Home, Sweet CA Home!

I'm still trying to adjust to the rhythm of the lifestyle here.  I dearly miss the solitude of my blessed country home and all my family.  But I know this mission is not about ME so I'm trying to enjoy all the new stimulation that surrounds me.  At the beginning of this past week I read in D&C 100:4:  "Therefore, I the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls."  Each day is full and busy and I'm grateful that I go to bed happy, because I still wake up a little melancholy.  Some company bosses from Salt Lake came this past week to observe the facility here, both the DI and Employment Center.  It was good to have some Utah blood in our office.  They were very kind and appreciative of service that missionaries do.  I appreciated their kind words of encouragement.
We took the 3 young women next door to "Cinderella" for FHE.  They don't have a mom, and so we had a fun girls night out.  They had never been in the movie theatre before, even though they've lived their whole lives here.  So it was fun to do something so extravagant with them.
Teaching English to the Chinese sister who knows none is challenging, but rewarding.  She is finally starting to open up a little, and we are laughing together a lot these days, while trying to figure a lot out with sign language!
Lastly, here are some views of my "homes" where I most hang out these days.

Our apartment home in Alhambra.  It's quite nice, safe, and has several ward members and missionaries who live in the same complex.

And then we go to the "home" where I live during the daytime hours.  The Employment Resource Center, or ERS, as we fondly refer to it.

Even my very own office.  Just what I always wanted!!

The very best part about my office is the sweetest of decor adorning my

wall directly above the computer where I can look at my sweeties at any given time during the day!

And lastly, the church where we hang out almost every day of the week for something or other .  It's an old church, built in the 40's or some such time.  Its interior reflects the character of the cultures it serves, including an interior courtyard, that is completely open in the roof to outside.  That type of architecture could only serve a California population.  It wouldn't do very well under Utah snow!

All my newest Home, sweet homes!