Adam said...'It's Christmas, Eve!'

The week before Christmas as a missionary is...

extraordinary.

Can I just say we love being missionaries...

To top things off...

Orlando Florida Mission...

Had 16 baptisms Christmas Eve!

That is what the missionaries call...

A very white Christmas!

Monday was a marathon of work and service...

Elders Jackson Day Cooper Adriano Willey and Harrington...

Were called to action by President Hall...

Just when the pot roast dinner I had prepared for them was ready....

What was the action all about?

Last weeks blog I told you Sisters McClain and Miller had a flood in their apartment.

The President and Elder Gebs  who is over apartments got a place for the sisters.

 So the President called 'the district' to help the sisters move.
The sisters were staying with us...
So we took them over to their area and...

 Elder Gebs brought the mission pick up from Olrand...
and the Elders...

Went into action.

 

When it was all said and done we enjoyed the dinner I put on hold...

They are sad because...

This IS the last supper...
This is the last Preparation day dinner together.

Sisters McClain and Miller.

After their harrowing week...

They came back to our apartment where they were staying...

to finish their wash and do their weekly email...

As they were leaving they 'caroled' us...

they have such beautiful voices...

Zone Christmas Devotional this week...
We sang The Nativity
Yours truly played the piano.
The Zone leaders said to wear red and black...

 Elders Adreano Cooper Day Jackson Willey Harrington Sisters Peterson Lima Elders Fielding and Gubler
Sisters McClain Campbell Miller
Elders Rumsey Frackrell Campbell


Elder Shelley.
Good to see him...

 Sister Shelley, he is doing great!

Elder Fielding...
Good Bye!
He goes home..
Next Wednesday...
December 28

 Amy...he has been a terrific missionary right to the end!
You can be proud of this guy.

Elder Beau Bennett...

 Those of you who know Beth Jones in Malta...
He is her Grandson.
We home taught her for many many years...

Elder Gregson...
Remember that name...
You will hear it again someday...
He is so humble and such a great leader.

President Hall Campbell's Sister Hall


There is a Craft Fair/Flea Market/Farmers Market
In Orange City every Friday...

At night when all the venders are gone...

 This park becomes a light show.

Okay jewelry for the rough and tough gang...

 How about Lego jewelry?

 This is all hand made.
Each turn and twist is done with a tool.
The little Spanish man who could speak very little English.

Or maybe a marshmallow shooter.

Trevor made flutes from bamboo
All sized from very small...

 To Walking Stick length...

 And don't forget the didgeridoo...

He also had ceramic or clay flutes and pens etc.

Wind chimes with cocoa nut tops...

 Farwell Margaret...

 We have been visiting Margaret and her niece...
who she has been living with for some time...
Margaret is dying of lung Cancer...
SOOOO
Her daughter came from Mississippi to get her and take her home...

Free Grapefruit and oranges!

 What we didn't know is all the fruit flies that came with them.

These are the lights I took pictures of a few weeks back...

 I found the right setting on my camera to take the pictures...

 We also learned from the neighbor who we are fellow-shipping...
That the man who does this used to do lights at Disney World.


SATURDAY...
THE BIG EVENT!

 Bob and Carole...

 Elder Campbell Bob and Carole

 Elder Adriano Campbell Bob and Carole and Elder Cooper.

 Yes...
This was a wonderful event.
She really is what we call 'Golden'.

Bob and Carole came over after Sacrament meeting Christmas day.
We had dinner and visited and had a great time.
We were going to get more pictures...
But time got a way and they were out the door.
What a wonderful couple.
They will be friends forever.


The sisters needed a ride home from the Baptism...
They sang at Carole's baptism.

 Sisters Miller and McClain
We took them to lunch on the way home...


As we were leaving...
These guys showed up with Davis'
who were treating them to a Christmas Eve dinner.

 Elders Adriano and Cooper...

No matter where we are in this world...
There are those who celebrate the birth of our Savior...
Jesus Christ....
May you accept Him...
Embrace Him...
and
Radiate His Light...

If you think 'can't' you'll be like the ordinary deer and never fly....

Life is full of choices...

Some in life grasp it and say...

I CAN do this.

Others say...

I can't...

And...

That is where they stay...

or do they?

If we aren't progressing...

We are digressing.  

Our hearts go out to those who are trying so hard to make things work...

They are struggling but they are progressing.

They have trials that are huge...

But that only motivates them.

We have seen some this week who just say it is to hard.

Or because of circumstances...
or

Fear...

keeps them from progressing.

Our Heavenly Father gives us the way to happiness.

It isn't hard...

With His help...

We CAN do anything.

Monday December 12...

 We invited one companionship to have dinner Monday night and because it was my birthday...
The district invited themselves.
We ate at Main Street Grill...
Elders Harrington Willey Adriano Jackson Day Cooper.

When we got back to the apartment they came in and presented me with an oar...
Our grandson Oliver worked with Elder Day at scout camp...
Elder Day knocked Oliver over the head with an oar...
I give him a bad time about trying to kill my grandson with an oar...
So...
Now all the missionaries are signing the oar.
We need the sisters signature but that will come later.

Elder Cooper in serious concentration.

Elder Cooper Willey me Jackson Adriano Harrington

Elder Day at my mercy.

These two have mischief written all over their heads...

One of them got a ticket for a traffic violation...

oops...

They wanted some advice.

So they came to the retired vehicle coordinator.

They already knew what they needed to do..

They just had to talk it out.
They gave out pass along cards to those they met in this process.

Later this week a guy backed into them!
WHAT?
They taught him a lesson and invited him to church.
Yep that is how it works!

Tuesday night EVERYONE is at the church from Deland 2

It is Scouts - cubs - young women's and men's - girls achievement - choir practice and interviews.

We had some business there preparing for Carole's baptism..

it is always so much fun to be there...

We get to know people better that way as well.

This is the tree the primary children did last Saturday...

The RS takes care of the children one Saturday in December...

so the parents can go shopping for a couple hours...

What a wonderful idea.

Wednesday was district meeting...

Elder Willey made some assignments...

And those who taught did so with the spirit and it was a great learning experience.

Our Zone is singing at the Christmas Devotional.

Our Zone also does not have anyone who plays the piano...

can you believe that?

So I am doing the honors...

They may regret that for sure.

I got the church key from the missionaries and have been practicing about half hour a day.

Thursday we helped Elder Hyde, who was on exchanges with Elder Adriano,

 get home to Daytona Beach.

Elder Adriano and Hyde.

In Daytona both companionship's are back together again.

Elder Adriano Cooper Hyde and Gubler (ZL's)

We made a quick trip to the temple...

Then we were able to make some visits...

We were able to visit all the names on the list this week before the ward dinner...

So we could invite them.

What a wonderful experience.

Deland 2 Ward dinner in a blurrrrrrr

Our local talent giving us some live music.

the kids are really getting into it.

The little black girl in the corner is a whirl wind.

That is really the best picture I got of her.

I love this center piece...

Sister Dargan in the back ground.

These two always make things happier...

Elder Cooper and Adriano...

Okay meet Julia...

She belongs to a wonderful family...

They are leaders in the ward...

Very talented...

Her dad teaches music big time at Stetson University...

They are all very musical...

They are Caucasian. 

She never sits still...

The picture below is also Julia...

That is what a hundred pictures looked like as I tried to capture her...

Her parents say in all their family pictures she looks like the one below.

shoes of the little ones who are dancing...

Elder Willey got to interview two little girls who were getting baptized the next day.

They met them at the ward dinner...

One of the members gave them a ride over to the church...

Then while Elder Willey was getting information from the mom..

Their ride left them..

Elder Cooper and Adriano brought them to us...

(They live in the same apartments we do),

Elder Campbell took them home.

Elder Harrington and Willey (DL)

Baptism Saturday night...

Elder Cooper  Sister Mathhues Brother McCombs (who baptized them) and Elder Cooper

Ireland and Mikaela

The Sister Missionaries had their water heater break and flood their house...
They have been in the apartment since Tuesday with a fan drying it out.
They started to get sick so President Hall removed them from their home last night.
They came to us looking like this.
I felt so sorry for them.

 
 Sister Miller and McClain...

 We have two air mattresses we got for Adrienne and Oliver last Christmas...
so it worked beautifully.

  This is how they left their things before they left for church.

Florida sightings...

Adventures of finding people...

Two roads diverge...

We did take the road to the right...

NOPE...

It was the road to the left!

There are so many flashy decorations...

Beautiful and Fun...

This family knows what it is all about...


Resolve to make room in you life for Jesus Christ...
We have time for...
jogging...
 Time for...
Working...
Time for...
Playing...
Let us make time for...
Christ!
(Thomas S. Monson)