Bike Works in Kissimmee Florida anxiously awaiting for the arrival of our 22 new missionaries.......
January 7, 2014 at 9:10 am in Orlando, Florida!
Just when we thought it was nice enough to go outside, it's freezing..brrr!
We got mail!
From our family in Meridian , Idaho, Andi, Brian, Dax, Cale and Jett Esslinger!
Enclosed in our box was absolutely everything, and I do mean everything, we would ever need to make a fresh start in the new year 2014!
St. Ives fresh skin lotion, Aquafresh toothpaste, Freshley peach pie, Freshen Up gum, Freshen Up towelettes, Lady Speed Stick fresh-powder scent deodorant, Men's Speed Stick-all day fresh deodorant, Renuzit-fresh picked, Irish Spring-clean and fresh soap, Listerine-freshburst, Wrigley's winterfesh gum, air fresheners, Northwest Fresh Pioneer mix, Vaseline lotion-Aloe fresh! Thanks for thinking of us!
It was refreshing to take a moment and appreciate the time, effort and love it took to create such a clever gift!
You've got a friend in me!Time was running out and as of Friday we still had three missionary homes that needed some finishing touches before they were ready to be occupied. So who are you gonna call?
Nope, not ghost busters! The Senior Missionary District, that's who!
Elder Bevans! You've got a friend in me!
The Pleasant Hill Spanish apartment at Osprey Cove!
Since Elder Busath was up to his eyeballs in taking care of housing and other financial matters he stayed behind at the office and the three amigos (Elder and Sister Bevans and myself) hit the road and made quick work of finishing up the new apartment in Kissimmee for the Pleasant Hill Spanish sisters soon to arrive.
The Titusville house on Brandy Lane was another matter :( Location is everything and this old house just happened to get lucky! Unfortunately it needed some tender loving care before we could even begin work on furnishing it and it was already Friday! So we left the cleaning, the necessary repairs and the landscaping details in the capable hands of Elder and Sister Hansen and prayed that it will all come together in time.
To be perfectly honest if it hadn't been for the excited faces and the show of support by the Titusville Ward members who were there to greet us we were seriously considering other options.
But there was no time to waste, off to Viera we must go......
The Viera Apartment at Longleaf. I guess the ward members didn't get the memo that sometimes less is more! This teeny, tiny one bedroom apartment had enough furniture in it to outfit two apartments. But after making a few necessary changes we were able to make the best use of space and give them a little more wiggle room.
Saturday is usually a special day, it's the day we get ready for Sunday. However, today it was the day to empty and reorganize not one, but three of our storage units to see what we still had and how we could best use our resources to fill in the remaining needs of the new apartments.
As always the Senior Missionary District came to my rescue! Elder and Sister Nielson agreed to take a road trip to Kissimmee and Leesburg and switch out beds for me and Elder and Sister Gordon, Elder and Sister Clare, and Elder and Sister Bevans agreed to be my laborers for the day. (Elder Busath still had important paperwork to complete before transfers so he was chained to his desk once again). First on the list was the shed in back of the office. The shed is basically used to store bikes and sometimes a random donation or two, but it was now out of control and needed reorganizing and the items to be relocated, check.
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Guys you've got a friend in me
Yeah you've got a friend in me
Sister Gordon, Sister Clare and Elder Gordon proving that many hands make light work :)
Next on the list was the garage on Seal Street where members of the Lake Nona Ward had left their donations with the missionaries living here, Elder Ellis and Jacobsen, for the new apartment on Courtney Chase scheduled to open up in their ward this transfer.
The Lake Nona Spanish apartment at Courtney Chase.
While some of us, (Elder and Sister Gordon and Elder Clare and Elder Bevans) made one last trip to put the finishing touches on the Lake Nona apartment, the remaining workers (Sister Clare, Sister Bevans and myself) finished cleaning out the Seal Street garage in preparation for their return and for
an impromptu garage sale.
We actually had people who were driving by, stop and inquire so we figured why not?
Once the others had returned we loaded the trailer with items we could use in the future and left the remaining "well loved" items on the driveway with a sign that said "Free" in hopes that one man's trash might be another man's treasure and off we went.
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got troubles and I got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together, we can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
Sister Gordon, Sister Clare and Elder Gordon and Elder Quarnberg taking a well deserved break
while they waited for the trailer to arrive.
Next on the list was the duplex garage at Laver Lane, where the Assistants to the Mission President live. Luckily for us we caught them home and they willingly offered to lend us a hand to help unload the trailer.
Elder Quarnberg, Elder Bevans and Elder Patten.
Some folks might be a little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them
Will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you guys
Next up, the Gordon's decided to switch out their current brown sofa for a green one with a hidebed in preparation of their family coming in March to attend their Florida OrlandoTemple Sealing.
No problem with this crew.
It was delivered and the brown sofa removed before they had time to reconsider :0
Almost done! It was back to Seal Street to see to results of our impromptu garage sale. Surprisingly many, but not all, of the items had found new homes. So we took a big breath, loaded up the trailer with the left over items, for what we all hoped was the last time today and "the boys" went to the dump and the "girls" headed back to the mission office to wash their hands, relax and enjoy the feeling of a job well done.
And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
I can't say it enough-thank you to my special friends in the Florida Orlando Senior Missionary District!
Without each one of you I seriously could not have accomplished all that I needed to do and
it wouldn't have been half as fun, so thank you, thank you, thank you!
Before I close this post I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to wish my sister a law, Shirley, my heart felt congratulations and best wishes! On Saturday, January 11, 2014 Shirley and Bruce Waltz were married at the 51st and Dover LDS Church in Sacramento, California. Shirley was on her mission in West Virginia when Steve and I were married and now we are on a mission when she is married. We promise to be there when you and Bruce are sealed for time and for all eternity! We are so happy for you and Bruce and our thought and prayers are with you always!
Hope you too are enjoying a fresh new start in 2014!
Later...........
No comments:
Post a Comment