Elder Stewart-Longhurst Mission to Santa Rosa, CA

We had some great experiences this week.   Here are a couple: -         We traveled to Fort Bragg to meet with some good members and friends of ours at their beach cabin.   We took a sunset hike on the beach, they fed us an incredible dinner, then we sat around their campfire near the beach in the moonlight and had a lesson about the temple.   Best lesson ever!   Made me homesick for Scouting. -         We put on our third monthly Missionary Movie Night and Ice Cream Social.   We showed “Facing the Giants.”   The event was a huge hit and the movie was faith inspiring. We see miracles daily as people change their lives and come closer to Christ.   Here is a story of one such brother as recorded in Elder Stewart-Longhurst’s journal: Today a new brother came to church completely on his own.   He said he was an active member of the church years ago, but his wife di...

This week we got to tour the mission a little bit and see a lot of wine country and fruit and vegetable stands.   We also traveled to Ukiah for a Zone Conference with the other missionaries in our Stake.   There we learned that we were foreordained to be missionaries and that we accepted this call in the premortal life.   That was a powerful lesson.   Glad we followed the spirit in accepting this call on this side of the veil too.   And then we traveled to Sacramento to worship in the temple.   They have an incredible baptismal font in this temple.   Beautiful.   About a dozen young missionaries from the Sacramento mission were in the temple too.   That made things incredible.   We love serving with these young Elders and Sisters who have sacrificed so much to be missionaries. We love serving the good people of Lake County, CA!   They are strong, determined survivors. The more we get to know them the more we are amazed at...

This week we had these experiences: -         We traveled to Sacramento with several ladies from our Ward to attend the temple.   With us was Sister Thomas who had not been able to attend the temple in over 15 years, since when her husband passed.   As part of our mission, we have been helping her prepare herself to attend the temple once again and had the privilege of being there with her when she went. -         On our P-day, we met another senior couple, the Mullin’s who we were in the MTC with, for lunch.   After comparing notes and successes and hugs and burgers, we traveled to Bodega Dunes Beach where we hiked in the sand for several hours.   The beach is an amazing place to feel of God’s love and majesty at the same time. -         We also attended a Senior Couple Pot Luck at the Mission Home to say good bye to a couple that is returning home ...

We are so grateful for the feeling of love for this community and ward that has grown within us in just less than three months. At first, we noticed differences and brokenness here, but that is transforming to a deep and abiding love.  The way God’s spirit works within us is powerful.  We’re doing our best to be led, influenced and changed by the presence of the holy spirit in our souls. While many members here struggle with church attendance, one woman does not.  She is ALWAYS at church.  And the amazing thing is she is confined to an electric wheel chair, is on oxygen, can hardly hear, has one eye, and the vision in that eye is very weak.  No matter.  She never misses.  During the fires, almost no one came.  We had like twelve people when we started church and eight of those were missionaries.  The smoke was so thick.  But this woman was there.  With a mask.  And a radiant smile.  She never misses. What’s more,...