Christmas 2012

Dear Missionaries from the FTM Mission,

    At this holy time of year we pause to send love and remembrance of our time of service together in the Florida Tampa Mission.  As time passes, we are thrilled to hear of your  lives, your loves and your contributions.  You are in our thoughts often and we are grateful to see your lives unfolding with "an eye on the ball", quote Elder Wirthlin.  

Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and productive New Year.   We share with you what we call, "The Principle of Restoration."

The Principle of Restoration

The “how”

Alma 41: 8  “…the way is prepared

that whosoever will  may walk therein

and be saved.   The Savior and the gospel

The “consequence”

Alma 41: 15 

For that which ye do send out shall

 return unto you again, and be restored…

Alma 41: 14

Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful

unto your brethren; deal justly, judge

righteously, and do good continually; and if

ye do all these things then shall ye receive

your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy

 restored unto you again; ye shall have justice

 restored unto you again; ye shall have a

 righteous judgment restored unto you again;

 and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

Love,  The Coltons (and youngest grandson, Jackson)

Romance Lives - Hess Style

Roxanne and I had had a long-standing agreement that at the first major snowfall we would hike Rock Canyon together.  As such, going on a hike in the snow was not only not unusual, but actually expected.  After having prepared the engagement snowman, I hurried back to my apartment.  She arrived a few minutes later, and we embarked on our hike.  Right as we stepped off I told her we were going to take a detour up our favorite hill.  We had just been up that way the night prior, but I insisted that the view in daylight was amazing (it was, in fact).  We got to the top of the hill and kept moving around the circle up to the corner where lay the snowman.  She noticed the note by the road and stopped to stoop down and read it.  It read "Dear bystander, Please help the poor snowman, his heart has been turned to stone!  Gain access to the heart stat! -The Snowpeople."  She mentioned that being interesting, and that someone else can take care of that.  I pulled out her snowgloves (which she had given to me just prior to this) and handed them to her, an expectant smile on my face.  She said "I'm not even qualified to perform heart surgery!  One of us would have to be certified.  You're not certified, are you?"  I told her "actually, I am a certified snowman cardiac surgeon.  You may perform the operation under my supervision."  Thus, at my insistence, she proceeded to pick away at the snowman's heart.  That was slow-going and became impossible as the snow was too hard-packed, so she began to kick and pick at the snowman with her foot.  Soon she dislodged the bag (which she believed to contain an actual stone) and she raised it victoriously to the sky, only to discover (to her horror) that it contained an engagement ring box.  Thrusting it in my direction she demanded "Gabe, do you know what this is?"  I recall thinking "what an odd question.  Why yes, I do know what this is—it's your engagement ring."  Instead, however, I simply took it from her, opened the bag (dropping to one knee), and then opened the box. 

Seth Wilson and Kendra Hofheins to Wed

Seth Wilson and Kendra Hofheins have chosen November 17, 2012 as their wedding day.  They will be married in the St. George LDS Temple.

Caleb Nelson to Marry Abbey Gail Leishman

Caleb Robert Nelson and Abbey Gail Leishman have selected November 17, 2012 as their wedding day.  They will be married in the Vernal Utah Temple.

Hurricane Sandy

        What happened to Faye?  We weathered it without a drop of rain or even a scant breeze.  But Hurricane Sandy roared through the East Coast like a freight train bent on destruction.

     Thank you for your phone calls and emails asking about our safety.  We "weathered" the storm with a 24 hour power outage, some branches scattered and leaves blown from the trees.  Other than that it was just a few moments of feeling like we might get our roof blown off and then settled into a very bad wind and rain storm.  However, we just returned from  Connecticut to visit our daughter and her family who live there.  Driving up on Friday, just four days after the storm hit, was a site to see.  Literally hundreds of utility trucks were on the road from as far south as Georgia.  Semi trailers carried generators.  The gas lines along the New Jersey Turn Pike stretch beyond a hundred cars long.  Returning home today found signs at the service stops stating that only license tags ending with an even number could get gas today.  Policemen were stationed there to keep the peace.  The destruction we saw in New Jersey and Connecticut was severe.  So, dear FTM's, we were lucky to have missed such an event while serving in Florida.

Catching Up at Mission Reunion

          It was a delight to gather on October 5th, 2012 to renew friendships and cherish the days of our service together in the Florida Tampa Mission.  We treasure our association with each of you and are grateful and interested to hear of your lives and see your continued growth.  It is also a delight to meet spouses and now children too.   You are the next generation ready to take the helm and we see we are in good hands.  We love you.

Florida Tampa Mission Reunion 2012

FLORIDA TAMPA MISSION REUNION 2012

Friday, October 5, 2012

6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Please join us in the chapel at 6:30 p.m for a brief meeting followed by visiting in the cultural hall.

Draper Crescent View Stake Center

11626 South 300 East

Draper, Utah

Please bring a dessert or fruit or vegetable or cheese/cracker plate

A-N  dessert    O - Z  a fruit or vegetable or cheese/crackers plate

Please reply to FTM email if you will attend, hope to attend, or will not attend by September 21, 2012

ftmreunion2012@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

Baby Andrew Bruce Arrives

The former Sister Melissa Broderick and her husband welcome their new baby son, Andrew Bruce Lyon, into their family.  Andrew weighed in at 9 lbs. 2 oz.  The question is, does he have red hair?

Keep Everyone in the Loop

Please forward reunion information to anyone from the mission you might know in case I do not have their email address.  I do not have the email information for many of the missionaries who returned home after us.  I also have found that a number of email addresses have changed or that the written email was never interrupted correctly.  Let's bring everyone in the loop.  

Florida Tampa Mission Reunion 2012

FLORIDA TAMPA MISSION REUNION 2012

Friday, October 5, 2012

6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Draper Crescent View Stake Center

11626 South 300 East

Draper, Utah

Please reply to FTM email if you will attend, hope to attend, or will not attend by September 21, 2012

ftmreunion2012@gmail.com

Hello from the Coltons - 15 August 2012

Dear FTM Returnees, 

The time is drawing near for another reunion.  We are so looking forward to seeing you again and hearing about your plans and endeavors and in many cases meeting your family - meaning spouse and perhaps child/children.  How quickly life moves us along.

Our family gathered this summer for a week together which was a real treat for us in that we are now so wide spread across the country and beyond - make that England.  The picture was taken as most of our family was there.  A bit of coming and going was necessary for a busy family.  Our grandson from England remained behind with us after the end of our reunion and will be with us until the end of August.  It has been delightful to have him and a challenge for us to keep an eleven year old busy and involved.  How quickly we forget!  We continue to work toward our interests of writing and studying topics of interest to us.  President Colton is working hard in various capacities to put forth concrete ideas to put the housing finance system on secure footing.  We continue to work in the temple each week and are devoted to our service there.  

May the influence of our loving Heavenly Father reside with you and your loved ones.

President and Sister Colton

The Chambers Visit Virginia

We caught the Chambers for a photo as they were in Virginia visiting their daughter who is in our ward.  Several of our grandchildren were visiting us from California that day.

Look Who Just Got Hitched

Eric and Kali Visit DC

Eric and Kali Sorensen stopped by for a visit with the Coltons as they visited the DC area.  Eric has been on an internship in Philadelphia for the summer.  He and his wife Kali will return to Provo where he will finish a degree at BYU in Finance.

John and Charleen Sump Celebrate 50 Years

John and Charleen Sump will celebrate 50 happy years of marriage on September 8, 2012.  Congratulations to you!

Kirk to Marry Allycia

Kirk Reimschussel will marry Allycia Carmichael on August 7, 2012 in the Manti Temple.

Justin Marries Melissa

Justin Firth and Melissa Jones were married in the Logan Temple on August 3rd, 2012.

Jessica and Mark in the East

Jessica (Ellsworth) and Mark Kelemen graduated, had a son and moved to New Jersey in one motion.  Baby James is spending his days at home with Jessica while Mark works  for BD Medical as an engineer.

A Visit

Abe Saucedo spent  part of the summer in the D.C. and Northern Virginia area selling pest control.  He paid us a visit and we became happy customers.

Shauna Marries Ryan Nokes

Finally we get to attend a wedding reception of one of our missionaries.  It will happen if you get married in the Washington, DC area.

Corina DeLeon and Jeffrey Richards to Marry

     Jeffrey Richards and Corina De Leon have selected July 28, 2012 to wed in the San Antonio Temple.

Traveling the USA

Ryan and Tiva Palmer stopped in to see us in Virginia as they are on a road trip across the country.  They began their journey in Utah and are visiting sites related to American and Church history, many of which are here in the East.

Aubrey Wilkenson and Timote Havea Wed

Aubrey and Timote (called Mote), both former Florida Tampa missionaries, have technology to thank for their courtship.  They conducted a long distance courtship via Skype and the internet as Aubrey lived in Utah and Mote lived in Tonga and New Zealand.  It culminated with their marriage on May 17, 2012 in the temple in Tonga.

Since only family were there to witness this blessed occasion, the following pictures help us to join with them in their celebration.