Week of October 3-9

Ingrid and I signed up for an exercise class in the park. It is a 30 minute class at 6:00 am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We walk the three blocks to the park. Then the instructor puts us through a pretty vigorous workout and it is different everyday. It is a small class of about 8 to 10 women who are young mothers except for one lady is 49 years old and then there is us. The teacher puts on Christian music for us to exercise to and says a lovely prayer at the end when we are finished. She and her husband are from South Africa and made the decision to come here because she said it was not safe in her country.





On a morning walk the other morning I was surprised to see the mountains this clear. Usually they are just a dim outline because of the bad air. Somebody told us there are about four days a year that you can really see that Bakersfield is surrounded by mountains. We are still waiting for one of those days!




President Layton was asked to speak to the YM leaders and bishoprics in one of the stakes about how to prepare the young men for missions. He was telling us that he was going to tell them they need to be taught about and understand the atonement and the sacrament. He feels like if they really comprehend those two things they will be able to handle the difficulties and challenges that come with a mission. The atonement and the sacrament are two very basic things for all of us to understand and be able to use to help us return to our Heavenly Father.

One day at the mission office I had nothing to do for about the last fifteen minutes before it was time to leave, so I got on FamilySearch and found and printed up ordinance cards for two people in my descendancy who need their work done. Another morning I was up early and did some Family History on our computer at home for about an hour and a half and found a bunch of work to be done. I gave a few of the ones that needed baptisms done to one of our granddaughters who was going to the temple the next day and the rest I gave to Jaylene and Grace, our substitute granddaughters here, because they are having a youth temple trip this coming Saturday.








James has gotten pretty good at washing our car with just a little bucket of water. It is a little frustrating because it seems impossible to get the windows clean. I guess it is all the dust in the air. Also, by the next morning there is a layer of dust on the car. He ordered some Dri-Wash and cleans the car with it about every third time.

Saturday we went to the movie "Sully" and really enjoyed it.

That evening we went to a baptism for Rigoberto Silva and his 11 year old daughter, Valerie. His wife is already a member and came back into activity.

Sunday Elder Porras confirmed Rigoberto in Sacrament Meeting. He was nervous because he had not done any ordinances in Spanish since his Branch President days many years ago, but he did great and everyone felt the spirit!
We picked Verenice up for church. She is here from Mexico living with her cousin and his family for a year to learn English. Her cousin and his wife, who is from El Salvador, are being taught by the missionaries. We have accompanied the elders on a couple of those visits. Verenice and her cousin are from the state of Guanajuato in Mexico from a small town next to the one where James's grandpa Porras lived.











This lonely pumpkin bucket is our only Halloween decoration. I've been thinking about all our Halloween decorations at home just sitting in the boxes in the storage room, but this will have to do this year.




















We often see cute little snails on the side of the apartment buildings or on the sidewalk. Aren't they cute?

THE LORD LOVES YOU AND SO DO WE!