BLOG#37 JAN4

BLOG#37 DECEMBER 28-JAN 4TH

WE ARE STILL HAVING A GREAT TIME WITH THE MARRIOTT FAMILY WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM FOR 4 ½  MORE DAYS.  SO WITH THAT WE PACKED THE DAYS WITH FUN THINGS TO SEE AND DO.  

WE STARTED OUT THE WEEK WITH THE SABBATH OF COURSE. I WAS ABLE TO INTRODUCE MY FAMILY TO ALL THE YSA PEOPLE WHAT A NEAT EXPERIENCE THAT WAS.

WE THOUGHT THAT BUSCHE GARDENS WOULD BE FUN FOR ALL BUT DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OF THE 50,000 PEOPLE THAT  WERE AT THE BEACH THE SATURDAY BEFORE WAS NOW AT THE BUSCHE GARDENS.  WE DROPPED OFF STEVE AND TRICIA AND GIRLS AND WE STAYED HOME WITH SPENCER TILL THE LATE AFTERNOON WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT THE CROWDS WOULD HAVE GONE DOWN.  WRONG THEY JUST MULTIPLIED. WELL AT LEASE THEY SAW THE GARDENS, CHRISTMAS LIGHTS,ANIMALS, AND TWO OR THREE OF THE ROLLER COASTERS.  BY THE TIME WE CAME ALL WE COULD DO WAS WORK OUR WAY TO THE  TRAIN FOR  A FAMILY RIDE. SPENCER LOVED THAT EVEN IN THE DARK.

TUESDAY WE PLANNED ON GOING TO THE ORLANDO TEMPLE FORGETTING THAT THE TRAFFIC(50,000 PEOPLE) WOULD BE FOLLOWING US. IT DID AND IT TOOK US 2 HOURS TO GET THERE. BUT THIS PLACE WAS WORTH THE HASSLE. AS SOON AS WE ENTERED THE TEMPLE, THE QUIET SPIRIT FILLED OUT MINDS AND HEARTS.   I WATCHED SPENCER WHILE EVERYONE WENT TO THE BAPTISTERY. MY EXPERIENCE WITH SPENCER, HE IS OUR ANGEL, WAS JUST AS WONDERFUL AS BEING IN THE TEMPLE WITH THE GIRLS. ELDER JUDD WRITES,  “THE DIRECTOR OF THE BAPTISTERY WAS VERY KIND AND WORKED WITH US AND TWO OTHER FAMILIES TO ACCOMMODATE OUT NEEDS AND EXPEDITE THE WORK WE WANTED TO PERFORM. THE SPIRIT WAS SWEET AND WE ALL HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE TOGETHER. IT IS WONDERFUL THAT IN THIS AGE THE YOUTH CAN BE SO INVOLVED IN THE WORK FOR THE DEAD. I REFLECTED ON HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE I WAS THE AGE OF MADISEN, EMILY AND KATIE WHEN I CAN ONLY REMEMBER GOING TO THE TEMPLE FOR BAPTISMS ONLY ABOUT TWO TIMES. AS A SOCIETY AT LARGE HAS BECOME MORE WORLDLY, OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR YOUTH TO BE FOCUSED ON GREATER SPIRITUAL THINGS HAS INCREASED. WHAT A BLESSING FOR OUR YOUTH IN THIS CHALLENGING DAY. TRICIA AND THE GIRLS ALL WERE CONFIRMED FOR THE DEAD, STEVE PERFORMED THE CONFIRMATIONS AND I ASSISTED. STEVE BAPTIZED THE GIRLS, I RECORDED THE BAPTISMS AND TRICIA WATCHED THE WORK BEING DONE…….. THE DRIVE HOME WAS A JOYFUL ONE WITH THE GIRLS SINGING AS THEY DO OFTEN WHEN RIDING IN THE CAR TOGETHER. WHAT A GREAT MEMORY TO REFLECT ON: MADI, EMILY AND KATIE TALKING, SINGING AND LAUGHING ALL THE WAY BACK TO TAMPA. IT SEEMED LIKE THE CLOSER WE GOT TO HOME, THE MORE INTENSE THEIR INTERACTION BECAME. WHAT A GREAT TIME THAT WAS TO EXPERIENCE WHAT MARSHA AND I HAVE MISSED SO MUCH WHILE SERVING OUR MISSION. THIS IS ONE OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT  MADE THIS CHRISTMAS MORE JOYOUS THAN ANY MATERIAL GIFT COULD POSSIBLY DO.”

WE ALSO,WENT TO LETTUCE LAKE PARK FOR  A WALK THRU THE RESERVE TO SEE FLORIDA’S NATURAL SETTINGS, THE SWAMP AND EVERGLADE TYPE OF TERRAIN WITH ALL OF ITS WILDLIFE. AS WE WALKED ON THE BOARDWALK,EXPERIENCING A MISTY RAIN, OUR GOAL WAS TO SEE AT LEAST ONE ALLIGATOR IN THE WILD. THANKS TO STEVE’S SHARP EYE, WE DID SEE ONE ALLIGATOR WHICH MADE THE WALK WORTH THE EFFORT.  SPENCER REFUSED TO GET OUT OF THE TRUCK SO I STAYED BEHIND WITH HIM.  IT TOOK ME ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO CONVINCE HIM TO WALK ON THE ROCKY PATH JUST TO THE  PICNIC SHELTER.  WE HAD FUN TALKING AND SEEING SOME OF THE PLANT LIFE WHILE WE WAITED TO SURPRISE THE FAMILY. WE ALSO WENT TO THE LOWRY PARK ZOO. WE RENTED A WHEELCHAIR FOR SPENCER AND PRAYED THAT HE WOULD RIDE IN IT.  HE DID AND HE EVEN ENJOYED IT. IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER BECAUSE WE COULD ALL BE TOGETHER. IT IS A KID FRIENDLY EXHIBITION WHICH THE KIDS REALLY ENJOYED AND EVEN SPENCER GAVE US SOME BIG SMILES AS HE WATCHED THE VARIOUS ANIMALS AND INTERACTED WITH SOME LIKE THE MANATEES, GOATS AND GIRAFFES. WE TOOK A SAFARI TRAIN RIDE THRU PART OF THE ZOO WHICH SPENCER ALSO ENJOYED. IT WAS A NICE CLOSE TO THE ACTIVITIES WE HAD PLANNED FOR OUR WEEK TOGETHER.  ELDER JUDD, MADI, AND I, WENT TO THE YSA’S NEW YEAR’S EVE DANCE LATER IN THE EVENING TO HELP WITH THE MIDNIGHT BREAKFAST. THE BREAKFAST WAS REALLY GOOD. SISTER BURNS FIXED BACON CREPES FRUIT A BREAKFAST CASSEROLE. IT WAS TRULY A MIDNIGHT FEAST AND I JUST ENJOYED TAKING IT TO THE TABLES.

WE ALL SLEPT IN THE NEXT DAY AND THEN BEGAN GETTING READY TO TAKE THE FAMILY BACK TO THE AIRPORT FOR THEIR FLIGHT HOME.  IT WAS A WONDERFUL 10 DAYS TOGETHER WHICH STRENGTHENED OUR FAMILY TIES AND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER.

FRIDAY THE APARTMENT WAS LIKE A MORGUE AFTER THE BUSY HOLIDAY. WE DID GO TO THE INSTITUTE TO START GETTING READY FOR THE NEW SEMESTER. IT WAS A VERY QUIET  DAY AND EVENING SO WE WATCHED A  MOVIE AND JUST RELAXED.

FAST MEETING WAS REALLY GOOD TODAY. WE HAD SPECIAL TESTIMONIES FROM ABOUT 20  YOUNG PEOPLE.  IT IS ALSO  FAST-FEAST—A MEAL TO BREAK THE FAST AFTER THE MEETINGS ARE OVER WITH. I MADE A COOKIE SHEET OF LEMON BARS AND A CROCK-POT OF SPAGHETTI FOR THE DINNER .  THE YSA REALLY LOVES THESE MEALS—EVERYONE BRINGS FOOD. AT TIMES WE WONDER IF THEY WILL HAVE  ENOUGH FOR THE 50 OR SO PEOPLE.  IT IS LIKE THE FEEDING OF THE 5000 IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE ENOUGH BUT ALWAYS END UP HAVING MORE THAN WE ALL CAN EAT. 

ELDER JUDD:  WE HAVE LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS ON OUR MISSION. THE TIME HAS GONE BY SO FAST. AT THIS POINT I WOULD DESCRIBE THIS EXPERIENCE AS ONE OF THE TOP TEN OF MY LIFE. ONE OF THE REASONS HAS TO BE SHARING THIS EXPERIENCE WITH MARSHA. WE HAVE GROWN CLOSER TOGETHER AND INCREASED IN APPRECIATION OF THE GOSPEL SO MUCH. SERVING A MISSION AT THIS TIME IN OUR LIVES IS A RICH AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE THAT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE A SACRIFICE AT ALL IN SO MANY WAYS.

I AGREE WITH ELDER JUDD – IT HAS BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE!