Zone Conference--May 2011

Zone Conference is huge.

Having it every six months hasn't taken the pressure off the President and assistants.

There is Leadership Training every two months and that is a two-three day meeting of all the leaders.

As Stan and I watch the President and his Wife work we are amazed at the work it takes to be a mission President and wife.

Just about a year ago they hit the ground running and they haven't stopped.

They haven't missed a beat.

They are on top of everything and I mean every little detail.

At their side are the trusted Assistants.

They work so hard anyone who aspires for that position has to have his head examined.

Then there is Elder and Sister James...

She is Presidents Secretary and he is financial clerk and over apartments and anything else the President and wife ask.
Now that there isn't an office missionary they pretty much with the assistants have taken up the slack.

To watch the Lord work through the President and Sister Hall is beautiful.

I am so grateful for the privilege of working in this mission  under their direction.

Tuesday on the way to Palm Bay for the Cocoa and Stuart Zone Conference.

The sun was red.
These pictures do not capture the beauty of what we witnessed at sunrise that morning.

Good to see Elder Capps again.

Elder Larmore, Zone Leader in Cocoa is always fun--

The sisters over lunch had a 'picnic' theme.

Hamburgers- hotdogs-cold slaw potato and green salad and potato chips...
AND
Apple pie and ice cream.

Lined up for lunch...
they stand back and let the sisters and senior couples go first.

Traveling to Palm Bay Love Bugs were once again an issue.
Getting them off your vehicle quickly is a must or the acid eats the paint.

Car washes are a regular event..this is the mission van.

Up North Wednesday we met at Lake Mary Chapel for the Leesburg Deland and Orlando Stakes
These elders are full bike... we picked them up on the way.
Elder Wood and Peterson Owens and Lybbert. (Lybbert had exchanged for Elder Hager who is Elder Owens normal companion)

Elder Fielding...a great guy. (Amy, he is doing well)

Elder Spilsbury

is this how it is done?

replacing a windshield wiper.


It was heart warming to see this in the entrance of the Lake Mary Chapel.

It is another 'picnic'

Elder Fielding showing the picnic box of chicken potato salad and rolls.

These Missionaries get fed well by the Relief Society sister assigned to this task.

Thursday Wetherbee Chapel and the Orlando South Hunters Creek and La Zona Zones

Sister Homer replenishing the washer fluid.
A necessary evil during love bug season.

Elder Dyer helping sister Messer...
The Elders are so good to help and support the sisters.

Elder Jensen and his brand new suit....

He called me late Wednesday evening and wanted me to hem his pants for the next day's Zone Conference.
I couldn't do it because we had to get ready for the Zone Conference in Wetherbee.

So he pinned the pants up...
that night Sister Soto a member of our ward took heart and hemmed them for him. 

Elder Campbell...
What a guy.

 In the heat...and all three days were HOT...
he never complained he just helped and served the missionaries.

They had real wheat spouted on each table.

Pasta green beans and salad and cookies.

Sister Mills in the white pants is the RS president and loved by EVERYONE.
Sister Stanley on the right is a true soldier working for the missionary effort.
I could write a book about her and her husbands service.

Sister Stanley got all of the missionaries meeting at the Wetherbee chapel to pose for a picture.

Elder Dyer and Lewis after the Wetherbee conference.

Once again four new cars...
which means Stan pulls four others from the missionaries to be sold.

Saturday about noon I went to Publix
This Osprey has built a nest on the lights and is feeding her young.
Fascinating to watch.

Stan rode to Publix with me and then walked to UHaul from there and home.
When we got to Publlix the sky was clear.
Just an hour or so later we had a down pour.
Stan came in looking like a drown rat...

Elder Jensen and Whitworth joined us for dinner Saturday night.

 It is always refreshing to have a spiritual thought by them.
We feed their tummies they feed our spirits.

We took the missionaries home then went to the Osceola School of the Arts and enjoyed a show
by the Young Ambassadors from BYU.

Colon Bonner below is part of that group.
He was our own Elder Bonner a few months ago.

 The show was great and Colon Bonner did not disappoint.

Each week I try to make up a soup for the missionaries.

I take some to the office Monday so the assistants can eat.

They are so busy and have to find time to go out and eat.

This batch is made from the roast gravy and veggies from the dinner earlier with the missionaries.

 Most of the time I get the Bear Creek mix and add meat and a few things.
Anything after we feed the assistants we take to missionaries apartments to feed them.

The black berries that are growing wild in our honeysuckle hedge are on and yummy. 

It has been so dry in Florida. 
Everywhere we went in the mission this week the vegetation looked very sad if not dead.
The skies looked like this several days as it tried to rain.
We had sprinkles through the week.
Saturday we got an actual storm from the gulf which was very refreshing.
We should be having 3-4 cloud bursts a week in the afternoons through the summer.

Tuesday evening Sunset.

It is not the design of heaven that we be rescued from all difficult situations.

Rather, it is the Lord's will that we learn to handle them.

-Joseph Fielding McConkie-

Missionaries are wonderful...

It is a privilege to work in the Mission Office...

Because...

Missionaries are amazing.

I never tire of them.

They are so fresh...

AND

Love the Lord

AND

Only want to do His work.

It is our job to help and support them in anyway we can.

I can't believe the Lord would trust us with this most awesome job.

Sister Jensen purchased a bike from a missionary that went home.

It doesn't work.

So Stan took it to Bike Works to get it repaired.

 Sister Davis with Stan.

 These sister share a car with Elder Motuliki and Velasco.

The week they don't have the car they ride bikes.

The Elders were willing to ride bikes until the bike was fixed.

They are really watching out for the sisters.  

Elder Brandenburg, Wood and Shelley
Hunters Creek West Side Elders

 Wednesday evening we ate at Romano's Macaroni Grill

 I really think this place had the best food I have tasted. 

I dream about it - it was so good.

Friday morning we got a call from Afghanistan.

Stan visited for a little bit...

But the soldier called to talk with Mom.

It is Mother's Day.

We had a wonderful 1 hour visit.

WOW.

It warms my heart to know Joe is okay.

He is...

Well he is HIM.

What a treat.

Elder and Sister James, Sister Schow Sister and Elder Campbell

 While I was on the phone Sister Schow came back for a visit. She went home just before Christmas.

It is always such a treat to see them again and see how successful and happy they are.

We got a call a few weeks ago.

Elder Schow who went home the same time as Sister Schow...

was going on a date with Sister Campbell...

He is from Tooele, she is from Sandy.

Who knows.

We get wedding announcements all the time.

What a joy to know they are all doing so well.

Elder Capps, once our office Elder, sent his Fuel reports and Stake Correlation Report.

His sense of humor and artistic abilities keep coming back to us.

We went to church and sat in approximately the same place we usually do.

Our place was taken by these two sisters..Sister Steffanie her mom Lisa and husband Chris Wright

We shook hands the Wrights we know..

The other sister is her mom... Steffanie introduced us.

Pretty soon Lisa tapped us on the shoulder.

She asked where are you from?

I said Idaho.

She asked 'Malta?'

We both looked at each other and said 'why yes!'

She said she was Lisa Jones, Glendon Jone's daughter.

Okay then I recognized her.

What a small world.

She gave us the run down on her family and it was great to get caught up.

 Stehffanie Wright and her mom Lisa

A rose like this one was given each mom after Sacrament meeting.

The Young Men also handed out candy bars....

...had to pass on that one.

Then this is what came for me at the office Friday.

Thank you Rice Family.

Mothers hold in their hearts what grows too big for their arms.

A week in the life of a Senior Couple

It was a relatively quiet normal week.

Except for a daughter and family in the path of last week tornado's

 Plus others experiencing...

accidents, illness, snow...

But the Lord is in control and many many miracles have been experienced.

There is a great need for our family to express gratitude.

 There is a war in Afghanistan.

But life must happen.

Joe looks right at home.

  Tawny and Ceilidha are not well...

Our prayers are with them.

We are so grateful for a family who can depend on the Lord for strength guidance direction 

AND

PEACE.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Preparation day...

 Elder White singing a rap song for missionaries...

Elder Wood (above)and Brown (below) are making the rhythmic sounds with their mouths hand and legs.

A new hair cut...

 Elder Bennett.

Picnic in the office...

 Sister Kaaa and Fernandez.

Anything goes for Preparation day...

 He is very self conscious about his attire...

most guys don't care.

(Elder Jensen)

Elder Fox and Fielding...

Elder Fielding says...

Hi mom.

(his mom Amy Heaton Fielding grew up with our girls.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We can see anything while driving around.

Some of it we can't look let a lone take pictures of it.

 Extermination is the game here.

Not Micky.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Elder Steinman (Blake) came back to visit...

with a 'prospective' wife.

 Haily has not said yes yet,

She has set her mission call to the Ukraine aside...

taken an extension till she decides.

She is smart and will make the right decision.

Elder Wood and Shelley.

 Where is our area? (mission maps on google)

 They are disputing their area boundaries.  They have been tracting out side their area..

oops.

The sisters had a training meeting at the church then lunch at the Mission Home.

 President and Sister Hall invited the 'Senior Sisters to the lunch'

They have such a sincere interest and concern for the sisters.

They are an amazing couple.

('Davis, Jensen Perry, Lovejoy, Villalobos, Allen, Raney, Peterson, Christensen, Higginson, Millyard, Kaaa,  Walborn, Ried, Worwood, Fernandex
 Durr,Gervais, Holladay,Homer, Sister James, Sister Hall, and President Hall Sister Campbell, Messer, Miller)

What was left over from last weeks tornado's.

 We got a sprinkle through the night.

Elder Capps left a file...

 I actually clicked on it...

I clicked on each of the following messages separately till...

Don't go any further 

It's a trap

I warned you

Just kidding

...but seriously stop

Why do you persist

It's hopeless

Gaaaaahhh

That's it...I'm sick of this

Please stop

Fine

Ghost of Doxey...

Good to see the kid again.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Stan and I went to the temple Saturday morning.

Peace.

Then on the way home we got a phone call...

Sisters Raney and Perry couldn't start their car.

Their battery was dead and all the other missionaries were at the National Service Day project.

So we gathered up a bike to deliver out on the coast and headed to Cocoa.

 They are the Rockledge sisters...

 and dead car.

 Of course Elder Campbell to the rescue...

We took a battery booster that got the car started.

We had quite a wait for the car to be fixed so we had lunch.

Our waitress

at a locally family owned restaurant.

'Old Fish House'

The LDS family who owns the restaurant..

They are from Scandinavia.

 All missionaries get 50% off.

 Sister Raney and Perry and our Hero.

From there we went to the Palm Bay Elders

Still on the coast.

 Elder Campbell delivered a now repaired bike to Elder Folkerson.

Elder Kimpel...

 This looks like something Joe would do...

 Elder Folkerson and Kimpel

One more deed for our hero.

The last license plate to be delivered for one of the new cars.

 Front seat Elders Casayuran and Snyder

 back seat-Elders Hunting and Grant (Spanish)

While traveling to Rockledge and Sister Raney and Perry..
Sisters Reid and Worwood called to say their battery was dead.
They were able to find someone to jump their car so they could drive it in and get it fixed.

We went through so many love bugs...

Stan said they were three deep...

Then he said..

wait there are two hooked together...

they are four deep.

(we couldn't see out the windshield)

He took the car through a car wash and he vacuumed it-- after we got home...

Then he took the garbage out and folded the clothes.

Yes he is certainly the hero of the day.

This week was also the Royal Wedding.
I am a succor for 'Princess' weddings.
So I bypassed exercise and personal scripture time (I did it later)
To watch...
It was amazing.
There was so much said about having a family centered on the Lord.
There was a choir that sang beautiful hymns and praised the Lord.
It was magnificent.
BUT THEN...
The Archbishop of Canterburry performing the ceremony said...
'Till Death do ye part'
It hit me in the stomach so hard.
The temple ceremony is so simple...
BUT
Done with the Authority from God
There we are sealed together for 'Time' AND 'Eternity'
Yes it was fun to watch
yet in the end the Lord has given us the way.
We are do blessed as a family to have this blessing in our lives.