11/18/2018 Gator Game in the Swamp, Baptism, Missionaries, Michael

One of the items on my Florida bucket list was to be able to go to a football game in "The Swamp," as they affectionately call their football stadium.  Nice to have those missionary tags.

One of our friends has tickets given to him for his business and he gave us tickets on the Alumni side,  40 yard line.  It was like my dad's NFR Rodeo tickets.  Their band has 360 members and they perform at every home game and also across the US at away games and other events.  In 2012 they went to England to participate in the summer Olympics opening ceremonies.  We posted pictures of the band a few weeks ago as they marched from campus to the stadium.  This time we got to watch them march into the stadium.  It is very impressive and touching.

Because it was homecoming, they had the Alumni band play with them, dressed in the orange.  They even had the flag girls - who may no longer be "girls" but have not lost their talent.  We took this during the halftime show.

After they have marched across the field playing the fight song and the school song, they go into their formations - UF  (the stands are just filling up - was full by the game)

then Florida

then they spell Gators, one letter at a time.  Sad to say we did not win, but still it was very fun to be there.  The fans get loud and very excited.

Jada, who has been seriously investigating for six months was baptized Saturday.  She has wanted to be baptized for a couple of months, but goes back to Jacksonville to work with her father and you have to attend three Sacrament meetings and be able to continue going.  She bore her testimony about how the gospel had filled the hole in her heart that came when her mother died.  She is in Mike's Wednesday Institute class and it is great to hear her insightful comments, she knows more than we would expect her to at this point - she does have a believing heart.

One of the fun things we do ever six weeks is have a "transfer dinner" at our apartment for the 8 -10 missionaries in our zone before some of them are transferred out.  They just have the regular one-hour dinner time, so after they eat, we have each either tell something they have learned during this transfer or a scripture they like and why - or something like that.  It is touching and testimony building to hear each them and to see the growth of testimony that comes.  We should have two sisters - see the empty chairs - but they were caught in traffic.

The Thursday before the dinner, we take the missionaries from here who are either at their half-way or the end of their missions and meet up with all the others at the Orlando temple.  We have posted pictures of this before.  Not only is it a delight to be able to do a temple session, but we see missionaries we have served with and have been transferred.  This is Elder Birch who was a trainee not so long ago at the YSA Branch.  

The mission just replaced all of the kitchen everything - pots, pans silverware, plates, tupperware, knives, kitchen utensils..etc. etc. etc.  - with new in every apartment in the mission.  They even have a Ninja blender and George Foreman grill in every apartment.  What was taken out of the apartments they brought over here - and there was a lot - and we went through it, keeping anything that would upgrade the things we have in the Institute.  Goodwill got their share and then we put the good things out for the students to take.  There were some good items, blenders among them, and it was fun for the kids to take what they needed.  This is after some of the things had been taken.

Because there are no classes and most students are gone, we have permission to go to Fort Eustis, Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with our grandson (Aaron's) Michael.  He only has Thursday and Friday but we are hoping for a base pass Saturday morning so we can spend time with him on base before we go back.  And we are grateful for his willingness to serve his country.

We echo Vinnie's words -We are grateful for all our blessings and our friends and family.  May the Spirit of our Father in Heaven warm your hearts as this season of thankfuness and love of our savior cover all the earth upon all those who worship Him.