Not The Winter I Remember

Another month and we are getting on well.  Lots of visits and lessons and meetings.  There is a pattern to our days and we are always wondering what the next day will bring. As Christmas came closer we saw the forecast was for 80 degrees.  A different experience.  However, the town had a large Christmas parade...it was staged around our house and we got caught in the parade briefly as we tried to get out of the neighborhood.  Lights and decorations are here and there and we have a little tree in the apartment.  Here are some highlights of the last few weeks:

We have become acquainted with the gentleman above who is an artist and has built his living space (and decorated it) within a storage garage.  He has had us over for a few meals and we really enjoy his company.  On the right are some lights hanging on a Magnolia tree in our neighborhood.

As we visit around the county, people show us their homes, gardens, livestock.  We have seen a number of mules in the area.  Huge buzzards circling in the sky are ubiquitous.

The two pictures below are from Renaissance Farm.  This was way back in the sticks and we found when we were actually looking for the Cane Syrup Festival.  We were a week late on that event but we hung out here for a bit and watched some canning and meat smoking going on as well as the sugar cane press that they let the kids operate.

 The ward had a Christmas Social which included
a nativity scene.  It was very nice and they had
a lot of folks attend who do not usually come. Below

is a young man dressed as the "tax collector." You had to give him a token to enter the cultural hall.

Below is a the "half-mission" Christmas conference in Tallahassee.  Half meaning, half of the missionaries.  Another conference was held the next day at the other end of the mission.  Musical numbers, district introductions (creatively done) and games were the fare of the day.

Some of the local super market cuisine.

We visited a local cave.

Somewhat like Timp Cave but more squeezing and crouching through
the passages.

Molly is always on the lookout for alligators.  No "luck?" yet though.

Nate and Peter drove down for Christmas.  Quite a treat.  We showed them around 

Peter making friendly with a prize goat

 and then drove down to Port St. Joes for Christmas.  Spent
the day walking the beach. Oh, best of all for Molly...they brought Ike!

 Shots of the sea shore.  Very warm and relaxing.

Christmas eve at a raw bar with local oysters on the half shell!

Our area is large.  All of Jackson County.  On a recent Sunday afternoon we visited a country neighborhood where all the residents are related (its called Kinfolk Drive).  We had a delightful time

visiting and singing.  Kind, welcoming, folk who give meaning to our time here.

Pushing Forward

Our schedule continues to fill.  We have been assigned to teach a number of folks; new members and temple preparation.  Volunteering at Chipola Family Ministries which is a Baptist version of DI.  Putting on miles taking missionaries to doctor appointments or zone conferences.  Feeling fully engaged.

 This guy owns this spot in a pond nearby our house.  We took a morning to drive to the coast and get a feel for the white sand beaches of the gulf.

More backpack stuffing below and we continue to love the huge southern trees and old historic homes.

We were invited, by the mission president to attend a Florida State Football game.  What can you say?

 We go to all transfers and here we say goodbye to our District Leader who moved on to Tallahassee.

 Below; taken on our Thanksgiving morning walk through the Caverns State Park.

Cozy Thanksgiving meal with friends and missionaries at the second oldest home in Jackson County. Below; two who were pardoned on Thanksgiving...a temporary pardon I suspect.

 The picture below is actually taken in Wyoming back in the day.  Floridian connection to the west.

The Thanksgiving gathering.

First Few Weeks

Our ward covers all of Jackson County, Florida and we have already covered many of the roads.  We've driven up into Alabama and over to Tallahassee.  We are part-time chauffeurs for the young missionaries and trackers for finding members down a southern road.

 Above, lunch with missionaries.  Below, our district.

 Ward "Trunk or Treat" at Halloween.  Over 200 folks there.  They like food!

 Volunteering at "Backpacks for Kids"  Every other week volunteers fill backpacks with food for over 300 local children who are not likely to find food on the table when they go home at night.

 A view of the Chipola River, a few miles from our place.  After a few days of rain, all this land around the river was a flooded.  Below is a nice garden of greens at the alternative school.  The main commercial crops around here seem to be cotton and peanuts.

 Mother and daughter that we are meeting with weekly.

The Beginning

Our morning instructors at the MTC.

Waiting to go in for the Tuesday Devotional

Fast forward! A selfie outside our new home in Marianna.  It is a small but comfortable house.  The landscape is new and the vegetation is much different.  Below is a picture of the street by our house.  Beautiful live oaks with hanging ferns.  The next few weeks will be a period of acclimation but we are excited and anxious to get started.

We are Missionaries

We entered the MTC on Oct 12. We are headed to the Florida Tallahassee Mission.  Molly is the Mission Nurse Specialist and I am assigned to Member Leadership Support.  We are expecting some new and exciting experiences.