4th of July Fun

FSU on the 4th

The Seminole Warrior

Statues at the entrances to the stadium

Seminole Family

The coach

 No worries about political correctness here.  They are allowed to keep the Seminole as their mascot because they have a working relationship with the Seminole Tribe.  It is all laid out for us on a plaque along side this statue of the Seminole Family.

Good Sportmanship

Can you hear the roar?

Anyone excited about THIS  season?

Close up of the south entrance

The stadium is the largest brick building in the world

Every building on the campus is made of this same red brick.  It is a beautiful campus. Sports are definitely king.  Tennis, Baseball, Swimming, Circus Training, every variety of sport was evident.  Anyone have a ticket they will share with Henry?

Circus Tent used for training

Baseball Stadium

Integration Statue
First African-American Homecoming Queen
First African-American Undergraduate Student
First African-American to wear an FSU athletic uniform

Wrestling on the 5th

We got a new bishop this month.  He was a professional wrestler.  I say was because he had to give it up to be the bishop.  He had one final match.  We got special permission from the Mission President to attend.

Our Hero "The Public Defender"
aka Bishop Sims
Bottom Right

 With the sister missionaries out side the tavern where the match was held

Some opponents were easy to love

Some were easy to hate

Action

And Reaction

Missionaries at the Match

 "The Public Defender"
The one with a shirt on.

Public Defender in action

Reaction to flying body slam off top rope

More dangers.

Added entertainment on the walls.

Every wonder if professional wrestling was fake?  It is.  Entertaining to watch the wrestlers strut around and act tough.  More enteratining to watch the crowd get into it; especially enjoyed the "plants" in the audience who helped us all get into the action.  Most entertaining to watch the bishop's family.  His girls were totally bored while his son was enjoying every moment.

Knowing there is more purpose to life than an entertaining moment, we were all happy to return to the "real world" of Missionary Work;  Proclaiming the Gospel and inviting others to come unto Christ.  What we are, who we become and what we do to serve the Lord and help others determines where we will be in the next life.  Our bishop, who gave up wrestling with tears in his eyes, obviously knows this is true and so do we.

Some Fun Along the Way

Lest anyone thinks all we do is work!!!!!
Here are some fun things we have been able to see and do.

Pensacola Naval Air Station Museum

This was an activity with all the couples in the mission after a Senior Couples Training.

Entrance 

Lovely Entrance to the left of the previous picture

 The Museum covered the history of aviation starting with WWI.  Here is a small sample of the planes we saw and the many marvels of aviation.  The tour guide was a retired navy flyer who had flown most of the planes during one of his 330 missions. This display showing the men in a bunker during WWI was my favorite.  The carrier pidgeons were the first flyers.

WWI 

Live carrier pidgeons

TAT-TA-TAT-TAT

German fighter plane WWI
Red Baron's Plane

America's Answer
Sopwith Camel
Can you find Snoopy?

The guns were located behind the propeller.

WWII Japanese Zero

Japanese fighter pilot with his plane

WWII American Fighter

Atomic Bomb

Blue Angels

 We went to an Imax theater to watch a movie about the Blue Angels only to find out they were right outside training.  Had we only known....GRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Appollo Space Ship

President's helicopter.
 Richard Nixon mannequin is sitting in the passenger seat

Daddy comes home

Florida Caverns State Park

The whole state is made of limestone so there are caverns all over.  This is the only one giving tours.  It is located right here in Marianna.  

Entrance to the Caverns

Pond in the cavern shaped like South America

The cavern was made passable by the CCCP workers during the depression.  In order to see better while they were working they put white plates in the ceiling above their lights.  It reflected the light and made it brighter.  Must have been a good idea. The modern version is leave the plate, add electric lights.

Plate in the Ceiling to reflect light

OUCH!!!!

There are some lovely facilities in the park.  Two large picnic grounds to have a family reunion or church party and the Blue Water Swimming Hole which is just like its name suggests, Blue.

Water Safety Advise
Only Swim where you can see the bottom.
Gators love the water, too.

Ponce DeLeon Springs

"You may not regain your lost youth but you will definately know you are alive."

 The water is 68 degrees.  The only cold water we have found in Florida.

There is certainly none coming out of your tap at home.

Close encounter with a Gator.

Falling Waters

The Tallest Waterfall in Florida

73 feet

The viewing platform is about half way down in a sink hole.  We think this warrants a return trip when it is raining.  Washington/Oregon waterfalls spoiled us.  

Top of falls

Bottom of Falls

 These are sink holes.  

The limestone gives way or is eaten away by water erosion leaving a giant hole. 

 And yes, that is a big dark hole with no visible bottom.

As fun and beautiful as all these things were, we are finding the most delight in teaching the gospel and helping the people of the Marianna Ward.  We are teaching 3 newly baptized members the New Member Lessons.  It is a wonderful experience to see the light of the gospel illuminate their countenance as the principles are explained, the Spirit testifies to them of their truthfulness, they accept and their faith is strengthened.