Blast from the Past

This is the picture of Pres and Sister Darrington we should have had when we got to the mission when I thought I lost my camera.  This is Conference weekend.  We are facing their house.  Most homes are facing some kind of little lake, like what you see in the back ground.

The other couples serving with us are: The Swains are behind me the James' behind Stan and our new Doctor and his wife the Humphrey's next to Stan and of course the Darringtons next to me.  The Humphrey's already  live in Florida and serve the whole mission, the missionaries health is his business, he is one busy man.  

This is the front of the mission home.

Back view of the Mission home.  All the porches are screened in and a lot of the homes have a screen built over their complete back yard and have pools as well.

This is the neighbors, but most of the homes have there screens over their pools or whole back yard.

  The front room of the mission home where we had of first interview with Pres and Sister Darrington the night we arrived in Orlando.

This is the General Authority room.  There is a nice bathroom to the left and a nice chair and table and closet to the right and a beautiful view of the lake in the back yard.  Very nice bed and accommodations.

  Our apartment, there are many more just like this one. (About 450 apartments).  Our entrance to the left the area with the double pillars-- we also park on the side of the building and go in the back way, less traffic and more parking.  All the little patios are enclosed with screens on the ground level.  

Our little patio, yesterday I added more flowers, I put the red ones to the left side and pink vine geranium in front and some color on the table.  It is so nice to sit here in the morning and look at our lake and watch the sun come up as I eat my breakfast.

The lake looking out our patio.  I asked some boys who were fishing in it, what they caught.  They said bass and catfish.  They also said there are alligators in it.  They have seen two little ones.  Glad there is a chain fence and hedge between us and it.  

The next few pictures are of the lake we walk around all the time. It is in the middle of our apartment complex, and there will be pictures of our pool area as well.

 

Mail boxes for our apartments.

Our resident duck.  He still needs a name.

These are our ducks friends -- the drake and the hen with her head  under the water.  

 

The front of the Mission Office

We have the Welfare unit and the Employment and Social Services all in the same complex.  Behind the building is where the fuel tanks are for fueling up  trucks and out front are 15 cars Stan is responsible to sell.  He also has a little shed where all the extra 'stuff' is stored.  If a missionary needs anything for their apartment this is one of the places he goes to - to find it. 

 Unlocking the building for a new day. (my reflection in the door).

 Front office where Sister James works. There is a nice couch to the left. 

Front door and waiting chairs to the right and behind.

I have two desks, one for the computer the other for filing and receiving referrals over the phone.

Stan's desk after Easter and Transfers.  We hold the mail for transfers so we can get the mail to the missionaries at their new locations.  It happened to fall on and around Easter Weekend.   He actually made it through all this mail, there is more on the floor.  This last week I took over the mail for him. He has more then he can handle with the vehicles and keeping track of where they are - the service needed on them and selling them plus all the errands he is asked to do.

A lot of the intersections look like this.  They are heavy reinforced frames that the traffic lights are attached to. The street lights are very solid as well.    So when the winds of a hurricane come through they will stay put.

 

The streets are really wide.  You can see the three lanes here and on the other side of the island they are the same.  At the intersections there is a break in the islands and cars do U Turns all the time because you can't cross over anywhere.  It is crazy, you really have to watch out.  

 

The Marriott Motel that is our land mark.  Since there are no mountains around we can see this and it is a reference point to where we are.  Down town Orlando has some tall buildings but most every thing is built close to the ground because of the hurricanes.

Yesterday Stan turned 65, April 10.  We went out to eat and he order alligator for an appetizer.  No I didn't take a picture of him eating alligator, I should have.   Last week he also saw Micky and Mini while delivering mattresses to the sisters.

We found a way to the temple that will take us around the toll roads.  My battery on my camera died but I did get a couple pictures before that, not good but doable.  

 

Life in Florida is interesting.  We did travel out and around some yesterday. Stan sees a lot more then I do so he took me to some of the areas I work with in the office but have no clue where they are.  It was nice to see more of Orland besides the road in and back from work.  We actually went up a little hill to the temple.  It is the only rise I have seen.  The trees were bare when we first got here, now they are all leafed out.  At first the Palm trees really stood out, now they blend in.  There are a lot of trees with blossoms right now and it is beautiful.  We love the work we are doing and recognize the Lord's hand in helping us.  We do not have any training in what we are doing yet we are able to do the work --  The Lord is in control and His work will be done and he makes us equal to the task.  We love the Lord and have a strong testimony of the  truthfulness of the gospel.  We see so many people being baptized and embracing the truth.  It is humbling to see them and hear their testimonies.