Gospel Gatoraides

We love serving in the Florida Orlando Mission!   A year ago this week, we began our mission in the Provo MTC.   Every week we have the opportunity to interact with missionaries, teach,, support, and learn from them.   The comfort from Our Savior, Jesus Christ, the peace that passeth understanding transcends any earthly concern.   A physically challenged Florida teen was highlighted in the news.   She was born with cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair.   She is on the track team and competes in races from her wheelchair.   She has a tremendous spirit and positive outlook about life.   She said individual ability is greater than any disability.   We know we can be happy despite life’s challenges.   How we respond to them is a personal choice.   We also know that through Christ, all things are possible. Elder Faulk has a broken foot.   We spent a day in the Emergency Room trying to determine what was causing his le...

Out with the old and in with the new.   As the mission changes out its fleet, we were recruited to help.   Wednesday, Elder Faulk drove 2 new Chevy Equinoxes off the lot and Sister Faulk did too.   While every missionary should come into the mission prepared to ride a bike, some are supplied with cars to cover larger areas.   These new Equinoxes are loaded with technology and will certainly be considered a luxury and a blessing. Driving a new car off the lot: Driving another new car off the lot: We welcomed a new senior missionary couple, the Walkers, into our mission.   They are from Texas and are here to serve as Chinese speaking missionaries. There is a lot of cultural diversity in Orlando.   Prominent languages in our mission include English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Chinese. Welcoming the Walkers: We signed up to feed the Portuguese speaking Elders in our ward for Thursday but at precisely dinnerti...

We love our mission and the opportunity to serve.   We love the young missionaries and support them as they bring others unto Christ.    The highlight of our week was visiting with our son, Joseph and his family in VA for a few days. Grandson Grayson was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.   We arrived on Joseph’s birthday to find a power outage in their area.   We celebrated his day with convenience store fried chicken dinner eaten around a candle lit kitchen table.   Then we huddled in blankets around the family room fireplace.   The power returned just in time to keep us warm while we turned in for the night.    Friday evening Elder Faulk made popcorn balls (his mom’s recipe) much to everyone delight.   Sister Faulk had a tea party with Leilei the two year old foster child, and had pingpong matches with Abby, Matthew, and Grayson.   Immediately after church on Sunday, Grayson was ordained a Deacon.   He was...

We are so blessed to have knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and temple ordinances so families may be together forever.  Following the commandments help us draw closer to Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  It brings peace of mind and soul.  It is the good life.  Heavenly Father has a plan for us and all things are possible through Him.  It is our opportunity to align our plans for ourselves to those He has for us even though it may be hard to understand or follow at any given moment.  It is our responsibility to develop a warm and loving relationship with Him.  He is always there for us and does not waiver.  Knowing that gives us strength to practice Gospel principals one day at a time. This week we were able to take a few missionaries to doctor appointments in addition to working in the office.  Elder Faulk had the opportunity to give an Elder a blessing.  Monday night the Taylors hosted a senior missionary family hom...

Behold a royal army!  We held Zone Conferences this week.  All the missionaries were inspired to improve their missionary work through personal progress, contact, and communication skills. Learning is a lifelong process. This is the Lords work and we are here as missionaries to help it go forth!   Zone Conference at Lake Mary: Sisters McGreggor, Faulk, and Bair: After Zone Conference  we discovered our car had a flat tire. Elder Kroger put aside his schedule to help Elder Faulk get it fixed. Such is the love one for another within the mission.   One evening we attended Dr Naughtin’s open house for one of his 4 office locations. He is a local LDS MD and frequently helps our missionaries.  We are so blessed by his service.  The Senior missionaries went to Blue Springs State Park to see wild Manatees. Blue Springs is about an hour from our apartment. The Springs have a year round constant temperature of 72 degrees and the manatees ...

Families are important!   Families can be together forever through temple ordinances.   The Senior missionaries were privileged  to attend the Orlando temple this week and participate in sealings.   All appreciate the changes therein.   We feel blessed to represent   individuals and families discovered through geneology work. Colds and stomach flus are going around the mission.   Sister Faulk encourages the missionaries to stay hydrated, keep sufficient quantities of medicine at home, and of course wash their hands even more frequently than usual.   Saturday, the mission office couples toured the Ponce de Leon Inlet lighthouse.   This is a working historic lighthouse, one of few found in the US.   We hiked the 203 steps to the top.   Coming down was harder than going up.   It was a very fun activity!   Afterward we went to New Smyrna Beach for some R and R.   We arrived shortly after high tide and partin...