Week Fifteen

Here are a few more pictures from last sunday that we didn't get posted until now. We went with the other senior missionaries to Pres Berry's house for lunch and to watch the afternoon session of the LDS general conference together. Uplifting in every respect!  

Pres Berry grilling chicken & pineapple

Sis Danes playing hymns before conf.

Eating, talking, and watching general conference at the Berry's

Orlando LDS temple at night

After conference we drove by the Orlando LDS temple on the way home and took this night picture of it. They keep it well-lit, so its brightness contrasts nicely with the dark sky. 

Acorns on the sidewalk

It's fall, so temperatures are around 70 at night and just below 90 in the daytime. We see lots of acorns on the ground now, which the squirrels seem to like a lot. 

Stashed backpack

There are a lot of homeless and other street people in certain areas. Some seem to be by choice and others are truly destitute or incapable of normal functions. I noticed this stash in the bushes behind a clinic while waiting for Sis Nielson to finish some medical business.

The Busaths, Sis Nielson, Sis Pike, Sis Brown

Basic furniture setup

Thursday we helped move furniture into a new apartment for the Hansens, a senior couple arriving to start their mission. Sisters Brown & Pike helped with the move-in. Sis Busath found some more furnishings for them besides the basics shown here.

Sis Nielson and miss'y car - she liked

Slys Towing truck

Friday we went to the Hospital in Ocoee to pick up a CD of x-ray files to send to Salt Lake, after which we planned to work in the mission office until time for the MLC meeting with Elder Soares & Elder Munns in the afternoon. It didn't go as planned. The car wouldn't start after getting the CD. A lady next to us in the parking lot helped jump it, but still didn't start (but gave a pass-along card). I went across the street to WalMart and bought a new battery and installed it, but still didn't start. Then googled a repair shop, who recommended Sly Towing service to get us there. We called him & he loaded us up & took us to the shop in Winter Garden, FL. Didn't get a picture except of his truck after unloading at the shop. He's a nice guy and a good person. We talked about the LDS church and his Baptist church, found a lot of common understanding, and left a pass-along card. The shop guy said our starter motor failed and needed replacement. We pre-paid so he could fix it and leave the keys and receipt locked inside. Elder Busath came and took us in to the mission office, where we borrowed a new missionary car (< 20 mi) to get to the MLC meeting. 

Florida Orlando Mission Leadership Council with Elder Soares and Elder Munns at the right

Elder Costa, Elder Soares, and us.

The MLC meeting was great -- introductions of every missionary and some good informal discussions of how the work's going and things we can do to improve it. Elder Soares had great insight for these young missionary leaders to improve their work and lead the way to strengthen all of their missionaries. During the introductions, I spoke about us in portuguese, and Elder Soares responded in portuguese that his wife was from Sao Paulo, in Ala 2, near the time when I was there. Afterward got this picture of Elder Costa (from Sao Paulo) and us with Elder Soares. Elder Costa is a zone leader now up in the Leesburg Zone. 

Elder and Sis Hansen, arriving from Utah

We went to the mission office after the MLC and met the Hansens, who had just arrived. They talked to Pres Berry and then headed out to their new area in Titusville. We went down to Lake Eola with the Berrys and ate our linner sandwiches with them on some park benches. Had a great time, watching the sunset and taking a few pictures. 

President and Sister Berry by Lake Eola

Swan on Lake Eola

We had a great visit, and in walking out, also had a good visit with a young man walking his dog. He lives with his wife in the Lake Eola neighborhood, but they're looking to soon move further from the city center. We talked about our missions, and left him a pass-along card. 

The colored fountain at sunset on Lake Eola