Week 5: Oxnard, CA

We are beginning to get into a routine, and we are loving California. 

Our mornings are usually open, after our study time, so on Tuesday, we hiked in a canyon that overlooks the ocean, near Malibu Beach. Gorgeous! On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings, we worked in the Catholic charity helping distribute food from the pantry, pack lunches, distribute hygiene bags, and organize giveaway clothes. (Josh's eagle project trained us well.) Also on Wednesday morning, I have a zoom Spanish tutor.Then on Saturday, we went to Camarillo Ranch, where the first residents of Camarillo lived, then we went on to downtown Oxnard, where Henry Oxnard made sugar from the sugar beets they grew in this valley. We went to a farmer's market to buy tomatoes, blackberries, and strawberries. We love our mornings. 

In the afternoons and evenings last week, we had an office meeting, met with one or two people each night to teach them about the church, including Everardo, Ignatio, Felipe, Francisco, Omar, and Roberto. Do you see the pattern? We are working almost exclusively with 30 to 60 year old males who speak Spanish. We generally wait for a text from the sister missionaries that they would like us to join them for a lesson, and of course, we love being there, so we go meet them at the church. On Sunday, we attend a branch in the Camarillo chapel at 9:00, then we rush off to the Oxnard building for a meeting at 11:30. We have a meeting at 1:30 that goes long, then we come home and collapse.

We have had a few funny things happen to us. As we were driving on the 101 from Camarillo to Oxnard, we saw cars ahead of us swerving and then we got thumped by two giant tumbleweeds. They are even bigger than ours in Wyoming. We ate lavender ice cream. We saw a beautiful sunset at the beach. We hiked a very dusty trail and then visited the famous town of Ojai yesterday. We think that Brittany Spears has a ranch there. 

And we are doing really well. Dad and I both have mild colds, but we have our shots, and we wear masks here, more than we did at home. We love the beautiful weather, and we are thriving. Thank you for supporting us on this unique opportunity to serve and learn.