"Thrust in thy sickle with thy might" was not an admonition for missionary work alone. We are expected to labor and make a continuous effort to be better each day and do so diligently and willingly.
Please welcome...
Elder and Sister Johnson, from Orem, Utah, called to serve as Member Leadership Support and currently assigned to the Goldenrod Ward.
An inspiring mural on our way from Lake Mary to DeLand to urge us to seek new heights.
A welcoming committee of one.
The DeLand Sisters apartment where we stopped by after getting the Johnson's settled in their new apartment to pick up an extra bed and an extra desk in preparation of our 13 new arrivals due late afternoon Monday, April 7th.
Elder Gordon and Elder Busath my worker bees :)
Allow me to also introduce Elder and Sister Boynton, from Orem, Utah, called to serve as Member Leadership Support, currently assigned to the Daytona Beach Ward.
Just a fun fact about the Boynton's, Elder Boynton served as the Mission President in Italy from 2004-2007. Although Sister Boynton loved serving in Italy she is looking forward to preaching the gospel in English this time around.
Downtown Orlando
On Saturday, March 29th our Senior Missionary District had the opportunity to visit the Orlando Public Library.
A historical Baptist church nearby.
An Avatar of Dorothy Melrose welcoming us to the Melrose Center. She reminds me a little of one of the ghosts in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.
(Must be the Disney influence here in Florida)
Housed on the second floor of the Orlando Public Library is
the Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center
for Technology, Innovation and Creativity.
Ann Collins, Assistant Director of the Melrose Center, was our special tour guide
for the morning.
Following a pre-scheduled orientation meeting presented by the Melrose Center staff most of the fabulous studios and equipment are available for use by the public at
no additional cost!
An Interactive 12' x 8' Media Wall. It is just like the screens you would see in a Jason Bourne movie or an episode in Hawaii Five-0. You can swoosh a picture onto the screen from your laptop and enlarge it or reduce it depending on your preference.
Whisper quiet sound proof booths to record a podcast or a solo performance.
The Fab Lab, and 3 D printer. Definitely the place to go from idea, to invention. They offer classes in electronics, basic engineering, computer programming, and robotics, by an actual MIT Mechanical Engineering graduate.
Siser Vaden, Elder and Sister D. Johnson, Elder and Sister Bevans and Elder and Sister Clare with questions on their minds.
Jacob Clare, from Arizona visiting his parents and Elder Gordon and Elder Clare.
The Video Production Studio-everything you need for your next video production, including a green screen for applying special effects.
Elder and Sister C. Johnson, assigned to the Employment Resource Center, Sister Bevans, as always behind the camera, Sister Western, Jacob Clare, Elder Clare and Sister Danes, also assigned to the Employment Resource Center checking the place out.
The Audio Production Studio where you can write a song, record it and produce it to send to your agent.
Elder Bevans contemplating a life of fame once his Country Western/Gospel CD hits the charts, Mormon Messages by a Rodeo Wrangler :)
Ann Collins-introducing the Simulation Lab where you can land a jetliner in Japan, master driving on a busy highway, dig up some dirt with an excavator,
or organize a warehouse with a fork lift.
The Flight Simulator...up, up and away!
The Excavator Simulator
The Driving Simulator with Elder Gordon giving Elder Busath some helpful tips.
Fork Lift Simulator-Wal-Mart warehouse here we come!
The Orlando Public Library also offers a variety of non-circulating, reference only materials such as books, microfilm and microfiche. The Genealogy Department-a 1923 gift from Captain Charles Albertson. Captin Albertson was an avid genealogist who donated many pre-1900 titles covering New England, New York and Pennsylvania. In 1929, the Library became the official repository of the Florida State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
"Jane" showing us the amazing Bookeye 4, a state of the art scanner that reproduces old pictures and documents and allows you to save them on a flash drive to share with
family and friends.
Elder Bevans presented Jane a copy of the Mormon.org Messages CD
as a token of our appreciation.
It was unanimous among our Senior Missionary District if we had more free time every one of us would love to spend time here in the library learning new skills, perfecting others and working on our genealogy, basically becoming a little bit better.
But for now we will keep busy by hastening His work.
It's official, Spring has arrived in Florida!
Of course you can't tell by the weather, unless you count the increase in precipitation and actual tornado warnings.
Unfortunately a sure sign of the arrival of spring is the sudden disappearance of many of my fine, feather friends when I go for my walk in the morning.
I used to think the flight of the hawk was a beautiful sight to behold, but now that I know his sole motivation for being in the area I am tempted to carry a rock or large stick to encourage him to make other flight arrangements.
The Florida dabbling ducks, and the Mallard and the Muscovy ducks are our peaceful neighbors and have few predators here in the apartment complex. Possibly a stray dog from time to time, or an energetic toddler, but generally speaking they enjoy a safe environment, and as a result we enjoy being entertained by them, that is until mating season. Unfortunately in the spring the arrival of many unwelcome guests/predators make our once quiet neighborhood a battle field.
I get the whole circle of life thing, I do, but I am sorry I have to draw the line at a hawk swooping down to snatch a duckling. There are other things that he can eat, bugs, mice, lizards, just to name a few, but a baby duckling should not be one of them, period. So I am seriously contemplating taking things into my own hands. If I see a hawk swoop down on an unsuspecting duckling (expected to arrive in about three weeks) on my watch I am not opposed to trying my hand at using a sling shot! It worked for David, right?
It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life
In this circle of life, where we have opportunities to strive and to achieve, we need to make a second effort, a third, and a fourth effort, and as many efforts as may be required to accomplish what we strive to achieve.
It's not enough to wish, it's not enough to dream, it's not enough to promise, it's not enough to pledge.
To quote a famous line, "Just Do It!"
Let's get busy and do what we need to do-to help us become a little bit better each day!
Later gator.....
