What Do We Do?

My responsibilities are recording the baptisms (we had 628 last year), all the supplies (I do have a limit of 5000 Book of Mormons), referrals (about 500 a month), processing new missionaries, preparing 2 publications every month, and other odds and ends. Mats responsibilities are all the finances in the mission and he does a very good job of keeping track of everything. We currently have 210 young elders and sisters, so there is always something going on somewhere with one of them. The REAL miracle is that missionary work still goes on very strongly IN SPITE of illnesses, car accidents, cars being broken into, missionaries not getting along, breaking the rules, running out of money, stolen bikes, etc. We are luckily enough to have a full-fledged Visitors Center which is manned by the sister missionaries and 3 couples. There is always something going on here and the missionaries bring a lot of investigators to teach them or watch a video. We have a large facility called the Interstake Center, which has productions and lots of programs by the area public affairs people. 8 different wards meet there also. The Oakland Temple is a landmark in the Bay area. Everyone seems to know about it, so that's a good thing. We also have 15 senior couples which is very high for one mission. Our missionaries speak 11 different languages, with English, Spanish, Tongan, and Chinese, being the main ones. About half the missionaries are from other countries.
We live within a 5 minute walk from the mission office, temple, and visitors center, so our commute is great. We have made several trips to San Francisco on our P-days, it's a beautiful city. We go by ferry or use the BART system.
We go to church in a ward that takes in the "flatlands" of Oakland, which is the scary, poor, part of town. We don't go visiting after dark. One of my favorite members is a black lady who was told she was joining a cult, so she replied, "Well, my cult is bigger than your cult." No one seems to have a job, or a car, and they live in very humble circumstances, but have solid testimonies. I've heard and seen many lives turned around by the gospel: drug addicts, street girls, abusive situations, gang situations. That is another miracle. I've also seen people who were unable to break those chains and that's sad.
So we have had an education. We have been in situations and associate with people we never would have in Utah. It was very difficult at first, but we persevered and can now see the miracles in our own lives.
We are at the office from 9-5, which usually turns out to be 8-6 or 7. We come back to the apartment, eat something, watch a little Hogans Heroes or Andy Griffeth, and go to bed. The weather is always between 60-70 degrees, so very pleasant. We love looking at the lights across the bay. The fog is like a snow storm and burns off later on. We had some 4.0 earthquakes which shook the buildings. We've yet to experience the rain.
So that's what we do!

Sunset

This is sunset in Oakland. Look carefully and you can see the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

Elder Lyman's Domain

This is the garage at the mission office. Before we got there, you couldn't even get in the door. It is now organized and useful again.

Kenneth

This is Kenneth Veres who was taught by Elder Hakim and Elder Pace. Elder Lyman also taught him, just by talking with him. It makes a real difference having someone about the same age. We understand things the same. Elder Lyman gave a talk on the Holy Ghost at the baptism. Kenneth was baptized one week, confirmed the next week, and gave a talk in church the next.

Happy New Year!

This is the Oakland Zone having a New Years Eve Party at the Visitors Center. We watched Cars2 and Kung Fu Panda 2. They are wonderful Elders and Sisters from all over the world.