5/6 & 13 /2018 More Trees, Campus, Talent, Graduation

 We've seen lots of trees, but this one is the first that has been covered not only in green, but lots of little flowers too.  Really beautiful -- have we said before - we live in an amazing world.

 
Our YSA Institute president lives in Sledd Hall, which was built in 1929.  She graduated this week and we went over to take something to her, first time we had been in this quad area.  There is a feeling of history that comes with these beautiful old buildings.

All that to say, they are also beginning to build quite a few new apartment buildings - amazing what they can do with a huge crane.  As we mentioned before, any new buildings or dorms that are built on campus are built to look like they are old. 

 This young lady from our YSA recently decided to try her hand at some sketching in her spare time, which she has very little of - and has discovered a new talent.  Reminds me of Krishelle and also of Darlene Wilson who would do the pencil sketches when she was working on the election board.  I still have one of her pictures, but it is home.  Anyway, you never know what hidden talent you might have .. dare try anything.  These are a couple of her first pictures.

Another of our YSA, Rachel Harvik, did this piece for the churches 11th  International Art Competition.  The pictures do not do it justice, but wanted to post it anyway.  The theme:

"I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember thy wonders of old.  I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings."  - Psalms 77:11-12

The Garden of Eden is at the top, the bottom is Eve giving the apple to Adam.  The gold plates/Book of Mormon are in the middle, the tree of life is at the bottom.  It is pretty amazing.  We hope you will soon see this in the Ensign as one of the winners.

You can see the Book of Mormon better in this one. The apple is in the diamond like box between.

The artist at work.

 Speaking of artwork - this fancy bread was at the Whole Foods Market opening.  Looks pretty real .. we think that is why they cut it so you could see it was bread.  

Early morning fog on our way to the Institute .. this is not common here

Just in case you hadn't heard ...

Our very good friend Jesse Tolley graduated with his PhD in Physical Therapy.   This is a great Florida Gator graduate picture.

Jesse and Samantha doing the Gator Chomp in front of Albert & Alberta Gator.

Another good friend, Kyle Sol also graduated with his master's degree.  This is the family we visited in Key Largo who took us down to Key West.  Kyle already has a job by Washington DC.  

We thought it wasn't a cardinal - but it is - 

We spent a great day with Ben and Darlene (Ramsey) Wilkinson who live in Bostwick Florida and this time went over by the ocean - Beautiful!!

Ben & Darlene  (Ramsey) Wilkinson

For those of you who know Glen Stratton.  Glen's dad, Ramond, and my dad, Lorum Ellis, are brothers.  The shadow box at the bottom was put together by Glen's grandson showing his service in Korea.  Glen's First Air Cav insignia is the same as Mike's from Viet Nam, above. 

President Packer taught:  "For some reason, we think the Atonement of Christ applies only at the end of mortal life to redemption from the Fall, from spiritual death. 

It is much more than that.  It is an ever-present power to call upon in everyday life.  When we are racked or harrowed up or tormented by guilt or burdened with grief, He can heal us. 

While we do not fully understand how the Atonement of Christ was made, we can experience the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding." 

Touch of the Master's Hand - Ensign, May 2001

We are so, so very grateful to be able to serve and are grateful for all of your prayers for the missionaries wherever they are.

            

4/29/2018 Institute Recognition, UF Veterinary College, Fire Hydrants & our Beautiful Flag

The next two pictures are mainly so we have them in our blog for our memories.  We had our Institute recognition last week - these five received completion certificates.  The couple at the left have twins that just turned one yesterday which they bring to institute each week - they have plenty of young ladies who are happy to help.  

This group received certificates of completion.  It is interesting that six months ago we looked up the Gainesville Institute blog and saw many of these same faces, but then they were just faces in a picture.  Now they have become part of our lives and each face brings memories.

After unwittingly crashing the "important people in Gainesville" tour of the facility, we went to the open house of the UF Veterinary College which has been in existence since 1978.  The small animal hospital has the only emergency room in Florida that is certified as a Level 1 Veterinary Emergency and critical care facility.  Last year the Small and Large Animal Hospitals treated a total of 72,843 cases including field visits. Their facility is amazing. They have everything you would find in a state-of-the art hospital.

An iguana - look how long the tail is down her leg.

 On the left is the facility's prize pig, below is the Equestrian Team.  The lady in the middle is my age .. I'm sure I could ride once I got on the horse, just not sure if I could step up in the stirrup and pull myself into the saddle.  But note that her horse is the shortest.

Showing off the talents of a K-9 police dog.

We were hoping for a giraffe or two, but had to settle for this goat. 

We ran into this woman and her young daughters.  She lives in our apartment complex and we often see her when we are walking or in the fitness center here at the apartment.  She is an accomplished cello player, finishing up classes here at UF.  Her husband has been here, but is back in Korea because he finished his schooling last semester.  He will come back and get the family in August. 

They reorganized our YSA Branch Relief Society with Callie Shank as the President and Julia Vasquez and I as the counselors.  It will be a fun assignment.

Mike is the second counselor in the Branch Presidency - below is a Sunday and a Saturday picture.  Brother Brown (l) looks like Jim Owens.

The annual LDS paint-the-fire-hydrant service project was in Williston last week.  That is a small town of about 3000.  The crew included our YSA branch and the ward there.  We broke into teams of two or three and they gave us their list of fire hydrant addresses - some were easy, but some were listed like small town addresses are - "by peanut store" for an example.  Between all I think we got most.  We met back in Gainesville - one of the young women lives in her Grandma's home and it has a pool, so we had "Sonny's Bar-B-Que" and the kids swam.

We started out planning to take good pictures, but our hands got smudged up pretty fast and we didn't dare pick up the phones.

We didn't bring paint clothes so went shopping (Mike's favorite thing to do) at Good Will for clothes and Walmart for the least expensive shoes we could find.  So for under $30 we had some shoes we would not want to have to hike in and surprisingly nice Lee jeans and a cap for Mike, some black scrubs and a bright orange Nike UF tennis warmup for me.  In fact, we liked that enough that I took it off and painted in my white t-shirt .. now a bit red spotted.  It was fun.

These are a couple of Florida T-shirts

We now have a resident Carolina anole outside the window the yellow bird was.  We thought it was a lizard.  They have "adhesive" like pads on their feet so they can climb even smooth surfaces.

I took the sister missionaries over to the Santa Fe campus last week - their flag is HUGE and so beautiful flying in the wind.  We are grateful for this country - and for all of you.

This thought from a talk Elder Bednar gave at the MTC - the promise is for all of us:

"You be a good boy, you be a good girl, you honor your covenants, you keep the commandments, and I promise you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that as you press forward with faith in Christ, your footsteps will be guided."

4/22/2018 Our Wonderful World, Missionary Dinner, Crossfit and St. Augustine Beach

More proof that the fall here also comes in the spring.  The live oak drops its leaves when the new ones start coming on in the spring.

 Two stages of this budding plant in our last blog - four  this time - nature is more than amazing.  The other interesting thing is that all four of these are in the same area, just at different stages.  This is just as you go out the gate to leave our apartment complex.

 Mike finally got a picture of the bird that keeps coming to the window in our office.  We have quite a few pictures of just the window, but finally got the bird - a yellow-breasted chat.

Where but Florida would you have plants on the restaurant roof - 

 Often on the side streets you will see these old southern mansions.  Always a curiosity as to the history and lives of those who lived there one day and what happened to them. 

The Friday before the transfer call, we feed the missionaries we work with at the YSA:  two sets of elders, one set of sisters, the Zone Leader and his companion and the Sister Training Leader and her companion.  It is crowded but fun and the group changes every six weeks.  The only near disaster was right after we got here and I did the chicken and rice our family likes - easy recipe and always turns out.  What I didn't know and didn't figure out until a few weeks later is that the dial for the temperature on our oven is a little different and I was cooking at about 335 instead of 350.  Needless to say, the rice wasn't done - cooking it a little longer finally worked, but still wasn't as good as usual.   Elder Jheng, on the left, has been our District leader for two transfers (12 weeks.)   He returns to Taiwan after this next transfer.  He knew very little English before he came on his mission and does very well but struggles sometimes when he is trying to write it on the board.  The other missionaries really like him.  He is fun and hard-working elder.   

They reorganized the YSA Relief Society yesterday - I will be serving with Callie Shank (in the middle) and Julia Vasquez.  Mike is the second counselor in the YSA Branch, they changed the first counselor yesterday, will put a picture in next week.

 Next is for all of our Cross-fit family and friends.  We have an investigator competed in the annual Cross-fit Swamp Challenge last Saturday.  It is held in the UF Stadium (the Swamp) and was very well organized and fun to watch.  They had over 100 teams of two competing.

Those of you who do cross-fit will recognize the events.  They first run from the field up the steps to the top of the stadium, then across an area that slopes down and up, then out another opening and finally back  down another set of stadium stairs.  The kettle bell follows, then they do a pull kind of something with the rings.  This cycle is repeated three times.  Apparently this is the most difficult round.   Jeff is in the red shirt.  They have a couple hours rest, then do other exercises, another couple hours and the last set.  We watched the first two.

 This is a better picture of the institute building.  We are on the top floor, parking underneath.

 Another picture of he UF Auditorium from the back.  This is one of the very old buildings, but even when they build new ones, they do old style architecture.  

We attended a concert Saturday evening presented by the Gainesville Civic Chorus Master Chorale including a full orchestra .  The group is international and multi-cultural and we both enjoyed it very much. The title was A Prelude to Glory and was written by an LDS man who graduated from UF some years ago and studied under Will Kessling (below) who is known throughout the world.   It brought thoughts and gratefulness for those who gave their lives in the early years of this wonderful country of ours. 

 

 When we went to St. Augustine last week on our P-day, we had to go over a draw bridge - pretty interesting to see it come up and have the ship go through, then they put it back down.  You can barely see the mast of the ship that went through.    

 

There are four couples that meet once a month for FHE:  Us, the Schroeders (another Senior missionary couple) the Haddocks (the counselor in the mission presidency) and the Lewis' who are the stake missionaries for the addiction program.  The Haddocks rent a condo on the St. Augustine beach for their vacation and invited us all down for the day.  The restaurant we went to had fresh salmon - although Mike still opted for the hamburger.

Sorry Carol, no sea glass - but we picked up sea shells and watched the sand pipers.

 

Reading the other day in Helaman 6:37 - And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites.

It is interesting to note that the band of robbers was "utterly" destroyed, because they were taught and their hearts were changed.  This is like President Packer's quote - "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.  The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.  That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel."

We love and miss ya'all, but we always enjoy being together and are very grateful to be able to serve.  Our testimonies have been strengthened.