New Beginnings

Meet the Halls.  

This is Garth and Sharon Hall

President of the Florida Orlando Mission

The Halls and Darringtons

As soon as the Darringtons drove away President Hall stepped inside the door and said:

"Now what do we do?"

He has a twinkle in his eye and the assistants spoke up and said:

PARTY!

What a change! There couldn't be two people and Presidents so different.

President Darrington was a City Planner and Coordinator, executive all the way. That is just how he ran the mission.  It was a tight ship and things went smoothly. They stayed at the mission home a lot- there is an office there. He only came into the Mission Office to meet with the assistance and staff and with the doors closed.  He did a lot for the mission and he and his wonderful wife will be missed.

President Hall has been a Collegiate Football Coach most of his life.  His last Coaching job was Ricks College.  David Bednar was the President as you remember.  When they dissolved the athletic program and they created BYU Idano activities program he went to President Bednar and said. I don't want to leave Rexburg do you have a job for me.  So he became a College Administrator. 

He will always be a coach at heart and that is how he started this mission.

He gathered key figures around him and made a game plan. He has moved his Mission Home Office to the Mission Office and the door is open and he is accessible to all. 

At the MTC the Halls were taught to keep using the "Preach My Gospel" and how to really work it.  There are many changes taking place with the six week rotation of the mission routine.  It is amazing all the things they are doing.  

What an exciting time to be apart of the mission when all of these changes are happening.

Those of you who are planning to go on missions start studying "Preach My Gospel".  Know it inside and out.  It is a magnificent book and will be used for many years to come.

The Lord is stepping up the work and expecting all the missionaries to step up another notch or two.

The Senior Couples were invited to attend the Zone Leader Conference where the new program was introduced.  Those Zone Leaders all but stood up and cheered.

The 13 new missionaries.   

They came in Tuesday night and came to the Mission Office for Orientation and their companions Wednesday.  This group is on fire!

The office was full of  six foot plus missionaries.  I tread lightly when navigating through the maze. They are here to get new assignments or a new missionaries.

Elder Shawn Rice is being transferred and wanted a picture.  He is also a big guy.

Keep up the letters he loves them. I will forward them to him.

Elder Conant or David Little the second.  

He could be David's clone. A great missionary, good sense of humor and all around great guy.

Office Elders replacing Rice and Hansen.

On the left is Elder Beckstead, he is still with us.

Middle is Elder Schow or lovingly referred to as 'Elder Geek'.  He is a genius, and he admits to it.

On the right is Elder Wilks.  Quiet and reserved but a powerful missionary.

ALSO NEW THIS WEEK

I took out the old rug and table that were rotting and cleaned the cement with soda and vinegar (Disinfects deodorizes and cleans without water.)

New plant stands.  Of course my 'sticks' are growing.  I have a grapefruit tree growing from a seed I planted it is to the right on the middle stand.

A new resident.

He is a double-crested Cormorant.

They lack oil glands that keeps the feathers from becoming waterlogged.  To dry off it strikes an erect pose with wings outstretched, facing the sun.

No it isn't a lake monster.  It is the Cormorant.  He comes up for air and then dives back down  underwater to eat small fish and aquatic insects.

I discovered at least three different kinds of Palm trees.  Palms are not all the same, did you know that?

Then at the temple today I saw this:

It is about my height.

There is also a scrub type palm that grows wild and is more like sage brush. 

The last part of this week, our skies looked like this most of the time.  The clouds become striking when the sun is rising and setting.  New this week, clouds in the morning and all day long.  Maybe we are finally in the 'rainy' season. 

There are have been a lot of changes this week.  BUT the work continues forward without a hitch.  A Testimony that this is the Lords work and nothing will stop the Gospel from going forth and filling the earth.