Building the Kingdom , One Apartment at a Time

Sunday October 6, 2013 183rd Semi Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

April 6, 1830 6 members of the Church

Today 15 million

There are currently 80,000+ Elder Busath and I serving as full time missionaries all over the world

It's an exciting time to help hasten the work

The Church hymn "Called to Serve" had our Senior Missionary District up and out of their seats singing along with the audience :0

 We had some technical difficulties, but not to worry.  The President grabbed his laptop, plugged in a few cords and with the help of Elder Nielson and Elder Bevans the conference broadcast was restored, full screen, with volume and even with closed captioning.

The second session of Sunday, October General Conference was spent at the Mission Home with our Mission President,  his wife, and our Senior Missionary District.

My favorite statement at conference, although there were many:

"What is said is not as important as what I hear and what I feel." Elder Hales

Our blog just wouldn't be the same if we failed to include a few of our furry friends here in Florida.

 The Mission Office was recently notified that all 6 of our "VISA Waiters" originally called to serve in Argentina needed to have their fingerprints taken ASAP to update their FBI backgrounds prior to issuing VISAs. Long story short few of the smaller law enforcement agencies (Belleview) no longer carry "fingerprint cards" so we had to drive 90 minutes to hand deliver the approved card for Elder Child and to obtain his finished prints so that we could send them off the Salt Lake City as advised.

 I guess Elder Packard and Elder Busath got the memo to wear their orange and blue striped ties today.

Elders Childs, Packard and Busath in front of their home in Belleview,

which is actually located in a retirement community.

 Just passing by the Mission Office entry on his way to dinner. In Florida we don't have lions, and tigers and bears, oh my, we have lizards and gators and snakes.

Getting ready to say good bye to another early departing sister. I wish I could report that we have finally been able to retain all that have been called to serve, but as we all know there needs to be opposition in all things :(

 I see the moon,
The moon sees me.
The moon sees the ones that I want to see.
So God bless the moon and God bless me, and God bless the ones that I want to see.

Someone once told me that the crescent on the moon is different here in the East coast than on the West coast. I don't know if that is really true, but if you happen to be an astrology nut please let me know.

Oooh, ahhh.  I just love brand new apartments, don't you?

The apartment in Titusville for our new senior couple Elder and Sister Hansen from Utah. 

Sister Pike, assigned to the Cocoa Ward,  

making the finishing touches in preparation of the Hansen's arrival.

Elder Nielson and Elder Busath moving furniture-they say practice makes perfect!

Elder Busath giving detailed instructions to Sister Brown (and Elder Nielson) about the correct way to assemble the table.

 The infamous kitchen table and chairs we discovered on a trip to Celebration, Florida

All done!

 Sister Pike and Sister Brown, our happy helpers :)

 Yours truly, Sister Nielson, Sister Pike and Sister Brown-the move in crew

 Elder Ulisses Soares, from the Presidency of the Seventy met with our Mission Leadership Council recently.  It was an amazing meeting and we were privileged to have been invited to attend.
(Any advise on how to take a picture of a General Authority discreetly?)

 Some of our Mission Zone Leaders, Thomas, da Costa...at the recent Mission Leadership Council Meeting.

 Welcome Elder and Sister Hansen!

Elders Collins, Ellis, Busath, Clark, and Moli.  Fortunately for us, the Elders "in the green T shirts" arrived just in time!  We were attempting to load up the trailer (yes again) with all the furnishings for another apartment we were to set up next week for the Semoran Elders and we were struggling to dig through everything, just the two of us, and find what we needed. The Elders had just returned home from a Orange County Service Project and were ready and willing to offer a helping hand.

 Elder Patten, all 6 feet 9 inches of him! We were also delivering a new twin extra long bed that same day because his current bed had become in sad need of replacement.

 Elders Patten, Palmer, yours truly and Adam Dahle.  The last name "Dahle" sounded familiar and so we had ask, "Do you happen to know a Mike and Donna Dahle from California?" We realize that California is a big state and we expected the standard roll of the eyes but were pleasantly surprised. "Yes, he responded, Mike Dahle is my Uncle!" Small world :)

Okay so another random picture-McDonald's in Orlando-I wish I could have gotten a better picture for you to see, but Elder Busath refused to stop in the middle of traffic and cause a traffic jam!
Sorry, but it's true, as Senior Missionaries on the run we rarely have time to cook so we do in fact live on McDonald hamburgers with an occasional salad from Wendy's.  Healthy, no, but maybe that is why they limit senior missionaries service at 23 months.

We were recently reminded of a statement once made by President Lorenzo Snow,
 "It is the business of those who profess to be engaged in God's work to move on, to go forward...So long as there remains a step forward to be taken, that step should be taken."
He went on further to say, "Well, I say to one and all, move on! move on and see the salvation of the Lord, and not stand still."

Well as advised we would love to stay and chat, but we can't stand still we have to "move on".
It's transfers next week with 19 missionaries and 5 VISA Waiters due to arrive on Monday so we have more work to do!

Thanks for stopping by...see you later alligator!