Basketball Dad in FL

Greetings to the Howell Household, from thy most Sunburned and Sweaty Son,

Elder Chadwick got his bicycle this week, so we started off the weekend by putting a multitude of miles on our legs!  I can definitely tell that it has been three transfers without a bike because I was a wee bit sore the next day!  It's the perfect time of year to be out though, 80-85 degrees most days lots of cloud cover.  I love Florida!

So guess what!  I don't know how big they are into basketball, but Gabe and Joe might appreciate this one.  Elder Chadwick and I were out knocking doors in Newberry on Saturday evening and weren't finding much success.  We reached the last cul-de-sac that we hadn't covered in the area and at the first door we meet a ginormous black man; probably 55 years old but still very muscular and very tall.  We have a great conversation for about 15 minutes and then he invites us in; we see pictures of the family and start asking about them.  He asks us if we know a Marquis Daniels.....we look at each other, "no."  He gives us a look of disbelief and whips out an iPad to show us a young man with dread locks in the green uniform of the Celtics - "oh, THAT Marquis Daniels!"  Yep, we just tracted into the father of an NBA basketball player.  Anyway, he was very receptive and was excited about the Book of Mormon, recognized the verses we read immediately as scripture and the Spirit told him it was truth.

This last Wednesday, we had a Zone Conference in Jacksonville with Elder Craig Cardon of the Seventy.  Due to a funeral being held in the chapel near the mission office, the meeting was moved last minute and I returned to my "birthplace" in St John's county.  Ah, it felt like I was at home!  It was great.  There is nothing quite like getting together with 75 other missionaries/best friends/brothers for a spiritual feast.  We had 8 hours of discussion on the Spirit and fulfilling our purpose of inviting others to come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the holy ghost.

Life continues to be good.  We're making it through on rice and bread and billions of cans of beans.  Humble diet but happy hearts.  The simple life can be the best life.
"But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."  1 Timothy 6:6-8

Much love!

Elder M.