Work We Must

I looked out the window and what did I see? Three huge birds looking at me!  Summer has brought me such a nice surprise the biggest birds ever strolling before my eyes.
This is what I happened to see one morning as I looked out of Elder Busath's office window.

A funny thing happened on my way outside to take a better picture. The biggest one, Big Bird,  in the front, kept turning his back to me.  Camera shy I guess. After three attempts I had just about given up on my Kodak moment, but Elder Busath always the jokester decided to try his skills and whistled as loud as he could! Surprisingly they all looked up and began to come toward him. It definitely reminded me of our grand kids racing back in response to Grandpa's whistle.

 

 

I have to admit it was more than a little scary having them come lurching toward us.  We weren't sure what to expect, but once the loud noise from the whistling died down they just turned around and got back to their snacking before they were so rudely interrupted. 

 

 

Elders Freeman Butler and Daniel Glover met us at Subway for dinner. (No not the actor Daniel Glover) These missionaries actually live in our area, just not in our ward. They are both hard working missionaries and due to depart for home in about 6 weeks. Then it's off to UCLA to study medicine, law or engineering for Elder Butler and Virginia for Elder Glover who already has his Bachelor degree and plans to go back for his Masters degree and become a secondary teacher.

 

 

 On Saturday morning we had the privilege to attend a baptism for three gentlemen in the Hunter's Creek Stake. A stake is usually 8 to 10 smaller (ward) congregations combined) David Monro, is from the Pleasant Hills Ward, the congregation in which we are assigned, and Ayrton Shaffer and Edward Portela are from the Wetherbee Young Single Adult Ward.

Brother Monro's wife was already a member of the Church and after many months of working diligently with the missionaries Brother Monro was now ready to become a member of the Church.  It was a very special day for their entire family.
Pictured are Brother and Sister Monro and their two grand daughters.

 

 

 Our Windy Ridge Spanish speaking Elders, Eric Spouse, Levi Slade and Talon Dial.

These Elders set the bar for obedience with a smile.  Their apartment was the very first that we inspected and when we returned for our final inspection everything, and I do mean everything, that we previously identified needing work was resolved and then some.  Their apartment was immaculate and their sweet spirit in abundance.  Elder Sprouse is due to be released soon and Elder Dial is a "Visa Waiter" hoping to be sent to Argentina soon. I really hate to see this companionship split up because together they are amazing!

 

 On our way to complete another final apartment inspection we ran into this little guy.  Little brown lizards are common in Florida, but this was the first bright green one I had seen. Not to worry though his whole family appeared to be living at this particular apartment complex :)

 

Okay so this week obviously was a week of missionary appreciation. Elder Matthew Gregory and Elder Kyler Dearden recently moved from a very dirty apartment and were given the task to clean it up and make it look like new. Well they took the counsel to heart and after approximately 4 hours of back breaking scrubbing, often on hands and knees, the place shined and we were able to get our whole deposit back!

I really do need to work on my photography skills.  I wish you could see how black the clouds are, at least until they are filled with lightening.  It is the strangest thing here in Florida.  We had already been told that summer days here are hot, humid and it rains daily, but seeing is believing. Saturday afternoon was sunny, hot and yes a little humid.  The sky was filled with white fluffy clouds and not one rain cloud in sight.  Then suddenly BIG, FAT rain drops began pelting our windshield and there was a severe storm warning all in a matter of minutes. When I say pelting, I am not kidding! Imagine someone blasting you with a fire hose, that is how hard it rains.  Then as quickly as it begins it is over. The sun comes out and the rains quickly evaporates as though it never really happened at all.

 

We received word this morning (Sunday) that Elder Busath's Aunt Dorthy Ostegar Busath had passed away.  She was an incredible woman and she will be missed.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, but we are comforted to know that she will be reunited with Uncle Charlie and that we will see her again someday.

There is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance.  Let us not procrastinate those things which matters most.

Until next time....