12.31/2017 Palm Trees, Pinecones, Bats and Alligators, Etc

(As a note, I did go back and correct the mistakes in the dates at the beginning of the last post. and this blog also has pictures and places visited from early December - still catching ya'all up.)

 Mike and I took our Sunday walk down by the Hailey Foundation Equestrian Centre, which is a little less than a mile from where we live.  It is a beautiful facility.  They cover almost anything you can think of where horses are concerned.  I even wondered about horseback riding - and their website says you can ride - $40 for 30 minutes "leisurely walking rides in our riding arena."  After riding in the fields and hills and swales in Snowflake, going to Baldy with Dad, Spud, Uncle Lynn and the boys, and riding in Hawaii with John-Evan, Rachel, David and Dad (below-April 2013), it isn't even slightly tempting.   It did finally warm back up a bit today - hot to all of you in Utah - it has been in the 40's, but was 64 this afternoon.  (1.1.2018 - it is 42, temperature drops through the day)

We walked into the area across the street from the Equestrian Centre where they have a nice housing development.  The trees behind Mike are very tall, but almost seem to have not anything but the spidery moss on them; but, they don't seem so eerie anymore.

There are palm trees and other trees that don't look like any pine tree we've ever seen, but you can see the ground is covered with pine cones and needles.  

 Our sky view on the way back, another one of those "please the eye and gladden the heart" scenes

 Back in our apartment, one of our bits of home - thanks to Jon Felix and family for the beautiful family proclamation - it is different than what most have.  We get a lot of  good comments.  The "Liahona" was brought back from Israel by David Stratton, the picture is by a good friend in Russia.

 They have some fun speed limit signs here -- the first is a freeway sign, the next on a side road.

One afternoon a few weeks ago, after we got through at the Institute we went down to Lake Alice to see the alligators.  They usually stay in the water although there are reports and pictures and videos of them - one where the alligator came up where a group of students were having a picnic - and it went after their lunch, and got it - uncontested. 

Mike is standing by the lake -- you can see the posted sign better in the next picture.

 

 

You can barely see the gator's eyes and nose, enough for us, and the turtle at the bottom of the water.

 

 THE BAT HOUSE - The university has the largest occupied bat houses, not sure why that is such a great thing, but here are some fun facts for those who might be interested - as some of our grandchildren will be.

Estimated population: 400,000 bats

Capacity of Bat House and Bat Barn: 750,000 bats 

Nightly insect consumption:  2.5 billion insects (more than 2,500 pounds)

Types of insects consumed: Moths, beetles, mosquitoes, flies, gnats, leafhoppers, midges, winged ants and many other pests of lawns, shrubs, trees, crops and humans 😋 (it really says that)

       There are almost always people there to watch.  They (the bats, not the people) "emerge during a 15-20 minute period after sunset on warm evenings when temperatures are above 65 F.  High winds, heavy rain or cold temperatures will keep the bats in the house for the evening.  On warm winter evenings, the bats may come out for a drink of water at the lake and exercise; however they can eat only when bugs are flying."

      Then, it says "bats may swoop near those observing to eat insects attracted to the carbon dioxide in human breath.  However, they will not attack or harm people when left alone." Still we plan to see them sometime.  We didn't know that bats exercised .. 

Will end this blog by jumping back to our visit to the UF Stadium, not long after we came.  It has come to affectionately be known as The Swamp. 

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the largest football stadium in Florida, the 12th largest stadium in American college football, and the 18th largest stadium in the world, as measured by its official seating capacity of 88,548 - though it has often held over 90,000 for Florida's home football games.

 During football season you cannot go on to the field, but this was right after.  

The missionaries with an investigator - they went to the stadium and ran the stands. They quite enjoy those proselyting moments.

When we told the missionaries

 we had been on the field they decided to do their morning frisby game exercise on the field -- they go about 6:30 and made it for about an hour before they were asked to leave.

This is in front of the stadium     

 The mascot in front of the administration building.  It is fun seeing part of the "history" of UF.

All of these things bring us an attachment to UF - we do miss you but are so very, very grateful that we are able to be here.  

D&C 128:19-22 - Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received?  A voice of gladness! ... shall we not go on in so great a cause?  Go forward and now backward.  Courage .. and on, on to the Victory.  

12/3/2017 - 12/18/2017 Part II and to 12/22/2017

12/25/2017 - Good Christmas - we were able to Facetime with all children/grandchildren.  Grateful for technology. 

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So, on with the story..  First, some fun facts on Gainesville:

Basically our week is at the Institute from 10-4, except Tuesday and Wednesday when there is a night class and then we are there until about 9 because we fix a light meal before class for the Institute students.  We have a Tuesday-Thursday day class - 45 minutes each, and a Wednesday night class that is an hour and a half.  President Janson teaches the Monday-Wednesday day and Tuesday night class.  Also we prepare a light meal for the Institute students before the Tuesday and Wednesday evening classes.  Mike does most of the teaching and Lynnette does most of the cooking.  We also attend and, when needed, help with the YSA activities.  We do enjoy the young people that are here.

Aaron sent us a Nevada cutting board and we got a wooden Florida.  Mike has set up this bulletin board in our office with Nevada/Family pictures and Florida/Missionaries we serve with pictures. It can change - and did with this last transfer. 

One of the things we were able to do before the last transfer was go with the district to get the rolled ice cream they are always talking about.  

You order base, mix-ins and toppings.  They pour the base on what has to be a very, very cold metal plate and then chop in the mix-ins. 

When it is frozen, and it doesn't take very long, they scrape it up in sections which roll up 

and then serve it with the toppings. 

  It is definitely a college hangout. The wall is covered with sticky notes that people have left notes on.  Sister Armstrong left a missionary note.

Because we don't have students over the Christmas break, we volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House.  They put us over the toy room.  Stores, organizations and individuals contribute good toys and gifts for all ages.  We helped organize them and then were there a couple of hours each day to help the families staying there choose gifts.  The parents usually come in and are able to choose three gifts for each patient, usually in the hospital,  and two for each sibling staying at the house with the family.  Then the parents or grandparents don't have to go out shopping - which they usually don't have time to do anyway.  It was a fun experience.  We will probably do it again next year.  

They even have a Santa come in -- and his suit is blue and orange - the University of Florida colors.

One afternoon a family came in that was at the RMcHouse last year .. they called them the quad squad.  Quadruplets born a couple months early, 3 girls and a boy, from a natural pregnancy.  The father was from Tanzania, Africa and the mother from Florida.  They were living in Africa but came here to have the babies because of the hospital.  The mother's father still lives here.  They live in Africa.  Cute, cute kids.

Just pictures of some buildings across from the RonMcD House - interesting architecture.

Sunday, the 17th, the YSA branch was assigned to help with a Christmas program at Tacachale,   (pronounced Talk-a-chal-e), an adult development disability facility.  On the way back we saw people in medieval armor, looked like they were practicing for something.  They were just finishing up so we stopped.  Apparently there are groups throughout all the states that do this.  

  The mail/armor is made out of titanium so it is lighter, although the full suit he said was still about 40 pounds.  The helmet is 10 pounds, but he said most of that weight is on your shoulders, not on your head.  It was fairly cool outside, but the thick cloth coverings on his arms were soaked through with sweat.  Probably a pretty good workout.  (I tried to intersperse this exciting dialog throughout the pictures, but it didn't work - so you get to read this all and then look at the pictures.)  He designed the crest on the back of his suit.   We did get to explain that we were missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  As a fun sidenote - he looked and talked a bit like our Jonathan Leavitt, although not as handsome.  

They posed this for us - normally they would both be in the armor.

My Christmas gift from Mike for quite a few years has been a shopping trip for a new outfit.  He doesn't take a book or stay in the car and nap.  We can go into as many stores as I want and try on as many things as I want even if we end up coming back to what we looked at first.  It is always fun, even for him, at least he says it is and says that like he means it.  He most always made good choices when he did it by himself, but this is more fun and the sizes are always right.

We will close this blog with one of our "tender mercies."  Taken from Mike's writing:    Lynnette and I took the Christmas boxes to Emmanuels (he is one of our Institute students).  He lives with his family, grandfather, uncle, cousins in a mobile home park quite a ways out of town - just beyond the airport.  We talked of taking it tomorrow, knowing that he worked at Walmart until 11:00 and thinking he would be home in the morning.  But we thought, even if we leave it with his mom, we would take a chance and go tonight.  We found the place about dusk.  Standing in front of the single wide home was a strong looking black man, who responded as soon as we asked about Emmanuel. They call him "Manny." 

As it turned out, today was a day off.  He works the rest of the week.  It was his grandfather who brought him out so we got to meet the very kind grandfather who now has twenty grandchildren that live close or with them.  Some of them were playing baseball on a tennis court across the street that was set up for every sport.  We also met Emmanuel's uncle, who said the kids played all the sports from young.  "Keeps them out of trouble," he added.  (So the grandfather and uncle and I talked about children and grandchildren while Mike talked with Emmanuel.  They had Christmas lights strung around a small spot at the front of the mobile home and turned them on for us .. just warm tender feelings being there.)

Emmanuel came out and gratefully took the two boxes of food.  I wondered how he got to the institute, living as far away as he did.  Ben, the Elder's Quorum President takes him, but he said he would be getting a bike so he would be able to ride.  He had a bike but someone stole it when he was at work.  He said he saw it today and recognized it, but thought that the boy probably needed it more than he did, which tells you what kind of a young man he is, because they don't have much.  Today was a blessed meeting and a tender mercy.

12/3/2017 to 12/18/2017 (part 1)

That exciting title should attract a lot of interested readers.  Our mission is the Florida Jacksonville mission which, excluding the panhandle, is northern Florida and part of southern Georgia. 

Jacksonville is indicated by the red dot.  Our specific assignment is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute in the city of Gainesville, which is right under the word "Florida" on the map.  The Institute includes University of Florida and Santa Fe College which are both in Gainesville plus any young adults ages 18-30  that live within a very wide radius.  We are located right across from University of Florida (go Gators) .

Here is your history lesson for the day.  The picture below is why the northwestern part of Florida is called "The Panhandle."  It looks like one - but we didn't realize it until we were driving across that part on our way here.

We take these on our morning walks - they are not casual strolls but good exercise as I try to keep up with Mike.  It is interesting because we are not used to many of the things we see.  The air this day was very thick with a misty fog, nice to always see the sun coming through - true of life too.

the moss on the trees has its own beauty, but it isn't liked by the people, it is a parasite like mistletoe.

We like this neighbor's fun tree with natural unibrow and mouth.

Coming back from somewhere - we saw something else we aren't used to seeing except at the NFR - a field of Brahmas.  Then today we saw 5 or 6 lined up feeding, but passed before we could get a picture.

 

We have been to Bostwick, FLwhich is about an hour and a half east, to see Ben and Darlene (Ramsey) Wilkinson.  Darlene is a lifelong more than good friend.  We grew up together in Snowflake, Arizona and went to school together from first grade through a couple of years at ASU and a semester at BYU.  She went back to ASU to finish and I graduated from BYU.  (not sure why you needed all that extra information.. but oh well, you know I'm a rambler.) They have lived there almost forever and when they retired some years ago they bought the little ranch across the road from their home and now have Lone Branch Ranch where they raise Black Angus.  Their children and grandchildren are involved in the work - a magical place to learn how to do a great variety of things.

 On our way we stopped at Salvation Army to see if we could find some ornaments for our tree - guess what Mike walked to first ..

 But we did find this cool red bear that reminded us of the bears Debbra Lee used to give us for Christmas -  

 and a box of the red and white Christmas balls for $2.00.  That combined with the ornaments that the Laurel class from home (Bunkerville) sent us makes a tree that makes you happy just to look at it.

But not quite as happy as this picture makes us>

This was the beautiful sunset as we drove from Darlene's.  We love our beautiful world.  How true is D&C 59:18-20 - Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart...for food and for rainment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul...And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man.

Josh was one of the first people we met at the Institute - he served his mission in California.  Funny how that sounds close to us but sounds like a foreign country to Floridians.  He is great - friendly to all and very well liked, teaches Sunday School

This is Josh at the YSA Christmas party with three of our Elders- from l to r - Elder Masino from one of the areas in California where the wildfires have been - but their home is OK.  Elder Jheng from Taiwan (and who has learned quite good English in the 15 months he has been here) and Elder Kautai (pronounced Cow-tie).  We loved him from the first because he reminded us of our Fisos from home.  He is actually from Texas.  

Now a great story about Elder Masino's sister Camille (below with her husband) "was born with Goldenhar Syndrome. She had fused vertebrae in the neck making it difficult to turn her head, as well as deformation of the outer and middle ear which caused her to suffer from severe hearing loss in her right ear. Her childhood was filled with constant trips in and out of surgery. To complicate matters further, Camille also had sensitive allergies and chronic sinus problems and has struggled with the many other problems that come with that and the hearing loss.  She has cochlear implants and is an accomplished ballet dancer, starting at age 3.  You can read about it on this link:  https://thebahablog.com/2013/11/04/camille-always-danced-now-its-to-music/ 

but one of the best stories comes from her sign-language mission (she speaks as well as signs) to St. Louis Missouri.  They were in a rural area and she and her companion were tracting.  They saw across a field a family that was out skeet shooting.  They walked across the field and started talking to them.  The family wanted to know what they were doing, so the sister missionaries explained and then asked them if they would like to learn more about the church.  One of the young men told them that if Sister Masino could shoot a "skeet" he would listen to them.  With no hesitation she took the gun and aimed as she had seen them do.  They pulled.. she shot and hit it.  He listened and was baptized and eventually 11 other family members were baptized.  The best part of the story - she had never in her whole life even held a gun.  She and her husband went back to her mission later and visited the family.  Many repeated tries - but she couldn't hit anything.

We attended a Gainesville traditional tree lighting - they even had a couple of snow machines (like the bubbles when you wash dishes)  The kids loved it.   It is a college town and has that feel.  We are grateful to have been called to serve here.