When I opened the shades this morning I saw a beautiful sun accented sky and I had to try and capture what I saw. The pictures can not of course duplicate all the beauty but it gives an idea of nature’s wonderful landscape.

  

Later when we walked out to the car we found that we were parked under a tree full of beautiful white blossoms, so I got out my trusty camera for more memories.

  

Later that morning we had the opportunity to attend the Fort Lauderdale District Meeting and I took some more pictures. I can not surprise the elders because when I turn on the camera it makes a very distinct sound and they all know what it means. But I still got a few good shots.

   

You can tell by the smiles they know that I am taking their picture. Elders Rippstein and Fitts on the left are the zone leaders – a great pair of missionaries. Elder Rasmussen is the close one and Elder Conger, the district leader and Elder Rs companion are in the middle. Elder Marsh is well represented by his companion Elder Plowman gets only a nose in the picture because his pose was so strange I could not include it.

I wish every parent could sit in on one district meeting with their son or daughter. They would understand why they are having such an amazing time inviting others to come unto Christ. They truly are above average missionaries and we are blessed to serve with them.

I have to confess that I have been even less diligent in keeping up my journal than I have this blog. So this morning I once again repented and will try to keep both up in a more timely manner. From this morning’s journal entry…

This morning I woke much earlier than I wanted to but managed to read and ponder from the Book of Mormon while I drank my breakfast. The two scriptures that jumped out at me were  Alma 27:17 where Ammon’s joy of being a missionary is described as follows:

17 Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.

I pondered the idea of being ‘swallowed up in the joy of his God’ and if I had ever felt that way. What do I need to do to feel as Ammon did?

The other scripture came from Alma’s soliloquy about how he felt and what he taught in Alma 29:3.

 3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

I think there are two lessons here. First there is the idea of being content or patient with my callings and opportunities to serve. But also the idea that I should be diligent in fulfilling those callings and opportunities to the best of our ability. It would do no good for me to be an angel if I did not use the opportunity to the fullest. “Many are called but few are chosen,” seems to me to something that I need to consider.

This morning I did not read from the Book of Mormon so I decided that I needed to read something uplifting before heading off to the office. I decided to re-read President Anderson’s letter for the week. I had glanced at it earlier but I had not really read and pondered it as I usually do. I am glad I did because the spiritual experiences he shared were what I needed to read. Especially the one about the missionaries who were thinking about taking the easy way out because they were tired but were blessed when they were obedient instead…

“Great miracles are happening because of your faith and inspiration in all aspects of the work, even the importance of the up to date area book that we have been inspecting these weeks:

 

“Saturday during personal study I felt inspired to go through the former investigators. While looking through [the area book], one record in particular jumped out at me!!! This was a lady who clearly had a desire to be baptized, and ‘disappeared off the face of the planet’ So, we felt prompted to go visit!! Sure enough she had prayed us there the night before, and she’s getting baptized on the 17th. She was praying for a “new baptism” and she knew that we were her answer. It’s so essential to follow the Spirit. The reason she disappeared before was because her parents had passed away. Now she’s ready!!”

 

What I love most about your â€œunwearyingness” is that you understand the importance of the principle that the Lord blesses you both directly in the “harvest” and indirectly because of your “obedience”:

 

“We had just finished a member dinner early… and were super full and exhausted from the whole day. We had scheduled harvesting but were debating doing random stop-bys (which would have been much easier to do). We knew we really needed to harvest to find people to baptize for our goal this month. We took a second to recuperate, then prayed, and then got to work even though we were tired and didn’t feel like it. We quickly blessed 2 homes and then received a text from a recent convert saying her friend, who has come to church several times but never wanted to sit with us, wants to be baptized this week. I know we were blessed indirectly for working hard and harvesting even when we were tired and had excuses…we did more harvesting and found a family of 5 who accepted dates and are preparing for the 24th!”

 

I know the Lord will bless us directly and indirectly as we show him that we are prepared to go forth with “unwearyingness” and obedience. Again in the words of the Lord “but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments”.

On Saturday the couples had a wonderful p-day as we cruised on a riverboat on the inter-coastal waterways. We enjoyed seeing beautiful yachts and even more beautiful mansions all along the way. But we also saw some smaller homes and smaller boats.

  

Our trusty ship with all natural air-conditioning. E/S McCormick serve down in the Keys and their backdoor is just a few feet from the canal. Elder McCormick retired from the navy so they are use to being on ships. The Collins are a fun couple who served 2 years as full time service missionaries before getting called for another two years as set apart missionaries. They take very good care of the apartments.

  

The first two pictures are E/S Evans who not only are the Family History missionaries but also help with the mail, apartments, cars and anything else that needs doing. The far right picture shows E/S Beagley and Sister Sommerfeldt. Sister S is the mission nurse and is kept very busy. Elder B is the Car Czar while Sister B tries to keep the baptisms recorded properly. There are times when she needs a Urim and Thummim to translate what the missionaries send in.

  

We saw many multi-million dollar mansions along the waterway. Many of them are not in use all the year but are there when their owners want to drop in.

  

We got to go under 4 drawbridges going and the same 4 coming back. Most of them have artwork on the columns. I would like to have this piece of art in our yard…if I could find some place to put it.

  

We stopped at a tourist area where there were lots of birds and an alligator act. The man who put on the show knew exactly what he could and could not do. However there is little room for error as an alligator can close that big mouth so quickly you can not see it happen but can certainly hear it slam shut.

   

There were many beautiful sights along the way and some very interesting ones also. The Royal Poinciana are in full bloom – I liked this shot because of the beautiful bougainvillea in the background. The pirate cruise went by as did this smaller boat with a dog as first mate.

   

We saw lots of yachts of al sizes. The guide said that it could cost up to $70,000 just to fill the fuel tanks on a large yacht. But I guess if you can afford the cost of the yacht, you can afford the fuel to run it. The Bahama Express makes a run to the islands and back in one day. We are trying to figure out how to ask President Anderson to let the couples use a p-day to make the trip. I suggested we say we would look for apartments for the missionaries in case the Church decides to make them part of the mission again.

It has been a very special Sunday for me. I read from Alma about how Ammon brought the gospel to the Lamanites by first getting king Lamoni’s attention and awakening his interest in knowing more before he started teaching Lamoni the gospel plan. It is exactly how president Anderson has taught the missionaries here. Develop a desire in their investigators to learn before they start teaching.

I then watched an interview with Elder Bednar where he mentioned that he had learned what it really means to fast from a sister in Africa. She was a recent convert and was teaching a lesson on fasting to a group of women who considered it a good day when they had one decent meal. Her simple comment that fasting was not going without food when you did not have any but purposely not eating when there was food available.

After that I read an article about an 18 year old woman who was abandoned by her parents and was adopted by a school and community. She has a full ride scholarship to Harvard. But the amazing part is her attitude. She still loves her parents but does not like the choice they made. People who have heard her story has sent her money but she gives it away because she has a job and feels there are people who need it much more than she does. There is much for me to learn from her.

Then we went to church and brother Perez, who with his family will be moving to New Mexico tomorrow, bore his testimony before his recently returned missionary daughter gave her home coming talk. He said something that I had never thought about nor have I heard it suggested before. He said that through a personal spiritual experience that he did not feel he could share, he knew that in our pre-mortal life we saw the Savior being born, grow up, atone for our sins, be crucified and then be resurrected. It was only because of the veil that we must pass through that we can not remember this. But we can gain a full testimony of these truths through the administering of the Holy Ghost.

All of this and it is only 2:30 … I wonder what more I will learn before the day is over.

We often talk about how we are blessed to be serving our missions at a time when our children and grandchildren are only a phone call, an e-mail or a FaceTime away. Of course that is not the same as actually being there and watching them open presents, get diplomas, or holding them. However it is a lot closer than those couples who not many years ago left for their missions and the only contact they had for 18 months or 2 years was through the mail and physical pictures.

  

Sierra Rose smiles for us. Colin tries to figure out who those people who he has never seen in person might be. A great picture of three of our favorite people.

  

Once again we missed some graduations – we have been away for all five now. But we are just as proud of Krista, McKay, Shane, Tyler and Taylor as we would be if we were there. Maybe we will make it for their graduations from college.

I had a fairly quiet week but Mary was very busy at the office. She had a long list of projects and has been steadily marking them off. But no matter how busy we may think we are we will never get close to as busy as our friends the Taylors are in Botswana. Not only do they run the mission office in that country, once a month they drive to Johannesburg and spend a week there while Elder Taylor does the financials for the whole mission. Here is just one paragraph from their latest letter…

“ After the wedding we took the four sister missionaries to lunch because two of them were going home on the following Monday.  Two of the sisters up in Francis Town are also going home so we will only be left with 5 sisters.  They will all be here in Gaborone, maybe right here in our very house, but that is another story we will fill you in on next week.  Elder Taylor spent the rest of the day and night doing finances and I baked cookies, three or four hundred to have for our great baptism the following day and for the lunches for the transfer trip.”

300-400 cookies for one week. This is on top of making potato salad for 50 people, dinner for 10 missionaries that were transferred in to the country and any number of other activities that they are invited to or volunteer for. But the important thing is that they love it and would have it no other way.  I think Sister Taylor was born with a mixing spoon in her mouth and Elder Taylor with his nose to a grindstone. What great missionaries. this is their fourth mission in about 7 years and we are proud to call them our friends.

Friday morning I happened to hear the assistants playing a video of a talk by Elder Bednar given when he was visiting England. It was centered on an event that happened while he was president of Ricks, but the point of the story was that he was not in England to have meetings. They were important but what he, as and Apostle, was really sent to do was to find the one, who would find the one, who would find the one. I watched it twice and each time it touched me and made me consider how I could do better at finding the one that we were sent her to Florida to find! If interested you maybe be able to watch it here: http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/prophets-and-apostles-speak-today?lang=eng&start=25&end=36#2011-09-53-elder-bednar-in-england

When we drove home for lunch on Thursday we found that the fire station at the entrance to the complex was tented so it could be fumigated to kill the termites  – or so we guessed. As we were driving away after I took the pictures below, Mary asked “Where were the firemen?” A good question that I could not answer. Hopefully they did not leave them in the station! When we got back to the office on Friday, we saw this yellow striped butterfly flitting around near the van. I took 5 or 6 shots and got luck to get this one of it flying.

   

Saturday we went back to Sawgrass Mill Mall and spent a morning spending money. Mary struck it rich in the Pennys’ outlet – should have taken a picture of the cart but blew it. Then we had lunch at the food court – Mary finally got her Tony Roma ribs and I had a delicious Shrimp Po’Boy. While I was ordering at Popeye’s one of the young men was staring at my badge. It turns out that a member of the Church out near Coral Springs owns the franchise. Unfortunately some of the employees have to work on Sunday. I gave out a couple of pass-along-cards and encouraged that they look at mormon.org to learn more.

After lunch I went to Target to pick up a couple of things. On the way back I found myself in the way of a train that runs around the carousal and snapped a couple of pictures. While taking the one of carousal I found myself once again in its path.

  

All in all it was a fun, but expensive, way to spend a morning.

President Anderson sent out a letter that showed that we would be getting a new Employment couple in early August to replace the Beutlers. I mentioned it Mary and she said she knew about it yesterday. She must have forgotten to tell the rest of us.

I am reluctant to write when there nothing really interesting happens, but then I realize that what has become ordinary for me may not be so ordinary to others.

I called Sister Sommerfeldt Tuesday morning and found out that Elder Sommerfeldt started improving right after we gave him a blessing yesterday. Now that may seem out of the ordinary to some who are reading this blog – if anyone is – but because of the great faith that the Sommerfeldts have in the power of the Priesthood, it is what could be expected.

The mother of one of the elders that was scheduled to go home on December 13th was trying to figure out how they were going to be in two places at once. It seems his brother is scheduled to graduate on the 14th many miles away from their home. They were hoping that the travel plans could be changed so that the elder could end up where they would be. This problem was solved when we found out that starting in October all transfer dates for the mission was moved up one week so he will be home on the 6th, can be released, and then drive up with his family to see his brother graduate. Mary was able to call his mother this morning and tell her that her prayers had been answered, but that is nothing out of the ordinary for missionaries.

One of the ordinary stories shared by a companionship…

“At one of the doors, after the blessing we were teaching about the Spirit, and inviting them to be baptized…and things started to get a little awkward and the Spirit wasn’t as strong. But as I was sitting there figuring things out, I thought how we hadn’t shared a scripture and that we’d committed to use the Book of Mormon in every lesson. I didn’t know what scripture to share or how to tactfully, but I had a desire to be obedient to your commitment and I love the Book of Mormon and know that it’s the best missionary there is, so I awkwardly but obediently and faithfully invited the sister to read 2 Nephi 31:20 ‘Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ…’ She read it to herself and then got this huge grin on her face. She was so happy! And the Spirit returned! Just like that! Had it not been for the Book of Mormon, we would have been out of there.”

It is wonderful to serve in this very ordinary, extra ordinary mission…

President Anderson requested that the office be open today so three of the couples divided up the day. We took the 8-11 shift, then the Evans and finally the Beagleys. I was surprised at how much there was to do even with Salt Lake HQ and most non-retail businesses closed.

We were invited to go to the Collins later in the day and at first I was my usual reluctant self – after all I had a good book to read – but then decided that it would be good to go. We thought that all the office couples would be going but when Elder Evans got to our apartment he said that Elder Sommerfeldt was not well and needed a blessing. Since Elder Sommerfeldt will work through just about sickness, I figured he must be really sick. We found out that his blood pressure and heart rate was very elevated all day and that he had dizzy spells. I anointed  and Elder Evans sealed the anointing and gave him a blessing that told him that he would be fine.

So the Evans and ourselves picked up the Beagleys at their trailer park and Elder Evans drove us all out to the Collins. When were just about there it started sprinkling and then it started pouring. We had run into the edge of tropical storm Beryl which was the leftover of the hurricane of the same name.

We had a great dinner – as always I ate too much – and then we played Five Crowns. We have pretty much hooked the rest of the couples on this game. Mary won her table but Elder Beagley made a real push at the end and I ended up second. This was Mary’s third win in a row…they are likely to either ban her from playing or give her a 50 point handicap.

   

Mary and Sister Collins – Sister Collins cooks the hamburgers, the Evans relaxing before dinner.

  

As I mentioned before, each week all the missionaries get a letter from President Anderson that tells them important up coming events, gives instruction and shares stories that missionaries have included in their weekly letters to him. Here is part of the letter that was sent out today…

“The Book of Mormon and the Spirit is the greatest conversion tool we have. Those that have felt it’s influence will feel it years later and desire it’s influence again:

 â€œWe needed to find at least 3 more homes that day to find, bless, and teach. We thought we were just moments from being hit by a wall of rain, but we decided to run door to door and harvest before it came. It turned out we found and were able to bless wonderful people, including a lady who said she had been brought to God by the missionaries years before, but had lost contact …. She said ‘you have a book, the Book of the Mormons….I want to read that book…how much does it cost?’ We happily exclaimed that it is absolutely free …both she and we are very excited for our return appointment.”

 With all the wonderful things you know and have been taught, you will be the answer to prayer. Many times it’s the last door, it’s the last street, it’s the last person:

 â€œIt was getting pretty late, we knocked one of the last doors on the street. A young man in his 20’s came to the door. We said that Jesus Christ sent us here to leave his peace and blessing with you. He let us in and the first thing he said was, ‘It’s funny I have been praying and asking God to send me a sign to help me out in life. To get back on the right path.’ We then bore testimony that God truly did send us there, to help him change his life. We invited him to follow the example of Christ and be baptized. He willingly accepted. Awesome experience to know there are people out in South Florida waiting, just waiting to  hear that knock. I have learned that Miracles do happen but we as missionaries need to Make the Miracles.”

 Missionaries, with all that we know and all that we learn, we must be willing to “Make the Miracles” happen. God expects nothing less from the “above average great missionary”. Elders and Sisters, let’s pool together all our resources that we have been edified with and bring souls to Christ. We need everyone to contribute to this great purpose.