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| St. Cloud Sunset - my first area |
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| Got to see Hermana Hawkins at the airport. Yeah! |
Okay not really just a bunch of lizards, sandhill cranes, storks, and other small crane like birds.. as well as seriously the ugliest ducks i have ever seen. Like wild turkey gross head and they are significantly large - goose size but they are ducks...gross. Everyone has a southern drall except for those families in my ward who have come to the GROVE!
Great people! Seriously the ward here is SOOO RAD!!! Also my first area is called St Cloud - 30 minutes away from ORLandoooo and more of a small town feel - like Upland in the 90s - still populated and popular but not as HUGE as like Pasadena or even Rancho Cucamonga - not comparable to Utah.. But it does have a lot of pastures and farm land though so a little like Utah once you leave the town.
BEST THING WAS DAY ONE: I got picked up, briefly settled in and went tracting. AND met an old lady, turning 90 in december and having a huge party, who wants to know more!!! I got my first new GATOR, as they say down here...fitting.
Then i met with a PI (progressing gator). We taught him at a neighbors home on Mormon row (not the actual street name but fitting because literally everyone except our PI and another man are mormon on that street.) It was the CXXXXX's home.. They are the cutest couple - big family but empty nesters now.. they have a beautiful lake front house - think like golf course neighborhood houses like by Cascade and that would give you a general idea... and they have a beautiful dock. uh prime.
Anyway the lesson went well and cannot wait to see the progress he makes to come closer to the Savior.
Day two was not so great... I finally realized-got slapped in the face- of what the real mission life was like- imagine this:
Wake up study and are soo stoked for the day and all that will happen. Then go tracting to this area that you and your trainer have never been to and you get to even ride your bike (in 106* weather;)) YES! then after 4 hours of knocking on doors and riding bikes you realize that your new favorite thing is having the door slammed in your face. NOT. It was HARD work. seriously though. Our dinner apt was with an RM who served with one of our ward members. Her little brother is trying to get his gf to join so we met with her.. She is 16 and ultra shy... cool . tried our best to get through to her but hopefully we helped her feel the spirit as we and becca testified of Gods love for us because the spirit was so strong at that point i could have eaten it like the air outside. (im full of similes these days,,, can't ya tell)
Other days have all kinda meshed together for the most part. I loved getting the week 2 envi. It was great - nice fact xan.. ha! oh it was cool to meet with another PI we have--she has had a ROUGH ROUGH horrible past full of abuse from her ex husband whom she loved and a lot of that. My comp and her trainer really had to build up this PI's self confidence and tell her she was of great worth to God. She is great! Her kids are adorable and she came to church on Sunday!!! rad! i loved it! She is progressing and has such a great spirit but she needs help from not only us but a counselor as well-conveniently our bishop works for lds family services - coincidence i thnk not!
After that we went to dinner at a members (i am literally fed every single night by members - no trial to find food..score) They live on the opposite side of down in more of a doublewide kind of house (very popular down here - like all over) they own like 10 daushund(weiner dogs) crazy. anyway they work for disney as like entertainment help or something - setting up stages and driving boats - but they said out of all the people they have met Donny O. was the most impressive because instead of taking the private car he rode with the workers on the bus to the stage and such - i guess they were impressed that he was genuinely a good guy. cool.
Wellp i have to go for now. I love it down here. It seriously is so great! I saw my first gator today...sick!
Well love you and love the Lord. And all he has done for me here already - i know all i have to do is put my faith and trust in Him and let Him to the work. Be a member missionary in anyway you can!
Thank you so much for seriously everything you have and do for me - I am forever grateful! This week I realized how hard it was to leave our Father in Heaven because of how hard it was to leave my father here - as I serve I continue to learn more and I am soo grateful - continue to read and pray. as you do you will be blessed
I love you all sooo much its ridiculous!!!!
XOXO\
ZOZO
Zoeeeeeeeee --- I mean Sister Hart,
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness I'm so excited for you! Ok, so being a temporary Floridian I have a few things to tell you. When they start being like, "Ahh, hurricane warnings!" know that unless it was some crazy act of God there is no way anything except rain will get to Central Florida haha. Next, you MUST somehow go to Garibaldi's Mexican Restaurant (929 N Semoran Blvd Orlando) THIS is what a Mexican restaurant should be. None of this crap we have in Utah. More than anything you MUST have their white queso! It's like only in the South, so take advantage. Next, go to Rita's Ice Custard Happiness (6017 S Goldenrod Rd Orlando). I'm sure you can convince some members to take y'all to both places. That's all for now!
Love you!
Jocelyn