Spring is here....

ORANGE BLOSSOMS....

Oh how I wish the picture carried the fragrance.

'Now that is something we could live with'

Stan's exact words...

Begonias

They are taking out the pansies violas and petunias...

Cypress are greening up again, so pretty...

g

The actual needles, so delicate.

The living flowers and dead trees...

Life and Death...

Winter and Spring...

Old and new...

Speaking of old and new...

Elder Moore new assistant...

Elder Hyer going home..

Elder Rydalch continuity.

That was who was at my Sunday dinner table last week.

We will see you in 11 months my boy....

Becky take good care of this guy,

HE IS A KEEPER!

The Dox is back...

Elder Doxey came to visit his mission with his parents...

He was right back to his fun and games.

Brother and Sister Doxey.

He is Vice President of  Southern Virginia University.

They moved to Virginia just before 'Max' came on his mission and became the...

Infamous Elder Doxey.

Max will be going to school at Utah State University.

Elder Cody Hyer and Maxwell in the same place may be dangerous.

Wish you could see his short pants and plaid shoes.

What a guy.

14 new missionaries...

Eight are sisters...
 We have had many sisters go home recently.

This bunch of 'greenies' are amazing and alert and ready to go.


Elder Jensen East side gained a new companion this transfer...
it was Elder Whitworth..
I don't have a picture,
How did I miss that one?

Elder Capps finishing the banana bars...

If you haven't tried that recipe I sent you don't know what you are missing.

Elder Capps captured this on his camera and transferred it to mine.

Is Elder Campbell feeling his oats..
Or oozing for a bruising?

Elder Capps is the quiet sort...
But has a very fun disposition
He downloaded these next two pictures from his camera as he gave me the one of Stan above.

Elder Shelly and Wood..
At the Cracker Barrel...

I left my camera on the table when I went to pay.
Elder Wood took mine and Elder Shelly's picture.

Elder Shelly in all his glory...

Rock is Elder Shelly and Woods neighbor.
He has this remote car he is always working on.
Elder Campbell and Wood and Shelly have visited with him enough...
that he and his girlfriend want to come to church next week.
They would have been there this week..
BUT that clock change got them.


It is difficult at times to keep up with all the paper work and mail.
Reports are due the 3rd of the month.
Transfers and Orientation and FUN
The mail has been held from Friday to Tuesday so we can get it to them at their right address after transfers and greenies get settled.
I have been asked to write up the history for 2010.
Sister Freeman got a good start on it before she transferred.
Stan needs some help with keeping track of the fuel cards.
By Friday...I had things a little more under control.

 When the missionaries came in for Transfers they took a lot of the mail with them.

 

 On the back of a letter sent to a missionary.

Thought a lot of you would appreciate the cuteness of it.

We had an opportunity to visit with Elder Fullmer this last week.

His bike died as has others...

We took him a loaner till his folks can get him a new bike.

I called him and asked if I could tell his story.

He has struggled with confidence and attitude for a very long time.

When President had him do sit ups in the office one day (17)

He challenged him to do one more every day.  

He has.

He is in the 70's now and continuing upward.

Elder Carter, a Morgan Utah boy, became his companion..

He kept Elder Fullmer to it.

Elder Fullmer is riding bikes now in Clermont area, 

about the only place in Florida you will find hills.

His attitude and self confidence has sored...

the spirit radiated from his face...

Elder Carter has only praise for him.

As we visited with him it was evident that he has started to really blossom...

The moral of the story is...

Anything is possible...

one step..

and one day at a time.

(Elder Carter is related to Blair Carter, thought Dorothy and Don would appreciate that)

 

 

We invited Elder Spilsbury and Pratt to dinner Saturday night.

I mentioned to the Assistants we were having Pot Roast Saturday night,

Their favorite...

So Elder Rydalch and Moore called me Saturday afternoon and invited themselves to dinner.

Glad I cook for a crowd...

We didn't have much of anything left over when they were done.

It is fun to take the missionaries out to dinner...

but it is so hard to visit.

Yes it is very hard to cook and expensive as well...

BUT...

They appreciate eating in a home environment...

as well as comfort food.

Elders Pratt and Spilsbury are Spanish Elders...

They don't get 'white' food...

So they love it so much.

A little bit of home.

 

We have had some very refreshing rain...

and beautiful weather this week

A person who knows how to forgive...

Knows Christ like love.

 

President Monson said:

Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless,...

But

they are also Perishable.

A year in retrospect...

A year ago this was our last weekend at home...

Today I have been very homesick...

Not to worry...

there is plenty to do to keep my mind and body from crashing.

The sunrise Saturday morning as we went to the car and then to the temple.

It is beautiful here.

We have had some refreshing rains and cooler temperatures..

mid 70's

The Oak trees never really lose all their leaves

But

I wondered last week as they all started to drop.

Within a few days the trees had visible foliage once again.

So what happens is the new growth pushes the old leaf off...

like a child that loses a tooth when the permanent tooth pushes through.

Very interesting.

 

I never get tired of seeing these big birds grazing...

I know we have birds everywhere...

It isn't a robin that is for sure. 

Blackberries are growing again in our honeysuckle hedge out back.

Maybe we will get another taste!

I don't know what this evergreen tree is BUT I love it.
It is beautiful green year round.
The needles are not distinct..
kind of like a web.

Matty's Roadside Grill...

You see these little places.
EVERYWHERE.
But this is just down the street from our office.
It is open from 7-2 or so in the afternoon.
Elder James calls it 'the Roach Coach'
I don't know why...
But he takes orders for it several times a week an 'drives' down to get food for those waning to eat.

We usually take our own lunch so we haven't had the priviledge yet
But as we go by in the AM there is always a line.
The food must be good.

(these next pictures are not very good, bad batteries.)

We had a dinner at the Mission Home Monday

It was the going home dinner for the Swains.

They are leaving March 14, in one week.

So So Sad...

This is President Hall giving us a FHE Lesson.

He is a master teacher.

I could sit at his feet and never get tired or bored.

The Halls and Swains

 Swains James' Campbell's and Hall's

Four new cars...

 Elder Swain said...
It is too bad we have to turn these new cars over to these kids!

Three of the are here, Elder Stolle got one Saturday.
They have been in the parking lot waiting for the bike racks.
They all have bikes and very few car miles.
So the bikes go where ever they go so they can use them to work an area.
Stan has worked hard to get everything in place before he lets the cars go out in the field.

The infamous Mission board...

Each missionary has a card with a picture on it.
Each card tracks where they have been.
There is a magnet on the back of the card.
As they do transfers they move these cards around as they pray and ponder who should go where.
It is an amazing process.
They 'wrestle' with this and allow the Lord to direct.
By they I mean the AP's and the President and the Lord.
Our Hunters Creek West East English and Spanish stayed in tact this time.

Cracker Barrel...

Elder Jensen in serious contemplation over the menu...

 Elder Capps also deciding what to eat.

Cracker Barrel once again..

Sister Snyder and Ellsworth are going home...

They will be missed.

A lot of the sisters are going home this week...

But we are getting another bunch on Tuesday...

it will be fun to get to know them as well.

Once a month, the first Thursday to be exact..

All Zone leaders meet in ZLC.

After they pick up supplies from the office for their zones...

And most importantly swap ties...

It has become quite an occasion.

 Elder Laramore above 

and 

Elder Condie below

(he is the Czar of ties)

 Elder Johnson and Moore with their ties hanging on the bike rack.

(Elder Moore is our new AP taking Elder Hyers place)


I didn't get a picture of our guests!!!

 We had Elder Rydalch Elder Hyer (going home) and Elder Moore (new AP)
I will never have that moment again.

"Can we,
even in the depths of disease,
tell Him anything at all about suffering? 

In ways we cannot comprehend,
our sicknesses and infirmities were borne by Him
even before they were borne by us.  

The very weight of our combined sins caused Him to descend below all.  

We have never been,
nor will we be,
in depths such as He has known.

  Thus His Atonement made perfect

 His empathy and His mercy and His capacity to succor us,

for which we can be everlastingly grateful...

as He tutors us in our trials.

(Neal A. Maxwell)