Halloween is here and election day coming Tuesday

 Hi everyone,

Time marches on with the end of October arriving with many things on the horizon.  We have the time change this weekend which will affect us in various way.    For some, sleeping will be more difficult with it lighter longer at night.   We are glad we do not face the dark afternoons, having to drive home from work after sundown.   There are some perks of our golden age but we are still trying to find out why old age was ever referred to as the golden age.

We have not had rain since the hurricane, but our weather has been beautiful.   Nights are down to 68-69 and days between 83-87.    Our air conditioner has only come on a few times in the last two weeks.  Grass is green and things are beautiful again after the debris has been cleaned up from the hurricane.  

I was sure life would be much easier, simpler and slower once we move to Florida.   Not traveling all the time in the RV or making trips to Asia, was a welcome change.   But, our workload continues even though it is via computer.    The expansion of our work continues as Save Asian Souls continues to help more and more girls as our workers locate girls who need help.   

The good work at the orphanage in the Philippines continues even though some children give up the wonderful opportunity to go back home to live in poverty.   I help with their secretarial work due to their very busy schedule. 

We continue to have baptisms as the girls learn the Word of God and are convinced that the Bible is true and God exists.    While we want to help them physically with clothing and food and give them an education for a better life, teaching them the gospel is our main goal.   Just last Sunday, one of our girls was baptized along with a relative (and friend) who she has taught herself.   

Ronald and Gigi are in the U.S. reporting for both SAS and Philippine Mission.   The travels are extensive and their rest time very little as they try to cover as much as they can in two months' time.    Last spring, they sold the house we lived in for three years during Covid and reinvested in a condo this week.   It is located in Cartersville, GA as they continue to fly into Atlanta each time they come to the U.S.   They will move their things from storage to their new condo at the end of November when they return back to GA from Texas.   This condo will give them a permanent home in the U.S. to satisfy immigration for Gigi's green card qualifications.   It will give them a place to enjoy as home for a few days when they arrive and in between their travels to various states.   They will go back to the Philippines on December 10 to be there for the Christmas holidays with the children.   We will not get to see them this time but look forward to a visit in 2025 when they come again.

After the hurricane, alligators were spotted in our drainage holding pond for the first time anyone can ever remember.    I first heard that a 3' baby alligator was there but I was sure there was a mama close by.  Now, they say there is a large alligator and two smaller ones in the pond.    This is a picture sent by our HOA as a warning to be careful.   

Our swimming pool is enclosed with a fence so they won't be swimming in it.   A new heater has been installed in the pool and it will be heated until May 1st.  

Ron has begun swimming a few days a week for exercise.   Sometimes, I swim too but its a great relaxation to sit in the shade and read as I watch him.   Usually, there is no one there but us.  He is careful and picking up strength each time he swims.   On other days, we are taking a 30 minute walk around the condos where we have excellent sidewalks.   We are blessed to be located in a safe and convenient area.   Leigh Ann did a great job finding this condo for us.    We moved here a year ago on September 11th.   

I have not decided if I can stay up to watch election results on Tuesday night.   At our age, I think this could be our last presidential election and I am very nervous as I feel the stakes are at the highest level in my lifetime and the election is so very close.   I am concerned about our country whichever way it goes but I know things are not good for future generations with the economy, crime and risk of war.  Praying is all we can do after voting.    While voting in Florida has been steady during early voting, we did not have to wait on the day we went.

We are waiting for new prescription glasses since a yearly check up last week revealed a change in our eyes.   Ron also had a first visit last week with a new Parkinson's Disease doctor in St. Pete.   The trips to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville will become more difficult so we are trying to see if he can get good care closer to home.    He will see a specialist in mobility related to Parkinson's Disease in February.  In the meantime, Ron is doing some physical exercises along with our walking and swimming.   I think he is doing well.  

Please continue to pray for us and for our work.   We can be reached by email at any time and would welcome your input or questions.     ronbrown20@gmail.com or patbrown10@gmail.com

God bless you all!

We are safe and give thanks to God

The hurricane had a direct hit at Sarasota, Florida about 9 p.m. last evening.    Within a few minutes, we lost power.   But, we knew the eye was 60 miles south of us.   That was a critical bit of information for us.  We knew the wind and rain would be strong but not the same as having a direct hit.   It had rained all day with some wind but almost immediately the wind and rain came in like expected.   The ground was already saturated and the back of our condo began looking like a river.  

We have new storm doors and windows but only wind proof up to 77 mph.   Milton came into land at 120 mph.   We expect the wind around our condo was close to 100 (at least gusts were that high).   Ron spent two days preparing the windows and doors so only the patio door leaked (underneath and from the top).  We piled up old bedspreads that I used for packing around mirrors and furniture when we moved last year.    There was nothing more we could do without power so we went to bed.   We could hear the wind and rain pounding on the windows.   I awoke a couple of times and checked to be sure the sunroom was not flooding.   Ron said he also got up twice and checked it.   

When I woke at 7 a.m. hardly a leaf was moving and there was no rain.   The sun came up and it has been a beautiful day but the wind came up strongly again.   It was good for me to spread out the bedspreads over the lawn furniture so it could dry.   When I can, I will wash them to use again for some purpose.   They certainly came in handy this time.

My next door neighbor said they had the same problem with their back door and several other condos had rain come in also.  It hit our end of the building first and water poured down the wall, causing rain to come in from the top of our doors.  

Leigh Ann and Tatum never lost power in Tampa but she did have a window in her guest room to blow out.  They put a mattress and furniture against it to prevent flooding.

We spent the day without power but opened windows so we had a very comfortable day.   We did some clean up.

We are just hearing that another storm could potentially form next week.  It is just too soon to know but Florida has been beaten with storms this year.     

Thanks to all who wrote and asked about us, phoned and even offered to come get us.  But, we did not feel we were at great risk as we were not in an evacuation or flood zone.   Traffic was at a 2 mph leaving to drive north the last two days before the storm.   Gas was low at many gas stations and hotels were full so we could not risk being stuck along the road in the storm.   Almost all of our neighbors in our building decided to stay for the same reasons.

We are blessed.   We are thankful.    We are doing fine but hope we don't have to go through this again this year.

With love and much appreciation!

Milton is heading toward us!

Please continue to pray for us and the residents of Florida as this big hurricane is heading toward us and gaining strength.    Wednesday and Thursday will be bad days and we will probably lose power.    Leigh Ann is going to stay with Tatum in Tampa.    Most residents in our building are staying put so we will do what we can to be prepared and hope for the best.   We have new storm windows and doors on this condo but with the strength of this hurricane, it may not be enough.  We have plenty of food and water and supplies that are recommended.    

I will post when we have power.   Leigh Ann will be posting on Facebook if you want to check her posts at Leigh Ann Dotson.

Thank you for prayers.

 

Goodbye Helena!

We are safe but we endured 24 hours without electricity.   The winds were very strong and rain came in waves for several hours as the storm passed on north past the Tampa Bay.   There was still lots of damage in this area even with the storm about 100 miles out to sea.   It was a huge storm with powerful winds.   

The metal roof over cars in one parking area blew off and landed in our front yard and blocks out sidewalk.  But no cars were damaged.  It just blew off and part of it is standing up neatly near the trees.   We have limbs and debris all over the yard but our lawn service will probably have it cleaned up next week.

We felt safe in this condo   The only evacuations were for mobile homes, campers and the manufactures homes which are mostly house trailers on a foundation.    No one in our building left.   People along the waterfront had to evacuate due to an 8' storm surge in this area.   

Today, without power, Ron and I took a 30 minute walk, put a puzzle together and played a game of scrabble.   We took it easy since we were not pushed to work on the computer.   We needed the rest anyway. We will be back on schedule next week.    

Many people checked on us.  God is good and we are safe.  

Thank you so much!

Helena is not a welcomed visitor!

Other than preparing and expecting a hurricane, we are doing well. 

A Hurricane Watch for Helena has been issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Englewood northward and westward to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay.

With our condo in Dunedin just north of Tampa, we are a few miles from Tampa Bay so we watch the forecast for storms that head into this area.    Helena will intensify and become a hurricane before it gets this far north but at the forecast today is will pass along side east Florida and make landfall toward the panhandle which includes Tallahassee.    We will start having rain by Wednesday night and expect heavy rain on Thursday and Friday.   

I have brought in pots, plants, chairs and things from the patio that could be blown away.   We have plenty of water and food on hand with other storm supplies such as a weather radio, batteries, flashlights, etc.   Our building is inspected once a year for soundness and according to the long-time residents, it has never flooded.   

Leigh Ann's condo is in a flood plane so she would come stay with us if she receives an evacuation notice.  Tatum's condo in Tampa is not in a flood area. Leigh Ann has gone to stay with her in the past. 

Pray for us and others in the path of this strong storm.    After the storm passes, I will post that we are safe if we do not lose power.  God bless everyone.

Fall is near!

Fall does not appear anywhere in Florida except for a few Halloween costumes in Costco!   We are getting a lot of rain but it is in the form of late afternoon thunderstorms.   The grass is green and everything is lush with crepe myrtles still in bloom.   We are free of hurricanes for another week or so but they predict September and October to be more active months with the possibility of tropical storms.  

Ron has good days and not-so-good days but we feel the medication for Parkinson's Disease has eased some of the symptoms.    

We both keep busy with routine house chores and computer work to keep things going smoothly with our safe houses in Asia.   Ron is busy helping schedule appointments for Ronald and Gigi's October-December trip for them to report to supporters.     

Two weeks ago, we got up early and traveled to Central church of Christ in Winter Haven, FL.   We went to meet Bill and Joyce Perkins there.   Bill is one of the elders.   They actually live in Ft. Myers and drive 40 minutes to attend this congregation.    Bill and Joyce moved from New York to Florida five years ago to help Joyce's sister and brother-in-law.   We visited in their home in New York at least 20 years ago and they have supported our work ever since.   It was time for us to say hello again and thank them for their help.    We had lunch at a small but very good restaurant, and then drove back home.   It was about a 2-hour trip each direction.

Things are going along smoothly so I actually have no big news to report.   They say no news is good news and sometimes that is very true.   We like our routine lifestyle and appreciate the calmness and quietness of our home here in Dunedin.   Many in our building are away for the summer as they are winter occupants of the condos, leaving homes during the winter months.  There are no activities going on but we hear ambulances often as there is a nursing home across the street from us.   Someone said that is a convenient plus for us but I'm hoping that would be necessary.   

Leigh Ann comes (usually on Saturday) and we cook a meal together.   She and I go to our pool and swim and chat for a couple of hours.    There may be one or two old ladies to come to the pool but most days there is no one but us.   It will get busier when all the other occupants come back from up north but for the summer we almost have our own private pool.  It is heated all winter so some swim even on cold days.   

I keep a puzzle going on the end of the coffee table to have something challenging to do when I have a few minutes of free time.   

Our clubhouse is full of puzzles, games and books for anyone to borrow.  

Ron has stopped driving at night so we watch on-line services from different churches on Wednesday night and Sunday night (sometimes other nights during the week also).   When we lived in North GA, Ron insisted on us going out on Friday morning to do our errands and shopping and have lunch out.  Since we came here, we have not kept that practice but a couple of weeks ago, Ron told me to start getting my work caught up to take Fridays off.   

We don't go to the expensive restaurants but usually have a sandwich or salad at one of the fast food restaurants or bring home a precooked meal from Publix.  After running errands and unloading groceries, it is good to not have to prepare lunch.   

I know he does this for me but he also enjoys getting out since we stay home all week.

Just posting a small amount of nothing to let everyone know we are doing fine.   

Keep Ron's health in your prayers as he continues to face the progressive symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.     

Sending best wishes and many blessings from God to you with our thanks and love to all.

August brings more hot days!

Two weeks ago, we rode through tropical storm Debbie without damage here in our area.   We got heavy bands of rain for about 24 hours before it actually gained hurricane strength moving further north up the Florida coast.   We drove to church services with dry roads but as class was ending the downpours began.   When we left the building, we had only light rain all the way back home.   Our backyard puddled with the heavy rain but quickly drained away and there was no flooding    The pond where our drain water ends up is full up to the top of the bank.

There was heavy flooding in Sarasota, FL (south of us) in areas of large nice homes with water getting trapped and nowhere to drain.  People had to be rescued from their homes with streets submerged and cars under water.   Those people have it rough cleaning up their houses, filing insurance claims and getting back to normal.  

The latest development is now a hurricane on its way to Bermuda.   I hope the people there will be safe over this weekend.   We will watch the forecast for future storms as we are not yet into the peak of the season.   September is usually the month to really watch.

Our work is busy but progressing the same as before.  It is difficult for me to keep it current with too much flow of reports and things to do daily.   But, I have not been sick and am thankful I am able to do what needs to be done.

Ron, on the other hand, is struggling more with a recent diagnosis by the neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville starting him on medication for Parkinson's Disease.   While this is not good news, the medication is working and making him feel a lot better.    We know things could be much worse and we will deal with the limitations and progression of this disease.   We have friends with it and know a little about how it will change our lives.   We will be sticking closer to home and not traveling very much.  Ron doesn't want to give up anything but it will be necessary as time goes on.    We are thankful we are near Leigh Ann and Tatum to help us when we cannot manage on our own.

Ronald and Gigi will return to the U.S. October 10 for two months to report on our work and their work in the Philippines.   They will have a busy schedule and we will not get to see them on this trip.   We will hope for a visit when they come back in the spring of 2025.

We are concerned about the election of a new president.   We know we don't have many years left to worry about the state of the nation but we want it to return to a Christian nation and be more what God would want it to be.   The direction it is going is of great concern for future generations and for the church.

I hope to have pictures and more interesting things to report in my next segment.  Keep us in your prayers,  especially Ron. God bless you!