After having lunch we went to the used bookstore for the last time and then delivered a load to the Goodwill store…for some reason I did not take a single picture.

Later we headed for the temple site where I took pictures from Vista View park with the water and houses of the complex in front. Then we drove down to the temple for more pictures. I noticed a fisherman walking to an area where I could take pictures of the South side and the West side that were different and yet did not go onto the actual construction site so that I would not annoy brother Barry by breaking his trust. Since these are probably the last ones of the temple I will be able to take, I am putting a lot of them on the blog. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.

We then went to Bishop and sister Rampton’s home where Mary gave her last piano/organ lesson and we said goodbye to a family we have grown close to. We will see them in Provo in August when they all come to deliver their daughter to BYU!

  

We spent the morning packing and cleaning. We are down to packing the difficult 15% that is left over from the easy packing. I would say that it will take us about 2 – 3 hours to finish packing and then putting everything into the van. Unfortunately I can not remember how I packed the van to get here – it was perfect for the trip. We could get to the things we wanted to take in each night and the rest was neatly packed around them.

Earlier in the week elder Smoot invited us to go to lunch with him and elder Bloom. He suggested Flanigans because that is where we took the district a year or so ago. We had a delicious lunch and lots of good conversation with these two dedicated missionaries.  f

In both of our other missions away from home, we pretty much were on our own time schedule each day. In Fort Lauderdale as an office couple, we pretty much were in the office by 8:00 each day and left at around 5:00. After that we could visit members, go out with the missionaries, or attend meetings. Often we just went home and collapsed. I would take going into townships, working with mutual, etc any day over the office. But on the other hand we have gotten to better know many more of the missionaries and couples on this mission than on others.

Today we went into the office in the morning. In the afternoon Mary went back and I stayed home to organize and clean. In the evening we went to the Fort Lauderdale chapel for our last wonderful WMCM with bishop Brown, brother Acevedo, and the elders. When we got home we had some dinner and I fell asleep on the couch.

 

Sisters Johnson, Merrill and Stegelmeier dropped in at the office. When I started to post the left hand picture of sister Stegelmeier I realized the how much it looks like the one I took of her yesterday.

This new threesome of sisters Merrill, Johnson and Stegelmeier will cover the Pines and Davies areas for the next 5 weeks. Mary expounded something to the sisters. Notice that sister Merrill is holding a packet of Chastity pamphlets – which is why they came in – and a bag of chips which a bonus for having a reason to come into the office. Sister Bare keeps the bowls full of treats.

Sister Collins helping E/S Evans with their iPad. Elder Ellis is slowly but surely learning how to use his new equipment. He even has managed to get Siri to understand him when he asks for directions to chapels and homes.

We will miss Bishop Brown and his great spirit. He has so much love for the members of the ward and the missionaries. He kids the missionaries but always with a big smile. Pinky of course will also be missed.

Elder Thorne was on an exchange with elder Bloom who is no stranger to these meeting as he served here as district leader a couple of transfers ago and is now back as ZL. Elder Van Wagenen scores with elder Turek looking on. Elder Marcussen is the new elder on the block. Elder Burt managed to be behind something on the bishop’s desk in every picture I took of that side of the room. Brother Acevedo only looks like he is relaxing. He is one of the best ward mission leaders that I have ever met. He is on top of everything which is why this is a great missionary ward.

Pinky got elder Burt this time – sorry elder Burt. Brother Proust is assigned to visit the new members and give the new member discussions. Elders Gust and Shipley came in a little late because they were visiting investigators. Mary said the opening prayer and I said the closing. We gave most of the elders and bishop Brown a big hug and then left for the last time on this mission. God be with them til we meet again…