New talents and accomplishments

This is the bean salad Stan made...

 and the mess..

He cleaned it up and the salad was real good!

It is amazing what a guy can do if there isn't any farming.

Our power went out at the office

A big crack of lightening hit the building next door..

While two guys were on the roof of our our building fixing things up there.

They had weak knees.

Anyway--I called the neighbor in our apartment complex and there was power...

so we came here to work.

I had ten shirts to fix and taper.

I got through some of them..

but came back the next day when Elder Capps and James were setting up our new computers.

while I had this mess Stan was out with the Spanish Elders Elder Trotter and Brown.

They hadn't had dinner soooo.

Stan called and asked if I had anything to feed them.

I just happened to make some soup the night before.

In the five minutes I put the soup on to warm then in one swoop...

maybe two...

I took all this stuff into the bedroom..

set the table...

and stood smiling as they walked through the door.

So when they were done eating they cleared the table...

went to teach...

and I finished the shirts!

Elder Brown Stan and Elder Trotter

 While they were eating with us...

they told us about 'arepas'

 Venezuelan corn cakes...

 So they took us to Saman.

(we paid of course)

Our arepas were stuffed with 'the works'

But we got a flavor of real Spanish cuisine.

There are a lot of knock off places with Americanized Spanish food.

But there are A LOT of these 'real' Spanish places and the food is good.

They also have a nice bakery.

Elder Capps working on Stan's computer, changing it over to the new one.

My desk with two computers keyboards and printers.

You can see why I went home to sew.

The new computers sent from Salt Lake are not wireless!

Ken Smith and Stan Aron from Employment and Bishop's storehouse...

are trying to 'hard wire' our computers...
to connect them to the Internet...

 Elder James got in on the play as well...

Where is Trevor when I need him?

This is the house by the east Elders that I took the Halloween pics and Christmas pic....

Now Valentines..

Elder James' birthday...

Same as Jordan's Jan 14.

Elder Campbell trying out a bike he fixed...

He had to find something else to do while the office was infested by

computer 'geeks' who think they know what they are doing.

(right to left)

David Dalton who was the 'older' priesthood leader who went with the missionaries teaching a single female.

The Elder Lewis Jennifer Zabetakis Elder Jensen and Elder Capps.

Elder Capps is our in house office Elder but he is also the third leg of this companionship.

Chris Garner baptized Jennifer
David Dalton Confirmed her.

We had some rain...

Very nice.

 The heavens celebrated as well.

The work we are doing is a great work.

Everyday we see the Lords hands in all that we do.

His work will not fail.

It is important that we are apart of that wondrous work.

Even though our journey may be fraught with tribulation...

the destination is truly glorious.

-Elder Quentin Cook-

A week in Action

 I sometimes wonder if in viewing our blog readers think all we do is play and eat.

NOT SO!

There are many places where we can't take pictures...

When they are in the office on Preparation Day they are releasing...

Frustration..

Rejection..

Tension..

and so on.

So as you view the week keep in mind...

These guys pound the pavement...

on foot

bike 

and

when miles permit in their cars.

In the heat

Rain

cold 

and 

Lots of wind.

They teach

Preach

Invite

console

bless the sick

and Knock on a lot of doors.

They keep the spirit with them as they go.

They try to be worthy of the Spirit...

Because they know it isn't them that finds and teaches...

it is the Holy Ghost.

With that said here we go....

 Elder Trotter hanging Elder Fullmer thinking about it...

He did give it a try...

 Elder Trotter and companion Elder Brown...

Hard at work.

Okay Elder Fullmer really did try, he did get up quite a ways. 

So President Hall, a coach at heart, got into the act.

He is putting Elder Fullmer on an exercise program.

(Elder Gregson and Spilsbury looking on with the days mail between them.)

 That is Elder Campbell holding his feet and giving encouragement.

President Hall is sitting on the right.

While Elder Fullmer is getting fitness instructions...

Elder Jensen tries the wall... without help he gets pretty close

He resembles 'Spider Man'

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

The day the missionaries were 'climbing the wall'

I also cut 4 heads of hair.

Elder Doxey who is now in Ocoee...

Contracted with me before he went there that I would come and give him his dying hair cut.

Dying in that he is going home to Virginia in a few weeks.

Since he is full bike I had to go to him.

We had fun and the Elders seemed to know I was coming with clippers.

So not only Elder Doxey got a cut but Elder Sheldon Wood.

Others were on exchanges or they would have been lined up.

 Elder Doxey with his new hair cut.

At the Olive Garden after hair cuts.

Elder Call and Doxey.

Next Night we took Elder Thomas Wood and Fullmer to dinner at Appelbees

The Lord always puts Elder Wood with the BIG guys.

He has so much patience in working with their 'attitudes'.

A new bike for a new missionary.

Elder Jensen is a hands on guy.

He really loves this.

Elder Lewis is 'learning'..? 

how to take care of a bike.

 After this exercise in how to assemble bikes..

They had a funeral to attend.

We took them...

Jennifer is their investigator who is getting baptized on January 15.

Her father passed away Sunday night with complications from pneumonia.
 (Jennefer's dad)

They are both very young missionaries and this was their first experience with this.

They did very well...

But they learned so much more...

Next time they will be very confident in what they are supposed to do.

We were proud of them.

Hard hard hard!

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

FINALLY!!!

Out with the Old

 In with the new.

 We got six new desk chairs.

There are so many ways you can adjust these guys you need a manual.

(Well a little card showing all the ins and out)

Very fancy!

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

Elder Jensen Haydee and Elder Lewis

 Saturday night we went with the Elders to answer some of Haydee's questions.
She was baptized in April.
It was her yard we worked in last week.

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sunday night...

The Assistants...
Elder Rydalch and Hyer.
They came because we couldn't find time to cut Elder Rydalch's hair.
It was almost long enough for a pony tail.
Plus we had dinner for them
This was the 7th hair cut this week, or is Sunday the beginning of another week?
I haven't cooked a pot roast since I left Idaho.
I was a little nervous.
Didn't have our meat, our potatoes and corn...
But...
These guys were in heaven.
They said that it was the best meal by far that they have had on their mission.
They have just a few months left,
That was all I needed.
Success.

Aftermath

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As the week came to a close we pondered one night as we were walking...

It has been a year since we found out we were coming to Florida in March.

What a whirl wind of things that happened to get us here on time.

Now looking back it feels like a blink.

Our release date is Feb 8 2012...

(Seniors on a two year mission really serve 23 months)

Let us do whatever is required to qualify for the Holy Ghost as our companion.

Life is Good

We have a week of with drawls.

Joe is back in Afghanistan...

was he really here with his family?

Adrienne and Oliver are back in Boise...

What a hole they left here...

it is just to to quiet.

The with drawl from all the 'fun' foods...

not good for us but so yummy shared with our loved ones.

Finding our schedule again and the groove of work...

The week started like this...

Frost being scraped by Stan with a CD cover.

Can't find a frost scraper in Florida

 Elder Hyer turned 21 Dec 27

Elder Lewis Elder Jensen (who told us his birthday was the 29) he didn't say anything till we were all done.

Elder Rydalch and Hyer

At Appelbee's

Thursday afternoon we ate with Haydee Rivera and the missionaries.

Then we got to help plant, plants for her.

I got to work her front flower bed.

Hands in soil, sand or not, was wonderful!

 Elder Wood Campbell and Sister Anna Stanley

 Elder Wood and Lewis

 Elder Wood and Stan

 Anna Stanley

 Elder Wood Anna and Elder Lewis

 Yours truly... This is the missionary work I love to do.

Sister Haydee giving instructions.

She said in her broken English...

'I told Heavenly Father I don't have a man and I need some help.

So in one day she got two neighbor men who are helping remodel her kitchen
and three Elders to help in the yard.

She was baptized last April.

What a difference a few days will make.

This little guy is actually walking out of his skin.

 New Years Eve..

Door open a warm breeze and the sound of Fire works.

California grapefruit and strawberries....

 Fresh fruit is so wonderful.

 A Camellia from Sister Haydee's yard.  They bloom in the winter.

Saturday 1-1-11
As Seniors we went to Merit Island to see the birds...
Or so we thought...
BUT
Florida is in the middle of a drought...
and the birds are else where.
There were a few but not the thousands like we were expecting.
We went to see the Manatee's and they weren't there either, there are usually 300-400 of them.

 The water should come up to the leafy parts of those little bushes.
The minimum depth of water should be 18 inches.

 Rose flat bills

 turkey buzzard

 No water just mud

Stan and Sister Swain

End of a fun and beautiful day.
Despite the fact there wasn't water it was beautiful.

Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take...

But by the moments that take our breath away.