BIG 70th BIRTHDAY SURPRISE!

Dear Friends and Family,

Last Sunday afternoon we called Hermana Socorro and asked if she would let us come visit.  She said sure, you can come right not. We quickly got ready and drove all the way over to the far side of the area.  Delighted to finally have an opportunity to meet her.  When we arrived 30 minutes later, there was a bag of hot tamales hanging in a bag on the doorknob with a little note saying "Sorry, I had to leave." We got ghosted! We were discouraged and a bit tired, but we decided that we would try to visit Moises and Bernice who lived nearby. We took the hot tamales and boldly went to the door with no appointment.  When we knocked, Moises answered with a big smile on his face."Hi, We brought you some hot tamales!" He and Bernice joined the church about a year ago, but have not attended church since then.  We soon learned why.  She had brain surgery a few years back and is blind, epileptic and can't walk without support.  She needs 24-7 care.  He is a devoted and loyal husband and cares for her with such tenderness.  He had an amazing testimony with an amazing connection to Christ. It was humbling to talk to him and learn of his courage and faith through an unfathomable trial.

We started going to the Senior Center for lunch a couple of times a week just to try to reach out into the community.  I am not too excited to go because the "army-issue" food is very questionable and the residents are so old that they are sometimes difficult to communicate with.  We were originally thinking we could volunteer there do a bit of service. The first time we went we sat by Judy who had no teeth and no memory, but what light she had in her eyes...a 39 year Marine veteran. The next time we meet Agnes and she told me the same 10 sentences on replay for the entire hour.  But the last few times we met lovely people and had real conversions.  Friday we went again and met Betty who had clearly had a stroke, but was bright and engaging.  After finding out she need some repairs done in her mobile home, we volunteered to drop by and help fix her awning. Last week they had live music and a dance.  What a hoot!

Elder Fowers at Senior Center

We have been very involved in the youth programs of the Vista Spanish Ward. We are finding that each mission is very different from the previous.  While we will still visit a good number of less active families and new converts, we feel this ward needs leadership support, especially in the Young Mens.  We see many couples who come to church and leave their teenage children home because there is nothing planned for them at church. We have been working hard to change that! We have found 6 or 7 young men ages 14 to 17 that are un-ordained to the Priesthood.  Our goal will be to help the leaders prepare and ordain these young men as we build unity through the Priesthood. We had a crazy activity of indoor soccer with the youth this week. Sister Fowers got kicked in the head with a ball that knocked her right down. She got up and kept playing. The first Youth Council meeting ever held in Vista Spanish Ward happened today. Our very traditional, Hispanic gentleman "Obisbo" has been having a hard time adapting to the changes, especially in regards, to his responsibilities to the youth. The meeting was amazing! The youth spoke up and directed the meeting.  We really only have one young man who is capable of leadership, but Jaden was there and prepared.  The young women are doing very well, and we will help the young men rise to their potential.  They even organized a Bishop's Fireside. That same evening a small miracle occurred. The young women’s leaders, know little about planning and executing girls camp, so I volunteered to mentor. They did not even have a camp location reserved at this late date. I agreed to help find an adequate site.  While I was on the computer checking out state parks, I felt inspired to call the LDS Camp Wildwood.  This camp is booked all throughout the summer with 10 stake camps and is nearly impossible to book at this late date.  To my surprise one ward had just canceled and there was an opening exactly when and what our little ward needed.  God is truly in the details and helped this little miracle happen.

Indoor soccer with Bishop playing Goalie and Elder Blocking

Hector in the foreground steeling the ball.

A new senior couple, Elder and Sister Prater arrived in our mission last week and they live in our complex, just across the way.  They are a lovely, salt-of-earth couple from South Carolina.  He spent his career as a plumber. We offered to teach them how to play Pickleball and they have become our Pickleball buddies.  They serve in the English wards in this area so we will never work together in our service.  It amazing how quickly we become close to other senior couples as we serve in the trenches to build the kingdom.  The kids even gave us new Pickleball shirts for my birthday.

Elder and Sister Prater

Ready for the Game!

I had the most amazing Birthday surprise during the past 24 hours.  Being in the mission, field I expected that my Birthday would be a rather quiet affair.  We were planning to take a quiet day to go buy a new phone for me and have a quiet dinner with Brad's and Sarah's families because they live close enough to drive to us.  I was quite content with that prospect, but the birthday celebration that I unfolded was wild, crazy and wonderful! Upon returning from shopping, I unlock the door to enter what I thought would be a quiet, dark apartment~ SURPRISE! What I found was my house filled with family...I nearly had a heart attack! After a moment of shock, I was able to embrace my family.  Beyond Sarah and Brad's families,  there  was Amy, Tim and Jesse, who had all flown in along with bundles of grandkids.  I was so surprised that I couldn't even process that they were all in the same room to celebrate my birthday.  The fun didn't end there... We continued through the evening with an amazing party complete with a fantastic cake, delicious food, bundles of cards and well wishes from back home and the unexpected attendance of old Bonita Ward friends. I relished the bubbling joy that filled the room.  It was a surprise that kept on giving.  Everyone stayed the night in our tiny two bedroom apartment and attended church with us the next morning.  They all sat through Spanish church as a show of support for our mission and met many of our friends.  At church, the Gonzales family surprised me a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  A sweet sister in our ward invited us to her magnificent home, overlooking the valley, and we feasted on fish tacos.  I had died and gone to heaven!  I tear up just thinking about how special these last 24 hours were to me and the love and honor my kids showered on me.  I am blessed beyond measure!

Hanging Out Sunday Afternoon 

Beyond Creative...Luci's Bday Cake

Cousin Times

Beautiful Vista Villa

Chocolate Flan

Our Sunday Lunch Host, Hermana Marin

Magnificent View

During this mission we are writing all of our grandchildren an old-fashion snail-mail letter and encouraging them to write us back.  I am certain that we love the letters as much as they do! Here is our collection of letters the grandkids proudly taped to our fridge.

Love Letters!

Con Mucho Amor,

Los Fowers