A Perfect Week

This is the dawn of a wonderful week...

There are weeks where the stress and work can really weigh a person down.

There are weeks where this work is very hard and a real live test...

BUT...

Weeks like this are beautiful.

We had a lot of work to do.

Stan sold some cars which he is good at..

and he did well with his work.

I had a good amount of work and it all went smoothly

BUT...

We had moments when the Lord took us by the hand and led us through some miracles.

The fun with the missionaries is always great and what makes life worth living.

They are young raw and so sincere and work so hard.

We love them dearly.

Elder Rydalch and Moore in disguise...

 Under cover Missionary work is really not approved...

So they went back to real life.

Elder Bennett is our Zone Leader...

Elder Engemann...

is our Junior Zone Leader.

 Elder Engemann is growing in leaps and bounds

we are glad to have him closer then Deland.

He is doing his 45 minutes of email...

 he is very focused.

Elder Jensen thinks if he adds to the disguise he can pull it off.

 BUT Elder Whitworth is straight and will keep Elder Jensen on the straight and narrow.

So preparation day brings out the kids in them.

 Elder Jensen Capps and Spilsbury.

Dinner is a necessary part of missionary work.

 Elder Jensen Capps and Whitworth

 Add one Senior couple and we have some fun times.

 Elder Whitworth is enjoying a letter from his little brother.

Thursday we took a road trip to New Symrna Beach.

An hour or so away.

 Sister Reid and Worwood had car problems

extra matresses

and needed to roll play.

 We did the roll play first.

(This is really why we were there.)

We didn't know it but the other things were just fluff.

They had a family they were teaching and they were so worried they couldn't get the spirit.

Stan and I were the couple and Elder Capps the Observer.

As they taught we were able to visit with them...

The spirit directed us and Elder Capps in directing them as to how to proceed.

They totally relaxed and felt the spirit and then  let us know they had been praying and fasting for an answer as to how to proceed.

The Lord inspired Elder Campbell to check on their car and get the old mattresses on that day, some thing they had been requesting for quite sometime.

Loading the mattresses..

the chair didn't fit...

 They took it to the dumpster.

Mattresses taken care of Elder Campbell drove their car to see what the problem was.

While he drove it we went to Chilies for lunch.

We were going to go to another place but there was an hour or more wait.

 The Lord directed this lunch.

The waitress came to us when we were about done eating

Wondering what we did and could she know more.

With a table of missionaries...

You might know the answer to that.

On our way home Elder Moultrie and Stratton called...

They lost their car keys in a pond of water...

What????????????

 We went to the office got the extra keys--got our car--dropped off Elder Capps   and headed back north to Oveido.

We picked Elder Moultrie and Stratton up at a members home where they were having dinner.

 This is the Silva family who served dinner on their patio...

The thermostat has cooled down some since it is evening.

 After dinner...we went to the scene of the crime

 Elder Moultrie was twirling his keys at the end of a thing that went around his neck

The connection broke and the keys ended up here.

He had some of the investigators around here with nets and other tools scraping the bottom. He was in the pond himself.

No luck...

So he had to call the Vehicle Coordinator...

Before we parted ways...
they asked if we wanted to walk up this road to meet a really neat couple.

 This is an amazing area...

no traffic houses cars businesses...

just nature and believe it or not a house way back in here and there.

 We met Dave and Tina...

 They are going to be baptized...

Dave loves the Book of Mormon so much he can't put it down.

We were able to bear our testimonies to this wonderful couple.

What an amazing experience for Elder and Sister Campbell.
We love when the Lord has us by the hand and directs our steps...
We find some very amazing people and experiences we would never have...
left to our own desires.

Mending is a part of my life...

and this machine really makes me appreciate the machine I have at home.

But it some how gets the job done...

that is a miracle.

  Friday we met Laurett and Lional Longmene family at the temple.
They accepted the gospel in Africa then came to the states.

 I wish I could spell the kids names...

The girls

Janice Pokipala Laurett the girls Ivonne Guitian and Sister Diana Campbell

The guys
 Elder Stan Campbell - Brother Johnson - Lional - his son - Sam Reisner and Nathan Pokiplal

 The Longmene's bore their testimony in testimony meeting.
What a privilege it is to be here and to know this family.
AND the people who love them as well.

 Sister and Elder Powers at the Mission Home...

 We had a welcome dinner at the Mission Home Friday night...
Hosted by President and Sister Hall.
The food is always good and the friends are wonderful.

Sister Hall took some nice pictures...

if she shares them I will put one here.

 Saturday Morning Elder Wood and Shelley had two baptisms.

Diana Molina pictured above with Elder Wood and Shelley...

and Jesus Aguilar not pictured.
There is a beautiful tradition started by this group of elders.
They always sing at the baptisms,
with one of them on the Ukulele.
Each come with gifts...
We are so blessed to be here at this time with them.

The scripture they used as the theme of this baptism is one of my favorites...

"Wherefore,
ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ,
having a perfect brightness of hope,
and a love of God and of all men.
Wherefore,
if ye shall press forward,
feasting upon the word of Christ,
and endure to the end,
behold,
thus saith the Father:
Ye shall have eternal life."

-2 Nephi 31:20

PS REMEMBER to prepare yourselves to receive the counsel from the Prophet and Apostles in General Conference next week.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The following are all the zones with Elder Bednar
As time goes I will fill in all the names.
I did post these back on last weeks entry as well.

Back row Elder Campbell-Elder Rydalch-Moore-Dr and Sister Hoffman-Elder and Sister James-Elder and Sister Powers-President Wood-
Front row Sister Cambell Sister and President Hall-Elder Bednar-President and Sister Hauber-Sister Wood.

Cocoa Zone

Deland Zone

Hunters Creek Zone

Leesburg Zone

La Zone

Orlando Zone

Orlando South Zone

Stuart Zone

Just when you think you have it all it gets better.....

We have had a wonderful week...

Sad good by's and new friends.

Always missionaries...

Spring keeps coming and coming and coming...

despite the worst drought in 80 years. 

Then to make our experience here even better

Elder Bednar spent three hours with all the missionaries...

which of course includes..

me and Stan.

Hedges and trees everywhere have blooms just bursting and weighing the branches down.

 Why there a marigolds at this door out of all the doors in this apartment complex is perplexing...

How do we get some?

The Swains are some of the best people we have ever met.

Wonderful people who will be missed

a whole bunch.

 The Powers got here Wednesday from Mapleton UT

They are fun people.  We took them around Wednesday night..

then to dinner.

They were with us as we met with Elder Bednar.

Thursday Creevans were sealed in the temple.

When I got there the Spanish and Haitian missionaries were cleaning up the temple grounds...

Could it be an apostle was coming the next day?

Peggy was baptized just before we got here a year ago.

Tarrance became active again and 

now they are one of the most active missionaries in our ward.

Terrance Cleste and Peggy Creevan

It never gets old witnessing little ones being sealed to their parents.

Elder Lewis was transferred because another missionary went home

This transfer Elder Whitworth took his place.

The Hunters Creek Office  Elders Eastside

Elder Jensen and Whitworth and then Elder Capps our office guru

Elder Capps has a lot of similarities to Mike.

Both dad and I will look up and see Mike and it will take our breath away.

Elder Whitworth and Jensen

Sweat rolling down their faces..

But these guys don't complain...

They just work hard.

Elders Haager Owens Peterson Brandenburg Da Rosa Tolman Moultrie Parsons 

(Elder Straton ran off)

We left early in the mission van and picked them up from Goldenrod and Winter Park N. then took them to the gathering at the Windermere Chapel with Elder Benar.

Going home we had 10.

Elder Capps who joined us and Stratton in the back were not in the first picture.

 

Back row: Elder Campbell Elder Rydalch Elder Moore Dr and Sister Hoffman Elder and Sister James Elder and Sister Powers President Wood

Front Row:  Sister Campbell Sister Hall President Hall Elder Bednar President Hauber and Sister Hauber and Sister Wood.

President Hauber and Wood are President Halls counselors. President Wood just took President Halloday's place who became the Stake president of Orlando South Stake. He will be set apart this Sunday and become official.

All missionaries were supposed to be there by 9:30 and in their seats.

BUT...

the assistants had all the chairs set up in the Cultural Hall for Zone pictures with Elder Bednar.

They had all the zones plus the Office district which included the Assistants.

While we were waiting for the VIP's to get there I quickly took a picture of the Hunters Creek Zone.

That is the Zone we are associated with and know really well.

No Pres and Sister Hall and Elder Bednar are not there yet.

We were told we couldn't take our own pictures

They are suppose to send the pictures to us by email.

The three empty seats are for Pres and Sister Hall and Elder Bednar.

All eight zones and office district were set up like this waiting for them so they didn't have to wait on us.  Makes sense.

The time spent with Elder Bednar was what he called a 'Revelatory Experience'.

It was not a meeting.

We were not to take detailed notes.

Just write what impressed us.

We are also not to talk about what we were taught.

It was between him and us.

One it was just for us.

Two when things are taken out of text and sent home...

rumors start.

Three it was a sacred experience.

He gave us two talks before hand
that he had given on Faith and Prayer to read...

They were sent out by email Sunday Night.

We were to read and study them.

The first two hours were spent with this question.

What were impressions after reading these talks?

Missionaries would express what their impressions and learning was...

He would comment or ask more questions.

The last hour he opened it up to questions they could ask him.

They asked him some very powerful insightful questions.

These questions he answered with power and authority and humor.

There were maybe 190 people in the chapel total.

It was a very intimate meeting with a one on one conversation with Elder Bednar.

He said that if there was one thing he would what us to know was...

The strengthening power of the Atonement.

At the end he bore his testimony...

Then he bestowed an Apostolic Blessing upon us.

...faith in Christ leads to righteous action, which increases our spiritual capacity and power.  Understanding that faith is a principle of action and of power inspires us to exercise our moral agency in compliance with gospel truth, invites the redeeming and strengthening powers of the Savior's Atonement into our lives, and enlarges the power within us were by we are agents unto our selves.

(From Elder Bednar's talk 'Ask in Faith' May 2008 conference)

***An interesting note***
At ward Conference Pres Pratt spoke...
was with Elder Bednar while he spoke to the single adults Friday evening just after he spoke with us.
Pres Pratt said that Elder Bednar said

that if there was one thing he would what them to know was...

to develop their doctrinal knowledge.

That was amazing to me...

He told us it was to strengthen our understanding of the atonement.

Pure revelation given to two separate groups as to what they needed.  

Words cannot and never will be adequate in expressing these kinds of things.

Back row: Elder Campbell Elder Rydalch Elder Moore Dr and Sister Hoffman Elder and Sister James Elder and Sister Powers President Wood

Front Row:  Sister Campbell Sister Hall President Hall Elder Bednar President Hauber and Sister Hauber and Sister Wood.

President Hauber and Wood are President Halls counselors. President Wood just took President Halloday's place who became the Stake president of Orlando South Stake. He will be set apart this Sunday and become official.

Cocoa Zone

Deland Zone

 Hunters Creek Zone

Leesburg Zone

 La Zona

Orlando Zone

Orlando South Zone

Stuart Zone