Snoopy and Woodstock

                                                 Could it be Snoopy and Woodstock?



Ever since the beginning of October we have been watching this strange airplane take shape. At first it was Snoopy the WWI flying ace  and Woodstock in their plane on a mission to stop the Red Baron at Halloween. Now it is the same two characters flying in the night sky all decorated for Christmas with teddy bears hanging everywhere.
The tri-plane is made entirely of recycled materials, like conduit pipe, chicken wire and paper mache. The body of the plane contains about 750 empty water bottles, and is lit mostly with solar panels. Dryer vents were used to make the engine, and a kitchen rolling pin was used to allow the propeller to move. The propeller was made out of flattened soda cans and chicken wire. It is an amazing work of art.
We look for it everynight when we go to and from our apartment.

Christmas lights

                                                     Temple Hill at Christmas




Each year at the end of November the temple hill complex in Oakland is lit up with Christmas lights. 2013 was no exception. During the month of December there are all kinds of concerts, at least two a night as well as a production of the Nutcracker and different choirs from churches and schools around the bay area. It is a lot of fun.
Sister missionaries and Senior missionaries spend evenings in the Visitors Center greeting guests and helping people feel welcome and help them come in out of the cold evenings. Although with the palm trees it is California

Visiting San Francisco

                                                           A visit to San Francisco



Tuesday Nov. 26 we went to San Francisco to be tourists. We met Heidi, my step-sister at Boudins bakery at Pier 39. She lives in San Francisco and whenever we can we will try and visit with her. She had not seen Sherlyn since she was a girl and so we warned her that this would definitely be an age reality check. Darn it.
We ate together at the pier and she shared her latest adventures in movies. Heidi is a production manager for movies. She makes sure everything is in place before a movie she is hired for begins filming. She has several good movies she has worked on, plus some tv series. Lots of fun to visit with her.
After lunch we walked over to catch a trolley to go up Powell St. Heidi had an appointment at the top of Powell so we got to be "trolley people", as Sherlyn puts it.  The man taking tickets was very funny and we had a great time riding up the steep hill. Glad we made it to the top. We said goodby to Heidi and took the local bus back down to Pier 39.

George is running to get on the trolley

 

 

At pier 39 we did some souvenier shopping and took pictures of Alcatraz which was right across the water.

As we walked around the pier we came upon at least 50 to 60 sea lions playing on the neighboring pier. They were so fun to watch just playing with each other and falling into the water and getting back on the pier.

 

 

 

 

Another fascinating sight grandpa saw of course was this giant spider. It was part of San Francisco competing with New York's King Kong.

 

 

 

After Pier 39 we walked down to Girardelli Square.

                                              

 

                                                Chocolate, chocolate, mmmmmm   


                     As we were walking toward the square we saw this sign over a fish store

                                           Mmmm, wonder if the Lazio is anyone we know.
                                           It was getting late so we didn't stop to ask

                                     Mark and Sherlyn and their family at Girardelli Square
                                                             We had a great time

Wed. the 27th we did a drive through of San Francisco and saw places like China Town, Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world), The Painted Ladies (Victorian Homes), and ended up at the Golden Gate Bridge. Here are some fun pictures.

 

Thanksgiving travels

During the week before Thanksgiving we had a few days to sight see. Our first destination was Half Moon Bay and Moss Beach and the Fitzgerald marine reserve. The reserve is north of Half Moon Bay and has tide pools to explore and a very nice sandy beach.
We missed low tide but still were able to see sea anemones and crabs scurring around with their shells. They are fun to watch. The weather was warm and the sand was cool and the sea air was so relaxing.

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We wandered around to the main beach and came across sea lions sunning themselves on the beach and watched for awhile. Took pictures of our crew as well.It was such a nice sunny day to be at the beach

Loving the sun; Cassaundra, Sara,George, Mark in the back,
Brandon, Grandpa and Taylor

Man that sun is so bright

Thanksgiving Nov. 2013

                                                    First Thanksgiving on our mission



This Thanksgiving Mark and Sherlyn, Brandon, Taylor, Cassaundra, George, and Sara came to stay with us in our tiny apartment. We loved having them here and getting to see some of the area including San Francisco. They were here from Saturday November 23rd. until November 29th.
We had everyone sleeping all over our little living room. The sofa, two recliners, and several air mattresses, and everyone fit. The kids were great sports.
We spent Sunday introducing everyone to our 9th ward family and then walked the temple grounds and took pictures. Here are a few.

A special Laotion friend enters the waters of baptism: Paul Phonvongsa

     Elder Watson and Elder Omori met Paul while out street contacting. They invited him to hear the message they had about Jesus Christ. He agreed to meet on a Tuesday afternoon September 24,2013.
Little did he know his life would be changed forever that day.
     We met Paul outside of the Oakland Museum of California. He likes to go there regularly because he loves history. He is majoring in journalism and hopes to become a journalist who can shed truth of what is really happening in the world.
     As he puts it he met this "older missionary couple" who walked with him to the park where he met the sister missionaries, Sister Wiser and Sister Shephard.
     Later, just after his baptism, we found out he was actually dissapointed that he was going to be taught by Sisters because he feels awkward around young women. He was hoping for the Elders to teach him!! However the Lord had different ideas.
     What is so amazing about the experience was that he was the first person the Sisters actually got to teach together. Sister Wiser had been out 6 weeks and she was training Sister Sherpherd who had been out only 2 weeks. Their lesson was far less polished then the Assistants to the President that we had spent the last four months with. So we wondered if Paul would hang in there and if the Sisters would actually learn how to teach a "bit" more smoothly.
     Paul actually lives north of Oakland in Richmond but is hardly ever there because he is in college here in Oakland and usually stays with friends all week. His parents are divorced and he lives with his father who is Buddhist.
    The family story is quite interesting. During the late 1970's in Laos (where his family comes from), the Chinese communists had begun "re-educating" the people. Paul's father and mother decided to leave their country through a Catholic charity who offered to sponsor them in the US if they would eventually join their church (according to Paul). His father chose not to change from his original faith.
     Paul is 24 and is always volunteering and serving others. He believes seriously in giving back to society. He said his grandmother had taught him about Jesus Christ and he believed in Him. He truly is a seeker of truth. He became comfortable with the Sisters and several ward members assisted in teaching him the gospel with the Sisters. He has a wonderful testimony and he really feels he has found "home" in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He feels for the first time in his life that he belongs here.
     Paul was baptized on November 17, 2013. He, like Daniel and Maryann before him, asked Sister Felt to speak about the Holy Ghost at his baptism too, and she has been truly honored in doing so.
    Paul was recently called as a ward missionary and to serve on the activities committee. We have lots of activities in the Oakland 9th ward, so he will be kept busy!!

Paul's teaching team: Sister and brother Reed, and Hudson, Elder Felt
Paul, Sister Felt, Sister Shephard, and Sister Wiser
November 17, 2013

Daniel Gardner- Another new friend enters the waters of Baptism

On October  13, 2013 Elder Felt baptized Daniel Gardiner.


Daniel's story: 9 years ago Daniel heard the gospel for the first time and decided against being baptized or taking more discussions.
     Our zone leaders Elder Caleja and Elder Chapman found Daniel again and he accepted the opportunity to again take the missionary discussions.
     Sunday Sept. 14th Elder Felt was asked by the missionaries to pick a Daniel Gardiner up on Market St. Daniel is a blind man with cerebral palsy but can walk with a walker. So he did. I (Sister Felt) met them in the church parking lot and helped him into Stake Conference. We met Maryann Guevara, another investigator, coming in so we all sat together.
     Daniel was very emotional during the intermediate hymn and said he felt really comfortable here.
     After Stake Conference we went with Daniel to the Visitors Center. Every one who goes there has the opportunity to sit and hear the words of Jesus Christ. Daniel listened and as I was thinking about this man who could not see the beautiful Christus standing before us I wondered what other senses we could use to help him understand the important roll that Jesus Christ is in our lives.
     A thought entered my mind that we should ask Daniel if he would like to go and feel the Saviors feet and hands and especially the nail marks in them. The thought would not go away and I asked if it was possible to touch the Christus. We were told, " sure people love to feel his hands and feet and side." So we invited Daniel to do that and helped him up to where the Christus was. As he touched the Savior's feet he was overcome with emotion and when he sat back down he told us that he had made his decision. He wanted to be baptized and wanted to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of course he needed to finish taking the missionary discussions but he was so excited.
     We assisted the missionaries on occasion with the discussions and on October 13, Daniel was baptized. A week later Elder Felt confirmed him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Then two weeks after that Elder Felt conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on him and ordained him to the office of Priest.
     He is very enthusiastic and has since received his first calling. He loves coming to church on Sunday and is anxious to do the work in the temple for his family.

The teaching team for Daniel, Elder Chapman, Daniel, Elder Watson, Elder Felt
Sister Felt, Elder Calaja, and Elder Omori. It was such an honor and priviledge.