Joseph! With an English accent!

Playtime at Grandma's, waiting for the train, and the McDonalds at City Creek

We're home!

Dad's Last Email from the mission

We had a very enjoyable day at zone conference, with the San Francisco, San Francisco West and Hayward zones, yesterday.  One random thing that happened.  I was visiting with an Elder YuLong Lai, from Singapore, and had indicated that our son was in the Birmingham England Mission and he said he has a good friend in that mission named Kenneth Lee from Singapore.  Just this morning we had received an email from Joseph indicating he'd been transferred and that his new companion was an Elder Lee from Singapore.  Seems like a lot of randomness.

After zone conference we had our picture taken with a lot of missionaries.  It reminded me of when Uncle-Pres. Faust would come to Oak City to speak or be in the parade and after he'd get thronged by people.  He referred to this as 'Staying around for the pig sticking'.  Mom and I said that it felt like we 'stayed around for the pig sticking'.  The young missionaries were so nice and we have become pretty good friends with a lot of them.  I'm not into all of this good bye stuff but I guess we have to do it.

We went to dinner at the Masaniai's on Tuesday evening and you'd thought we were the royal family of Samoa the way they treated us, fed us a BBQ dinner with Sister Masaniai's potato salad and then gave us several Christmas gifts and a $100 bill in a Christmas card.  I think the money to to reimburse us for all of the white chocolate we gave them to make 'white trash' with.  They sent down to the car with us to say good-bye.

Today we hope to be loaded up before noon and if so we'll head home and see how far we get.  I talked with Cynthia and told her of our change in plans if things work out this way for us in that we won't go to Ione.  If we do this we'll roll into Utah early tomorrow.  We'll let you know.

Well-it has been a 'Grand Experience'.  We hope we've been able to do some good and be of some assistance to the Lord's work and help the Wade's, Meredith's and young missionaries.

Love-Dad

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Marie Cain, Roger Hardnet, and Troy and Jacqueline Williams

9th ward friends

The Masanai Family dec 2012

The basketball elders

Elder Lyman played basketball in the mornings with a few elders from
the mission. They are from Tonga, Singapore, China, Mexico, Georgia,
Idaho, and Utah.

Mindy and Mom visit!

My mother and my sister came to visit and hear the Temple Hill Choir
sing. We had a great time together!

Returning missionaries

Back: Elder Lyman, Elder Sa, President Meredith, Elder Warren, Elder
Mataele, Elder Ball, Elder Ho,
Front: Sister Robbins, Sister Meredith, Sister Amezquita, Sister
Osborn, Sister Lyman, Sister Brandley, Sister Rangel, Sister Hunt

Our very good friend Zola Bowie, after receiving her endowment at the Oakland temple.

Beautiful lights at the Oakland Temple grounds!

Our P-Day activity

Beautiful day in Oakland California!

Willis Wilcken funeral November 2, 2012

The story of the hoarder bikes

On June 22, 2012 a call came to the mission office from a member named Bonnie in Pleasant Hill.  Her neighbor, Roger Phillips, had a brother who was a hoarder and had died about 2 years ago.  For the past two years Roger had been disposing of his brother's stuff among which were 25 road bikes and 5 road bike frames.  Roger was trying to get rid of the bikes but didn't know who might take all of them.  Bonnie asked if the mission would be interested and gave me Roger's name and phone number.  I talked with President David Wade and it was decided that we would be interested even if we just tooktraded them, to bike shops, for more conducive bikes that our missionaries could use.

We made arrangements with Roger and on June 25th Elder Kent McIntire and I took a mission pickup with a trailer and a mission van with a trailer and drove to Sonoma, Ca.  We met Roger and a friend at an airplane hanger where the bikes were stored.  They turned out to be rather expensive high end road bikes purchased in the 1990's most of which had never been ridden plus about 30 extra tires, tubes, gloves, shoes, pedals, seats and other misc. items.  We found a couple of receipts indicating the cost at $900 for one bike and $1100 for another and another bike was about $3000 when it was new.  Thehoarder brother would purchase items that he never used.  We loaded the trailers, the back of the pickup and the back of the van and returned to the mission office.

Our original thought was to call some of the local bike shops and see if they would trade new bikes for these.  But while we were unloading the bikes and had them sitting in the parking lot Shane Larson, a temple engineer staying temporarily in the Todd House next to the mission office, came to make our acquaintance and see what we were doing.  He turned out to play a key role in our being able to get the hoarder bikes sold and new missionary bikes purchased.  Shane knew about bikes and was interested in what our plan was.  As it turned out bike shops would not take the older bikes without proof of ownership or a receipt of purchase.  So I indicated to Shane that if he would help us with our project he could have any bike he wanted.  This was the smartest decision of the whole project.  

Through his contacts and listings on Craig's list we sold or traded, as of this date Oct. 15, 2012, all but 4 of the bikes.  We currently have 16 new Trek bikes and 4 really good bikes that were traded so we have 20 new bikes to be used in our mission fleet for missionaries from non-equalized countries.

As it turned out, when Shane was on his mission, in Chahalis, Washington a few years ago, he baptized a lady and her daughter but not the husband, Gary Klein, who owned a bike shop, Klein Bikes, which he eventually sold to Trek, a large bike manufacturing company.  Because of this connection with Trek Shane and Gary could purchase, with the money made from selling the road bikes, 15 new Trek Dual Sport bikes for dealer cost and had them shipped to the mission office.  Shane ordered 4 different sizes to give us some variety in meeting our missionaries' needs.

On October 11, 2012 we finished putting together the 15 new bikes.  The other new bike had been purchased by someone who traded for one of the road bikes.  I told Shane that it appeared to me that he stayed temporarily in the Todd House for a couple of months so he could get involved in helping us sell off the bikes and get the new bikes without any cost to the mission plus we'll have money to purchase some locks and other supplies for the bikes.  We received $4000.00 from selling the bikes and as of Oct. 28, 2012 we have 2 bikes left that should sell for $500.  The cost of the 15 Trek bikes was $3200.00 or about $213.33 each including shipping and they retail for about $550.00.  We've purchased 15 newUnguard locks from Fruitvale Bike Station and Mike, the manager, gave us an extra so we have 16 for a cost of $30.00 each including the sales tax.  They retail for about $50.00.

The project is about complete and turned out better than we could have imagined.

Elder Mathew J. Lyman

California Oakland/San Francisco Mission

 

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We've been busy

This is a picture of all the bikes which we have been working on
getting for the missionaries, and our live in angel who just happened
to be working at the temple when we needed an expert in bikes. Also this some stuff from the ESP or extra stuff plan. Hopefully the missionaries will be cleaner and get rid of extra stuff!

Gary and Lisa Part 2

Saturday we went to the mission office to meet some of Gary's relatives, maybe. Actually the young man who has been helping with the mission bikes, Shane Larson, brought his parents over. They actually do have a connection with Gary and Lisa. We also met some of the senior couples who were going on an outing. Then we went to the San Leandro Farmers Market and bought berries, corn, grapes, pastries, tomatoes, and anything we wanted to munch on that day. We went across the San Mateo bridge to Half Moon Bay, stopping along the way to see the dinosaurs. It happened to be pumpkin time, so the fields were full of pumpkins. Also artichokes! We stopped at Venice Beach and had lunch. It was pretty cold, but the waves were big. Some people were actually surfing. We drove up the coast and stopped at Bakers Beach. The Golden Gate was fogged in and you could only see the bottom, and as we walked up the beach we also realized we had gone too far when we saw someone else's bottom. We were on the clothing optional beach, so we turned around. My only regret is that I didn't get a picture. We went across the Golden Gate to the lookout point and then walked on the bridge for a little bit. By that time the fog was clearing, but it made for some fantastic pictures. We went into San Francisco, driving down Lombard street and through Chinatown. We came back to Oakland and had dinner at Hunan yuan. For not having anything outlined, it turned out to be a very busy day. Sunday we went to church with the 9th ward. It was the primary program and every nationality and ethnicity was represented. We treated them to a real missionary dinner and then took a nap. It has been wonderful to have them here!

Gary and Lisa's Visit

Gary and Lisa Larson came to visit us. They came in Thursday evening and we went to Crogans (of course!). Friday morning we got up and went to San Francisco to go on the Movie Tour. It was great to see where all the movies had been filmed and hear some stories about the stars and the movies. Then we went to Alcatraz. It is always amazing to step back in time and imagine what it was like during the 1920's and 1930's. We then got back just in time to go to the Oakland A's baseball game. We had great seats and we were prepared for the cool weather, so we had a lot of fun. The A's won also. We visited and visited all day long. It was nice to get caught up.

Eddie and Sadie's Visit

What a treat it is to have them come, we missionaries get to do and
see things we wouldn't normally get to.
They arrived Thursday night and we went to a great dinner at Crogans
in Montclair. It's a great restaurant that has become a favorite.
Friday we got up and went to Temple Hill to watch the space shuttle Endeavor fly over the Bay area. Then we went the back way to see Muir Woods, where the
redwoods grow. It was beautiful! Sausalito was next on our list for
lunch and we found a small diner called The Lighthouse. so glad we
stopped there because it was great food for a great price. Then we
drove to the Golden Gate and Mat even walked a little bit on the
bridge, which was a major accomplishment. Then we drove through San
Francisco and decided that we didn't like sitting in the traffic, so
we got into line to drive down Lombard Street and then a miracle
happened in that we found a parking place at Coit Tower, then again at
Chinatown. We finally came back to Oakland and walked to Monaghans
where I had a grilled cheese sandwich that was gourmet.
Saturday we got up in time to make the ferry and spend some time in
the San Francisco farmers market. We had Asian pears, peaches,
chocolate toffee, peas, vegan dessert, and palmieres. Then Sadie and
I caught the Muni while Eddie and Mat walked to pier 39. We went on a
bay cruise that took us under the Golden Gate Bridge, and then we ate
at Boudins Bakery on the wharf. Of course we always have to visit the Chocolate Shop! We caught the ferry back and now we
are tired and just resting at the apartment. They go home tomorrow
night. It has been great to have them here!

The bike saga

Some months ago, a we were give 29 bikes from a hoarders garage. We
have then been matching up parts and with the help of a temple
engineer, Shane, have been selling them or trading them so so we can
buy more appropriate missionary bikes. This is the first 2 new bikes
that have come. We will have 20 mission owned bikes when all is said
and done. It really has been a miracle the way things have worked
out. Some miracles take a little time, but you can still see Gods
hand in it all.

Watch them Elders!

Elder Roberts, Shelley, Kwok, Ball, Lee, and Tsang all have the same
watches. Gotta love 'em!

Swoosh! Another week gone by!

Yup, another week has flown by.  They go so fast I can't even remember what has gone on.  I must have been busy though.... I'll tell you miracle of the socks.  We have an elder from Florida here.  He has been raised in a pretty poor situation and doesn't know a lot of the things we take for granted.  For instance he washed his suit one day, then brought it in to me because it didn't look good. He has smelly feet, so he tried to wash his leather shoes in a sink full of suds.  It didn't work.  We talked about baking soda, desenex, odor eaters, etc.  Last week he came in and wanted some socks.  His companion said that he only had 3 pair of socks, no wonder his feet were smelly.  Anyway we didn't have any and I was prepared to go get some for him later on.  Then a senior couple came in bringing some extra stuff from one of the apartments and when I went through it, there was about 6 pair of socks.  I told the elder that the Lord knows what he needs before he even asks for it, and that the Lord knows him. It was just weird happening on the same day, within a few hours. I'm also making posters for the elders and sisters to display.  For some reason we don't have any displays to lend out to them.  We have 2 expensive ones and they are always out.  Two are not enough for 200 missionaries.  So I am making some.  They are very unprofessional, but they will get the job done.  We have a lot of interest because the Book of Mormon play is coming to San Francisco in November, and a Mormon is always in the news.....  People are curious.  So this is just an effort to give the missionaries tools. Right now I am the unofficial, uncalled, taken for granted that I will be there, semi permanent, substitute ward organist and choir organist. It's nice to be needed. I am grateful for FaceTime, Skype, email, texts, blogs, and cell phones.  I can't imagine what it was like to go on a mission even just a few years ago. Odds and ends: We have the Hound of the Baskervilles outside the apartment that barks and bays every night. Someone keeps throwing beer bottles down the driveway so Mat keeps picking them up and putting them in the garbage, which already smells because of all the liquor bottles in it. We went to a Samoan 1year old birthday party on Saturday.  Interesting food.  I play it safe and eat potato salad. We have a guy who walks his dog in the neighborhood without a leash. The dog is a wolf type, big, but extremely well trained.  Another character to write about.  Then there's Glen, a guy who sweeps and picks up trash on the street.  A little bit backward and shy, but very nice.  And Mr. Lee who runs the Chinese cafe, and Seeya from Iran who runs the Woodminster cafe and makes great burgers, and the Indian guys who run the market, and John and Eric who run the hardware store, and Toni, my hairdresser, who is about 55, single, and has one niece who just went to college in Oregon that she can't stand to be parted from. Then there's Kathy who lives next to us and smokes a lot, walks with a walker, has one son, and just returned from seeing her sister in Germany, also Mr. Burns, who likes to play poker and is on oxygen all the time, and drives a little sports car.  Also the apartment manager who went to England to see a sister she just found out that she had, returned and now has kidney stones and leukemia.  She drives a little red Honda civic. And the math teacher who can't make ends meet, so still has to work even though he could be retired. I should write a book.... There is more but now I have to go to the Temple Hill Choir rehearsal, which is pure fun for me.

Ben and Libby, Daniel and Riki's visit

1. The WORLDS BIGGEST BURRITO! 2. No matter how many times you see it, the Golden Gate bridge is magnificient! 3. Daniel Lyman as Forrest Gump. 4. Lieutenant Dan and Forrest Gump. (Daniel and Ben) 5. Magnificent trees!

Chinese Street Fair

Today we went to the Oakland Chinatown Street Fair. Four blocks were
blocked off, and the missionaries had a booth in the middle. We went
to show support and look at everything. This is some typical sights.
It was a lot of fun!

The tall and short of it.

This is Elder Clermont from Florida, Sister Lyman, and Elder Bond from
Texas. The elders are the two tallest elders in the mission.