Gospel Gatoraides

Elder Faulk baptized a family, the Leezer’s, on his mission in St Louis over 40 years ago.   While on vacation to celebrate Barbara’s 70 th birthday, they stopped by the Florida Orlando mission office this week.   They treated Elder Faulk to a great lunch at his favorite local burger place, Jr. Columbian Burgers.   This was the Leezer’s 2 nd time to visit us in Orlando.   The Leezer’s accepted an invitation to have dinner with us and stay overnight.   It was nice to see them again. Larry and Barbara Leezer with Elder and Sister Faulk: After consulting with mission leadership, we took some missionaries to the hospital for an urgent matter.   We saw the hand of the Lord involved in missionary health once more.   It was a faith promoting experience.   The Lord knows and cares about us--each of us!   How fortunate we are to have Priesthood blessings at hand.   On Friday, Sister Faulk met with the newest mission...

The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and the moon is full at night.   However, that has not been the case throughout the week.   We had a heavy rainstorm on Friday and a few drizzles earlier in the week.   Spring is in the air.   We see little lizards sunning themselves or scattering to and fro.   Allergies are becoming more prevalent and anti allergy supplies are running low on the store shelves.   We love serving a mission in Florida! We taught a Family Home Evening lesson to the Sr Missionaries.   Sister Faulk gave each couple a copy of the mission’s Emergency Action Plan including severe weather handouts.   Elder Faulk showed a video about Christ and asked people to tell about their Easter traditions.   Our friends and fellow office missionaries, the Kroegers, have their grandchildren over to hunt Easter Eggs at night with flashlights! Lightning Brochure: A few missionaries have recently returned home earl...

We have enjoyed another week serving in Orlando.    We participated in Zone Conferences on Tuesday and Thursday.     The missionaries received great training on temporal and spiritual matters.    Sister Clark taught together we make an orchestra and individuals have their own part to contribute.     President Clark instructed the missionaries on the Emergency Action Plan booklet prepared by Sister Faulk.    As always, we are to increase our learning and teaching as directed by the Holy Ghost. Matthew and Kaye Ricks, friends from Arizona, visited over the weekend.    It was fun to see them again and feel their kind and loving spirits. We spent a delightful Saturday at the beach! Saturday at the Beach with Matthew and Kaye Ricks: Elder Faulk has a little bout of pneumonia.    We are most grateful to Dr. Naughtin who saw him and prescribed medication without charging for his services.  ...

Words of a prophet!   The world is blessed to have a modern day prophet, Russell M. Nelson, to lead, guide, and teach us in physical, mental, and spiritual matters.   We spent the weekend with missionary friends Susan and Craig at their home in Leesburg and watched General Conference together.   It was heartwarming to see familiar sights from Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front mountains.   During the Saturday evening Priesthood Session, President Nelson instructed us to take better care of ourselves.   At 94 years old and going strong, he is a great example of taking care of oneself. On Wednesday, we held our 2 nd English Connect class.   Everyone is becoming more comfortable and you can feel the excitement in the class.   We are happy to team teach and share our love of the program and the gospel with class members and the young Elders.   English Class: Our granddaughter, Abby, sent us an assignment from her kindergarte...

This was a busy week.   We welcomed new missionaries and bid farewell to others.   Monday night we had dinner with the new missionaries and provided instruction to them on Tuesday morning.   They are so excited to serve and bring others unto Christ.     There were a lot of sick missionaries needing more than home medical attention.   It is easy to see the hand of the Lord in their care and recovery.   Elder Faulk drove Sister Faulk throughout the mission to attend to them. With all the cultural diversity and travel within mission boundaries, we are more susceptible for disease and illness. Elders Moore and Williams: Dr. Abraham, Elder Mundt, and Olivia RN: Elder Faulk and Brother Buys (covering for Sister Faulk) taught the first English Connect I in our ward building.   There are 6 adult students in the class.   The purpose of the class is to improve self reliance and increase spiritually. This is a great opportunity...

There is always some type of change going on in the mission.   This week President and Sister Clark hosted a farewell dinner for several couples completing their missions.   They have been wonderful examples of loving and lifting others.   They have given the gift of friendship and charity.   We will surely miss them and reminisce about our time together and hope to gather again occasionally.   Farewell dinner for the Mantyla’s, Colson’s, Jeknavorian’s, and the Puls/Taylor’s at the mission home: On Saturday the Sr. missionary couples spent the day at Wild Florida near St Cloud.   We took an airboat ride in the swamp and saw several large gators.   The airboats are amazing and noisy.   They can go almost anywhere in and out of the water.   Our guide told a cautionary story about when he was a teenager and encountered/cornered an alligator who got up close and personal with his airboat. After the ride, we toured the animal areas...

We enjoy our mission so much!   In addition to missionary responsibilities, fun things are happening.   Elder Faulk placed a Book of Mormon with a man he met at a Racetrack gas station.   The man said he would received the missionaries and gave Elder Faulk his business card.   Elder Faulk gave it to the APs and we pray this man will be receptive to the Gospel.   Ramona, the facility’s manager shared fresh starfruit from her tree.   It was the first time Elder and Sister Faulk had seen or tasted starfruit.   It was delicious and a real treat.   We learned starfruit trees grow very fast and require significant annual pruning. Fresh, sliced starfruit: Mid week, Elder Faulk saw a dentist in Eustis and we meet friends, Susan and Craig, for juicy burgers at the Hurricane  Grill.   Over the weekend we met the same friends for a St Patrick’s Day corned beef dinner at Mary’s, an old restaurant in Leesburg.   The servin...

What a fun week in Florida! Sister Faulk’s aunt and cousin, Tante Agi and Karen, came to visit from southern Illinois.   It was wonderful to be together and enjoy the warmth of Florida.   We ate at our favorite local places and even spent a day at the beach.   Karen had a telephone interview with the VA and was offered a job.   If she accepts, Tante Agi would move with her.   Decisions, decisions!   We are so grateful for family and the efforts they make to love and serve others.   We also appreciate the missionaries and support their efforts to share the Gospel.   Sister Faulk taught the newest group of missionaries how we need to balance nutrition, sleep, exercise, and mental health in order to be more effective in day to day routines.     Elder Faulk manages the mission finances to facilitate smooth operations.   We love our opportunity to serve the Lord through this inspired calling.   Tante Agi, Karen, and Sis...

This week, Sister Faulk was able to arrange for an Orlando temple worker to see an orthopedic specialist.   Elder Faulk gladly accepted the role of chauffeur.   Sister Scrivens has a very strong work ethic and testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   She will find it difficult not to serve in the temple and let others serve her while she recovers. It was interesting to learn she was from England, had a ballet studio, and later became a speech pathologist. Sister Faulk and Sister Scrivens: We held Zone Conferences on Tuesday at the Wetherbee building and Thursday at the Lake Mary building.   On Tuesday, it was the Senior missionaries’ turn to provide the meal.   Sisters Mantyla and Ekenstam lead us into the kitchen.   We served a homemade quiche casserole, bananas and grapes, yogurt, and homemade cinnamon rolls.   The missionaries quickly returned for second helpings.   The purpose of Zone Conferences is to teach, inspire, improve...

When we received our mission call, we did not anticipate traveling as much as we do throughout the mission.   However, we are happy to help the missionaries in any way we can.   We love to take them for a little treat if time permits. Sisters Wilson and Jensen: Elders Coppin and McKenzie:  The mission is in the process of receiving a new fleet of cars.   Everyone wants one.   It is fun to help Brother Ekenstam, the vehicle coordinator, drive them off the dealership lot.   It is hard to contain the enthusiasm of the first ride.   Sisters in a new 2019 Chevy: We attended an English Connect Class in Lake Mary to become better acquainted with the program and were given a warm welcome.   The missionaries are requested to help translate and share a spiritual message at the end of each class.   The Elders can really work up an appetite.   Elder Faulk is making progress getting around on his scooter.   T...