Farewell Isabel...

I have been volunteering at the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society for the whole time we have been here on the mission.  I was going to work in the office, but I did not know enough about the other bases in the area and it required a lot of training.  When Isabel said they needed people to make baby blankets for the military all over the country, I knew what I could do!!

Isabel has served as the director of NMCRS for the last 3 years and decided it was time for her to move on and fulfill some other dreams.  I loved working with her and she was always smiling, positive and up lifting.  The pictures below are from her farewell. Elder Hodges even came with me.

 If the young man in the middle of this picture below looks familiar, it is because he was interviewed along with his service dog on The View (I do not watch, but I looked up his interview on line because he works with NMCRS)

We got to spend time with Brother and Sister Tupou, who also came.  Sister Tupou was serving as a volunteer also. She went through the extensive training.

This is my latest quilt for a woman who works in the same building counseling military members.  She picked the fabric for her one and only grandson. I used the Accuquilt go to cut the 6 1/2 inch triangles. So much quicker and more accurate too.

 Finally,  I loved the talk at Women's Conference this past Saturday by President Uchtdorf.  I printed this and placed it on the wall in our mission apartment so I can always remember to have joy in the journey!!

Marine Corps Museum and Honor men

We took Elder and Sister Thompson to graduation while their son was visiting.  He is very interested in military history and so we toured the museum on base after graduation.  

It was one of the hottest days we have had here and it was a blessing to tour the museum.

I saw this Marine Corps emblem and it caught my eye. I took a picture of the explanation of why the Chinese made this rug.

We, of course, had another graduation.  There are about 42- 46 per year.  Again, we were fortunate to have two honor men in Kilo company.   The two Marines, one man in on each side, are ours. Platoons 3230 and 3234.

This Marine is not a member of the church, but wants to be baptized at Camp Pendleton when he returns from his leave.  He requested having his picture taken with Elder Hodges.

This Marine, Cody is very special to us.  He lost his Mom suddenly as a teen and has taken care of his three younger sisters and even tho they were with their Dad, he really was concerned all the way through boot camp.  I made multiple calls to Dad and Grandma to check on the family for Cody.

One of the highlights for us is when the family comes for family day and the young Marine is ordained to the office of an Elder.  This was what Cody wanted and worked towards. We were so pleased to be able to share this with his family.

I am constantly struck by the reality of our Heavenly Father's love for us.  We hear of many miracles, of angels helping these men as they struggle and know the prayer of faith can absolutely work!!

New Senior Military Missionaries and fun!

We now have two new military senior missionaries that have just arrived.  Pictured below are Elder and Sister Moore from Stafford Virginia.  What a small world because they know the Kitchen family very well and could not believe that my daughter Sara is married to Mike Kitchen.

Our first fun activity together was going to Balboa Park and hearing the organ and singing for the 100 years of Broadway concert. I have been looking forward to this all summer and it was great.  Elder Hodges and Elder Moore had to leave during intermission to administer a blessing to one of our recruits who was in Balboa hospital, but they made it back for the finale.

 They performed songs from different musicals including, Oklahoma, Music Man, Phantom of the Opera and many more!

Each graduation one Marine is picked to be his platoon's honor man.  This signifies that he is the best in his platoon.  This week we had Joshua Knight, who was baptized here at MCRD, as the honor man!
We felt like proud parents.  We also have two more coming up next week at Kilo Company's graduation.  It really is an honor and General Bierman commented to us one week that these are the kind of men he loves to have join the ranks of Marines.

Just an aside, the young man behind Joshua is also part of our group and will be going on to recon school.  The training is so tough, few make it though, but we are confident and know prayers help!

We are so blessed to serve here and as the months slip by, we get busier and busier!

Today is our one year anniversary of being Senior missionaries!!

 With every missionary transfer day, we have new missionaries serving at MCRD.  Because of this we hold a MCRD district training meeting the day after.  Working as a young missionary at the base is very different than other missions.  These young men teach lots of visitors that come to church humble and teachable.  Each missionary teaches one on one with a visitor instead of with a companion. All of these lessons take place on Sundays in the same room as the priesthood lesson, interviews, etc. are happening. This requires focus and attention to the spirit despite the things happening around them.

 The missionary on the far right has just been out one day and can't believe he is lucky enough to have the MCRD branch as his first assignment!

We had another graduation as always, but sometimes, we have a Marine like the one pictured below who was in medical for seven months and finally got picked up by Mike Company and is graduating!  This is a super happy day as we always worry they will go home because of some medical issue. Pictured with his family.

 This Marine was baptized at MCRD by Elder Stecklein and was at the reception and has been a faithful member since his baptism.

 This Marine was also from Mike Company and was baptized while at MCRD.  He had no family coming for his graduation, so we are his family and took him to lunch and to the Mormon Battalion site.  He loved it.  There is part of the tour where one person puts on all the gear that the men wore in the battalion and the Marine could not in his uniform, so Elder Hodges put it on in his suit!!

We have learned from a Bishop of one of our recruits the remarkable change that has taken place with him. Below is an email we received from an MCRD Branch Councilor.

 I just got off the phone with a stunned Bishop in Salt Lake.  I was speaking to him about a young man we have had in Alpha Company - Kevin Flores (he graduates this week).  Kevin wants to be ordained an Elder when he gets home.  He is a great kid and will make a great Marine humble, obedient and understands the Corp’s values. He experienced some profound changes during his time at the MCRD.  His Bishop said he and his parents can’t believe his letters, the deep spiritual things of which he wrote.  He is in the Reserves and went into the Corps to get some finances for his education; no real desire to serve a mission.  His last letter asked if his Dad would be willing to ordain him an Elder when he got home and if they could perhaps ask the Bishop if he could begin a missionary application.  He said because of what he had experienced in basic training, the miracles he experienced and saw and the powerful influence of what was happening all around him at church he has come to know of the power of the priesthood.  Through answers to his prayers he also understands the reality of his God. 

We are so profoundly grateful to be able to see the growth of these young men as they struggle through boot camp and turn to the Lord.  We see and hear of angels lifting and helping them as they ask sincerely through prayer. The gospel is true and we know it and are witnessing the gospel in action every day!