BLOG#51

BLOG #51 April 19 -24

Wow this year has really gone by fast.We have enjoyed this part of our life. I am so grateful that we have been here.We have met a lot of great YSA’s and felt that they have become ours. We know some of their challenges and desires. These YSA’s are wonderful and we love them.

We experienced the first of the summer storms last week. Just like the week we arrived. The thunder is so loud and the lighten is so close and the rain comes down in sheets for hours. Our little community of St. Croix(where we live) receives a lot and the retention ponds fill up faster and the swimming pool rises to the top and the water just before the front entrance gate becomes a   huge moat. We have to cross it very slowly—you would think that the city would have fixed the road before now--it does cause a fun spray of water if you go into it at a good speed. I am sure that will change as the city is working on the whole street of Bruce B Downs for several miles. It is a mess.

Monday was New Testament class and FHE. Elder Judd taught the trial before Caiaphas and Pilate. He said that it was really a good and the spirit was really strong.

After class, we always have the beginning of FHE in the Institute room which has proven to be a good thing- prayer, scripture thoughts, announcements and introductions. We then went to the gym for a rousing game of human foose ball. It is hilarious to watch as they have to stand in their lines only kicking the ball to hit the goal, it gets a little wild at times.. Elder Judd and I were asked to go and get the plates and forks for the refreshments only  to find that as we entered the gym all +25 YSA’s were singing “God be with you” to us—very emotional. They had purchased a fun cake with a picture of us on it. Modern technology I ate my head and Elder Judd ate his that is a good way to end the day! Everyone had a piece of cake and ice cream. Fun evening‼

We met with president Cusic for a final meeting as a missionary. We have enjoyed having the mission office here in the building so that we could associate with the missionaries. A lot of them come and stop by to tell us what is happening and where they are going. They have a great spirit about them! As usual, we ended up going to Costco and purchasing the food for the YSA dinner and the S&I in-service breakfast. We then went on to Clermont to visit with Brandon, Mandy and Rusty Judd (Elder Judd’s nephew and family.)W have been able to enjoy their company while here. Their little son, Rusty, is so cute and we have been able to get to know and play with him for this past year. Cracker Barrel is a good meeting place and good food too.It was a late night coming home- it takes about 1 ½ hours to travel to see them.

We have had a great week meeting with friends and family,having some wonderful lunches and dinners.We went to Cracker Barrel again with the Severinson’s for the last time. This couple is a wonderful senior couple that was here when we started.They will end their mission next September (they will have served 2 year mission) their assignment has been office/Orlando Temple/ MLS. Busy, Busy people. We have loved all the seniors couple but have not had very many to know. In this mission we only have 6 couples and they are really spread out.

 Elder Judd:  Wednesday night’s class had about 16 students in class along with Tara. We also learned from Tara that her and the missionaries had fasted last Sunday that her mother’s heart would be softened so that she could be baptized soon. On Monday for the first time her mother said nothing negative about Tara’s involvement with the Church and told her to say high to her friends at the Church. Needless to say, Tara and the Missionaries were surprised and elated at the change in her attitude. In another discussion with her mother at the beginning of the week, her mother told Tara that she would meet with the missionaries to get to know them instead of just hearing about them. As Tara told us about these abrupt changes she bore her testimony of the truth of the Church and the hand of the Lord in what had happened. I will never forget the look on her face as she told us that her testimony of the Gospel is stronger now than ever before because of what she has been thru in the past year. And with all of this, she is bringing some of her friends, who will come to the institute and church for the missionaries to teach. She volunteers for prayers, offers comments and bears her testimony in class frequently. I have kidded her that she is a Dry Mormon to which she replies that that is going to change, and she hopes soon. She has set a baptism date for about May 31.

I made dump cake Thursday it is so easy and everyone loves it. All you do is purchase a pie filling, yellow cake mix and butter. Assemble and cook and it is gone before you know it. Some one asked for mac‘n’cheese again so that is what I fixed. It is a great crock pot recipe and only takes about 3 hours to cook. The students really loved it.

For the in-service meeting early Saturday morning, I fixed tator/tot breakfast casserole, Monkey bread with nuts in a 9x13”pan, a lot of strawberries and grapes. We have been apart of this group now for 1 year and have started to know the people. They are always eager to learn how to teach their young people. 

We started our packing this week. Packing is not fun and where did we get all this stuff and how did it fit into the car the first time? Elder Judd is great, he has vacuumed the floor, cleaned the extra bathroom, and packed a lot of the things into the suitcases that will be shipped home. He has really helped me get things done, I appreciate that. After I read this it makes it sound like he did all the work—I did help .

Saturday night was a special night we were honored to be witnesses for a private wedding of two of our YSA at the Institute. Kenneth and Shauna Prettyman. They were married by Bishop Harris. It was so special that they would ask us to do this. They are sweet kids and very much in love. They have plans for a temple marriage in a year and I am pretty sure they will make it. After the ceremony and a few pictures, Bishop and Sister Harris invited us to dinner at the Outback restaurant. We all had a great steak dinner and a good visit. It was a nice finish to a busy and productive day.We came home and watched a netflix movie. What a day‼

Elder Judd: In Sacrament meeting I looked around and thought about how nice it has been to enjoy Sacrament in a quiet setting. It has been wonderful to be a part of this generation’s YSA. We have come to love them, rejoice with them, cry with them, laugh with them, teach them and just be a part of their lives at this juncture of their lives. Marsha and I have learned and grown so much .

This is the last week of being here in the Tampa Bay YSA. We have been busy with the normal thing of preparing the last lessons and the last dinners and the last reports and the last of saying good-bye.  Thursday we were invited into Bro Patrick’s class and was given a plate that had been signed by all the students and missionaries. What a great going away gift. One of the greatest gifts was ‘Bro. Hopegood’ coming to help with this last dinner. We do love this man and his wife. They are such good friends.  They will be coming to Utah so everyone can enjoy them too. We will miss everyone.

We will be on our way home in a day or two. So excited to see the family and friends.

April 24: Now we have everything in the car and it  is jammed packed,We  have started our drive home. We will be following the Interstate 10 through Texas. It is so we can stop and see the St. George granddaughters. We figure it will take us about 5-6 days with all the stops. We will be excited to be home again.

BLOG #50 APRIL 6-12

                      BLOG#50 GOOD WEEK  APRIL 6-12

MONDAY  We had to go to Staples  and pick up a banner that will be used for the Bull Market(promotion for clubs on campus) on Wednesday .The banner identifies the institute as a on campus club  It is important that we are recognized so that missionary work can be there.  In the process, we met a young couple that had a flat tire that needed some extra help in taking of the tire. Joel was ready to help them and had the tools to do so. We ended up going to 2 different places to try and fix the tire, but they ended up having to purchase a used tire to fix it. While we were driving around doing this the young man asked us a lot of questions about what we were doing   here and what we believed. After the tire was put on Joel bore his testimony to them. They thanked us for the help and told us that they would accept the call from the missionaries to learn more about Christ. We felt that we had done a little missionary work  here in Tampa.

Tara Hartman came back. She is the young lady that last summer was going to be baptized but would lose her families love and support if she joined the church. It really put her into a tail spin when this happened. She loves her family deeply so she backed off for a while keeping her testimony but not being baptized. Almost a  year later, The situation is still the same and she feels the same about being baptized, but I do not think that she will be able to go through it yet. One day on the Lord’s time table she will be baptized and she will be all the stronger. We will just keep praying for her.

Tuesday we worked all day -- Joel did a test proctor in the afternoon and I did reports. We were hoping to finish earlier in the afternoon, but did not finish until 5:30pm.  We were hoping that we could leave the office about 4:30pm to pick up the Hopegoods for a dinner appointment. Well we made it later than earlier and  all was ok.  One of the students told us about a great restaurant  in Ruskin-near Gulf Port called the Sunset Grill.  It was a great dinner with us eating and sitting and watching the sunset with such great company.  The food was really good by the way. I had a Blackened Chicken pasta with parmesan cream sauce, Joel had a half a chicken with a special rub of spices on it called Jerk Rub , then we had Key Lime Pie. It was so good. We went outside to take some pictures of the sunset and beach with the Hopegoods and us. They are such great people we will miss them greatly.

ELDER JUDD: We wanted to spend an evening with Jean’s one more time and rejoice over the blessings that we have been given to associate with those I baptized them fifty years ago this month in New Hampshire. We had nice visit with Bob and Jan Jeans, their son Rob and his wife Leni, and their granddaughter, Gillyn, and husband , Chris,  and their children: Pheobe, Liddia and Anchor. The children were the fourth generation of members of the Church since Bob and Jan were baptized fifty years ago on April 4, 1965. Visiting with all the family that night was a great experience and we rejoiced in the blessings that we all have enjoyed because of the Gospel in our lives. Literally hundreds of souls have been blessed by Bob and Jan joining the Church. Many missions have been served, many temple marriages, many converts made and many children born to this choice family. I reminded Bob that our association would go on forever and never end because of the blessings we enjoy. We enjoyed their company and ate a rotisserie chicken dinner with baked potatoes and salad that we had brought with us to treat them. It was a great evening. On the way home, Marsha and I stopped at Culver’s for a late night ice cream sundae.

Saturday was spent relaxing a little and gathering up some of the things in the apartment in readiness for packing. Then we were off to the Brandon Stake center to watch the YSA play a challenge game of Ultimate Frisbee with the YSA of  Sarasota. It was a very warm day but with the refreshments and the association of these great young people, we had a good time. On the way home I decided that Marsha had had enough cooking for the week so we stopped for a burger at a local Steak & Shake (not Steak, Shake and Bake as Marsha demands that it is named). In the evening we watched a couple of movies

Sunday, April 12, 2015, we headed off to Church for the baptism of Ami Dunn. Ami is another YSA convert in our ward. Her conversion came thru the efforts of Kenneth Prettyman and Shauna Bowman.

                                                                                                                     

BLOG #49 MARCH31-APR5

BLOG#49March 31-April 5

Just some thoughts for this week’s events.

            I had to go to a clinic to see what the matter was with me. I had the same symptoms for 8 days, and  it was getting  worse I would sit up in a chair for most of the night so I would not cough as hard. The  Doctor’s Assistance told me I had acute Bronchitis and sinusitis- -a double whammy.  I guess I was not feeling well -----no I knew I was not feeling well- the work just needed to be done anyway so I continued  to come into the office and accomplish what was needed to be done and then I would go to the mother’s lounge for a nap.. She (the PA)loaded me down with a lot of medicines for the next week to start the process of getting better.  I still coughed for a long time after but it will get better. I know it will. 

            The missionaries had a new assignment on Thursday. It was decided that all  missionaries would be on bikes, walking, or rides from ward members.  The idea behind this was to make the missionaries more accessible to the public and hopefully get more contacts. When  we saw the sister missionaries we had to run out side to take of picture of them as we had not had seen them before. They laughed at us as we all took pictures. Good sports. We are praying that it will work for them some elders and sisters have not ridden in a long time.

            We had tator-tot casserole  and cinnamon pull aparts this week.  I fixed a lot but for some reason the number of students were down  and I had one tator/tot casserole (9x13) left. I froze it hoping that I would find some one that really needed it in the near future. Monday Sister Hopegood told me of a family in her ward that was in need of a meal because of illness in the family, so that meal went to a great place for a great cause.

Elder Judd: On Friday we took Lacho (Horatio) Palomo to the Orlando Temple for his Endowment prior to his departure for his mission to Mexico. It was a great time to serve as his escort in the temple and assist him thru his first experience there. Wesley Lind, Cat Hunter and Taylor Grave Douglass came also. It was a great experience for him and us. These YSA are much more prepared than I was for this experience and he really enjoy it. When he came into the Celestial room of the temple, his eyes got as big as silver dollars. Upon leaving the temple, we all went to Olive Garden for dinner.

We watched the Saturday sessions of conference at the Institute with about 12 YSAs. One of the YSA brought a crumb cake and we ate it during the afternoon session. It was such a nice thought for her to share. Being in the presence of the YSA is always so uplifting.

            Sunday Morning, we went over to the church for Conference ( still like it at home  better but the messages  are still great no matter where). The conference attendance here at the church  is small when you think this ward building  has 3 wards. I  thought it was interesting that several families brought their children  dressed in Sunday clothes ready for church  it was great to see how they handled them during the am sessions. We also had a lot of YSA and missionaries come too. The afternoon session we watched at Alex Patrick’s home with his family. That was nice to be in a family setting. His children are very pleasant to be around and enjoyed conference too. We had the best roast beef  and potato dinner, then we walked over to the Indian Shores beach so a picture  could be  taken and sent to their son on his mission, so I was able to take a picture of the sunset and us too.  It was a very relaxing day after not feeling well for so long these past several weeks.

BLOG#48 SPEAKING IN CHURCH--OH NO!!!

MARCH 22-28:

WE WERE ASKED TO SPEAK AT BISHOP PATRICK WARD ON SUNDAY. I KEEP TELLING EVERYONE THAT I AM NOT THE SPEAKER IN THE FAMILY—I AM THE SUPPORTER. ANYWAY I DID SPEAK WITH THE YOUTH SPEAKER AND TIMED HER ,. SHE TOOK LONGER BY 3 MINUTES THAN I DID.  SEE I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO AND IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE SHORTEST TALK. ELDER JUDD’S TALK WAS REALLY GOOD AND MAYBE YOU WILL HEAR IT LATER.

THIS WEEK WAS A DIFFERENT WEEK IN THAT I WAS NOT FEELING WELL. THE FIRST BAD AND ONLY COLD  THAT I HAVE HAD THE WHOLE TIME WE HAVE BEEN HERE. THE COUGH ATTACKS ME AT NIGHT AND I STAY UP HACKING AND COUGHING MOST OF THE NIGHT. WHERE DO YOU  GO  IN A 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT  TO STOP THE NOISE FROM GOING IN AND WAKING EVERYONE ELSE UP?. I DON’T KNOW THAT  ANSWER YET. 

MONDAY I DID  PRETTY GOOD AT THE INSTITUTE UNTIL FHE  AND THEN MY BODY WENT INTO COLD CHILLS. WE CAME HOME EARLY AND LAYERED ME  WITH BLANKETS AND OUR  CORN WARMING PACKS. ELDER JUDD HAD TO PROCTOR A TEST TUESDAY AND I DID NOT FEEL GOOD SO OFF HE WENT AND LEFT ME SLEEPING  OFF THE SICKNESS. IT HELPED BUT DID NOT GET RID OF THE COUGHING.  THE WHOLE WEEK HAS BEEN LIKE THAT COUGHING AND SLEEPING. I WAS GRATEFUL  FOR THE MOTHER’S LOUNGE IN THE CHURCH I WENT AND SLEPT FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND  THEN BACK TO WORK.

ELDER JUDD’S CLASSES SO FAR THIS WEEK HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD. THE STUDENTS ENJOY LEARNING ABOUT THE SAVIOR AND HIS LIFE.  THURSDAY NIGHT WAS ABOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT WHICH HE CALLED THE LEHI CONNECTION AND THE BABYLONIAN DESTRUCTION. HE HAD ABOUT 12 STUDENTS COME . ELDER JUDD ALWAYS DOES A GREAT JOB OF TEACHING.

ELDER JUDD:

SISTER JUDD  WAS ABLE TO PULL EVERYTHING TOGETHER FOR THE MEAL. SHE MADE SEVERAL LOAVES OF BANANA NUT AND POPPY SEED BREAD AND THE MAIN COURSE WAS A CROCK POT CHICKEN TACO PLATE THAT HAD BEANS, CORN, AND RICE WITH SALSA IN IT. AS USUAL, THE YSA LOVED IT AND I DID TOO. SHE KEPT SAYING HOW AWFUL IT SMELLED AND LOOKED, BUT EVERYONE ELSE DISAGREED. I HAVE FOUND THAT THE MORE SHE COMMENTS ON HOW BAD SOMETHING LOOKS AND SMELLS, THE BETTER I LIKE IT.  THAT IS TRUE, ANYWAY, WITH THE MEALS SHE MAKES THAT ARE MEXICAN IN ORIGIN. SHE MUCH PREFERS A LESS SPICY FOOD THAN I DO.

AT THE END OF THE MEAL, ALEX INSISTED ON SISTER JUDD AND I LEAVING FOR HOME WHILE THEY ALL CLEANED UP AND CLOSE UP SHOP FOR THE EVENING. IT WAS WITH GRATITUDE THAT WE FOLLOWED HIS SUGGESTION AND LEFT FOR HOME SO THAT SHE  COULD GET SOME WELL DESERVED REST. AS WE LEFT, OUR KITCHEN/OFFICE FILLED WITH HELPFUL STUDENTS PITCHING IN TO GET EVERYTHING CLEANED UP.

WEDNESDAY AND TUESDAY WAS REALLY A BLUR AS WE DID NOT DO THE REGULAR THINGS. WE DID A LOT OF PREPARING HERE AT THE APARTMENT. IT HELP ME  TO FEEL BETTER.

BISHOP PATRICK ASKED ELDER JUDD AND I TO COME AND PRESENT A FIRE SIDE TO HIS WARD ON FRIDAY THE 27^TH. THIS TALK AND SLIDE PRESENTATION WAS ON “JERUSALEM-TESTAMENT OF OUR SAVIOR AND REDEEMER: WALKING WITH JESUS CHRIST IN HIS FINAL HOURS. 
THE FIRESIDE HAD ABOUT 75 PEOPLE THERE AND IT WENT VERY WELL. ELDER JUDD  HAD SPENT TWO OR THREE HOURS FINE TUNING THE PRESENTATION AND, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE LORD, THE SPIRIT GAVE HIM  CONSIDERABLE ASSISTANCE AND THE ENTIRE HOUR AND 35 MINUTES WENT VERY SMOOTHLY.

IT WAS A BUSY WEEK AND WAS MADE EVEN LONGER BECAUSE OF HOW I WAS FEELING!  I THINK THAT ELDER JUDD IS COMING DOWN WITH THIS COLD . WHY NOT‼!

BLOG #47 GREAT WEEK!

BLOG #47WEEK OF MARCH 16-21:

WE HAVE HAD A GREAT WEEK.  DOING WHAT? GOING TO COSTCO ON FRIDAY FOR MORE FOOD AND FIXING MEALS OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER. WOW THAT MAKES IT REALLY EXCITING! I THINK THAT THE COSTCO WORKERS ARE STATING TO CALL ME BY MY NAME AS I ENTER THE BUILDING.

WE HAD TWO MEAL PREPARATIONS THIS WEEK.  SATURDAY MORNING THE 21Tst WAS THE INSERVICE/ BREAKFAST MEETING. THE BREAKFAST WAS A SLOW COOKER OATMEAL MEAL ., APPLE CINNAMON FRITTER BREAD, AND STRAWBERRIES AND PINEAPPLE.( REALLY GOOD TOO)   THIS IS A HARD MEAL TO FIX BECAUSE EVERYONE USUALLY WILL HAVE EATEN ALREADY AND WE ARE BEING CUT BACK ON BUDGET .  BRO PATRICK IS TEACHING HIS SEMINARY AND INSTITUTE TEACHERS HOW TO BE BETTER TEACHERS DURING THIS TIME. HE SPENT ABOUT 2 HOURS GETTING THE TEACHERS INSPIRED TO TEACH CORRECT PRINCIPLES AND THEN TAKE IT ALL THE INFORMATION BACK TO THE  STUDENTS. IT WAS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. THEY THAT COME ARE ALWAYS GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING—FOOD SPIRITUALLY AND FOOD PHYSICALLY.

ELDER JUDD DOES A LOT OF PREPARATION FOR EACH CLASS AND IN ADDITION TO THAT HE PROCTORS TESTS . WE THINK HE HAS PROCTORED ABOUT 40 THIS YEAR.  A LOT‼

MONDAY, DURING ELDER JUDD’S EARLY AFTERNOON CLASS A YOUNG MAN CAME INTO THE OFFICE. AND STARTED TELLING ME ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE HE WAS HAVING. WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS: HE IS NOT FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT. HE SAYS HE IS CONFUSED WHEN OTHERS SAY HE IS WRONG  AND THEY ARE RIGHT. I SPENT ABOUT 45 MINUTES WITH HIM ANSWERING QUESTIONS—IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT I HAD THE ANSWERS OR PART  OF THE ANSWERS. AS WE FINISHED OUR DISCUSSION I REMINDED HIM THAT HE WAS NOT PRAYING, READING THE SCRIPTURES OR BEING OBEDIENT. I TOLD HIM THAT WE LOVED HIM AND ASKED HIM TO TRY TO DO THESE THINGS AND HE WOULD SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN HIS LIFE.

THURSDAY WAS ANOTHER HARD TRANSFER DAY: I NEED TO NOT THINK  ABOUT THESE YOUNG SISTERS AND ELDERS as mine , WE DO COME TO LOVE THEM BECAUSE THEIR HEARTS ARE PURE. THEY ARE PREPARED TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD BUT IT IS MY HEARTSTRINGS THAT IS PULLED AS THEY LEAVE THIS AREA TO ANOTHER. WE HAD 11 NEW ELDERS AND SISTER COME INTO THE TAMPA BAY AREA AND ABOUT 13 LEAVE FOR HOME.

ELDER JUDD:  EVEN THOUGH MY OLD TESTAMENT CLASS IS SMALL, ABOUT 7 TO 12 STUDENTS ON A GIVEN DAY, IT IS A JOY TO SEE HOW THE OT IS SUCH A POWERFUL TESTIMONY TO THE LATTER DAY WORK. THE STUDENTS LOVE IT TOO BUT THE CLASS STARTS TOO EARLY FOR MANY MORE TO COME (4:45 PM). BROTHER PATRICK TEACHES THE LATER CLASS, 6:30 PM AND ABOUT 45 COME TO THAT CLASS AFTER WHICH WE SERVE THE MEAL THAT SISTER JUDD PREPARES. TODAY  IT WAS PULLED PORK, CARROTS, CHIPS,  COOKIES. AS ALWAYS, THE MEAL WAS A BIG HIT AND MANY OF THE STUDENTS RAVED ABOUT HOW GOOD IT WAS. IT ALL DISAPPEARED, SO IT MUST HAVE BEEN GOOD!!! WE DID NOT GET HOME UNTIL ABOUT 11 PM BUT IT WAS FUN TO SEE AND HEAR THE YSA SIT AROUND, TALK, LAUGH AND PLAY POOL AND PING PONG. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL YSA GO INTO THE GYM AND PLAY VOLLEY BALL. SEE I TOLD YOU IT WAS A VERY LONG DAY.

BLOG #46 3-14-15 BACK TO THE WORK

Blog #46 3/14/15 

This past week has been one different day after another. Some good and some not as good. I guess we have all these types of days in our life.

We had classes:  The Life and Teaching of the Savior on Monday and Wednesday and the Old Testament on Thursday and Bro Patrick teaching the Last half of the Doctrine and Covenants. The students walked out of class grateful that they have had the spirit teach them correct principals. It is hard to teach classes during the early evening because so many are working or going to class, but those that are able to come really enjoy it. Thursday is a very busy day with the two classes, one right after another, and then dinner. After that, we played volleyball—where do they get all that energy? That is the main question. It makes for a very long day, but we enjoy talking and mingling and watching the interaction of all these special YSA’s. They are so wonderful  and we know that Heavenly Father loves these young people.

Thursday was a fun dinner.( In addition to being fun at night I only had to spent 2 hours purchasing the food this week  now that was fun) We had Chicken Roll Ups with gravy, beans, and lemon, key lime, chocolate icebox cakes. We made over 128 rolls ups and they enjoyed every one of them. I had one of the elders come  up and said I have not had any of these since I left  home “My mom used to make these all the time, Thank you so much.” I thought that was so special that he would say that. We had about 50 YSA tonight. We were thinking that when the weather changes we always have a few less people but so far we are doing ok—each week is different.

We have been blessed to have the missionaries come by every day. Since this is the building for 3 wards we have at least 4 sets of elders and sisters, plus all the other missionaries from the mission office and all the other meetings that bring in missionaries. The Institute rooms are on the back section of the building and our office is on the corner of the classrooms and the back entrance of the building. So that is why we have a lot of missionaries come by. It is fun to ask them if they are having a good day, who they are teachings or where they are going, etc? The YSA has two sets of missionaries –Elders Hawks and Lloyd and Sisters Torres and Foderero. Both do a great job and find great joy in finding people to teach the gospel to. 

Elder Judd: Thursday began with a busy morning of students and missionaries. A pair of sister missionaries came in to talk with us and seek some counsel on a concern they had. Sister Judd and I had a great experience encouraging them and feeling of their dedication and focus on doing the right things. That has been one of the great joys in this service for us. We have the privilege to see the missionary work first hand and to feel the power with which these great young people do the work. We also are able to see first hand the fruit of their work by meeting and getting to know those they teach and baptize. One such young man is Syd. He was so typical of many YSA who have been dis-enfranchised by today’s organized religious groups that focus on social and political issues. He had not found fulfillment in their teachings and focus and so wrote religion off as not important or helpful. Then he met the missionaries. Right away he felt something very different and so he wanted to know more. It was awesome to see the light come on in his eyes when he felt the Spirit testify to his soul of the truth of the Restoration of the Gospel. Since then Syd has been coming to Institute and is excited to be a part of the discussions and learning. I have seen this kind of thing happen many times while here on our mission. It truly is one of the highlights of our experience.

 Elder Judd and I have been working with a Young man who will be moving to Utah to live with his grandfather for a while. He will be working and hopefully going to school. He is one of Heavenly Fathers children that is without guile. He has a love for everyone and the gospel. He is always so positive and giving. We look up to him although his height is only 5’3”.He knows his scriptures front ward and backwards. Elder Judd helped him complete his federal income taxes today and was so appreciative.  We wish him success in his new adventure. It is great to know these young people. They  reminds us of our own grand-daughters that are growing into that YSA age. We hope that someone will love them too.

BLOG # 45 3/7/15 SPRING BREAK

BLOG #45 SPRING BREAK

Spring Break   No USF, No dinner, No Institute, -- well we did have one class. A couple of students missed their Old Testament class last week and wanted Elder Judd to do a makeup class on Wednesday night so they would not miss what was taught. It interesting these two put the information out on face book that he was re-teaching the Old Testament class from last week and we had about 7 YSAs come.  It is so fun when the students want to be taught. This is why we are here.

We went to the Plant City (about 15 minutes from here)Strawberry Festival on Tuesday with Bro. and Sister Hopegood. We were able to see how strawberries are grown commercially which was very interesting. After the strawberries are basically finished growing for the season the workers take everything out of the ground and let it rest for a planting season.Then in the fall they start the planting again with new plants. At home I always just keep the plants from year to year. I guess that is why they have big strawberries and I have small ones.  Good thing to know‼ We had a great time walking around seeing all the different ways to use  strawberries—shortcake, cake, smoothies, on bacon, chicken, drinks, and just about anything else you can think of. These  strawberries are so good, big and flavorful. Makes my mouth water just to think about them. ( Tricia do you remember the Israeli Strawberries? these are that good‼). A big thanks for the Hopegoods for taking us.

We had 2 early morning seminaries that we were assigned to visit this week. One was in Lakeland about 45 minutes east of here and the other was about ½ hour west of here in Odessa(boy I am finely getting the names right in the areas we visit it has only taken about 10 months). The early morning teachers are wonderful, they get up early teach some very tired young people and then they go to their own jobs for all day. Hats off to them‼

Friday was a great day—we decided to go to the Orlando Temple and then on to the YSA Regional Conference at the church’s Deseret Cattle and Citrus Ranch. It started late Friday night with getting everyone set up in tents (boys) or cabins (girls).Then snacks and an outdoor dance-cowboy style. We chose to go to a Melbourne hotel about 25 minutes away for a nice bed and shower—greatly appreciated too. It was a long day, but we were up early for a quick breakfast and back to the ranch. The day was cloudy and had a chilly wind.  We were not prepared for this type of weather. What has happened to the Florida sunshine? Of course they say it is unusual for here—well this is not the first time the wind has been chilly here in Florida—now we know better—bring Winter jackets..

Elder Judd:

Saturday we spent teaching five classes with another couple, Elder and Sister Martin from the Gainesville Institute. The theme was on a talk by Pres. Monson: “We Never Walk Alone” given in 2013 at the Women’s Conference. Following introductions, Elder and Sister Martin started off each class by emphasizing the importance of prayer from the talk and then I felt impressed to lead into my part by talking about the importance of agency and that if we expect the Lord to walk with us.  We must take the first step by inviting Him to come to us as we come to Him. I used D&C 88:63  “Draw nigh unto me and I will draw nigh unto you.” I testified that if we make the effort to invite Him to be with us, He will truly walk with us. The spirit was strong as we taught. We felt like it was a great experience for us and the YSA who were there. While we were teaching this class every hour, other activities were going on thru out the gathering area like soccer, quiditch, volley ball, shooting, board games etc. The food was great for every meal and the organization was very good. In the early evening, one of the directors of the ranch spoke, telling us about the size of the ranch and what was produced on it. It was very interesting to hear how the church has been blessed to have this huge area to help other people, then one of the singers from Jericho Road, Abe Mills and  his family, sang and  spoke on the Conference theme. They did a great job presenting through song and word how to not be alone in this world at this time.  In the evening we had a great BBQ pulled pork dinner, of course another  DJ took over for another dance.  I could not get Elder Judd to dance , oh well I think that there is another dance sometime down the road- here in Tampa—I will try again.  We stayed around for a while and mingled then left to go back to Melbourne for some much needed rest.   Oh of course I need to tell you what Elder Judd did. After the meetings and dinner, the ranch provided horse rides for the YSA in the rodeo arena. When all the YSA had had enough they let us old folks ride if we wanted to. He did and had a great time riding around the area for a few minutes. It was nice to be on a horse after so long.

Sunday began early too. We arrived at the ranch for an early morning breakfast. It was nice to see everyone in their Sunday best.  The wind had died down and the sun came out which made it better as we sat in the bleachers of the rodeo grounds. We had a Sacrament meeting with 24 priesthood bearers blessing and passing the sacrament. What a awesome site to see these young men performing this ordinance with such reverence to the 500+ people that sat there. Chris Elton of our YSA Ward spoke along with a YSA Sister from Orlando, President Holladay of the Lake Mary stake, and President and Sister Cox of the Orlando Temple presidency. It was a great meeting. Relief Society/priesthood  followed  which was also great. After lunch was served a Devotional was given by Brother Taylor of the Church Media department , who heads up all media adds for the Church. He was very informative as to the process of missionary media that the Church is doing. He showed several examples of their work--#sharethegift, #you  and the new one coming out in April.. It was a great ending to a wonderful YSA Conference. Everyone was very uplifted and left wanting to do and be better. I know that I did. 

BLOG #44 TWO WEEKS OF BLOGGING AGAIN SORRY

BLOG #44  TWO WEEKS OF BLOGGING AGAIN 

FEBRUARY 22ND : 

 Thursday’s special was Crockpot lasagna( a recipe given to me from Shirllyn Ward-Vise),bread sticks and   pudding cake. I could not believe how fast it was eaten up. I am so thankful for all my friends that have given me good and fun recipes.

We stood outside the chapel Friday for some of the Zone Conference. It is strange because we are not really part of any zone so we can go to the parts of the meetings that we want to go to.  It was really good the part that we heard the spirit was strong and edifying for all the missionaries. This mission is one of about 30 missions that have been extend the right to have Ipads for the benefit of aiding in the mission work, so a lot of instruction was given to help them understand the importance  of not straying from the mission rules and being totally obedient in the use of the Ipad. It is a wonderful tool to be able to use if done right. The Seventy that spoke to the missionaries was ELDER ZWICK. His presence and presentation was so instructional and caring that I am sure they will follow the rules that were given. In addition to the Ipads he talked a lot about missionary work and different techniques of how to present the message, a new film was shown to the missionaries that will be during Easter time and it has a fantastic message that the Savior loves everyone. At the end of the meeting the spirit was so strong that everyone just sat in total reverence for several minutes and then continued that reverence as they exited the building—what a neat experience it was.

We have had cool weather this week. I have had to wear a sweater to the office every day. I think  that the  cool wind  makes it cooler because of all the moisture that  is in the air.  It is so deceiving because the sky is blue and it is suppose to be warm right? After all it is FLORIDA.

We have some really cool sisters that are actually serving in another ward but come to this building. They have such a neat spirit about them. Elder Judd:  One day they came to see us about a contact they had invited to Institute. As we talked, I could tell that they were upset about something. I learned that they felt that they were marked as ineffective missionaries because of a minor incident that occurred a few days before. One of the sisters teared up as she spoke of it. Both Sister Judd and I encouraged them and told them that only the adversary condemns us and the Savior encourages us in His work. I used the incident when Christ invited the adulterous woman to “sin no more” and testified that the Lord never condemns us but only encourages us to move forward. We told them that we knew that they were great missionaries. After all, they chose to sacrifice and serve Him! It was great to see them leave with smiles on their faces and their chins held high. I know that the Savior loves those two sisters… I felt it as we talked to them.

Saturday, we prepared a breakfast for the early morning Seminary Teachers In service Meeting. We had Crockpot Oatmeal and breakfast casserole, fruit, sweet breads and juice. Everyone is always so appreciative that it is worth the time and effort to fix the meal. Elder Holland gave a marvelous talk to the Seminary and Institute Instructors on Feb. 6th. We had recorded it and was one that is important for all to hear and see. It was called “Be Not Afraid, Only Believe.”  If you have a chance to view it, I know it would be well worth your time.

I went out to the car the other day to go to the store and saw something white on the windshield wipers, I thought it was a piece of paper---it was a white frog. He went to the store with me.

MARCH 1ST :

As Elder Judd was preparing for his Wednesday night class, a young man came into the building looking for the Family History Center that used to be in this building. He was not a member but had been very impressed to search for his ancestors.  Before he left Elder Judd felt that this young man wanted some answers to questions he had. They talked for over 1 hour about  he gospel. This young man had gone to several churches looking for answers. He found truths in every one he went to, he said. Elder Judd gave him a Book of Mormon and counseled him to read it and come back to the building and discuss it.  It was also interesting that some of his questions were answered. We do not know if he will come back while we are here but some day he will have someone or something speak to his heart about the truths he learned today.

 Wednesday evening class is always a good class. It is the Life and Teaching of the Savior. The only problem that we have is this night is also Young Women’s, Scouts,  Cub Scouts, Activity Days for the Primary girls and anything else that 2 other wards choose to have, plus missionary work  going on at the same time. This building becomes a very, very, very  lively (and noisy) place. So Elder Judd always needs to shut the door to block out some of the noise ----that means that I do not get to hear his lesson. Oh well I can get it later that night.

Thursday night’s class was a little smaller than normal because spring break for USF begun.  Even then we served about 40 people. I needed to cut some costs down for the end of the month so decided on hot dogs, baked beans and Texas sheet cakes, white and brown.. I just hoped that  everything would be eaten – well not to worry almost all of it was gone.  I had a few sheet cake pieces left over, so wrapped it, stored it in the frig and brought it  to Family Home evening the following Monday night.  Now it is gone!  It does not take long.

 This was a week of classes and meetings. In addition to the Elder Judd’s regular classes –which of course were wonderful- we went to another zone meeting taught by Elder Zwick again( I wonder where these Seventies get all the energy to teach everyday). Elder Judd: On Friday, instead of going to the office as usual, we headed for the Tampa Stake Center for the Zone conference of St. Petersburg and Tampa Zones. This meeting was presided over by Elder Zwick. It lasted from ten am until 1:30 pm. Then we had lunch that was served by members of the Tampa stake. At 3 pm we sat down again and went until 4:30 pm. Elder Zwick is a marvelous teacher with a command of the scriptures and an ability and gift to reach out in love and encouragement. He is a wonderful example who in all the time he spent with us, every word was positive, uplifting, edifying, encouraging and loving. Listening to him was inspiring. He is a great example of how the Savior teaches. During his teaching, he taught a pattern of effective teaching as follows:  PRINCIPLE, EXAMPLE, SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE, and TESTIMONY. He demonstrated this pattern, and then called on several missionary companionships to teach by that pattern. Elder Zwick emphasized the point that embellishing the point of the principle taught after the testimony draws away from the power of the teaching. He told us that going on and on takes away from the impact of the true principle. The elders and sisters that demonstrated this pattern did a great job and in every case, Elder Zwick praised all of them and then pointed out ways to strengthen what they did. We loved what Elder Zwick taught us. Elder Zwick also taught us about Structural Integrity by using the renovation of the Manti Temple as the example. He told us of the dry rot that was found in the roof joists and what problems would occur if not changed.  Immediately they needed to fix this problem before the whole roof caved in. He told us that the reconstruction crew had to replace the major beams, add supporting structures, and several other major items to make the temple a safe place to be. Elder Zwick then compared it to repentance. He told us that we must have spiritual structural integrity in our lives by replacing our spiritual rot with solid purity and righteousness. He went through several examples of the repentance process. By the time he finished we knew that we had been spiritually fed with all that he taught us. How he taught us for 6 hours was truly amazing.

In the evening Elder Zwick presided over the Devotional which was focused on the use of ward and Stake councils in missionary work. Again we were fed by Elder Zwick’s teaching manner and his powerful testimony and examples  he used to illustrate the principles he taught. The building was packed. (Welchs, we ran into your son at this mtg—What a great spirit he has)  It was a long day ( we arrived home about 10 pm that night) but up lifting and positive.

We came to  the church about 10 am Saturday to help the YSA ward clean the building. We had about 8-10 young people and us. With that amount of people, the cleaning went very fast and we were finished by 11:30 am.  We are thankful that we can work with such great young people. After the cleaning I went into the office to start my project for the fast-feast dinner, which is held after the block time. I decided to make wheat rolls for them and since I do not have a mixer in the apartment we made the dough there and came home and baked them here. I love the smell of rolls baking. About 70 YSA ate 7 dozen rolls. I thought that I would have a few left over. WRONG! I know it has been 10 months of cooking and baking for this bunch of kids and have not learned that they eat everything. It was a St. Patrick’s theme for the dinner and a lot of items that the YSA brought had green food coloring in it. Green Potatoes, green cookies, green broccoli, etc. We even had Corn Beef and cabbage (Wally and Jack yours was better.

Sunday before the meeting started we had a baptism for a young man who was baptized by his newly baptized father ( about a month before). It was such a neat experience to feel the love that these two people had for each other. This young man bore his testimony after his confirmation was given. We wished we all could bear such a strong  statement of love and respect for the Savior and he did. 

 This is Jacqui Shelton( on the Left) and Cat Hunter (on the right)
 these two girls make me laugh and are extremely busy but come to  Institute always.

BLOG#42 & 43 FEB 2 & 10TH MONTH - TWO BLOGS IN ONE

BLOG#42 FEBRUARY 8, 2015

WE ARE IN THE 10TH MONTH OF THIS MISSION CAN YOU BELIEVE IT‼ WE HAVE HAD SOME GREAT EXPERIENCE, MET A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE AND HAVE ENJOYED THE AREA. JOEL IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF TEACHING STUDENTS,  DOING A FEW FIRESIDES FOR SOME WARDS IN THE AREA, HELPING BRO PATRICK DO WHATEVER AND HELPING ME WITH DINNERS.   I AM MEETING A LOT OF STUDENTS, TALKING WITH THEM, GETTING TO KNOW THEM AND HAVING A GREAT TIME FIXING MEALS . THIS WEEK, WE HAD FRENCH BREAD PIZZA AGAIN ( WE HAD THIS LAST SEMESTER TOO) ONLY THIS TIME WE HAD 4 CHOICES : CHEESE, PEPPERONI, HAWAIIAN AND CHICKEN/ALFREDO. OF COURSE, WE HAD A GOOD HOMEMADE BROWNIE. (THANKS TO KARLA AND MARIETTA ‘S RECIPES.)  BOY! 50 YSA’S CAN IN HAIL 88 PIECES FAST –25 MINUTES LATER IT WAS GONE.

ELDER JUDD WROTE THIS TENDER MESSAGE IN HIS JOURNAL THAT I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD SHARE WITH YOU. IT IS ABOUT BOTH  OF US AND HOW WE FEEL ABOUT EACH OTHER. HE SAID: ‘Marsha and I have grown closer together over the last nine months in a way that makes our companionship sweeter and more comfortable. We think alike on so many things and work together on whatever task is at hand. As I am teaching, she often peeks in and notes who is in class, or encourages a student who comes in late to head into class. She helps me keep attendance accurately. When I am preparing, she is sensitive to my need to concentrate, as we are sharing the same office. When the press of getting things ready for the meal on Thursdays hits, I enjoy helping her with various tasks to facilitate the effort. She has a difficult time cutting onions up without crying her eyes out. So I step up and dice those odoriferous critters to help the work move along more smoothly. Even though we literally spend 24-7 together, I never get tired of having her around. In fact, I feel like I am empty when she is not close by. We have been seen, on occasion, hugging and sharing a kiss or two, to the delight of whoever sees it. Perhaps that is a part of our message to the YSA… happy marriages are not impossible and in fact are alive and well in this challenging world of today. Marsha and I both know why we are so happy. It is the fruit of living the Gospel and serving, sacrificing and putting others before ourselves. That is the secret to true happiness. Truly, when we lose ourselves in service to others, we find ourselves.

In addition to the above, our testimonies have strengthened a great deal and we have been refined in our feelings and dealings toward and with others. This entire experience is one that is worth every effort and every sacrifice. I do not even want to think what we would have missed by not serving this mission.

Have there been things we have missed by being here in Tampa? Yes!!! There have been times when we sorrowed over not being able to be home when family or friends needed help or comfort or encouragement. But we have also been reminded by family and friends that they have felt the hand of the Lord reaching out to them in special ways that testified to them of His special attention over them during this time. In all of this, we know more now of the tender mercies of the Lord and His everlasting kindnesses through our mission experiences.’

WE ARE EXCITED THAT SOME OF THE YSA’S YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN ARE GET READY TO SERVE THEIR MISSIONS.  ONE YOUNG MAN IS THE ONLY MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY AND HAS NO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THEM BUT THEY DO NOT APPOSE HIM GOING, SO HE HAS WORKED HARD TO EARN MOST OF THE MONEY HE NEEDS FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS—HE WILL BE SERVING IN MEXICO. HE LEAVES THE MIDDLE OF APRIL-- WE  ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND THE TEMPLE WITH HIM WHEN HE GOES FOR HIS ENDOWMENTS. HE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE TO A LOT OF OTHER YSA’S IN OUR WARD.      THIS IS THE YOUNG MAN WHO WILL LEAVE NEXT MONTH FOR HIS MISSION.  HE COMES TO THE INSTITUTE TO ALL THE CLASSES. THIS PICTURE IS AFTER THE CLASS IS OVER WITH. HE IS A GREAT YOUNG MAN.  

FRIDAY, WE WENT OUT TO EAT AT RED LOBSTER AND HAD A GOOD DINNER—THEY KEPT ADVERTISING LOBSTER-FEST ON THE INTERNET SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD TRY IT OUT AGAIN.  I REMEMBERED THE WONDERFUL CHEESY BISCUITS THAT WE HAD A LONG TIME AGO—THEY WERE SO GOOD AND THE DINNER WAS GOOD TOO. SATURDAY WAS OF COURSE THE YSA’S TURN TO CLEAN THE CHURCH, THAT IS WHERE WE SPENT A COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE MORNING HELPING THEM. THEN WE DID OUR USUAL SHOPPING, WASHING THE CLOTHES AND GETTING THE APARTMENT CLEANED UP.  BUSY DAY! AND WE WERE TIRED AT THE END OF BOTH DAYS.

 BLOG # 43FEBUARY 15

TWO BLOGS IN ONE WEEK, I THOUGHT I HAD SEND OUT LAST WEEKS EARLIER. I NOW KNOW THAT I HAVE MOMENTARY MIND GLITCHES. I ALWAYS THINK THAT PROBLEM IS FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO EXPERIENCE NOT ME AND NOW I KNOW IT IS ME EXPERIENCING THEM.

VALENTINE’S WEEK! I HAD SUCH GREAT PLANS FOR DINNER FOR THE STUDENTS…….. BUT ACCORDING TO THE BUDGET I HAVE BEEN GIVEN I HAD TO CUT BACK A LITTLE ON THE EXTRAVAGANZA THAT I HAD PLANNED ON. SO WE HAD A HAM, BOW TIE PASTA, BROCCOLI BAKE. IT WAS DIFFERENT AND GOOD, AND IN 30 MINUTES 5 - 11X13” PANS WERE DEVOURED. I HAD ALSO MADE ABOUT 10 DOZEN HEART SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES. I MADE THE FROSTING AND HAD THEM DECORATE THEIR OWN. I PUT OUT A VARIETY OF SPRINKLES AND OTHER SUCH THINGS FOR THEIR CREATIONS. THEY CAME UP WITH SOME PRETTY INTERESTING FROSTED COOKIES.  IT WAS A FUN TIME WATCHING SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE DECORATING AND EATING AS MANY AS THEY WANTED TO.

I MENTIONED A BUDGET THAT I HAVE TO FOLLOW EVERY WEEK. IN THE PAST I HAD ONE THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO USE (I THOUGHT ANYWAY). I WOULD HAVE TO PUT IN THE AMOUNT RECEIPTS AND ADD HERE AND SUBTRACT THERE AND MOVE ONE COLUMN TO ANOTHER COLUMN, ETC. I HAD TO FOLLOW A CHEAT SHEET EVERY WEEK TO CREATE A REPORT FOR BRO. PATRICK TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAD IN THE MEAL ACCOUNT.   

IN DECEMBER BEFORE THIS SPRING SEMESTER STARTED, I HAD ASKED SISTER HOPEGOOD IF SHE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE UNDERSTANDABLE AND EASY FOR A PERSON SUCH AS I WHO DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT EXCELL SPREADSHEETS. SHE TOLD ME THAT SPREADSHEETS ARE HER FAVORITE THING TO WORK ON. I TOLD HER JUST MAKE IT EASY FOR ME AND FOR BRO. PATRICK TO UNDERSTAND AND TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE HAVE IN THE MEAL BUDGET EVERY MONTH. WHEN WE CAME BACK FROM CHRISTMAS BREAK I HAD A NEW SPREADSHEET AND IT WAS ACTUALLY FUN TO DO. SHE TOLD ME THAT HER AND HER HUSBAND DEVELOPED THIS NEW SPREADSHEET  WHICH WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND  AND ACCOMPLISH—I NOW CAN ACTUALLY FINISH ON FRIDAY KNOWING HOW MUCH I HAVE IN THE MONTHLY BUDGET ALL WITHOUT PULLING OUT MY HAIR. . I AM SO GRATEFUL TO THE BOTH OF THEM FOR MAKING THIS REPORT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND .  SO THANK YOU BROTHER AND SISTER  HOPEGOOD FOR MAKING MY JOB MORE FUN.

FHE IS A GREAT NIGHT FOR A LOT A INTERACTION BETWEEN THE SINGLE ADULTS, IT ENCOURAGES  THEM TO MINGLE AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER. ON THIS NIGHT CHRIS ELTON HAD ASKED THE MISSIONARIES TO DIRECT THE ACTIVITY. THEY CHOOSE NO DRIBBLE BASKET BALL AND SPOONS-- WHICH IS FINDING A SERIES OF CARDS (IT IS DONE BY PASSING THE CARDS VERY RAPIDLY TO THE NEXT PERSON SO THEY CAN GET  4 OF A KIND CARDS),  AND AS SOON AS ONE PERSON HAS THAT SERIES OF CARDS THEY JUMP  FOR A SPOON  AND GRAB IT OFF THE TABLE. AFTER EVERYONE GRABS FOR A SPOON, THE ONE WHO DOES NOT GET ONE -- LOOSES. IT INVOLVES A LOT OF MOVING FAST, LAUGHING AND SCREAMING. OF COURSE WHAT EVENING DOES NOT HAVE REFRESHMENTS—SISTERS FRENCH AND HARRIS PROVIDED COOKIES AND MILK. IT WAS A VERY GOOD ACTIVITY.  WE STAYED AROUND AFTER THE LAST OF THE LARGE GROUP LEFT AND TALKED WITH ABOUT 8 YSA’S. IT IS FUN TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND SEE THEIR FACES AND LAUGH WITH THEM.  WE DID NOT ARRIVE HOME TILL ABOUT 10:45 PM -- OH WELL ISN'T THAT WHAT PEOPLE SAY WILL KEEP US YOUNG  NO SLEEP!!!

FRIDAY WE FINISHED ALL THE PAPER WORK  AT THE INSTITUTE AND  PICKED UP AN ARBY’S SANDWICH  AND A REDBOX MOVIE—THE IDENTICAL.  WE WENT TO THE APARTMENT AND JUST RELAXED EATING AND WATCHING THE MOVIE.  IT WAS A GREAT EVENING TO END THE WEEK. 

WE WENT TO THE CHURCH ON SATURDAY AND HELPED WITH THE MONTHLY CLEANING, THEY HAD ABOUT 8 PEOPLE COME AND THAT WAS A GOOD AMOUNT OF PEOPLE—THE WORK WAS DONE IN 1 1/2 HOURS. JUST AS THEY WERE FINISHING UP THE WORK, AND OF COURSE EATING BROWNIES, BRANDON AND MANDY  JUDD STOPPED BY  ON  THEIR WAY TO CLEARWATER FOR AN OVERNIGHTER AND INVITED US FOR A QUICK LUNCH WITH THEM.  WE ARE THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE SUCH GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEWS HERE IN FLORIDA THAT WE CAN ASSOCIATE WITH.