Happy Valentine's Day
Everyone got mail, or so it seemed.
Dunkin Donuts advertised heart shaped donuts to help celebrate Valentine's Day, so we couldn't resist sharing the love with the office staff.
It seems that two great minds do think a like!
The funny thing was that wearing matching ties was purely accidental. Elder Gordon picked up his tie while shopping at Dollar Tree one evening and Elder Busath received his tie as a gift from the Bacchus family.
Just sporting my Valentine socks...
On Valentine's Day we had the opportunity to attend the Poinciana Branch adult party at Jeff and Kathy Kober's home. In an effort to break the ice we all introduced ourselves and shared a little bit about where we were born, raised, career, etc. We soon discovered that our little group was comprised by people from all over the world. Russia, Germany, Columbia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Peru, Jamaica, Utah and even California! Much to Elder Busath's dismay there were even more "Getting to Know you" games as the evening progressed. One such game required that we all break into three groups and each one of us take a question out of a cup and answer the question. Questions like, " If you were on a desert island what three things would you take?" etc. Well, as I mentioned earlier we were a pretty diverse crowd, but one question really caused me to pause. A gentleman from Puerto Rico picked up his question and tears filled his eyes as he read: "If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?" it didn't take him longer than 10 seconds to say, the united states of America, and everyone in our group shook their heads in agreement. It was a powerful moment for me. To realize that all these people, so far from home, would rather be her in the USA then anywhere else!
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God Bless the USA
by Lee Greenwood
If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.
by Lee Greenwood
If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.
I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
( Cale can you find us on the map?)
It's been another very busy week as we prepare to receive 15 new missionaries.
New apartments needing to be located, leased and furnished, other apartments needing to be closed down, cleaned and the missionaries relocated. While still other apartments needing to have their current furnishings replaced and the old, broken and worn furnishings discarded.
If you have ever watched a visual tour you will appreciate that few words if any are needed, so I hope that the following pictures say it all.
The College Park Sisters old apartment complex
The College Park and University Park Sisters new apartment
Just a furry friend stopping by to say howdy!
Next to Wal-Mart this is our second most visited place.
Long story short, the local water company called the Mission Office to report an unusual spike in water usage at the Kissimmee Sisters condo. After a brief conversation with the sisters it was discovered that their toilet handle was broken and that the toilet had been running for quite some time. So instead of calling us to request that it be repaired they simply closed the bathroom door and forgot about it. Hundreds of dollars later Elder Busath make a quick inspection, ran to Wal-Mart to pick up supplies and less than $20.00 later the problem was solved.
The Ocoee English apartment needed a little elbow grease to get it ready for some new occupants.
Elders Kyle Bodkin and Jon Cameron Jensen, who lent us a hand.
The Pleasant Hills English apartment had been vacant for some time so it needed a little "love" to get it presentable again.
Saturday, is usually a special day, it's the day we get ready for Sunday. But today it was the day that the Senior Missionary District held their monthly activity and 18 holes of miniature golf was on the agenda.
The Pirate's Cove on International Drive in Orlando.
Sister Gordon checking on the status of her ball.
When all the scorecards had been carefully tabulated it was announced that we had not one, but two winners.
Elder Gordon and myself had a tied score of 41, par for the course!
But the day wasn't over yet...
It is often said that many hands make light work so after lunch at a local Wendy's restaurant off we all flew to move Elder and Sister Nielson from their Metro West apartment to their new third story apartment at Colonial Glen, in the building next to us. But wait, that's not all. We also took the opportunity to move the furnishings in the currently unoccupied Metro West Portuguese Elders apartment (just a stone throw away) to the Nielson's old apartment and then close the now empty apartment down. Which meant that while the Elders lifted and hauled the furniture the Sisters cleaned and scrubbed.
The new Metro West apartment, ready to welcome new occupants.
Mission accomplished! Thanks to the help of Elders Stanford, Kurtz, Stewart and Jones
Special thanks also need to go to Elders Delgado, Soccaras and Peterson, who assisted at the other end to receive the Nielson's furnishings and unload the truck and trailer, but unfortunately the camera could not be in two places at once.
It was a very crazy, yet productive day and we are so ever grateful for the willingness of so many to help us accomplish so much.
In closing, and in recognition for President's day, we just have to say
The Lord gave a divine promise to the ancient inhabitants of this favored country the United states: "Behold, this is a choice land, an whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bandage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ."
Ether 2:12
The revered American president Abraham Lincoln accurately described our plight: "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown; but we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us. We have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken succession, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of preserving and redeeming grace, to proud to pray to God that made us"
"Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day", Washington, D.C., March 30, 1864
Is there a way to change this terrible condition? Yes, if we follow His counsel to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And to love thy neighbor as thyself." Matthew 22:36-39
Wishing you a great week!
See you later...
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