Our home in the mission.

When we arrived in Gainesville, on Monday, February 16th, 2015 it was dark and late and we were tired. Our trip from Utah to Florida had been 5 very long days of driving.  We were met by Elder and Sister Martin, who had been living in our apartment up to 2 days before, but wanted to move closer to the campus where they serve as Church Education System Missionaries, as well as to a larger apartment. Actually there is even more to this move to the Jacksonville Mission story.  When we received our mission call, the call said of course the Jacksonville Florida Mission, and that we would be working in the Public Library for our assignment.  Everyone from ourselves to our Mission President presumed that to mean, of course, just what it said, The Public Library in Jacksonville, Florida.  The mission had rented a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home for us about 15 minutes from the Public Library, had already cleaned and stocked the home, had purchased our new bed, etc.  However, when we were still in Utah and attended our general overview training in Orem with our trainer Rose of Sharon Gribble she mentioned a library in Gainesville at the University of Florida.
We told her we were being sent to Jacksonville, etc.  She was confused, but asked if we would like her to double check the location of the work we would be doing.  Well, to make a long story shorter, even though
there is no mention at all of Gainesville, or U of F, and only the Public Library in Jacksonville...Gainesville was where the actual work assignment was located.  So - the night before we left home to begin our journey we received a call from our Mission President Craig saying that he had received a call from "someone" and that we would be living in Gainesville.  Our car was packed to accommodate a 3 bdrm-2 bath home, as much as possible.  So-it was a last minute change of mindset, we headed to Florida, with really no knowledge about Gainesville at all. The Martins were happy to quickly move out of the apartment we are currently in, to their newer and larger apartment-though they only had 1 day to make the move, and we were happy to find a clean, furnished apartment waiting for us.  We are located in the southwest side of Gainesville.  We are in a large complex, and our apartment is a 1 bedroom, with den, 1 bathroom, ground level.  It's a little tight as far as space goes, but we are working on that-and there will be more on the subject later.....

This is a picture of our current apartment.  We're on the bottom floor.

This is our view from the front of our apartment-looking out into the parking area and our neighbors across the way.