IT IS GREAT BEING A MISSIONARY

HIGHS AND LOW

A MISSION IS A STRANGE EXPERIENCE,

A TRIAL AND A TEST,

A MISSION THROWS AT YOU THE WORST,

YET TEACHES YOU THE BEST,

I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY,

I'VE NEVER BEEN SO DEPRESSED,

I'VE NEVER FELT SO FORSAKEN,

I'VE NEVER BEEN SO BLESSED,

I'VE NEVER BEEN SO CONFUSED,

THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN SO CLEAR,

I'VE NEVER FELT MY HEAVENLY FATHER SO DISTANT,

HE'S NEVER BEEN SO NEAR,

I'VE NEVER BEEN SO DISCOURAGED,

I'VE NEVER BEEN SO FULL OF HOPE,

I'VE NEVER HAD IT SO EASY,

I'VE NEVER HAD IT QUITE SO TOUGH,

THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SMOOTH,

THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN SO ROUGH,

I'VE NEVER BEEN THROUGH SUCH A DEEP VALLEY, 

I'VE NEVER FELT SO SURE AND STRONG,

I'VE NEVER FELT SO WEAK,

I'VE NEVER HAD SO MANY UPS,

I'VE NEVER HAD SO MANY DOWNS,

I'VE NEVER HAS SO MANY SMILES,

I'VE NEVER HAD SO MANY FROWNS,

I'VE NEVER BEEN SO LONELY,

I'VE NEVER HAD SO MANY FRIENDS.

BOY! I HOPE THIS IS OVER SOON!

GOSH! I HOPE IT NEVER ENDS!

FROM ESPECIALLY FOR MORMON MISSIONARIES

Tropical storm Bonnie

It rained for about 20 minutes and blew but not as bad for us as some local storms have been.

Post Bonnie--

the next morning.

A typical day at the office (hehe)

Elder Micky?  (Doxey)

A new arrival

Sister Lovejoy, in the middle arrived mid transfers Monday from Washington State.

She is joining the ASL (American sign language) sisters-Sister Ellsworth on the left and Sister Homer on the right.  Saw them in action at church today and they work together like they have been together forever.  In the Lords work He is in control.

Saturday morning Stan and I went to the temple...but this week we had in tow three Elders.

Elders Berhold, Engeman, and Wilks.  What a joy to take them and have their sweet spirit with us.  ALMOST like being there with our own children.  These guys are in our ward and we see them all the time.  Elder Wilks took Elder Hansen's place.  He is part of a companion ship with Beckstead and Schow.  Berhold and Engeman work the west side of Hunter's Creek and Wilks Beckstead and Schow are East side also known as the 'office' elders.  Only now that there are three Elder Schow is full time office he doesn't get in on much missionary work, and his talents are being used much better where he is now.

We took some pictures at the Temple but mine didn't turn out at all.  The sun was too bright.  They got some and will share with me.  I guess my camera doesn't do light very well.

We took them to IHOP after wards.

Elder Wilks.  It is his birthday, the 24 of July!  He turned 21.

Elder Engeman.  He came out about the same time we did.  He has a girl he is writing.  I told him he may get a 'Dear John'.  He came back with, we will invite you to our wedding.  I certainly hope so, he is an unbelievable missionary.  Still a 'greenie'  but he is so faithful and strong.

Good ol' Elder Berhold.  He is the one who went to Brazil first then came home for open heart surgery and came back to Florida to finish his mission. Oh what a character.  He is a hard worker and has a great testimony.

Berhold-Engeman-Wilks

While we were at IHOP a colored waitress came up to us and asked us who we were.  She asked questions like "do you believe in Christ" and do you have seven wives"  etc.  The Elders took her very serious and answered her questions very well.  I gave her a pass along card and got her name to put in the Referral system.  Actually when I find out who the Elders are that will visit her I am going to call them personally. 

Just after this picture was taken all the waitresses came out and sang to Elder Wilks.  Most of them are colored and they really got into it with the dancing etc.  How fun that was.  Elder Wilks turned many shades of red but enjoyed the ice cream Sundae they brought him.

For the 24th we actually stayed home after the temple trip and got caught up on things we didn't do last weekend when we were gone all day from one place to the next. Plus I had four pairs of pants and two white shirts that needed to be mended.  Once I did Sister Keung's skirt the word went out and now it is a full time job.  ; - )

A visitor to our pond.  He was a good three feet high and walks like he has bare feet walking on glass.

A beautiful end to a wonderful week.

I Marvel at the Miracle

I marvel at the miracle-of God's great love for me.

I try but cannot comprehend, and ask how this could be.

For I had left behind my God-and lost my way through sin.

Still God loved me and sent His Son to lead me back to Him.

I wearied of my weaknesses, and trials filled my days.

I cried out, Lord, my burden's hard, is there no other way?

He said, I give men weaknesses-and if they come to me,

I give them strength to overcome, And I will make them free.

I pled with God to shed His grace-And take away my sin.

He did, and yet I turned away-and stumbled once again.

At last I knelt before His throune-and offered Him my soul.  

He wept, then gave it back to me-renewed and washed and whole.

I wonder at the grace divine--and power to redeem.

That Christ alone cold overcome-and change eternity.

My thanks cannot sufficient be.  My praise is incomplete.

For all I pay, my debt remains, for God's great gift to me.  

Text: John V. Pearson

Music: Janice Kapp Perry

Things Not Seen

The highlights of this week are things of the Spirit and cannot be photographed.  The first part of the week I was very anxious about Joe's deployment,  He called us at the office and let us know when he was leaving....Thursday.  Such short notice wow.  When he went to Iraq I had a spiritual confirmation that he would be okay and my dad, Melvin Ward would be his 'companion'.  But this deployment to Afghanistan has been really hard.  Along with that I was concerned about Sarah and Chad and their foster kids and the courts.  I have been concerned about my family and anxious for their safety.  Thursday morning during our office devotional I felt strongly I should go to the temple that day.  Joe was being deployed and it was the court date for those beautiful little girls. 
I did get the confirmation I was looking for and I know he will be well.  I also was glad to hear the court action was in Sarah and Chads and the little sisters favor.
I was reminded of the blessing that Stan and I received when we were set apart by President Harper for our Mission.  He promised us that our family would be blessed while we were serving our mission.  That is so evident in all the experiences of this week.  I won't go into detail but my daughter Mary and children were miraculously saved in a river accident and daughter in law and children were okay after a care accident.  I am so grateful for all the Lord does for us and our family.

Yes this is yours truly.

Elder Engerman had pant that were to baggy and asked if I would take them in.
I did a new zipper in Sister Keung's skirt last week and word spreads fast on the missionary zip line.  As of tonight I have had three other requests for clothes to be mended.

A Mutant Marshmallow.
That is a peanut M&M next to it.

The Swains had family sent these to them and they gave them to the Elders who come in to email.

 This is the picture of David and Goliath from the Spanish Children's Friend Elder Jonson colored and signed for me.
I told the missionaries if they got 100 baptisms I would let them shave my head.  As of Friday July 16 I only had 16 records recorded.
They told me I had little faith.
I said I am not going to pay for a hair cut if they are going to shave my head.
I will post the shaving if it happens.  : - )

The assistants did these pictures at a Singles Family Home Evening.
Patti our mail lady commented on them.  We told her that the missionaries did that.
She nodded and thought for a moment  then said, "So that is what they do."

Yes-- that is Golden and Barbara Gardner.
Elder Beckstead heard he had an aunt that served in this mission years ago, late 90's. and he was looking through the Florida Orlando History books we have.  He was showing Stan his aunt and Stan looked across the page and there was Golden and Barbara.

Elder Schow our full time Office Elder is doing a deep cleaning in the office.  This closet is where we keep the pass along cards in a million languages and pamphlets etc.  This closet has only been 'added upon' and NEVER cleaned.  He found some pretty interesting artifacts.

The colored parts on the map is the Orlando Mission.
The different colors represent a different Zone.
We have seven physical Zone's and eight with the LA Zona mission that is the Spanish Zone.  They actually have missionaries in each Zone.

This is the map program I work with each morning.
I get referrals each morning from the Mission Training Center in Provo.
I take the addresses and log them on to the map program and press 'Search' and it finds the area the referral is to be assigned.  I then send it to the missionaries in that area and they receive a text on their phones with the referrals information.

When the Assistants and Mission President created three new areas last Transfer Elder Doxey went into the map program and drew boundary lines and labeled the new areas.  He is visiting with Zone leaders to get the exact coordinates.  With all they have to do they still take care of the little details.

When the new Mission President came these guys, our faithful Assistants to the President were his life line as to how the work on the ground level is executed.  On top of that President Hall gave them the new program he received at the MTC and told them to learn it, and teach it at the three day Training Sessions to be held every two months.  Zone leaders District Leaders, Senior Companions, and Trainers are invited.
They had to figure the logistics of getting 60 missionaries all to the Wetherbee Chapel for three days and how to feed them and house them.
They would work so hard and think they had a plan.  I would tell them to go home and pray and sleep on it.  The next day they would come back and work on it again.  By Friday they had it down and felt good about it.  (They had to learn all the information to be taught as well, plus they have their own investigators they are teaching AND they had to move this week.)

 Friday they did move and Stan and Elder Beckstead went to help them move.
I went home and prepared a meal in my tiny kitchen for them.
It felt good to feed the 'troops' again.

Saturday Stan and I left early for the temple.

Then we went to Sister Rowan's home to dedicate it.  She is a single mom who has just moved.  She had friends helping her who are not members.  They were so impressed with the spirit and the prayer they want to be taught the Gospel.

She had seven Elders in her house painting.  She fed them lunch and then they went to teach investigators.

We met up with Elders Beckstead, Wilks, and Schow who were giving the Bowles the lessons they need to have after baptism.

Then we went to help the Assistants clean their old apartment.

Elder Doxy is so cute in bear feet and grubbies. 

The pan he is standing on is really old, and antique.  I told them to take care of it. They don't know where it came from, it was in the apartment when they moved in.

Elder Stienment cleaning his bathroom.  I was impressed, he actually did a good job.

b

Brother and Sister James were cleaning when we got there.

They left shortly after this picture. 

I cleaned all the cupboards microwave and fridge.  No easy task since the Elders have just moved in on each other for six years.

I tried to help but he insisted on carrying both.

The box is full of broken glass.

Our neighbors Van was broken into and all his pool cleaning supplies were stolen.

Stan quietly took a broom and dust pan out and cleaned it up.

The carrier we borrowed from the Eskelsons so that we could bring Margie Barros and her baby to church last week.  

The garbage compactor and Eskelsons were in the same area so we walked both over.

A side note.  

Margie and her significant other Hans are going to be married and baptized in a couple of weeks.

This dog lives on the second floor and is just above where Stan was walking in the above picture.

When we come home he used to bark and growl at us.  I would stop and visit with him.  

Now he barks a hello how are you today!

Sometimes I wish I had my daughter in laws equipment and talent.  Tawny could have done well by this.

It is a sunrise.  The dark clouds are very dark and there are rays of light shooting up out of them.

A glimpse into eternity.

In Sunday School Sister Guitan challenged us to try to Understand God and taught us that we must have a Purpose.  We are to read the scriptures marking scriptures that would point us to Heavenly Father and what we are to be doing.  We are to Pray about it.  We are to do as God would do and serve and love others. 

So I leave you with this:

What is your Purpose?

#3 ZONE CONFERENCE

We had our third Zone Conference and it was a pleasant experience.

First the weather cooperated.  We didn't have the heat we had last time.

Our new President set a completely different spirit -- it was relaxed and comfortable. 

He is strong in obedience but he calls it 'willing' obedience.  

I didn't take a lot of pictures but I will share the few I did take

Our first day, Tuesday, we saw the sun for the first time in a week. We leave early to make the long trip south to Palm Bay.

Yes this is where I received my battle scars six weeks ago.  I would have put my hand up against it to show it's size but I am a quick learner.  This 'little' guy is about 3/4 of an inch.  The ant hill is gone, they spray regularly for critters in the lawn but there were many out looking for somebody to eat.

Most of the flowers around do not have a strong fragrance.  BUT this one is exotic, wonderful. But like the others with a strong fragrance it wilts quickly.

A palm tree the color of sage.  Magnificent.  Sorry about the post. I am still learning.

On the way home Stan took a detour.  He has been patient long enough.  There is a regular tour of the ranch we will take in a couple of months but that was to far off.  This ranch is 350,000 acres.

Those high fences are to keep the wild life out of the orchards. The fences were minimum eight feet.

The second night we were in Florida we came to the rodeo grounds for the rodeo with the other senior couples.  We had no idea where on earth we were at the time.  It was good to go back and see it from different eyes.

Remember I made mention of the palms that grew like sage brush?  

Palm brush in the fence line.

In Palm Bay we had mostly cloud cover and a breeze.

Lake Mary started out with clear blue skies.  BUT as the missionaries headed in for their meetings I looked up and out of nowhere these clouds appeared.  It happens that way here.  It proved to be a real blessing.

Elder Feilding wanted a picture again.  (Amy Heaton's son)  What a good kid

He and his companion won the prize for cleanest car.

Windermere the skies were clear and we got out our hats for shade.

Got me a baggy jumper for working in the parking lots and around the cars.

These ants are small -- but any food and they are on it, like the missionaries when the food is brought out.  

Ginger Jacobson and the dog her grandson gave her.

She is the inactive sister around the corner from us in our apartment complex.  She loves the visits and will call me if I miss a visit.

Sister James is multi-talented.  Talking on two phones at once.  Right now she is having to relearn her job all over again.  A new president and wife and they do things a lot differently.  She is taking it in stride and doing a fantastic job.  

Elder Doxy is going a little loopy.  Yes that is his thumb drive hanging by his ears.  These assistance are literally running the mission and getting President Hall up to speed.

What I get with the baptism records in the mail.

The top one says "Office Heroes"  The second one says' Them people at... 'then our address.

The drawing is of an office super hero.  The sticky notes are put in the envelopes with the records.

Elder Jonson colored the picture of David and Goliath in the Childrens Friend and put it on my desk. (not shown)  I am David, because I took on the gigantic task of how missionaries send in their records and accomplished it.

Yes Dylan, you have a candy bar in the Florida Central Mall.  It has every kind of candy imaginable.


Do you remember me talking about Elder Bracero?  He visited us last week.  This evening we went to his cousins baptism.  Becky and her children Gillian and Jacob Bracero.  Her husband has been less active till now.  I love baptisms.  There is such a wonderful spirit there.  These are good people and will be an asset to the Lords kingdom. 

What a privilege it is to be a very small part of the HUGE work that goes on in the Lord's kingdom.  It is humbling to know that our tiny piece is important and what we do makes a difference. 
There is no doubt in my mind of the truthfulness of this gospel.  I love the Lord Jesus Christ and know that nothing will stop His work from moving forward and covering the earth with its truth.