Love Is Spoken Here

 

Just three weeks until the arrival of new missionaries and we are busily running around trying to locate apartments for our young missionaries in the exact area designated, completing monthly reports, trouble shooting problems with iPads, telephones, cars, bikes, etc.

But on Monday we did something a little out of the ordinary,

our office complex had afire drill! 

 

Elder Quarnberg was given the important assignment of pulling the fire alarm.  I have to tell you he was like a kid in a candy shop. "Really, you want me to pull the fire alarm? I have always wanted to pull a fire alarm..." He did a fabulous job and as a result the LDS Social Services staff, the LDS Employment Center staff and the Florida Orlando Mission Office staff now know exactly where to gather safely if ever there was a fire.

Mine is a home where ev'ry hour is blessed by the strength of priesthood pow'r. 

 

Lately the days have been cold, wet, and a little foggy, very much like California February's so we really don't feel so far away, although the three hour difference is killing us when we want to share some good news or touch base with our kids and grand kids.

On Tuesday, February 4th, the Mission Office staff met President and Sister Berry at Cracker Barrel for breakfast to celebrate Sister Berry's birthday.

It is a quaint little restaurant with an old fashioned gift store inside. 

The food is good old down home cooking and grits and gravy are main staples here. 

In fact omelets are not even on the menu, you have to ask for them specially.

Okay so I have to admit that, as the song says, rainy days and Mondays sometimes get me down.  Holidays can be a little difficult as well if the truth be known when it seems like EVERYONE is getting mail, but you.

But not to worry, this time... 

We got mail!

 

The Bacchus family sent us love in a box!

Inside was everything you would ever need to celebrate Valentine's Day in style. 

Homemade Valentine cards and little flowered magnets to display on the refrigerator, a tablecloth, plates, napkins, even goblets with hearts on them. Hershey's kisses, a cute little monkey, a football and even little green alligator clips!

 

I realize that Valentine's Day isn't until Friday, but I couldn't wait to decorate  :)

 

 

 

Then if that weren't enough, we also received a Valentine's Day card

 (the only one in a red envelope) from Dax, Cale and Jett Esslinger,

which we quickly posted on our front door for all to see.

 

 

 

 

On 08 de febrero 2014 we had the opportunity to attend

Bautismo de Jaime Ayuso

 at the chapel in Saint Cloud.

The entire service was in Spanish and it was impresionante!

We sang, "Soy un hijo de Dios" as our opening song and

"Las familias pueden ser eternas" as the closing song.

 

It was a humbling experience as Elder Busath and I sang two of our favorite Primary songs  in English while everyone else around us sang in beautiful Spanish voices.

 

I can often feel the Savior near when love is spoken here.

 

 

 

 Following the baptism, and on our way to finalize yet another apartment,  we could not resist stopping for lunch at a place in Saint Cloud off of 192 and Vermont. 

This place makes it perfectly clear, that they are NOT a health food store. 

The cheese steak sandwiches and home made potato chips are seriously to die for, which is why our arteries can only handle once in a blue moon consumption, delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

Ahoy matey's! 

 

Next Saturday, rain or shine, the Senior Missionary District has been challenged to play a round of 18 holes of swashbuckling miniature golf at the Pirate's Cove. 

Due to some confusion we recently discovered that there was not one, but two "Pirate Cove's" miniature golf courses. If you know anything about Elder Busath, you will know that he is all about "advancing events" to avoid any last minute surprises and this event was no different.  So we hit the road and checked them both out, as well as another, not as spectacular but very tempting miniature golf course by the name of Hawaiian Rumble. 

It happened to be located right next to a CiCi Pizza parlor with a salad bar and we had coupons so it was almost a contender for that reason alone. 

It's amazing the attention to detail you learn to expect as you draw closer to Disney World and we were not disappointed when we checked out both Pirate Cove courses. 

If you are interested in learning how our adventure went and who the next Arnold Palmer will be,  stay tuned until next week :)

 

In closing let us quote from a favorite scripture that pretty well sums up yet another reason for our being here...

 

"Let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God."

 

Moroni 9:6

 

We are happy, healthy and love doing our small part in hastening the work!

 

I am thankful, love is spoken here!