Florida Driving Rule #1 – Never drive through Miami during rush hour!  Florida Driving Rule #2 – If you must drive through Miami during rush hour at least set your map to the correct location!  Florida Driving Rule #3 – See Rule #1

In the morning we  thought we were going to a District Meeting but when we got there it turned out to be the Fort Lauderdale Zone Meeting! So we had a chance to spend a couple of hours with 22 great above average missionaries and share their reports, training and testimonies. It have us a chance to get to know some of the missionaries we have not served with closely. It was a spiritual experience to hear them discuss how they were going to reach their goals by working both harder and smarter.

Part of the problem with traffic is that there is a huge expansion program on the 595 freeway. It was going on before we got here and will probably continue for well after we have left. Unfortunately it is a freeway that we use often. At Zone Meeting elder Hall was asked to lead the music – he does not know how to lead but bravely got up and gave it a try. Elders Rondo, Patino, and Maki as well as sisters Escorbores  and Tuai join in singing.

One part of Zone Meeting is that the companionships give an accounting for the month. Elders Brown and Marcusen, Sisters Stegelmeier and Dye – sister Dye will shoot me when she sees this picture – Elders Wood and Shaffer all give their reports.

Elders Castillo and Maki, Sisters Escorbores and Tuai give their report. We have so many missionaries coming in that we had to move another bookcase in to hold all their New Missionary Binders. Hopefully someday there will be enough coming that both will be filled.

During the afternoon we got texts from Jim – who was in Miami for a business meeting – telling us when and where we could get together for a couple of hours. It turned out that we left our apartment just after 5:00 for what should have been a 40-45 minute drive to his hotel. Everything seemed to be going well until we got off the freeway and we found ourselves in terrible traffic that seemed to stop every block for a light. Then we could not follow the Goggle Map because they do not seem to mark cross streets very well in Miami. Of course it did not help that somehow the map Mary was trying to follow was to the wrong location. By hooking up the GPS and calling Jim we finally got to his hotel only about 40 minutes later than we should have.

   

All of the driving frustration was worth it as we were able to give him some big hugs, eat a nice dinner at a nearby set of shops, and catch up on lots of things for a couple of hours. While we were dropping him off at his hotel his boss was just getting out of a cab so we got to meet him. He is also a member of the Church and a convert so we had a lot in common.

We found out while talking that it seems that Jim’s family may be coming down in February to go to Disney World! If so we will ask president Anderson if it is OK if we take a couple of days off to go up to Orlando and be with them. That way we would get to see Colin and the girls!

One of the blessings we have is to be able to read the weekly letter from President Anderson that not only provides guidance and encouragement as to how we can improve as missionaries in helping others come unto Christ, but where he shares a few of the amazing stories he receives each week from missionaries.

I was very happy to read this first story because I had a feeling yesterday that the way to help members understand how powerful Harvesting truly is was to have them go out for an hour or two and share the experience. Once they had this experience they would be more willing to go harvesting again, go back when the missionaries taught the people, and become friends with the investigators before they were baptized.

“We harvested a few houses with a member… she was horrified that we do what we do, (invite people to be baptized after a short prayer in their homes). I said, ‘I have been doing this a year and a half and trust me it works, it proves its self time and time again.’ She reluctantly stood in the back ground on each blessing in awe. We met a family of 4 and invited them to be baptized and come to church. The dad, said that he would ask his wife, and they would see, we testified and invited them to church and left. We went back the next day and confirmed church, and they walked into the sacrament meeting the day after. We went up to the member who harvested with us and we said, “does that family look familiar”? She was shocked and said, ‘Sisters! It really does work!’.”

 And the Book of Mormon is a tool of Ministers of Christ:

“Both my companion and I carry copies of the Book of Mormon while we harvest and at almost every blessing we give them a copy of the Book of Mormon. We harvested into Guillermo and he was very receptive to let us in. We walked in his house, his wife, who was on the phone at the time, looked at us and then yelled at him and told him to kick us out. We went outside with him and he apologized and said her father had just passed away last night. We explained that death is not the end and how families can be together forever. As we were teaching the Plan of Salvation, the door slowly opened and his wife came out. She didn’t say a word but as we testified to her that she would live with her father again, you could see her heart melt and peace envelope her. We left them with a blessing and she was smiling. We invited them to be baptized for the 11th of November and they both accepted. We left a Book of Mormon with them and committed them to read Alma 40 as a family. This really helped me remember how real the Plan of Salvation is. It’s incredible to be a representative of Jesus Christ!”

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.

  

Months ago we told Elder Beard and Fitts that we would drive them to the temple but things came up that did not make it practical to do that so we told them we would come down early on transfer morning and see them off to the temple. Hear are some of the pictures we took at 5:30 in the morning. Elder Plowman – who has served with elder Beard as Zone Leaders up in Palm Beach for the last couple of transfers – with elders Beard and Larsen. Elder Larsen has been district leader here in Fort Lauderdale for a number of transfers so we got to know him well. The last picture is of Elders Larsen, Fitts and Beard celebrating their approaching release date. I am sure this was the first time they were the least bit trunky.

  

A last picture of Elders Plowman and Beard and sister Hancock and Keyworth. We say goodbye to three great missionaries who we became close to while we served together.

In the evening when we went over to the Mission Home to meet elder Fitts’ family, I got this picture of Sisters Nielsen, Hancock and Keyworth who spent their last night in the mission at the Mission Home while the elders went off to La Quinta for the evening.

  

On one of the most beautiful days of our mission we had the opportunity to go by the temple site early and get some great pictures. These three are of the East side or entrance side of the temple. Moroni was put up on Wednesday and although we were not there to see it be installed we did get to see a video that President Anderson made of the event.

  

These three pictures are of the North side of the temple. We found out that it will not be long before all the big equipment will be removed and they will start doing the preparation for landscaping.

   

I was happy to see that one on of the windows was at least mostly installed. Each piece of glass is installed individually after the frame is in place. If you look closely you can see the beautiful details that will be beautiful to look at from inside or out side of the temple. If you look closely at the picture of Moroni you can see the two lightening rods that are to protect the temple from a strike.

By the time we leave in late April the temple should be getting close to being completed – we hope at least the landscaping will be all done. Now we just have to decide if we can come back for the dedication.

 Transfer day is always busy and long. Today it was a little longer and busier for us because we wanted to be at the chapel to say goodbye to the missionaries who were going to the temple and then going home on Thursday. We especially wanted to say goodbye to Elders Fitts, Larsen and Beard who we had the great opportunity to work closely with when they served here in the Fort Lauderdale area.

  

Elder Toeava is now serving with elder Grant in Jupiter South. Sisters Carnes and Clayton are serving in Hialeah East. Elder Dowdle is training elder Martineau in Homestead East.

  

Elder Diaz will train elder Ovard in Riverside North. Elder Hunter will be trained by elder Chinchilla in Fountainbleau. Elder H Taylor will be trained by elder Rellaford in Fort Lauderdale so we will have a good opportunity to get to know him.

   

Elders Patino and Rondo will serve in Fort Lauderdale East. Elder Rivera will train elder Richardson in West Palm Central. Elder Brockbank will be training with elder K Jones in the Coconut Creek Creole area.

  

Elders Free and Call will be serving in the Plantation area. We lost elder Harral to the Fort Pierce area where he will serve with elder Furner. There is now a trio of sisters serving in Coral Springs area – Holder, Smith and Aloi.

  

Elder Hoole will be training elder Turek in the Miami Shores Creole area. Elders Lee and Pond will be serving the Cypress Creek area. Elders Meredith and Palacio will be serving in Belle Glade.

  

Sisters Packard and Beck will serve in Boynton Beach South. Elders Pearce and Maddox will be in Wellington. Our dear friends elders Plowman and Conger will serve together in Palm Beach South as Zone Leaders.

  

Elders Rasmussen and Nielsen are now in Coconut Creek North. Elder Rivera will train elder Richardson in West Palm Central – second shot! Elder Samuelian will be elder Benitez’ companion in North Miami Beach.

  

Elder Shaffer has a new companion elder C Wood and will continue to serve in the Pines area as DL. Sisters Chavous  and Andrus are now serving in the Snapper Creek YSA. Sisters Johnson and Holyan will serve in the Nova YSA.

  

Sisters Quiocho and Bagley are serving in Miami Shores. Elders Wardell and Curtis will serve together in Blue Lagoon East. Two old friends, Elders Wilson and Smoot, will serve together in Boca Raton.

  

When the group left for the temple this morning Sister Smith was left as the only sister at the chapel with lots of elders and that is not allowed. So we brought her home, gave her some breakfast and then she had a couple of hours of personal study time. Mary took advantage of the down time to use her iPad. After the transfer meeting there is a special meeting for new missionaries and their trainers. Other missionaries who are riding in cars with the those attending the latter meeting gather together and just enjoy talking to each other. After the meeting lunch is served.

We volunteered to stay and help with lunch – I am becoming an expert at heating up Angus cheeseburgers – so we got to eat with them and then help clean up. One of the great thing about having all these elders around is that there are plenty of hands to put up and take down tables and chairs.

After office hours we went to the Mission Home to have the President sign some letters and to take him the money for the missionaries luggage expenses. When we got there he told us that the Angel Moroni was put on the temple earlier that day and brother Barry invited them to watch. He showed us a video of the process and later I took these pictures by president Acevedo off a website. Moroni is made of fiberglass and  has two lightening rods built in. They are grounded all the way down to the earth.

We had another of our traditional Last Lunches on the Tuesday before transfers. We invited the Fort Lauderdale district and the zone leaders over. We tried to fill them up with hot roast beef dip sandwiches, green salad, steak fries and Costco chocolate cake for dessert.  We know it was a successful lunch because some of them did not even have room for the cake!

  

The district – Elders Doman, Pond, Rellaford, Pier, Patino, Hall, Conger. Sisters Pier, Escorbores, Tuai. In the middle we add the ZLs – Elders HoChing on the left and Bishop on the right.

  

Sisters Escorbores, Pier and Tuai make a lovely picture. In the middle sisters Pier and Tuai share the table with elder Pond and Hall. Elders Pond, Hall, Bishop and HoChing with Sister Escorbores caught with a forkful heading for her mouth.

  

Elders Doman, Rellaford and Bishop sharing a moment together. Sister Escorbores takes a picture of Elders Doman, Rellaford, Pond and Conger. This great district has been bringing more souls unto Christ in a month than some Zones – than some missions in the US! They have great faith, they are strictly obedient, and work hard – they are above average missionaries. I think the sign above Elder Pond says it all!

President Anderson wrote this in his weekly letter to the missionaries. It reminds me that on Sunday during the Fort Lauderdale stake conference he had the 30 or so full time missionaries stand and repeat our purpose as found in Preach My Gospel. What a thrill it was to stand and join in with the amazing missionaries of the zone reminding ourselves and all present of why we are serving missions for the Lord.

“We just got word last week that the Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission is the highest baptizing Mission in the United States and Canada. This hasn’t happened out of the Utah Missions in a long time I am told. What an honor to know that you missionaries are working so hard and reaping such great miracles in finding the elect of God. I wasn’t going to announce this because we shouldn’t compare with others, but General Authorities are telling other leaders and I rather you hear it from me. Remember God’s hand is in this work and he has poured out his Spirit to make us instruments in His hands. You are amazing missionaries and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of your Mission.” (emphasis mine)

He shared this experience from a missionary letter to him:

“We were knocking doors and the second door was a woman who opened and told us she was busy and slammed the door without letting us say anything. We then blessed her neighbor and after blessing her neighbor we asked her for referrals and she told us that the woman next door could use a blessing. And then she took us to her house and knocked the door and this time the woman didn’t slam it but she apologized for being rude and made a return appointment with us. We have taught her since and she is amazing.”

 Just this morning I read in the Deseret News that missionary applications are up 471%. Before the announcement about the change in missionary ages there was an average of about 700 per week – it is now running about 4000 a week. Hopefully this will continue to be the average for months to come!

 One of the things Mary really likes to do is to go by the Fort Lauderdale temple site and see what is new. So this morning we got up and out of the house early…well for a P-day it was early and got the chance to see and take pictures of the temple with the steeple in place – now it just needs Moroni up there.

  

The front – East side – of the temple with the steeple. The first one includes the artist rendering which of course does not do justice to the actual temple. The right hand shot is of the West side as seen from the freeway with the sun rising behind it. If you look closely you can see the beautiful windows that are in place. Brother Berry told us that there is decorative trim that will accent the windows even more. What a beautiful scene this will be at night with all the windows lighted.

  

A couple of shots of the North side of the front of the temple. When the pre-cast stone that covers the temple is sealed it will be lighter and the small chips of blue and clear stone should sparkle.

After visiting the temple we went to McDonalds for breakfast and then to the office where I had to do some things that I had forgot to do yesterday. Later we will go out with Elders Pond and Hall to help teach an investigator and then it will be time to go to the evening session of Fort Lauderdale’s Stake Conference.

  

The four sisters who live near the mission office and serve the wards in the area came by today to get some supplies they needed. Earlier in the day I had to take down the pictures of the missionaries who are going home this transfer so we could put them in their departure packets. That means all the other missionaries needed to be moved up the board. Since Sister Dye will be on her last transfer she now leads the board. Like all good missionaries she is sad about leaving the mission in December but she is also determined to make this last 6 weeks her best. Sisters Dye, Stegelmeier, Andrus and Johnson point to their pictures on the board. Sister and Andrus wanted a picture of the two of them. Sisters are very special missionaries and we hope to be here when the first 19 year old sister comes into the mission. If we can not be here we hope to at least know her name and when she will come.

Sister Dye asked if we were sad when we left our first two missions and I told her not really because we knew it was time for us to leave and we had already planned when we would go on our next one. That is the advantage of being senior missionaries…you know that as long as your are physically and financial able, you can continue to serve the Lord by going on another mission.