Tropical storm/hurricane Sandy that did so much damage up North, seems to have pulled all the moisture away from Southern Florida. I believe that this is the first time since we got here a year ago that it has not rained for a full week. The other unusual event was we got notice that the first 19 year old sister is coming to be a missionary here in January! Hopefully it is the first of many because we can use more above average missionaries who will invite others to come unto Christ!

  

This is the way the sky looked almost all week. Even when there were clouds they did not produce any rain. On Tuesday we went to the Fort Lauderdale district meeting. It is one of the high points of our week as we get to share the spirit with the young missionaries. After the meeting elder Hall entertained us with some juggling of the tangerines we bought for a treat. Elders Rellaford, HoChing and Bloom look on. With winter coming on the birds that disappeared at the start of summer are showing up again.

  

The APs. Elders Avila and Rippstein show off their new almost matching ties that we bought for them. We told them when they wear them they will always remember each other, the mission and us. Elder Rippstein is concentrating on getting the numbers of baptisms that are possible for this weekend. Friday was Zone Leaders Council and after it was over most of the ZLs came in. I took a number of pictures but this was the only one that was worth posting. The Sommerfeldts are talking to Elder Odar with Elders Edwards and Bjorling in the background. We have ‘awesome’ Zone Leaders serving at this time. They really are dedicated to not only their missionary work but to lifting the missionaries in their Zone to ever greater heights.

  

These are just fun pictures that have shown up over the last couple of weeks. Our wonderful Chicago Pier family dressed up for Halloween. The middle is four of our great returned missionaries getting  together – Elders Kealamaki and Hansen with Sisters Pack and Hong. Our outside greeter has become the nesting place of a very persistent lizard. We have no idea why he likes it – t there is no food or water there. Perhaps he just like to have a roof over his/her head.