CLELBRATION!

Querido familia y amigos,

Blog time again!  I can't believe how fast two weeks fly by and it is time to write the blog again. 

FIDELA IS "ON DATE":  Several weeks ago, we introduced you to Fidela.  A sweet hispanic sister who is exactly my age. She travels to Ensenada (2.5 hour drive) once or twice a month to help care for her grandchildren that live their.  The constant back and forth between here and Mexico has been really challenging in maintain progress in understanding gospel principles.  This summer she completely dropped off the radar for more than two months while visiting family in Oaxaca in Southern Mexico.  But about a month ago she called and wanted to meet with us. We were delighted and when we arrived at her house, she could hardly walk with knee pain.  We quickly got her connected with a physical therapist in our ward who works magic with massage and acupuncture.  So each week she gets two treatments and two lessons and she has made miraculous progress both physically and spiritually.  She is now "on date" with an Oct. 28 baptismal date set. Please pray for her.

Fidela with myself and our dear friend Anabel.

MESSAGES OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO JULIO: Our good friend Julio is still in the hospital, one month after the accident.  He still has many months of recovery.  The Lewis family (Sarah) generously donated a computer to him to help expedite his communication with family members in Mexico, along with the insurance companies and legal council.  We finally got a copy of the police report which puts the other driver 100% at fault for driving under the influence.  His positive attitude and tender testimony endears him to everyone he meets.

Julio and his new computer, donated by the Lewis Family.

NEW CONVERT NIGHT AT NEWPORT BEACH TEMPLE:  One of the most powerful tools our mission consistently employs is getting new converts to the temple within a few weeks after their baptisms. We set them up in Family Search to locate names of their antipasados (ancestors) and take them to the temple to do their baptisms and confirmations.  It never fails to be a powerful spiritual experience for all involved.  Below we have captured the moment of Laura and Arnolfo entered the Newport Beach Temple to do this work. with ourselves, the missionaries who taught them and our ward mission leader.  This is truly the pinnacle of our work!

New Converts at the Temple: Hermana Laura Guerrero and Aldolfo Sanchez in the center front.

Hermana Laura, baptized just two weeks prior.

Hermano Aldolfo at the entrance of the Newport Beach Temple

SENIORS AT CORONA DEL MAR BEACH:  Great food, happy conversations, our fellow missionary friends making memories at sunset on the beach.  Nothing better.  It is hard to express how dear these people of become to us.

 Senior missionaries relaxing at the beach!

Dear Senior Missionary Friends

MOBILE HOME PARK SERVICE:  We have been busy at the Vista manor mobile home park (a non-profit), but this time we are on our own.  We spent one morning stripping the "popcorn" off the ceiling as we helped Joshua, the maintenance man remodel his kitchen after a water leak.  (No pictures of that but we did included a picture of our badges cover with wet "popcorn.")  We also repaired a very damages and graffitied picnic table and repaired it.  We dismantled it, flipped the boards, sanded them and repainted.  It looked like a brand new table.  The park directors were a bit amazed!

Down and Dirty!

Good as new!

Luci in her element.

DINNER WITH PRESIDENT & SISTER CARTER: We were blessed with an evening meal,  conversation and  wise counsel from our mission president and his wife.  Both had spent a long day interviewing our Vista Zone missionaries.  They work so hard to lift and build our missionaries.  I think these dear people should be translated! 

Sweet evening with President and Sister Carter

ANOTHER BAPTISM:  Hermana Oliva Mendez Zavala was baptized this week and became the newest member of the Vista Spanish Ward.  We were not involved in teacher her but we celebrate every person who find their way to the waters of baptism.

Baptism for Hermana Oliva and our remarkable "misioneras."

LATINO FESTIVAL: Latino music, dance and food are a big part of the culture here in Vista.  You might say it is where they go for comfort when they are homesick.  So,  for the last couple of years the three Spanish wards in the area gather to celebrate Mexican independence (from France) with a big Latino Festival.  Preparations included building an outside stage for the dances, stringing decorations and preparing all the typical Mexican/Latino culinary delights.  The Relief Society sisters adorned in colorful costumed dress practiced weeks ahead for their traditional dances . The Elders Quorum entertained us with a vaquero ballad from the past.  The Fallbrook brothers performed the"Dance of the Old Men".  After the program, everyone started dancing because the music because you can't resist the energy of the music.  A couple of older sisters latched onto me and away we went.  I tried my best and prayed that no one was watching. A wonderful time was had by all.

Our misionersas joined in the traditional dance.

Relief Society Sisters

Elders Quorum

Elder Fowers dancing with the Senioras.

ISAAC ORDINATION/FAMILY ATTENDS:  During the time we have been serving in the Vista Spanish Ward, we have had eight priesthood ordinations.  This week we rejoiced with Isaac Molina who was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.  He was baptized as a child, but had learn nothing of the gospel as he was growing up.  We found him and started to prepare him to for FSY.  We taught him the missionary lesson  so that he would have some gospel knowledge before the FSY experience. This group of boys bonded and were strengthen in remarkable ways which continued long after they returned from FSY.  So this Sunday Isaac came to church with his entire family of seven to support him. They had never attended in the entire time we have been here.

Isaac (2nd to left) with others recently reactivated headed to FSY

 Con Much Amor,

Los Fowers

SEEING THE MIRACLES, TRYING TO BE THE MIRACLE.

 Dear friends and family,

MARIA MAGDALENA:  About three weeks ago I got a very angry phone call from Maria. We mistakenly called her phone number because we thought it was her Dad's number.  I talked her off the cliff in a very kind way, assuring her that we would harass her no further. I thought that we be the end of it.  However, she showed up at church and asked that I would come by to teach her about BYU Pathways. We met in her home today and had a tender conversation. As we were chatting about Pathways she began to tell me about her deep regrets and her desire to come back to church and how she begun reading the scriptures again. The spirit filled the room and I taught her about the joy and peace that comes from repentance.  Fast forward one week...she is now enrolled in Pathways, and we assisted her in getting a scholarship.  She has turned back to the light and you can see it in her countenance.

JULIO'S ACCIDENT: I received a call from Cirilo Morales, the brother-in-law of Julio Lopez, our member mechanic that we have mentioned previously.  He said that Julio had been in a bad accident the night before when a speeding drunk driver crossed over the center medium and hit him head on. Julio had no time to react.  Paramedics cut the top and door off the car to extract Julio. He was conscious during most of the process. The airbags deployed which probably saved Julio’s life. Cirilo called from Julio’s hospital room to tell us that Julio would be going to surgery within the hour and he wanted a blessing.  Arriving at the hospital, with another Senior, Elder Prater, we found Julio in much pain.  He was so emotional with the trauma from the accident fresh in his memory. Both knees were broken, a femur and tibia with compound fractures and a broken heel.  We gave him a blessing and they took him away immediately for the first of several surgeries to follow.  He recounted with tears how he fought the paramedics who tried to cut off his garments which he believes saved his life. In the ambulance he sang primary songs as the paramedics attended to him in route to the hospital. His spirit brought them to tears.  We learned that his father prayed all night for him in far away Oaxaca. He told us, via Facetime, that we were Julio's angels.  He is a man of great faith and Julio follows with the same pattern faith.   After a bit of battle with the towing company we were able to get Julio's tools and other items from the wrecked car.  We are working with immigration to obtain a special humanitarian visa for his wife to come and be at his side.  We think of Julio as an adopted son and we ask for your prayers in his behalf.

Remains of Sarah's donated car.

Julio facing months of recovery with hope and courage.

Julio chatting with is Father Mexico.

MATILDA, the MUSICAL:  Oh my goodness, what a show! I haven't laughed so hard for a long time.  Our son Brad's family is passionate about theatre.  Mallory has been involved for a couple of years, but in the last show, which was the musical performance of "Matilda"--Becky, Mallory, Leah and Penny were all in the show.  Becky played the lead role of Miss Trunchbull and she was amazing!  Fun was had by all!  It is one of the sweet blessings of our mission to be close enough to attend the kids performances.

SERVICE:  We continue our service to the Vista Manor Mobile home park. We love taking a troop of missionaries and helping with anything they need.  We have never actually preached the gospel to anyone in the park but everyone knows the "Missionaries" from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We tell them that we are Christs hands. Here are a couple recent pictures.

Happy Hermanas painting a fence in Vista Manor

LAURA'S BAPTISM: Hermana Laura is a 60+ year old woman who has been studying with the missionaries for nearly a year. Her study of the gospel has been tenacious and thoughtful.  Many Elders and Sisters participated in her journey, so last week the was a huge celebration as many missionaries and friends came together to participate in her baptismal service.  She stands alone in her family as the only member of the church. What courage!  She will be attending the temple with us on Friday at our New Convert Night.

Hermana Laura with all the missionaries who taught her.

Hermana Laura and the Sisters 

ZONE CONFERENCE:  All of the teaching is directed toward the young missionaries, but we love Zone Conference because we learn so much! And...we love the young missionaries!

BLANCA'S COMFORT: Hermana Blanca is another one of our courageous members who stands as the only member of the church in her family.  She is the matriarch of her family, all of which live in her home as a multi-generation household. Her testimony is deep and true and she doesn't hide it from her family. Recently she has been really struggling with the news that her only sister is dying.  We dropped by hoping to bring her a bit of comfort.  We shared with her the video "The Wounded Shall be Healed" and by the time it was finished, tears were streaming down her face.  She then testified to us that it was true. Jesus Christ is the source of her courage and comfort.  I believe she lifted us more than we comforted her.  It is one thing to press forward in the gospel when surrounded by faithful members of your family but is such a courageous journey to be baptized against the wishes of your family.

DAVID'S MIRACLE:  Our friend David, grew up in the church.  He graduated from High School during Covid. The isolation of those months lead him to lose his faith and turned his energy to gaming many hours everyday.  His mother came to us in tears last week telling us that he had hardly left his room for two years,  asking us if we could do anything to help him.  We weren't sure what we could do, but we suggested that perhaps he would like to enroll in BYU Pathways.  For the Latinos in California there is a scholarship available that pays 75% of the cost of tuition.  She wasn't hopeful that he would be interested, but the very next day we got a text from him asking if we could please come and explain how Pathways works. He was hesitant to take the required religion classes.  We thought that would be the end of it, but the next day he called to ask how he could fulfill his community service hours required by the program. That afternoon, he worked shoulder to shoulder with four missionaries in the hot sun.  He thought it was great and he wants to join us for our next service event.  He is now fully enrolled in Pathways and is starting school next week.  I know that this doesn't seem like a big deal but his mom know that it is a miracle.  As our mission President often says:  See the miracle and be the miracle.

David giving community service.

"YOU ARE MINE" PAINTING: We are huge fans of the Chosen series.  It is one of the few programs we watch while on the mission.  We read recently that Liz Lemon Swindle, my cousin, had painted an extraordinary painting and donated it to the show.  They are selling copies, so we decided to purchase one for our apartment and to give financial support to the show. We love it-- so touching.

YOU ARE MINE, by Liz Lemon Swindle

Con Mucho Amor,

Los Fowers