Mission life provides a great deal of variety. We spend approximately thirty hours a week "scribing" (taking pictures of ) books that Family Search has determined to be of significant genealogical value. We accomplish this as part of a partnership between Family Search, Internet Archive, and the University of Florida. We hope that the combined efforts will provide an opportunity for people to make connections with their ancestors.
We participate in activities with other missionaries. Those activities have included training sessions and zone conferences. Recently, we were in a zone conference with senior missionaries. The spirit was strong as they shared special missionary experiences while serving the Lord. We visit several missionaries periodically to make sure their apartments are safe and being well maintained. We've had the opportunity to go to the Orlando Temple with missionaries on two occasions thus far. What a special treat to be in a temple session where everyone is serving a full-time mission.
The easiest way to be spiritually uplifted and excited about the future is to spend time with our young missionaries!
We're also members of an LDS ward and attend our regular weekly meetings, as well as special activities. In our previous ward, we worked closely with the missionaries who were assigned to our area. In our current ward, we've been visiting families with members of the ward's Elders Quorum each week. We will also be joining the sister missionaries another night during the week. They have even asked if we're willing to go tracking with them! Elder Wolff spoke in sacrament last Sunday and Sister Wolff was part of a panel discussion. There seems to be regular opportunities to serve our fellow brothers and sisters.
As senior missionaries, we've learned that it isn't all work. We enjoy the time we have together and the opportunity to explore areas within our mission. Here are a few of the things that we've enjoyed doing during our first four months in the mission field.
We have visited the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville. We liked it so much that we purchased a year's membership.
We've visited the University's Art and Natural History Museums. The Natural History Museum also houses a butterfly rain forest.
If you wear bright colored clothes, there is a chance that butterflies will land on you. Elder Wolff's orange shirt did the trick. Sister Wolff had a butterfly land on her hair.
What is a natural history museum without a T-Rex!
Speaking of the University of Florida, at dusk you can watch thousands of bats fly from the famous "bat houses" near the campus.
Florida isn't Florida without a periodic trip the the beach! We love walking along the beach enjoying each other's company as well as the people we encounter.
To our many friends that may be considering the possibility of going on a mission - YOU CAN DO THIS!
