Two Weeks of Surprises

The weeks keep whizzing by! We can hardly believe that we're about at the half-way point of our mission. We've gotten so used to the wonderful people, the nice weather, the flowers all year-round, and the constant surprises, that we are very grateful we didn't let this opportunity pass us by. We don't fret about the future, because we know that whatever happens down the road is God's plan for us. The dreams and blessings have been more than overflowing.

Besides our health and participation in the Orange County Mormon Choir and Orchestra, Signe has had the opportunity to give health advice and some healing massages to our mission president's wife. President and Sister Watrous were very grateful for this added blessing to the mission.

Surprises with people: a few days ago we stopped at Taco Bell for a take out. Gary went in to the store to get our goodies. While he was waiting for his order, a young man who looked like a gang member (with the gang hair, tatoos and all) happened to be sitting nearby. He noticed Gary's name tag and asked him if he were a minister. After Gary responded that he was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the man asked where we worked out of and what we did (he knows the building). Then he confessed that he was having a light supper while he waited to go to a traffic school class at Santa Ana College across the street for his DUI conviction. Apparently he hit some yellow barriers on the freeway, totalling his car, but suffering only a minor injury. But this woke him up to a possible future that he didn't want. He also related the story of a beautiful 21-year old girl in his class who was DUI and killed someone with her car: 20 years behind bars! So sad. Anyway, he told Gary he wanted to change his life. Gary told him about the mormon.org website and about the Gospel in a nutshell -- and then they parted as friends, handshakes and all. Sometimes it pays to be courageous and bold!

In another instance, a man from India asked the mission president for a Book of Mormon in Hindi. Gary was happy to provide it.

Surprise 2: Gary sold two cars last Monday: one to a gentleman in Long Beach and another to a young family in Yorba Linda. Selling used cars is not his cup of tea, but he managed to do all of the paperwork correctly. But you couldn't pay him to be a used car salesman! Only 6 cars to go.

Surprise 3: After many weeks without a car accident with the missionaries, our number was up. Four elders were stopping at a fast food place in Santa Ana when they were struck from behind and sideswiped by a BMW with three teenaged boys in it. Despite over $3000 worth of damage to the missionary Mazda 3, there were no injuries (thankfully). It was the first accident Gary actually went out to investigate.

Surprise 4, related to Surprise 3: This one happened at 5 a.m . Saturday morning. As we've told you before our bedroom window opens out to a busy six-lane city street. Well, we were awakened by an awful crash, the immediate presence of a police cruiser (and later 3 more, plus fire truck and ambulance), and 12 feet of a housing development wall demolished across the street. Apparently two men fairly flew over the Santa Ana River bridge a block west of us with police chasing them and another one waiting down by our window at the Bristol St. intersection. In order to prevent a serious injury or fatality if the irresponsible driver got to the busy intersection (even at 5 a.m.), the police car did a 'pit bull manuever,' where he tapped the left front bumper of the speeding Ford Explorer, spinning him around so that he demolished part of the block wall, and came to rest on the sidewalk on top of a 'No Parking' sign. Again, no one was injured, but we could easily see the dejected and humbled faces of two handcuffed men sitting on the curb while charges were pressed and the debris was cleaned up. Needless to say, it was not possible to get back to sleep before we had to drive down to Newport Beach for our 4-hour rehearsal with the Orange County Mormon Choir & Orchestra. (What wonderful music: the best and most challenging either of us has performed.)

Today (Sunday) we relaxed, enjoyed our meetings, and felt the wonderful sunshiney weather out on the porch. We feel exceedingly blessed. We are also grateful that Gary's testimony at mormonscholarstestify.org was received so well by family members, colleagues, and friends on Facebook. Signe was actually the most instrumental in encouraging Gary to finish it and post it. We also felt blessed to help an elder get his military ID card renewed. In order to do so, President Watrous had us leave the mission and take the elder and his companion to Los Alamitos Army Air Field, on the way to Long Beach. Both elders were grateful for this little adventure west of the mission boundaries! And we were glad to help them.