One of the most ridicules creations or statues is this bronze thing in the park on Santa Monica. I suggested we get a watermelon and place on top, so it makes sense and doesn't scare the little kids. Sister Snyder decided that she knew what the obnoxious thing was for!
Okay did you meet Nazreen yet?
Well here she (he) is.
He wore his hair down, so I asked him to take a picture with Sister Snyder since she wore her hair down also. (She played around, and we were almost late to church thus the hair has to just be.)
In giving the Relief Society lesson on Sunday some old hurtful feeling started to surface and there was a concern about an older sister who could not tolerate Nazreen. This Sunday they had a speaker who spoke on not judging and being the Savior's hands in Ministering to others. We all loved it and hoped that the sister who has brought the contention will learn to love all of Gods children. Nazreen has brought people to church almost every Sunday.
We are so happy with our ward. We now have Brother Lifferth coming before his Sacrament Meeting and playing the piano for us. Our Chorister Johnny Mask is happy.
Johnny is also grateful for help with Family History which he says he knows nothing about (his other calling). The Hursts, that has a mission call to work in the LA Family History building, wanted to attend our ward and so they are helping the ward and Johnny with this.
Sister Snyder and I help teach Relief Society and the youth from 12-18 and so the bishop is happy. Also, he has the Hursts teaching Gospel Doctrine. What a blessing that the Hurst choose this ward to attend.
(Just another strange creature roaming the streets with the homeless!)
The last few Sundays we looked like we have a real congregation.
The back row is filled with a family from Hawaii. They have a cousin that is competing in the American Idol and the results were last night.
I wish we could have seen it. (Sister Snyder just looked it up and he won!!!)
Another row is filled with a family from Russia who we don't know if they are staying or leaving. (Investigators are called friends now) We are so lucky to have a member from Russia that can translate for them when they come.
We also have 3 young men from Utah and Idaho selling pest control for the summer and they often have girlfriends that fly in for the weekend.
We have Mike that came a couple of weeks ago. He works with sex traffickers and had just finished a long case of a priest who was hiding behind his church while abusing and selling woman and children in the church. Mike said he quit coming to church because he sometimes tried to fit in and drank a beer. He also was wrestling with what he sees going on and God.
His wife is in the medical field, and he said they have to move every few years when their lives come in danger.
Mike came back for the third time this Sunday. Gudrun took him under her wing. (Usually, it's Bart but I think they are working together to fellowship everyone they see especially Nazarene.)
You just gotta love these people.
Gudrun reminded us of her conversion since it is now two years. She tells how a few years ago she turned back to God. She had given up on Him and if He was real. She began having questions come to her. She then decided to go back to her church, so she attended mass and confession. She said she expected some fireworks, but nothing happened, but she didn't stop. The questions were still there, and she hoped that while attending church the answers would someday come.
(I know you've seen this picture, but I want you to see Gudrun again)
One day Gudrun began searching for some good music and came across the Tabernacle Choir. She downloaded some music and felt moved so she looked up the church's website.
That is when the fireworks began for her. With everything she saw it was like fireworks going off one right after another. Her questions were being answered. The part you'll all love is that SHE called the missionaries. Imagine getting her call! She was so golden and has been golden ever since.
Sunday Gudrun took Mike & Bart and they all attended the Hurst's Gospel Doctrine Class. We went to teach our class for the first time but the Area Seventy was there and he wanted to teach and so of course we let him.
What a wonderful experience to see him get excited and work with the youth. We were sad that we missed the Gospel Doctrine class but felt blessed to be in with the Area Seventy teaching the gospel to the youth.
(Sister Snyder already in Heaven)
On Saturday we had been asked to work with the Lifferths and the Johnsons to help with a Stake Primary activity. As normal we were given the assignment and a little video to watch. Then we were on our own. The Johnsons had gone home for about a week and came back all stressed out. We got together with very little- I mean very little planning and pulled it off. It was such a fun time for us all. We truly know the Lord is watching over us.
(Sister Lifferth with a group traveling through the wilderness like Lehi and Nephi.
We were lucky enough to have a black railing that came down into this area and we used it as the Iron Rod! This is back of the big Stake Center.)
Still traveling! It's a long, long journey......
The Lifferths did Lehi and Nephi taking their families across the ocean.
They received a fruit snack here in Heaven.
I was in the beginning to explain the trip they were taking and where it came from.
One Sunday the Lifferths invited us over for Sunday dinner. Their mission calling is teaching Seminary. They attend the Spanish ward right after us. (We will be teaching their youth on the 3rd Sunday. Seems right since he plays the piano for us.) Every Sunday they feed a crew like this.
The young man on the left in the middle came from South America and speaks no English. He had to leave because of the gangs. Mother's Day is hard for him since he knows he will never see his family again. His story, like so many of the members in the Lifferth's ward is tragic. The things he had to go through. There is a member that is allowing him to live with her. He has found a dish washing job but has had no schooling so he can't read or write. Sister Lifferth gets teary eyed when talking of the time that they must go home and leave him.
Okay one more about our neighbor. This neighbor lives just at the end of the block in the middle of the street!
Her home is these boxes and a umbrella. Don't ask how she sleeps in such a small space because I don't have the answer.
Her sweeping her space or her sweeping the street!
This is a bad shot but if you look closely, you can see her sweeping her area and her home is not far from her.
She usually folds everything up and leaves for the day, but we went walking early enough that she was still sleeping. Notice the traffic on either side of her going by?
A lesson in “Public Affairs: in
the church……
They are to work with
international leaders of the highest ranking.
The ranking goes, President of the country, then Prime Minister, then Ambassador, then Consular.
There are 96 Countries
that have a consular in Los Angeles.
San Francisco has 75. New York
has over 100.
One million Mexicans live in LA
so there is a consular responsible for their needs and rights.
The church has a Public Affairs office like this one set up in New York, Washington DC, in Brussels Belgium, Geneva Switzerland and opening one in London as well as Asia.
Los Angles is the third largest consulate core in the church with New York being second.
While introducing the consular to the church they see what their humanitarian needs are in their countries to see if the church can help.
They will say, “We are worried about education in
our country. We say,” We have BYU Pathway worldwide”. They say, “We’re worried
about self-reliance”. (Well Duh! That’s an easy one for us)! They say, “We’re
worried about our families (Doxey’s then share the Family Proclamation with
them.) Sri Lanka heard it just the other day.
We want to introduce you to our Public Affairs department because they are our neighbors. Doxey's live in our complex. Their office is across the street on the temple grounds right next to the Visitors Center, the Mission Office and the Family History Center. We live as close to Heaven as you can get:)
Last night the Visitor Center, working with Public Affairs, invited the LA Philharmonic to preform for the Consulars.
We (Senior missionaries) were invited once they knew there would be enough room. There were only 14 members of the orchestra there, but they were excellent. It was such beautiful music.
We listened to Bach, Mozart, Dvorak, & Grieg.
The Consler's General that attended came from Bulgaria, France, Hungary Korea, Latvia, Qatar, Senegal Slovak Republic, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand Togo, Turkey, Ecuador, El Salvador, New Zealand, Azerbaijan, and Finland.
Now you'll understand why the big map in the Public Affairs Office. Most of us don't even know where half of these places are!
The Consular in the Los Angeles area that Doxey's are to work with.
Bulgaria was at the performance last night.
Senegal was there. Look it up right!
Do you see on the bottom, Togo? He wanted nothing to do with us because our stand on the gays. Just recently when the church came out with wanting equal rights for everyone, he has warmed up to us. When he came, he brought his husband, and you know he had a warm welcome.
At times they will make a book to give to all the Consulars showing all the events and fun they had.
This one is where they went to Salt Lake to a ranch.
Last photo is of our wonderful Sister Clay who works in the office with housing and ordering supplies.
In this photo I accused her of stalking someone. She claims she was looking for a house number. She has to find apartments for missionaries.
Wow so sorry! This was a lot longer than I thought it would be......
Happy in LA...Who would have ever thought we would say that?
