LIGHTENING 8

      WOW WE EXPERIENCED OUR FIRST MAJOR LIGHTENING/THUNDER STORM.  OK now I have been in lightening storms before but I don't think that I have ever been this close to the crackling --the booms-- the sounds of the torrential rain that I was in this last Thursday evening.  All  that happen in a one hour time frame..I wished that I had taken a picture of the rain coming down but I was just to stunned by all that was happening . Joel was teaching a class when some of the  lightening and thunder hit hard just outside the building. EVERYONE JUMPED. I CAME INTO THE ROOM WITH TERROR IN MY FACE.  The students said, "Get use to it, because this is only the beginning  of the daily summer rains and this is the way they come every day."  It rained so hard that we could barely see across the street. 
      We had our first experience Tuesday with bringing in the new elders and sisters from the MTC and then transferring about 1/3 of the mission's elders and sisters to different areas in the mission.  The first part of the day was devoted to the new missionaries --moving them from room to room for individualized instructions  It was fun to see their excitement, and their nervousness of what was to come.  I was asked to help move them around when they looked lost or unsure of where they were going.  That was a great experience.
  (Joels thoughts:)  At 1:30 pm the Transfer Meeting started, directed by Pres. Cusick. We were invited to attend. It was impressive to sit among about 130 young missionaries. There is a Spirit among them and it is an uplifting experience.  With the eleven new ones, there were eleven going home. A tribute was given to each along with a high compliment to Elder and Sister Keyes, a senior couple who were finishing two years of service in the mission office. The Keyes are parents to two young men I taught at Weber Seminary years ago, Sterling and David. President Cusick gave a great talk praising the missionaries and encouraging them in this great work and then sent them on their way to their assigned areas.  It was a great experience being there to see and feel the spirit of this work.
   (Joels comments: ) Monday was Memorial Day, so there was no class or FHE.  So We drove to a local nature park near our apartment called Lettuce Lake. It is a nature reserve centered around a river and lake with heavy growth and much water like the Everglades which are located about 150 south of here. There is a board walk that meanders thru it that we took.  We saw heavy growth, water lily fields, old growth trees growing right in the water.  Turtles, alligators, birds, and snakes are all seen here, and we saw it all.  How different it is from our desert home in Utah! In fact, until coming and living here, I did not consider Utah a desert setting. The contrast is very pronounced and now my perspective is changed. Florida is one continuous garden from one sea (the Atlantic and the Gulf) to the other.

    Thursday was of course dinner preparation day so I was busy as could be.   We had chicken enchilada,salad, and a poke cake(you know the one with white cake and jello in it.) The students  loved the dinner and of course I was pleased with that.   It is a challenge though to know how much to fix for 35 YSA's.  I think that I get it figured it out and then I have to think of the new week menu.  I have relied on all of my old ward cookbooks ---they are the best, so thanks to you all for the wonderful recipes.
     (Joel's comments:)On Friday, after our work at the Institute, while driving over to Sam’s Club, we called Madisen, Emily and Katie to congratulate them for their excellent grades this year in school.  Madisen got a 4.0, Emily got about a 3.6 and Katie got about a 3.7.  We are so proud of them. Madisen announced that she would be getting her Patriarchal Blessing on Sunday, June 8.  How pleased we are to see their righteous desires blossom and lead them into beautiful young women.  Madisen said that she had been thinking about getting her blessing and decided to ask God if it was the right time. Following her prayer, she began scripture reading for the day.  She said that as she read, she came across the phrase; “I will bless you” that the Lord spoke in one verse. After she read that phrase, she stopped and went back and read it again. It was then that she realized that the Lord had just answered her prayer.  When she told us that, it just brought tears to my eyes.  Madisen knows how to hear the voice of the Lord.  How wonderful it is to see my grand-daughter grow up with faith.
      Also this week, our oldest grand-daughter graduated from high school with honors. We are so proud of her. Also Megan's sister's Baylee and Heather  have bee earned  honors awards for their grades.  Megan called to wish me happy birthday (I turned 70 ,Wednesday. )She also announced that she was going to the Dominican Republic to do humanitarian service at the end of July for ten days. She wanted to know if she could fly into Tampa to visit us for a few days on her way home. How exciting for us.  It just happens that the day she will fly into Tampa will be our last day of the summer semester. Then we have two weeks before the fall semester begins.  That is just perfect. We will have some time to take her to the beach, to the temple in Orlando, to meet the YSA and to have her team up with the Sister missionaries for some experience associated with her next goal.. to serve a mission. Needless to say, Marsha and I are thrilled to have her come for five or so days.