper level.  Got to the food court, and at the Chinese food place, they were handing out samples of orange chicken, so Gary said, now that makes me hungry, so we got food to eat.  We couldn’t finish it all, so brought the leftovers home, thinking that we might eat them on Sunday.  Oh, today was very hot. The car thermometer said 104 at the highest.

Sunday Sept. 8th.

Went to church at the Bayshore Branch (Vietnamese Ward).  Paid our fast offerings today.  Elder Atkinson spoke, as this is his last Sunday before he leaves (because next Sunday is Stake Conference).  Afterwards, we had a farewell dinner at the church for him.  So, this was our first time trying some Vietnamese food.  I took a pan of brownies.  It was okay, though there were some items I did not try!

Today was Sister Crawford’s last RS lesson.  They are released on Oct. 9^th.  Next weekend is going to be BUSY!!!  Friday we move, and get things we need like groceries.  Sat. is an endowment session at the Oakland Temple for a couple who are getting married (Vietnamese).  Sat. night is the adult session of Stake Conference.  Sunday is Stake Conference.  Sunday evening is the Outgoing Fireside for the mission….the missionaries who are going home will speak.  Don’t know much else about it.  Then a work week again, and it is transfer week, which is supposed to be very hectic.  The missionaries that are going home and the new ones that arrive come on Wed.    The Next Sat. is the wedding for the Vietnamese couple, so back to the temple.  That evening is their reception.  Then Sunday church again and then another work week….busy, busy, busy!

 

Sep: 2: first day at the office

Monday, September 02, 2013

Well, today was Labor Day, but no rest for the wicked, as they say!  We started our first day of working in the mission office.  It wasn’t as busy since it was a holiday….no mail, and not much phone calls.  Also, traffic getting to work was easy.

It was a good day….we both learned a lot and kept busy.

We got our first mail….it had been waiting at the mission office for us.  It was from Marilyn Henderson….a nice card about missionary work.  I wrote back to her after work, and will mail it tomorrow.

The Viet elders stopped in the office today.  I told them that we would soon be living near them. They asked when we moved, and I told them. They said they could help us move in.  They also mentioned how nice to live near us….maybe we could feed them some dinners!  I said we could.

There was a movie night tonight at the institute with some senior missionaries, but we declined.  It started at 7:30, and by the time it was over, our evening would be done…plus we would have had to rush dinner to get there, and we didn’t even know how to get there!  So, instead, we had dinner, I cleaned up, then we went for a walk.

I have started lunch prep early so that it won’t take so long in the morning.

Well, I am going to relax a bit before going to bed.

Sept. 1st, 1st Sunday in Vietnamese Branch

Sunday, Sept 1 2013

First Sunday here in San Jose.  We have been assigned to the Vietnamese Branch, which the Crawfords have been attending.  It is very small.  The Branch President is President Shelton.  He doesn’t speak Vietnamese either.  There is an interpreter named Sister Kim…..Kim is her first name.  I learned from Sister Janette that they all go by their first names, because a lot of their last names are similar!  Sister Kim sat up where the clerk usually would sit.  She had a regular microphone and also a headset.  When someone spoke in English, like the Branch Pres. when conducting, she would speak into her microphone and translate into Vietnamese.  When someone spoke in Viet, she would put the headset on and translate into English for those of us who only spoke English, and we had headsets on to listen.  Today was testimony meeting, and as it began, Pres. Shelton first spoke and explained that a testimony should be uplifting, and if it wasn’t, then you shouldn’t get up to speak.  We learned later that there has been a feud going on between a couple of families, and they use testimony meeting to get up and bad-mouth the other family, so very negative.  None of that happened today after Pres. Shelton’s remarks.  We learned that meetings don’t cover as much as a normal ward does, because of the time involved to translate.  That slows down the process.

In Sunday School, Elder Crawford gave the lesson, and Sister Kim stood up front and translated.  Again, not much covered because of the time translating.  Also, there was some back and forth in Viet as they debated the proper word to use in translation of the word Martyrdom.  Elder Crawford finally changed the word to Killed.

In Relief Society, there were several announcements….both in English and Viet.  One being that on Sept 15^th, that will be Elder Atkinson’s last day, so they want to hold a potluck farewell for him after church.  They passed around a sign-up sheet (couldn’t read it).  Sister Kim showed me where she had filled in something I couldn’t read and told me it was a dessert.  I also signed up for a dessert, since she had pointed out that column, and I put down Brownies…..don’t know if that was what was what I was supposed to write down or what!  Also announced…..a couple will be going to the temple on Sept. 14^th for the first time, and getting married.  They will have a reception on Sept. 21^st, put on by the ward because they have no family here and no money.  It was asked that anyone that can do so, to please  donate money for it.  They will purchase food with the money, and any left over will be given to the couple in a gift card, with a card signed by all in the ward.  And, we were told that if you couldn’t donate anything, sign the card anyway, as the gift was from all in the ward.

When the RS lesson was taught, it was by Sister Lan, who is the Relief Society President.  She speaks English too, so she did her own translating.  It was on Forgiveness.  We didn’t progress too far into the lesson.  One sister, don’t know who, made a comment in Viet, which I learned was that she was saying that she had forgiven a certain person all she was going to, and that she was sure that God didn’t expect her to keep forgiving that person!  Sister Lan said, in both English and Viet, that we needed to forgive all, as many times as needed.  She gave scripture examples….7 times 70…..I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but you must forgive all.  She also said if you carry anger around, it becomes a burden to you, and doesn’t help you to have peace or to follow Jesus’ example.  The class ran over about 20 minutes!  Sister Crawford tried to suggest we needed to end (she had an investigator she needed to take care of……take him home.), but Sister Lan said that she needed to finish this discussion first.  Sister Janette was sitting by me, and said that Sister Lan wanted to make sure the point was understood by the sister who was disagreeing.  People want it understood that they shouldn’t be feuding, and they want her to understand why and take it to heart to be forgiving….that we all have faults.  That no argument is 100% one person’s fault. 

So, interesting Sunday meetings!

Started setting things out for tomorrow…..packing a lunch for both of us.  We plan on getting up early to go walking before we shower and get dressed. 

Oh, Elder Crawford gave us a San Jose map today….we looked it over after church to get a better idea of the main roads that connect us to places.  It helped to visualize the layout of the locations we need, so we don’t have to rely on the GPS so much…..too many times it wants to take us on 101.  Even when I check avoid Freeways.  Because 101 is listed as a hwy, though around here it is like a freeway!

Hope we get a good night’s sleep to be ready for tomorrow!  We were told on Friday when we stopped in at the mission office, that they are so busy that they don’t even break for lunch….they just eat as they work!  Oh, well, keeping busy helps the time pass quickly!