Of Iguanas (live this time) and different flora

Last week end we met with  a member and his wife.  She was sad because she was living in a home which had been robbed and she was so fearful that it was affecting their marriage.  (If your wife were waking you up multiple times in fear, it WOULD affect your marriage!).  I asked her (a non-member) if she had thought about a blessing as there is power in the priesthood.  She said her husband hadn't told her that, and she was interested.  We offered to fast and then come for a blessing on Sunday night.  I had recently had an experience where the Spirit said "This kind cometh not out but by fasting and prayer".  When we came, her husband gave her the blessing.  The next day I called to ask how her night had been.  She fell and broke her arm the day before, so she said she was awake, but not with fear.  She said that she hadn't felt more fear.  Yesterday they came to watch conference and have lunch with us.  At the end, she said she had felt good in conference.  Rod told her in Spanglish with her husband and I translating that now she had a testimony and needed to choose to do something about it.   She wasn't offended when I suggested she was in a position to accept the gospel and bless her family.  She invited us to her daughter's first birthday party and told us that they are expecting another baby in August.   I love the gospel and I love our work.  The gospel BLESSES people's lives.

 One morning I was exercising when Rod entered and got the camera.  He exited, and when he returned he said, "I can take some photos for the blog, too."  This was the result.  He does sweat a lot.  This was morning, the coolest we get, and we just took a walk.  [We are no longer in the brisk category, but we don't stroll either -- about 1.5 miles in 25-30 minutes.]   In case we haven't said it enough, "IT'S HOT HERE!"  It's a good thing there are lots of blessings.  [When we were buying clothes for this climate, we were told 'you want fabric that can wick the sweat away from your body'.  That takes more fabric and is hotter, I like the underwear that is a mesh so the water (and hopefully, the breeze) can flow freely.  Often it drips, particularly, my back.  So much, that I started worrying about erosion / arroyos forming and that I was wasting away.   My sweet wife / senior companion put my mind at rest -- its just more wrinkles!  Lesson learned:  thin fabric is better -- forget wrinkle free! ]

 In Las Tablas yesterday Rod didn't have a student and so was enjoying their yard.  He found this frog.  There were 5 of them in corners of the house.  They were hidden better than the photo shows.  We clicked "I'm feeling Lucky" on picasa and this was the result.  We decided to leave it since you can see so much better.  The lady is afraid of them.  She says it's a cultural thing, that they aren't poisonous or anything.

 He spotted the iguana, and she got a hose and flushed him out to a better photo position.  [During this season they come in search of water.]  They are pretty.  These colors are pretty true.

 She says he likes the water. 

 This is a new kind of palm tree.  It's hardly recognizable as one.  There surely are lots of varieties.

 It's called a dreadlock palm.  You can see why.  Even without her telling me, that is what it reminded me of.

I think the Lord must have had fun dreaming up the variety.