TRADITION…one of the things that marks the end of a mission is that you start doing things for the last time. Today for the last time we took the assistants to our traditional 2nd Monday before transfers lunch. It is one of our ways of saying ‘Thank You’ to the missionaries that work so hard to keep the mission moving forward. It has been a pleasure to work with all the APs through the last year.

Elder Stewart joined the APs last Monday so this is the first time he has been in the office to use the computers to do his e-mail. There is room for five people in the back of our van so of course all three had to crowd into the back seat.

Then when we get to the restaurant they had to do one more group hug. On Monday Scrufy’s offers a whole rack of their tender baby-back ribs, fries, cole slaw and baked beans for just $10.00. Elder Shipley knew what to expect because he was here last transfer but for elders Gust and Stewart this was the first time.

The gangs all here. Later in the afternoon the office was invaded by the crew from the Plantation district. Elder Bare got the first of the 60 some milage reports for last month from sisters Stegelmeier and Merrill. This was closely followed by sister Dougal and Gordon’s report.

Sister Stegelmeier had something to talk to elder Shipley about something while sister Dougal carefully eats one of the small chocolate bars that sister Bare provides for the missionaries. Elder Pond – the district leader – talked to Mary about our granddaughter McKay who is getting ready to go on her mission to Washington, Seattle mission.

Sisters Stegelmeier and Merrill signed my picture of them with their comic sunglasses. I am going to take it home and have it framed. Sisters Dougal and Gordon looks on.

Speaking of candy – elder Rondo shared his box of candy that he received in a package from home. I asked sister Dougal about her gypsy skirt and she informed me that she had borrowed it from sister Stegelmeier. Elders share ties – sisters skirts!

I love your diligence with those who need you to find them, those praying for you to come. Following promptings that lead you there at the right day and time:

 â€œThe sweetest thing happened this week when my companion and I were harvesting. We met a wonderful lady that accepted a blessing and before the blessing she told us that that day was her 2 year sober and drug free mark. During the prayer I could feel the spirit so strong and I knew she could feel it as well but it wasn’t until after the prayer that I could see how much. She had been silently crying and the first thing she did was pull my companion and I into big hugs and say over and over again thank you, thank you. She said that she knows her mother (who passed away) sent us to her and she said yes to baptism.”

I love your diligence in bringing souls to Church and involving the members to serve:

 â€œSaturday evening came and as we were doing roundup calls, Natasha’s name came to our mind. So we called and she didn’t answer, we even went to her home but no one was there. Then Sunday morning came and she answered her phone! And she told us that she would love to come to church. YAY! So we got a ride for her and met her at the church.  On her way home she turned to our member and handed her a $10 bill and told her to put it in the plate when the plate comes around. Our member explained that we don’t pass a plate, we offer tithing, but Natasha being a nonmember isn’t expected to pay. So Natasha said ‘then let me give it to you for gas money’.  Our member declined and said our church is all about service and so she didn’t want her money. That’s when Natasha’s eyes filled with tears and said, ‘this is a real church’.  What an amazing experience for not only our investigator but also our member. As the member was relaying this story she had tears streaming down her face. I’m so excited to see Natasha enter into the waters of baptism and come that much more close to our Savior Jesus Christ.

I love when you are diligent in opening your mouths and contacting everyone:

 â€œI really gained a testimony of contacting!  We have been trying to contact more lately, and my companion is really not afraid to open his mouth.  So we were biking down the street and saw this lady, I almost stopped but kept going. Then my companion said that we needed to go back so we did.  We stopped her and prayed with her, and she was awesome!  The next day we did HTBT and she said she has been Christian for 18 years, but was never baptized  and she came to church 3 days after we found her.  She loved church, she has the glow of a member already! Now is preparing for baptism this Sunday, just because we stopped her on the street!  The Lord prepares people for us, puts them in our paths all the time.  The question is, do we have the courage to open our mouths and talk to them?  I’ve learned that courage to open our mouth is like integrity, it’s something that we build as we choose to talk to people rather than pass them by, it’s strengthened every time we do so, and when we don’t it diminishes.”

Missionaries, we have not only achieved our goal of 155 baptisms in March, but we have destroyed it with 168. How happy the Lord must be this Easter week to know that we worked so hard to bring these precious souls to Him. I am so proud of you, the Lord is so proud of you. We have another great week ahead of us as we Prepare for the Prophets and get ready to have an amazing revelatory experience at General Conference. Let us prepare ourselves and our investigators for this tremendously inspired teachings.

This was an Easter that we will not likely forget. It was of course centered around the sacrament and remembering the atonement and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. After the block meetings, the APs baptized 2 of the 36 new members that entered through the strait gate this week. In the afternoon we were invited to share an Easter dinner with brother and sister Michel and some of the missionaries. When we arrived at the Michel’s I saw these two bikes locked up just as they are supposed to be. That is with the front tire taken off and locked up to something that can not be easily bent or broken. I knew that these bikes belong to some strictly obedient missionaries.

Sister Michel had prepared a Haitian dinner with all the trimmings. Elders Turek and Van Wagenen were there and the APs had been invited. Just before we were about to start dinner, the APs texted that they could not come because they had to arrange another baptism. After the meal sister Michel packed up a nice take home meal for the APs and we gave it to them later in the afternoon. They were very happy to have it so they did not have to eat left over pizza from Friday for Easter dinner.

 

We found out that brother Michel was an accomplished painter – I have to go back and take pictures of some of his paintings – cook, and all around handy man. Besides that he teaches special education children. The meal included chicken, fish, two kinds of rice, asparagus, fried tomatoes with mushrooms and hot sauce, potato salad and some of the best rolls I have ever eaten. I must confess that my diet was completely blown for today. I will repent tomorrow.

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I just noticed that elder Van Wagenen is passing a plate of those great rolls. I am not sure how many I ate but I am sure I got my share. The Michel’s came to the US from Haiti when young. They were married in New York and found the Church after arriving in Florida. They are looking forward to serving a senior couple’s mission when he retires.

I had to take a picture of sister Michel’s beautiful dress and of course her smile. When we were home I went out and took this peaceful picture of the lake, fountain and blue sky. We will miss this – especially in the winter – when we are back home. But there will be a much bigger lake, beautiful mountains and often blue sky to see.

I noticed the bare tree that had shed it leaves for what passes for winter here. Soon after we leave it will fill out again. Later I took the picture of the flowers and the sign. As I was editing the pictures Sunday night I realized how well these last two pictures of the day symbolized Easter. The tree appears dead but just waits for Spring to come and then it will come to life once again. The flowers are in full bloom and through faith we believe, we know that Spring will come for all mankind through the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It truly was an Easter to remember.

In the evening after Specialized Training the couples got together for a farewell party for us. There was lots of good food and the everyone played Five Crowns. I guess if there is one thing we will leave behind that will continue beyond our time in the mission is the game which most seniors now play.

Saturday we went to lunch at the 15th Street Fisheries. The food is very good and the scenery is outstanding. Since I grew up practically on the beach in Redondo and later we lived just a mile from it, salt water has been a good part of my life. It is also interesting that all of our missions have put us close to an ocean.

When we arrived there was a family feeding the large fish – someone said they were tarpons – that hang near the docks. One man put his hand with the food a little too close to the water and almost lost some fingers. After that he pretty much dropped it in and let the fish fight for it.

Not a cloud in the sky and lots of boats going and coming as well as tied up. I wondered how much that big one in the first picture cost…some one said it one of the Walmart family owned it. I guess they do not have any problem paying the fuel bill.

A number of tour boats went by including the Duck Tours,  the Pirate Tour and of course the River Queen. For those who can not afford a boat you can arrive at the restaurant on a paddle board. I think we could afford one of those.