Fun Time in Miami

On preparation day which was Tuesday last week, we spent several hours at a place called Bayside Market and Marina just east of downtown Miami. It was a pleasant day starting in the high 60's and ending in the mid-70's. We looked around a number of shops, got some nachos and went on an 1 1/2 hour boat ride around Biscayne Bay. We got to see a large cruise ship and a large container freighter being unloaded by a huge crane and the skyline of the skyscrapers in Miami was impressive. We even saw a dolphin in the water. They also cruised around several man-made islands with homes of the rich and famous. We got a place at the back of the boat and really enjoyed the sunshine. We then drove home along the 1A1 highway and got so see the ocean.

We also had fun at a luncheon with President and Sister Hale and two of the Hale children and all 5 of the Senior Couples. We had a fun visit and also talked about some upcoming events that the Senior Couples will help out with, including, the Finishers dinner, the upcoming Zone Conferences and some special training from the MTC on Preach My Gospel. President Hale also told us a very interesting story about our Area Authority Seventy who had previously served as a Mission President in Africa and while out in a remote area their Jeep hit a large pot hole and skidded on its side. His arm was between the side of the Jeep and the ground and all the flesh was removed from one side of his arm. The nearest facility was about one hour away. The doctor who treated him saw his name tag and asked him if he was a member of the LDS church. He then explained that all of the medical equipment he was using had been donated by the the LDS church. Our Area Seventy acknowledged it as a tender mercy from the Lord and the reason he still has his arm, although it is still very deformed.

In addition to the fun, we did a lot of the same things i.e. apartment inspections on Saturday, Daily Dose, Chapel Cards and Elder Black worked a lot on the computer. President Hale mention about all the church is doing in Haiti. He said that the church had chartered every available cargo plane in the West to transport relief supplies. We were told by some of our Creole speaking missionaries that all of the chapels in Haiti survived the earthquake, but very few other churches are standing. Some of our missionaries will be helping load cargo planes. A large number of Haitian orphans have been placed in the South Florida area. The local stakes filled a large shipping container this week and they were able to direct it to the church leaders in Haiti. There have been so many wonderful stories that we have been hearing about the generosity of people. One set of missionaries said that a Jewish man had chartered a plane to evacuate a family. When they got here, he came to the Elders and said that his plate was too full and would they find a place for the refugee family to live. The bishop in the ward was willing to rent the family an apartment at the Church's expense. Out of these tragedies come many opportunities when people's hearts are changed.