May 6, 2009

I AM IN OAKLAND! Wow, it is great to be here. This morning we got up and finished packing and headed to the airport and 8:00 am. When we got to the airport, we checked in our bags, got our passes and all that stuff. But just being in the "real world" and being a missionary is the coolest feeling. After we went through security we went straight to the phones. It was so good to hear my family! It wasn't hard to hang up because Mother's Day is in 4 days, so I'll get to call back. Next thing I knew we boarded the plane and I was on my way to my mission! Never in my life have I been so scared, and not know what is ahead of me, but at the same time I felt so comforted and peaceful. The flight was about 2 hours. We landed in Oakland around 12:05 pm on a clear day (The Lord blessed me with a clear day, so I could see the San Francisco skyline across the bay! Awesome!) We met with President and Sis. Beck at the baggage claim area. They are wonderful! I love them already. They are so welcoming and charitable. After we got our baggage the AP's and office elders picked us up in the van and took us to In N Out burger for lunch. As we drove there I got my first few looks at Oakland. It is truly a beautiful area! After lunch we all piled back in the van.We drove for a while until someone asked the AP's where we were going. They said "sight seeing" which seemed a little weird. But that's not what it was at all. They took us to Downtown Oakland to place Books of Mormon! I was excited/nervous but we did it! I placed my first Book of Mormon and like 5 pass along cards to the same lady! (Just because she liked the picture of Jesus on it). But it was great! I love the people of Oakland already. They are surprisingly friendly. It also is crazy diverse! You name a culture and Oakland has it, and the missionaries here that speak that language. It's great! Also we were today today that our mission, starting on July 1st, is combining with San Francisco! The new mission will be called the Oakland - San Francisco mission. I'm pretty excited. Well after we got back from street contacting we went to the mission home. It has the most beautiful view of the bay. I think it's probably one of the most beautiful sights that I've ever seen. We got our mission debit cards, filled some papers out, and had an interview with the President. I love President Beck. He is so wise yet so loving. He talked about having discipline and a good attitude. President Monson told him that "attitude determines attitude". After we did all that, we walked over to the temple. It's magnificent! It stands tall over the Oakland hills. President Beck told us that at night, the ships in the bay use it as a beacon to guide them in and out of the harbor. The visitors center there is also amazing. After our little tour, we all sat down together and ate dinner. - By the way, the mission home i BEAUTIFUL! After dinner we had a great fireside. It has been a great day.