WE ARE IN OUR 2ND WEEK NOVEMBER#29

WE ARE IN OUR 2^ND WEEK OF NOVEMBER#29

WE HAVE ENJOYED A DELIGHTFUL WEEK—WEATHER-WISE . WE HAVE BEEN IN THE MID 70’S DURING THE DAY MOST OF THE TIME, AND REALLY THE ONLY TIME IT IS COLD IS WHEN WE ARE IN THE CHURCH BUILDING.  I REALLY THINK THAT THE BROTHERN SHOULD TAKE THEIR COATS OFF AND FEEL WHAT WE FEEL AT TIMES THEN MAYBE THEY WOULD HAVE THE AIR CONDITIONING TURNED DOWN A NOTCH OR TWO. I GUESS THAT IS MY LITTLE TIRADE, NOW BACK TO THE WEATHER.  WE KEEP WONDERING WHERE THE FALL IS. OUR SECRETARY, SISTER HOPEGOOD, CAME TO WORK ONE DAY WITH A SWEATER AND LONG DRESS BOOTS ON. SHE ASKED IF WE FELT THE CHANGE OF WEATHER OUTSIDE. WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND THEN SAID NO NOT REALLY. THE ONLY THING WE CAN TELL IS THE HOT HUMIDITY IS GONE.  THAT MUST BE HOW THEY TELL.  IT IS GREAT FOR RIGHT NOW AND WE MIGHT AS WELL ENJOY IT‼!

WE HAVE GROWN TO LOVE THE YOUNG ELDERS AND SISTERS THAT ARE IN OUR AREA.  AS WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CES PROGRAM IT PUTS US IN THE INSTITUTE BUILDING ALL THE TIME, SO WE SEE THE MISSIONARIES COME INTO THE BUILDING THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THIS AREA. SOME ARE QUIET, SOME ARE VERY TALKATIVE AND SOME  YOU LOVE IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE OF WHO  THEY ARE.  ELDER TAKONA, WHO CAME  FROM FIJI JUST SIX MONTHS AGO, WON OUR HEARTS WITH HIS SMILE AND SWEET PERSONALITY. WE HAVE COME TO LOVE HIM AND HIS SENIOR COMPANION, ELDER NELSON. THEY STOP INTO OUR OFFICE EACH DAY AND IF WE HAD ANY FOOD LEFT OVER FROM SOME EVENT, THEY USUALLY ENDED UP WITH IT. ELDER TOKONA’S PARENTS ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH AND HAVE  HAD A HARD TIME WITH HIM LEAVING  FIJI TO SERVE A FULL TIME MISSION—AS A RESULTS THEY HAVE NOT WRITTEN TO HIM THE ENTIRE TIME HE HAS BEEN OUT. THIS LAST TRANSFER HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO NAPLES THE FURTHEST CITY AWAY FROM HERE.  WE WILL TRY TO ENCOURAGE HIM WHILE HE IS IN HIS MISSION. HE HAS A GREAT TESTIMONY OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

OF COURSE IN THIS CALLING WE ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE CONCERNED FOR. 1.  ADAM WHO JOINED THE CHURCH SEVERAL YEARS AGO IN A DIFFERENT STATE-- BUT FELL AWAY FROM THE CHURCH, WHEN HE CAME BACK TO FLORIDA HE FELT THAT HE HAD TRY HARD TO GIVE UP HIS HABITS THAT HAD TAKEN OVER HIS LIFE AND BEGIN AGAIN TO LIVE THE GOSPEL AS HE SHOULD. IT HAS BEEN A HARD JOURNEY BUT HE IS DOING A LOT BETTER AT THIS TIME. HIS GENERAL APPEARANCE HAS CHANGE. IT IS GREAT TO KNOW HIM.  2.  ANDREW A. IS A VERY SOFT SPOKEN YOUNG MAN AND HAS A HARD TIME GETTING TO KNOW THE YSA PEOPLE. WE HAVE TRIED TO MOVE HIM INTO WHERE THE YSA’S ARE TALKING SO THAT THEY CAN GET TO KNOW HIM BETTER. IT HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE WITH HIM FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE. 3. FERNANDO, OUR SPECIAL FRIEND FROM COLUMBIA, CAME AND LIGHTED UP OUR LIFE WITH HIS SPECIAL TESTIMONY AND LOVE FOR THE GOSPEL. HE HAD TO GO HOME TO COLUMBIA SHORTLY AFTER HIS BAPTISM. HE WAS HOPING THAT HIS PARENTS WOULD JOIN BUT SADLY IT IS NOT THEIR TIME FOR COMMITMENT TO THE GOSPEL—SOMEDAY IT WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THEIR SON’S TESTIMONY.  4. JAMIE L. IS ANOTHER YOUNG MAN WHO CAME INTO THE CHURCH WITH A KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOSPEL.  5. LANIEKA IS OUR JAMAICAN SISTER THAT JOINED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. SHE IS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN SCHOOL, BUT KNOWS THAT SHE IS BEING HELPED BECAUSE OF HER COMMITMENT TO THE GOSPEL. SATAN IS WORKING HARD ON ALL THESE CHOICE YOUNG PEOPLE  TO GET THEM BACK TO HIS SIDE,BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT THEY WILL DO AS THEY GROW CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THEIR HEAVENLY FATHER.THEY ARE STRONG AND WILL FIGHT TO STAY IN THE GOSPEL. WE HAVE OTHERS THAT THE MISSIONARIES ARE WORKING WITH. WE DO LOVE GETTING TO KNOW THEM TOO. WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE THIS IS WORKING WITH THESE YSA’S.

THIS WEEK I FIXED CHILI-MAC, CORN BREAD AND WHITE AND CHOCOLATE TEXAS SHEET CAKE. I THINK THAT I JUST CHANGE THE NAME OF THE MEAL, ADD A DIFFERENT SAUCE AND NOODLE AND IT BECOMES CHILI-MAC, SPAGHETTI,  ETC. IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE… THEY EAT IT ANYWAY IT IS FIXED.

 ELDER JUDD’S CLASSES ARE DOING GREAT. THE CLASSES ARE THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF THE SAVIOR AND THE OLD TESTAMENT (FIRST HALF). HE HAS BEEN WORKING ON UPDATING ALL OF HIS PICTURES FOR HIS CLASSES(HE HAS FOUND SOME FANTASTIC PICTURES ON THE INTERNET).HE HAS ENJOYED FINDING THESE PICTURES BECAUSE THEY ARE SO MUCH CLEARER AND SHARPER THAN THE PICTURES HE TOOK OF THE SAME SPOT. SOMEONE IS A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER.

THIS FRIDAY WE LEFT THE OFFICE ABOUT 4:30PM, HAD DINNER AT THE CRACKER BARREL, CAME BACK TO THE APARTMENT AND WATCHED 2 MOVIES. I KNOW BORING BUT IT WAS A GOOD CHANGE‼ SATURDAY:  UP AND BACK TO THE CHURCH TO HELP THE YSA CLEAN THE CHURCH. I NEEDED TO WASH THE CLOTHES IN THE AFTERNOON AND OF COURSE GO GROCERY SHOPPING – IT DOES SEEM THAT I AM ALWAYS FOOD SHOPPING FOR EITHER US OR THE YSA.  COSTCO AND WALMART KNOWS ME BY NAME.

WE HAD A SURPRISE CALL FROM ONE OF OUR YSA YOUNG WOMAN WANTING TO KNOW IF WE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO A UKRAINIAN FESTIVAL OVER IN ST. PETE.  WHAT A SURPRISE‼  KASSIE’S BACKGROUND IS UKRAINIAN. IT WAS FUN WATCHING  THE UKRAINE DANCES, TRYING THEIR FOOD AND LOOKING AT THEIR HANDICRAFTS--ESPECIALLY THEIR FANCY DECORATED EGGS FOR WHICH THEY ARE FAMOUS FOR. WE DID HAVE A GREAT TIME.

ELDER JUDD WAS ASKED TO GIVE A BAPTISMAL TALK FOR A YOUNG LADY, KAI-LA CANCEL,ON SUNDAY. HE SPOKE ON MORONI 10:32, MATTHEW 11:28-30 AND THE CONCEPT OF BEING YOKED TO THE SAVIOR AT BAPTISM WHICH WOULD GIVE US A PARTNER TO WALK WITH THRU THE REST OF OUR LIVES. I REALLY DID ENJOY, AS I ALWAYS DO, HEARING HIM BEAR HIS TESTIMONY OF THE SAVIOR.