2/18/2017 Churches, Fog and Spring

     We like that Florida is a state full of churches, large and small, plain and ornate, on major streets or back roads and often they are fairly close together.  This time, taking pictures of "every squirrel at the Grand Canyon" brings a fun variety.  Usually we have to get the picture as we drive by, but for the first one we were able to stop so we have the sign and the church - it is right off the highway and is beautiful.   So here is a small sample:

 

 

                                                 

way back in the trees

Not Florida obviously - but such a beautiful picture of the St. George Temple.    

We have had quite a bit of fog during the mornings this last week.  It gives a quiet, peaceful sound to everything, even the cars seem a bit muffled.  The last two pictures are the same location, just a day apart.  Today it was clear.

 

You think BYU has tight parking - this is across the street from us - lots and lots of curb parking
Bottom picture - mopeds, mopeds and mopeds, there are several parking lots just for these.

  

The roots come up through the ground and almost make steps in this very short hill we climb from the shortcut trail to the junior high track as we start back home from our morning walk. 

 Bamboo tree 

 

 Service project at the Episcopalian Church - all missionaries except the one in blue in the middle who is also in the next picture with Mike.

 

Before

 After

 One of our daily tender mercies is that we live in a good apartment building, evidenced by this sign in the exercise facility.

 Finally some of the warm weather Florida is supposed to have.  One weather screen on our phones show Saratov Russia and where all of our children live.

And spring is coming

 The lighter green is the new growth

The branch had an activity they called Super Smash Brothers .. an amazing variety of old and new video games .. and the biggest pizza we had seen ... which didn't last long.

 

This was posted by John-Evan's good friend Meghan Petterson Pringle (daughter of Dan and Ann Petterson who had the market in the middle of Mesquite for several years) 

 Couldn't resist this one - Jessi Tedrow and Allison Dorothy Waite

 Guess nobody ever gets too old to pop the air bags that come in packages. They work hard, good to watch them have fun with such a simple thing.

Elaine May - Secretary for the Institute.  We left her a Valentine treat the night before and she heard us coming up the stairs the next morning, cute way to say thanks.

   Sorry to end on a sad note, two LDS girls from the same ward were victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.  Alaina Petty, a 14 year old freshman,  the same age as three of our granddaughters, was killed. The other, Madeleine Wilford, a junior on the Eagles basketball team and scheduled to play in a basketball regional quarterfinal Thursday, was shot numerous times.  The bullets went through her back, crushing her ribs, piercing her right lung and exiting her stomach but damaging no major organs.  Several bullets went through the shoulder and traveled the length of her right arm before exiting.  After several surgeries she is in stable condition and they are expecting complete recovery.  Both girls have other siblings who were in the school at the time of the shooting.

 

  President and Melania Trump visited Maddy in the hospital - 

We have been reading Changed Through His Grace by Brad Wilcox - a book we recommend to y'all.  The following is taken from that book:  

     Earth life was never meant to be a perpetual Garden of Eden or a twenty-four-hour amusement park.  It is a school, and sometimes the best teachers are the hardest ones, and the most important courses are required rather than electives.  Lessons that don't challenge us rarely change us.  "The overarching purpose of Heavenly Father's great plan of happiness is to provide His spirit children with opportunities to learn.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ and the agency it afforded...are divinely designed to facilitate our learning." Elder Bednar

     Our experiences here have strengthened our testimonies and  deepened our love and appreciation for our Savior and the sacrifice He made for us.  We are grateful for the promise of this scripture - it seems that peace is becoming a rare commodity, but we can find it if we do what He asks. 

Learn of me, and listen to my words; 

walk in the meekness of my Spirit and you shall have peace in me.

D&C 19:23

(Our love and appreciation to y'all)