The Conch Republic

Dear Mountain Dwellers of the West,

News for this week is that I will be finishing my mission in the Conch Republic.  Elder Hall is transferring.  You may think it is a cool thing to say that your missionary is in the Florida Keys, but I want to take some time to explain why exactly that is so cool.  Yes, it's beautiful, but missionaries in the past never wanted to be here.  It was the worst place in south florida for missionary work.  they taught 4 lessons a week, and it was just hot and miserable.  In the Ft. Lauderdale mission, numbers get published, everyone sees them, and everyone looks at Key West.  Why?  Because it's key west!  It's a fascinating place.  For a long time, it was the area that Elders got banished to, exiled.  Sure, it would be nice to visit for a day, but please don't make me spend a transfer there!  Then Elder Brough got put there.  The reason this is important is that Elder Brough was transferred from the Orlando mission.  He had no idea the reputation that Key West had, and he decided "this is going to be my favorite area."  And he brought it up.  Then I came down with him and we brought it up even more.  Then I became the first Elder in forever to train a missionary in the Keys.  That says a lot for an area, to be a training area.  I was blessed with the hardest working fire-filled trainee in the world, and now Key West is among the top finding areas in the top finding mission in the United States and Canada.  And everyone is watching.  "Elder Fine" I was told last night on the phone "you're a legend."  Have faith, my friends.  I wanted to share that because, over my entire mission, I have looked up to legendary missionaries.  I also wanted to gloat a little bit that I have been honored to be among them and that I get to finish my mission in paradise, and I feel to say as Isaac Newton that "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."  This is God's work.  It goes on.

Elder Fine

P.S. look up the history of "the conch republic"  It's kind of a funny story.  also search mormon.org for "the man your man could smell like"