First Week in Florida

We have had an interesting week and have learned a lot about our mission and what we will be doing the next two months while we are in Plantation, FL. On arriving Friday afternoon, we were met by the Elder and Sister Dalling (Office Senior Missionaries) who helped us into our apartment and then Sister Hale (our Mission Presidents wife) came over with a big basket full of fruits, juice, goodies, etc.). She is so sweet and enthusiastic. Later that evening we took the Dalling's and Kynaston's out to dinner. Saturday we spent organizing our apartment and getting some food and were invited to dinner at the Dalling's (and the Kynaston's were also there). We laughed a lot, but also discussed some serious things about our past Church service and families. On Sunday, we attended the Ft. Lauderdale ward. It was great. It is a very diverse ward. Bishop Bethel and his second counselor Brother Brown are black and the 1st counselor is of American Indian decent. We sat by Sister Kennedy (a single expectant mother) who is getting back into activity and got to know her. The Gospel Essential's class was special. There a lot of investigators, missionaries and members. One lady told about the day of her baptism and how her deceased husband and son came to her and smiled at her. After the baptism and on the way home, she was told by the Kynastons that she could be sealed to them and she expressed her joy in learning that. Another investigator stood up in priesthood meeting and said he had been looking for God's church and that he had found it. Sunday evening, we had a wonderful dinner at President and Sister Hale's home. Their family and the assistants to the President were also there. Our Mission President is a wonderful, dedicated man and his wife has gone out of her way to learn all of the missionaries name and their background. She know a lot about us. After dinner we discussed our assignment for the next two months and had a wonderful experience talking to a young man who was home teaching their daughter, Heather, and one of the Hale's sons Spencer (14) about patriarchal blessings. On Tuesday, Sister Hale spoke to the missionaries at our Zone Development Meeting and complimented our unified effort in teaching them and on the spirit that was there.

The rest of the week we were given experiences to get us familiar with the mission and get some on the job training. We attended the Zone meeting and the training was on companionships and unity. We visited 4 or 5 missionary apartments with the Kynaston's who are in charge of apartment inspection. The spirit of the missionaries was incredible. They a full of so much energy, even at 7 in the morning. The Kynaston's brought them treats and cleaning supplies. One of the apartments had a set of Sister. The Kynaston's brought them an electric air freshener they had asked for. They told us that periodically that their apartment smelled like urine, sometimes like smoke and other times like "the Elder smell". We all had a good laugh. We also visited the Mission office and met the office missionaries and were told how the mission office functions. We then had an interview with Pres. Hale which was special. He has so much on his plate, yet is a very kind and thoughtful. On Thursday and Friday, we traveled to Coconut Beach north of us and went visiting with Elder and Sister Bean (another couple missionaries) who have really done a great job fellowshipping less active members, teaching new member discussions, teaching a temple class and going a lot of nice things for the members and the missionaries. We hope we can follow their example. The rest of the week we worked on the Daily Dose English effort and organized some visits and training the President has asked us to do throughout the mission. We will be attending all the Zone and District Development meetings throughout the mission each week and we will also be working in the Ft. Lauderdale ward the next two months on reactivation and leadership training. We will learn more next week when we meet with Bishop Bethel and President Hale.