BLOG#36 DECEMBER 28

 BLOG #36 DECEMBER 22-28

THIS IS THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS AND FAMILY. WE WISH THAT ALL OF OUR FAMILY COULD BE HERE----NOW THAT WOULD BE FUN, BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY WILL HAVE A GOOD TIME WHERE EVER THEY ARE.

LAST FRIDAY WE SPENT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME HELPING TO PREPARE A LETTER TO SEND OUT TO ALL THE BISHOPS AND STAKE PRESIDENTS TO HELP ENCOURAGE ALL THE YSA IN THEIR AREA TO COME AND PARTICIPATE IN THE INSTITUTE PROGRAM. MONDAY WE STUFFED ENVELOPES AND ADDRESSED THEM- IT TOOK ALL MORNING WHY I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE WE ARE JUST SLOW.  WE JUST PRAY THAT IT WILL REACH THE RIGHT PERSON SO THAT IT WILL ENCOURAGE THE YSA TO COME AND BE STRENGTHEN IN THE GOSPEL.

WE DID NOT HAVE FHE THIS WEEK SO WE DECIDED TO TAKE A SMALL TRIP UP TO PORT RICHEY—ABOUT 1 HOUR FROM OUR APARTMENT-- TO VISIT BOB AND JANICE JEANS. IT WAS A DELIGHT TO BE WITH THIS FAMILY. ELDER JUDD BAPTIZED THIS COUPLE 49 YEARS AGO IN CHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. ALL OF THEIR 5 CHILDREN AND THEIR GRAND-CHILDREN ARE STILL ACTIVE. WE HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING ABOUT THE BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL IN OUR LIVES AND THE DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE IN THE QUALITY AND PEACE OF THE LIFE WE ENJOY. SISTER JEANS ASKED ELDER JUDD TO SHARE THE PRESENTATION ON JERUSALEM THAT HE DID IN HER WARD WHEN THEY WERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THIS LAST FALL.  IT WAS GREAT EVENING THAT WE SPENT TOGETHER AND ONE THAT WE WILL CHERISH FOR A LONG TIME. THIS WAS ANOTHER “TENDER MERCY” THAT THE LORD HAS GIVEN US ON OUR MISSION---TO BE ABLE TO SPEND TIME WITH THE JEANS AND MANY OF THEIR CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN WHILE SERVING HERE IN THE TAMPA MISSION.

WELL WE CLEANED AGAIN AND FINISHED THE SHOPPING AND BORROWED 3 AIR MATTRESSES FROM THE MISSION FOR 3 OF THE KIDS..  WE ARE GETTING REALLY EXCITED. OUR APARTMENT IS SMALL BUT IT WILL BE OK.  WE WILL HAVE THE ROOM THAT IS NEEDED FOR THIS TIME.

 WE LEFT EARLY TO GO TO THE AIRPORT TO GO AND PICK UP THE CHEVROLET SUBURBAN.  IT WAS BRAND NEW WITH ONLY 643 MILES ON IT. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS LIKE DRIVING A BUS, WE WERE COMFORTABLE IN IT, AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ALL GO TOGETHER ON OUR OUTINGS.  WE WAITED FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS AT THE AIRPORT IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FAMILY TO ARRIVE.  JUST AS THE BOARD AT THE CELL PHONE WAITING PARKING LOT STATED THAT THE PLANE ARRIVED THE CAR NEXT TO US BATTERY WENT DEAD.  WHAT A DECISION TO HELP OR NOT TO HELP ----THE KIDS ARE WAITING‼  WE ENDED UP HELPING AND DOING A GOOD DEED AND IT ONLY TOOK A MINUTE OR TWO TO HELP THIS COUPLE BE ABLE TO GO GET THEIR KIDS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. IT WAS A  GOOD THING TO HELP AND IT ONLY TOOK A MOMENT.  WE DROVE DOWN TO THE ARRIVAL GATE WHERE THE FAMILY WAS WAITING AND SPENCER JUMPED INTO MY CAR AND THE GIRLS JUMPED INTO THE SUBURBAN. WE TALKED TILL ABOUT 1 AM AND WERE SO THRILLED THAT THEY WERE HERE.

DURING THE END OF THIS WEEK, WE CELEBRATED THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR, HAD A CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST, A CHRISTMAS DINNER FOR THE FAMILY AND  FOR THE MISSIONARIES, WENT TO THE M.O.S.I. MUSEUM WHICH IS DEVOTED TO PRESENT THE WONDERS OF THE WORLDS IN WAYS YOUNG PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND AND BE MOTIVATED TO LEARN MORE--SPENCER LOVED THE FULL SIZED MODEL OF A DEEP SEA SCIENCE SUBMARINE(HE WAS MESMERIZED BY THIS),  WENT TO THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM—WE TOUCHED LIVE SEA RAYS AS THEY SWIM BY, AND WENT TO THE SIESTA KEY BEACH NEAR SARASOTA ALONG WITH 50,000 OTHER BEACH GOERS—THE BEACH WAS ONE OF THE FAVORITES OF THE MARRIOTTS, SPENCER LOVED KICKING THE WAVES AND GIRLS LOVED THE COOL WATER AND SEA SHELLS—WE ALL LOVED THE SUNSET. GOD KNOWS HOW TO MAKE THE PRETTIEST SKIES. 

WHEW‼ WHAT A ENDING TO THE WEEK.  WE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.