Learning- "With All Thy Getting Get Understanding"

No matter how old we become, we can acquire knowledge and use it.  

We can gather wisdom and profit from it.  

We can grow and progress and improve and, in the process, 

strengthen the lives of those within our circle of influence.

Gordon B. Hinckley-Stand for Something

                                                                     

That's 7:54 am Florida time

Monday Night was our Senior Missionary District Meeting at our apartment where we get together to teach Preach My Gospel lessons and share missionary experiences. 

Since we had a hard time deciding whether to celebrate the coming of fall or Veteran's Day 

we decided to combine both as you can see by the decorated cake.

We received an assignment from the Mission President recently to drive up to Sumterville and replace a bed.  Since we are always up for a new adventure we loaded up a bed and headed out.  

What we found, after driving down an old dirt county road,was a little bit of a surprise, but this is how the missionaries live in Sumteville.

You will never guess who joined us on our latest adventure...look closely

We will bet that you can't guess where we took the Senior District on our "P" Day.  No, not Gatorland, although there were gators present, it's Florida.  

We drove to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Titusville, Florida.! 

Yes we have been here once before, but that was in April and we now have a whole new group of senior missionaries just aching to be tourists.
From left to right, SistersVaden, Danes, the Nielson's, the Gordon's, the Hansen's, Sister Hansen's brother and sister in law who were visiting, us, the Bevans', the Andersons, friends of the Bevans' from Idaho, who were also visiting this week.

The launching pad-through the window of our bus

Space Geek Question:

Why did the Kennedy Space Center choose Florida as a launch site? 

The closer you are to the equator, the greater boost due to the rotation of the earth. Also launching a rocket over the ocean is safer and you are better able to retrieve usable parts.

A Crawler Transporter used to move the rockets Saturn V/Apollo, it now it transports Space Shuttles

Length-131'4"

Width-114'

Height-20-26'

Weight-6,000,000 lbs

Maximum Speed 1 mile per hour when loaded

                                             

 Apollo Saturn V-3 main sections

In 1968 Snoopy was made the NASA mascot to help emphasize mission success and act as a "watchdog" for flight safety.  

The Apollo Lunar Module, named Snoopy, came within 10 miles of the moon's surface in May 1969.

 

The Apollo XIII Command Module

Elder and Sister Busath and Lambie :)

"The adventure has only begun.  The space shuttle program personifies what a great people can do, and provided a glimpse of the greatness that lies ahead." Mitchell

 Space Shuttle 1/15th scale replica

The space shuttle, Atlantis, was 12 years in the making and was finally ready April 12, 1981.  

First commanded by Astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen.

John Young later served on 2 shuttle missions, 2 Gemini missions and 2 Apollo missions.  Bob Crippen served on 4 shuttle missions.  There is actually a major street here in Orlando called John Young Parkway, and I have always wondered who John Young was, and now I know.

 Space Geek Fact:

Even though the Canadarm was a powerful tool in space it could not lift it's own weight on earth.

The Atlantis Space Shuttle had a total of 162 space walks, 3 men is the largest number at any one moon walk and 8 hours and 56 minutes was the longest space walk recorded.

The MMU, Manned Maneuvering Unit allowed one to maneuver in space without being tied to an orbiter.

 Each space suit weighs almost 300 pounds on earth. In space it weighs nothing!

A personal sleep compartments-first you must attach yourself to the wall or you will float away-

not necessarily in dreamland.

Tortillas are one of the most popular menu items because they are easy to store, they have no crumbs, and  are easy to transport from hand to mouth.

To use the toilets you must first buckle up! Second you much get used to using a camera to aim carefully...

The Hubble telescope replica-1990
 Ten years in the making and over 10,000 people to build it.
Space Geek Fact:  The Hubble telescope's incredible clarity doesn't come from it's mirror. It is able to beam clear images because it is high above the distorting effects of the atmosphere.

For our computer geeks...

and our wildlife fans :)

"It is not enough just to live, just to survive. It is incumbent on each of us to equip ourselves to do something worthwhile in society-to acquire more and more light, so that our personal light can help illuminate a darkened world. And this is made possible through learning, through educating ourselves, through progressing and growing in both mind and spirit."  (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

*We are actually posting this from a small hotel room in DeLand where we plan to perform over 25 missionary housing inspections over the course of the next two days. It's going to be an especially crazy week as we complete our housing inspections, pick up some much needed and very much appreciated donated furniture, set up an apartment for our new senior couple, Elder and Sister Clare from Arizona, due to arrive on Friday, deliver beds, one for a returning missionary (yahoo) and two that are in serious need of replacing, find and open another apartment and then of course gear up for transfers in two weeks.

We are blessed and are enjoying every minute of doing our part to hasten the work!
Thanks for checking in........we hoped you learned something today  :)

See you later...alligator!