WELL BLOW ME DOWN OLIVE! (popeye)

Hey everyone!!! Ok so hurricane Irene did hit us but not bad, it was still very far off the coast, by the time it hit us it was the force of C2 Hurricane, but was a C4 hurricane, all we got was lots and lots of rain and wind. But there are five more hurricanes forming in the Caribbean right now and they are a decent size right now, so we will see what happens. Oh dad my apt number is 6915 Indian Creek apt #4. right across the street basically, a small white building, two stories. OK so the baptisms went well, but it was only one baptism, the Dominicans, Noria Kashmil and Luz needed more time but really want to be baptized, so they will be baptized at some point.  I got some pics with Jorge and I will see if it works in another email. This week was also a tough one, with the hurricane, and with investigators, harvesting the whole deal was difficult.


But on a happier note, Jorge is baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and he feels "new" it was absolutely amazing.  We all had tears in our eyes.  Wow guess what, transfers is next week, I have been here for 6 weeks already?  Dang where does the time go.. it seriously is like a toilet paper roll... that is so awesome that Austyn is headed to the Philippines!  That is incredible.  I remember growing up together, always at each others houses, playing cops and robbers, doing whatever, trampoline, we grew up like brothers, and now we are all grown up and headed on missions and starting our new lives its amazing... I MISS TIIBO!!!!!!!!!!!! lol its so weird...Ok mom, I will see what I can do with the charger deal, but I was able to get some pictures so I will send them via email.   Here I have gained 10 ish pounds and yes I am being fed well, oh, ok Hermana Cecilia Gonsalez, she is amazing and crazy, she loves us, and she is about your age mom, and she is going to send you some pictures to facebook of me with the apron on and stuff and she said she is going to try and call your almost once every week to tell you how I am and how I am doing. She said my Spanish is almost perfect, but I need to understand it first lol.  Ok I got to go and email pics lol... Love you all so much and I thank you for your prayers, but don't stop praying lol

Yours always, even after a bad day

Elder Maki

P.S "we doubt not, our mothers knew it"

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT ANDERSON

Dear FL FT Lauderdale Mission Parents,

Just a quick note to let you know that we love your sons and daughters here in the greatest Mission in the world. They are tremendous missionaries and are making an incredible difference in the lives of many souls.

Many of you know that Hurricane Irene is coming close to our shores, probably by Thursday or so. There is a very good chance that it will miss us and go further north. Rest assure, your missionaries are in good hands. We are monitoring the storm hourly and our missionaries are prepared. The most important thing to us is their safety and we have an emergency plan that can go into effect in just minutes if there is any need to do so. Again, we most likely will not have any problems with this storm head on, so please be certain that we are taking good care of these great Soldiers of God. South Florida has some of the best emergency plans in the World, and we as a Mission have developed a plan that even goes beyond it. If there are any issues of concern, I will be the first to let you know. 

Thank you so much for your prayers and support,

Sincerely, 

President Don E. Anderson

Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission

HARD WORK AND HURRICANES

Hey everybody!!!

Your favorite missionary here! this week was a hard week, we had next to no success with the harvesting, our investigators for baptism stayed the same. but at least we have four for this Friday!  I am so excited! 

Oh I am not in Miami, I am in Miami Beach, I am on kinda the thingy of islands off the coast, basically I see the ocean every single day.  Our church building is on the bay.  So no I am not living in the penthouse, and its just elder Stubbs and I in our apt... I am so excited to send Tanner letters in Spanish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have missed him a lot.  My Spanish is coming along great, I can understand a little more now, and out of the 16 dialects of Spanish I have chosen to speak the one that sounds like it has all of them in one, and that is none other than Chilean Spanish... tell that to Tanner. lol Our investigator Jorge is pretty much a member already, he has participated in activities, he came with us to our investigators Noria Kasmil and Luz to give Noria a blessing of health, (because we cant enter the home without a man) and he felt something amazingly powerful, and he said he cant wait to have that power.  It was very spiritual... We have given two blessings of health and three blessings of comfort this week, more than all other blessings combined.  OK now to the good stuff, my shoulder is great!  Doctors told me the sutchers (sorry don't know how to spell that) are good and strong, but because of where they are, I am unable to rotate my arm like I used to, like I cant put my arm fully to the square and it hurts a little when I have my backpack on but I have gotten used to it.. the scar is nice!  It feels good and and feels good to finally be here.   

Sister Anderson is an amazing woman, she seriously like my mission mom, but nothing will replace you mom, but she is so sweet and loving towards the missionaries, she spoke in stake conference yesterday, and president too and they both said how much they love THEIR missionaries... One of the missionaries in the branch  am serving in got home this week and his brother who comes out with us all the time got his call to Mcallen Texas, but when he gave his homecoming speech last night, I got really sad because it told me that a mission is like a toilet paper roll, the outer few layers go by slower, and once you get toward the end it goes faster and faster and once it is at the end it is over. lol.   It made me sad because it told me that I have to give a homecoming talk one day.  I am not going to worry about spelling,  I am tired,... leave me alone lol jk jk.  I have really come to know in my time here so far that our Heavenly Father is real and he loves us, and his son also... but most important is that I am His servant, and it is my responsibility to bring his children to him again... Today Elder Stubbs and I are going fishing behind the church, its going to be fun and hot... 

So Teiler, that did cheer me up a bit, cuz we did have a hard disappointing week, and we have a strange guy that likes to talk to us his name is ______, he is 54 and acts like he is 5. He drives me NUUUTTTTTSS.   You excited to start school?  Probably not right? Just wait till you are on your mission, it will teach you how to work lol... and how to appreciate how much you have... 

I would say the amount of people here that speak Spanish is in the 90 percent range... I love it here on the Beach, and it gets better and better everyday... I cant wait till White Night (the baptism night) oh and you remember Vegas?, all the palm trees, wait till you come here, there are no other trees basically, we have 5 coconut trees at our apt.! its awesome!! but I have to go and write my President, but this week I need that charger and battery if you can, I want to take more and more pics, and send them! it is gorgeous here.   Oh and keep updated on the weather, we have Hurricane Irene coming for Wednesday, oh and being on the beach, the farthest east side, it will hit me first, but don't worry, we have our shelters... just keep updated, and be not afraid, only believe

Yours always, "did you order original recipe or extra crispy?"

Elder Maki

MOM'S SPANISH LESSON

Hola mi querido familia,

Como estan? Btw mom that is great, but como estan means how are you all, not how are you lol, how are you is just como esta, no n on the end lol.  (This was in response to Tami starting her letter Como estan?)  This week was absolutely amazing!  We now have five people for sure getting baptized, Jorge, Noria, Kashmil, Luz, and Jose.  I was so excited when Noria Kashmil and Luz accepted.   They accepted the date on Thursday.  Elder Stubbs really wanted to extend the commitment but couldn't find the words,  and the member we had with us couldn't think, and so I extended the commitment and said "Noria, Kashmil, Luz, Elder Stubbs y yo, hemos orado mucho para ustedes, y la respuestas que recibimos, es que ustedes pueden ser listas por bautismo el 27 de agosto.  (Noria, Kashmil, Luz, Elder Stubbs and I, we have been praying much for you and the answer that we have recieved is that you can be ready for baptism the 27 of august.)" and the accepted, it was amazing!!! also the harvesting was picking up too.  We had three blessings last week, but just last night we had three in one night, so its even better this week

The reason I didn't email yesterday is because we had Mission Conference in which we were instructed by Elder M. Russel Ballard, that was amazing.   We had a lightning storm hit us on Saturday I believe, and it was cool.   Oh and the amount of rain that falls in Stirling and all of southern Alberta,  falls in about 10-15 minutes here.  You can't see across the street lol,  and yes we are still out and on our bikes when it happens lol.   It is seriously like jumping into a pool but feel so amazing to cool off a bit.  Oh dad, when we come down after my mission, you are going to loose weight faster than you ever have before... to be honest, after a day in the sun, a rang out my shirt, and about about a pop can worth of sweat came out, gross right? lol smelt bad too... I miss carpet!!!  There is not an ounce of carpet here :(... back to the weight thing, Elder Dowdle, (saw him yesterday I was so happy) has lost about 45 pounds in the 8 weeks he has been here.  he's a slim Jim now lol...  So a week down here exercising like I do in the mornings, you will lose weight FAST!!!  Are James' papers done yet?   What about Ryan's.  if they don't serve mission so help me lol... I will smack them pretty hard!!! lol just kidding, but seriously... Teiler whats up? haven't gotten a letter from you in a while, whats going on chicomalo? lol.  One of the members here, Hermana Carla Sierra (the most amazing member ever, the sweetest loving lady ever) gave me another name, its  what her 3 year old daughter calls me, Elder Miki. lol cute eh? (oh Canadian once again) Oh and I am getting pretty dark, nice little tan line where my watch and where my bracelet is, btw I hate the thing, it gets hot and sweaty and just a pain in the toes.  With TJ, yes please send me his mailing info I would love to send him letters in Spanish to keep him up on it. 

Elder Stubbs is amazing, he is from Colorado, and he has been out for 8 months, which scares me that I have been out for over four already. WOW .  He turns 20 in October, ya not much else to tell, but he is awesome.  With the camera, Dad said that he could get the number off the box that's there and send me the extra battery and charger, and I will just send the SD cards and stuff when I can, not many opportunities.  I am too busy with teaching, we have 12 investigators, 5 with dates, 3 with baptism commitment no dates yet but ya.  I have to email president Anderson now but I will catch you all next Monday ok?

I love you all so much

yours always, Oi whats left of me anyways lol

Elder Miki