Our calling here is MLS, which means member leader support . . . and LOG, which means logistics. You are probably familiar with our MLS duties, and they include teaching, playing and leading music, speaking, giving our friends rides, planning weddings, etc. We really enjoy this part of our mission. Our LOG part is a bit more practical, and this involves driving to and from airports in the area. This week, our LOG duties also included driving new cars off the lots and up to missionaries in Santa Maria, about a two-hour drive. Thus, this week we spent a lot of time in brand new cars. I have to confess that I've been grateful to Dad for doing all the driving in California on the crazy 7-lane freeways, but when we learned that we were each going to be driving a separate car, Dad started coaching me so that I would be ready. And I passed the test. On our first day, Dad and I picked up the new cars in Thousand Oaks, and we drove them back to the mission office in Oxnard. At the mission office, they were equipped with a device that monitors speed, seatbelt use, reckless driving, etc., and if a missionary has too many violations, he or she becomes an elder on a bike. As we were approaching the office, I stopped at a red light, and after waiting a minute or two, BOOM, someone rear-ended me. I couldn't believe it! The car only had 25 miles on it. So on this 6-lane road, I got out of the car and approached the other driver. He tried to convince me that the damage wasn't bad and that I could wash it off in a car wash. I told him that the car didn't belong to me and I would file a report. He was really angry. So I walked around to the back of his car and said his license number aloud. The front license had come off in the wreck. I told him that he MUST drive with me to the parking lot so that we could exchange information. I do not think he would have done it if I hadn't memorized his license plate number. Dad said his car smelled like marijuana, and he was probably worried about getting a DUI. Fortunately, even though Dad was ahead of me, he heard the wreck and he stopped and helped me. We exchanged information and the guy drove off. Everything ended up okay, and that new car is now in the north part of the mission, being driven by two sisters.
On one of our study days, Dad and I were looking out our back window, and I saw a coyote. Of course, I didn't have my glasses on or my camera nearby, but I called it out to Dad, and he saw that the coyote had a rabbit in its mouth. We were amazed. The coyote just trotted along the back of our duplex and then at a low point, jumped over the fence with that rabbit to the dry arroyo in the back of our yard. We were so impressed. Now we always look for him.
On the day we drove cars to Santa Maria, we stopped in Santa Barbara on the way home to have lunch. We found this wonderful taco place where we could eat outdoors by a fountain. We loved it. The food here is really good! When we arrived home, we got a request from Elder Bethers and his companion to teach a man named Fidel with them. So we drove back into Oxnard, and we entered into a one-car garage which had some shelves, a couch with a mattress on top, and a lot of water bottles. Fidel was a very kind man who lives in this garage. He was dressed in a coat and a winter hat on his head because he has no heat and the nights can be as cold as 36 degrees. He works every day and he loves talking to people. I'm sure he is lonely in that garage. Of course, he gave each one of us a water bottle because of his amazing generosity. We are always so impressed with the generosity of these people who are grateful to be in the US even though they don't have much. When he needs to cook or use the bathroom, he has permission to go upstairs where the owner of the house and garage have allotted certain times for him to use the facilities. We realize that in many of the homes and garages we see, there are probably about 20 people living and trying to make a living. It's really eye-opening.
On Saturday, we talked with another lonely man who is 90 years old. His wife died 4 years ago, and he loves visits. He sort of flirted with me, which is strange. Ha ha! He called the US a country of pure gold. He loves this country, and all of his seven children, who were born here, speak English, have succeeded in making good lives for themselves. That makes us really happy. I wish there were a way to invite everyone who wants to come to make a new life in the US, but I know that the issue is not a simple one in any way. We just try to love people where they are with what they need. That night we had another teaching opportunity, so we drove 30 minutes to arrive, but our friend cancelled, which happens a lot. So we went out for ice cream. We heard of a great ice cream store called Michoacan, and we tried it. They have some fun flavors, like cookie monster (Chase's favorite), guayaba, many exotic fruit flavors, chiclets gum flavor, picante cucumber flavor, etc. I got coconut and Dad got abuelita, which is Mexican hot chocolate with a touch of cinnamon. Fun!
Finally, yesterday, we were very busy at church. Dad translated a talk again, and he did an amazing job. He is very talented at translating, and our friends understood very well. We played and led the music. We hugged as many people as we could. It was a great Sunday. But then, the family that made us the incredible meat roll for Christmas Eve dinner reminded us that we promised we would have dinner with them on Sunday. Dad had been trying to find creative ways to take them out to dinner or some other means of avoiding the meat roll. But, alas, no. We went to their home. Out back, the brother was cooking beef, pork, onions, peppers, etc. on a griddle. Then he covered the whole thing with a ton of cheese. It looked a LOT like the meat roll, scrambled. He served a huge portion on each of our plates and we started to eat. Then he remembered the corn tortillas wrapped in cloth and the grilled fresh pineapple. We put the meat mixture with pineapple and pico de gallo on these incredible homemade corn tortillas, and we tried the tacos. They were amazing! We loved them so much! We have had some of the most amazing food while living here. Now, the next time they invite us over, we are going to be so excited!
So yes, we had a wonderful week. Sometimes we say to each other, "Who gets to do this?" We feel so lucky and blessed. We have giant strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries every day for breakfast. We feel spoiled.
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