Sunday, January 26, 2014

Update from the mission field-Happy New Year






HAPPY NEW YEAR



 We had one more baptism in December. Daniel Siah who has recently come to the U.S. from Liberia was baptized on December 22, 2013. He is so faithful and humble and has at times walked 6 miles from his home to church. Before he was even baptized he gave the opening prayer at our Ward Christmas brunch in early December.



Santa Claus comes to the Oakland 9th Brunch

On Dec. 4th the Oakland 9th ward decided to do a Christmas brunch instead of a Christmas dinner. It was fabulous with eggs benedict, sausage, bacon, fruit, pastries, milk, juice. A regular feast. The missionaries were invited to serve the food to the tables
so that everyone could meet them. Lots of non members came and looked like they enjoyed it.  After singing Christmas carols Santa came to sit with the children and hand out awesome gifts. Elder Taylor reluctantly played the part and was really great. A few pictures



Santa with Julian, she is Maryann Guevara's granddaughter

Hudson Reed is not too sure about Santa




 Christmas in the mission field  for Senior Couples.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Savior and serving others as he did during his life.  Several senior couples on Christmas eve were asked to deliver packages to the different missionary zones to make sure that all packages delivered before Christmas to the mission office arrived in the hands of the missionaries they were intended for. Couples drove in from San Francisco and from Richmond in the afternoon to pick up packages even though they had to drive through the traffic to make sure the gifts were given. One couple drove from Oakland to Brentwood a 45 minute drive one way to deliver a car full of gifts that had come in last minute.. Santa never forgets his missionaries!


From Left to right starting in very back: Elder Felt, Elder Freeman, Sister Freeman, Elder Weeks and Sister Weeks, Elder Bailey, Sister Bailey, Sister Felt, Sister Davenport, peaking around her husband Elder Davenport, Elder and Sister Sawaya, Elder and Sister Wiess, Elder and Sister Mays, Sister Bailey, Sister Taylor, Elder Taylor,. In front Elder Lavender, Elder Bailey, Sister Meredith, and President Meredith. Oakland/San Francisco Mission home 2013.
Missing: Elder and Sister Clements- working at the visitors center. Sister Lavender-ill, Elder Ford, Sister Bybee