On Monday morning when we came in to the office I found a copy of Elder Gene R. Cook’s talk to the missionaries at the MTC sitting on Mary’s desk. I asked it where it came from and she had no idea. As I started reading I realized it was put there for me to find and read…a tender mercy if you would. Here is just one of the stories that he uses to illustrate how faith is a principle of power that should lead to action.

“I remember hearing of a case in the pioneer days somewhere in southern Utah where there had been a long drought and many of the crops were about to die. The bishop had called the ward together and asked them to fast and pray. The saints had done so. On a particular Sunday, the bishop asked them to come together in the afternoon to offer a final prayer that the rain might come.

As one family prepared to leave home, a little five-year-old girl said, “Wait a minute, Dad, I forgot something.” She ran into the house and came out with a bag.

The Saints gathered together in the church courtyard and offered prayer with all of the saints exercising their faith. Before the final “amen” raindrops began to fall, and then it came down in bucketsful. Everyone ran for the chapel. Interestingly enough, there were two people left in the courtyard–the bishop and the five-year-old girl. She opened up her bag and said, “Bishop would you like to share my umbrella?”

Would you think about that for just a moment? A five-year old girl heard that they were going to pray to the Lord with all their hearts that rain would come. As far as the history shows, she was the only one–the only one with an umbrella. That little girl had total faith that it would rain.”

If you would like to read the whole talk just search for “Qualifications for the Work” Eugene Cook.

What was really interesting was that later evening as the couples met at the Mission Home, Elder McCormick, who is serving down in the Keys with his Eternal companion, told us about a story that was published in this month’s Friend about an experience he had while on a trip with his family and how the prayer of one of his young children basically dug them out of a major problem that had him stumped, not to mentioned covered in mud.  Here is the opening paragraph – you can read this in the July 2012 Friend. It is called “Stuck in the Mud” by Annie McCormick Bonner.

“My dad looked like an angry mud monster. Our van and our moving truck were both stuck in the mud on a deserted road. Dad and Mom were trying to move them, but the mud was deep. Each time they tried to drive, the wheels spun and mud flew everywhere. Dad was getting more and more frustrated.”

The story goes on to show how faith can not only move mountains, it can also help dads move stuck trucks.

  

Elder Doman arrived a couple of weeks after the others in his group and is being trained by Elder Marsh. Elder Marsh is always smiling and his great spirit shows in his happiness. Elder Hall was transferred up from Key West and is now serving with Elder Taylor. Elder Fitts also has a new companion – Elder Bishop. They are powerful Zone Leaders and we look forward to getting to know Elder Bishop better.

  

Elder Thorne is now serving with Elder T. Larsen who is the district leader in the new Plantation district. They are serving in the Plantation Ward. If the Lord lets us stick around for another 19 years or so, I am sure we will see Colin leave on his mission. If we are needed on the other side before that we will keep an eye on him anyways. The morning sky is often amazingly beautiful. Not long after I took this picture the skies just opened up and dumped rain on us as we left for the office.

   

Our camera is getting old…we bought if before we left for Indonesia…and it does not catch fireworks as well as it did at one time. We watched them with two other couples from the lawn at the edge of our apartment complex. They were shot off at a field just a few hundred yards from where we sat so we had a great view. When the show was over we just picked up our chairs and we were home in about 5 minutes.

The middle picture is a last one for the Fort Lauderdale district before transfers. When transfers were done, half of the missionaries had been sent to serve somewhere new. Elder Rippstein was called as an assistant to the President. Elder Plowman has been in the district for almost the whole time we have been here and has moved to North to the Palm Beach zone. Elder Wilson has moved way North to Fort Pierce which is about the top edge of the mission. Elder Rasmussen was moved a little South and is serving in Miami Shores. I have posted a number of pictures of Elder Rasmussen and I do not think I ever caught him not smiling until this one. These are all above average missionaries who were replaced by other above average missionaries…it is just what the Florida Fort Lauderdale has.