Departing and Arriving

Our students have been wonderful in their love as we were leaving.  Each branch held an activity in our honor.  All week before our "surprise" party in Aguadulce I was wishing that we could find time and patience to do a slide show to honor them.  When we arrived, here it was!  The sister that is such a wonderful primary teacher had gotten pictures as we made cookies with her family and created it.

Sister Chevita did her own party for us in her home at our last lesson.  Even though she worked hard, she didn't  earn her piano, but she wasn't bitter.  She came with us and helped us clean and move in.  What a blessing.

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The last Sunday, we had an activity for the young girls in the branch.  They looked at our pictures, we ate, and we made cookies with Layne and Dorrie's last bag of m&m's. We had a great time.  

This is the banner our students created.  The M and N are interchanged in English and Spanish often (at least here in Panama) so we are Watsoms. No importa.

In Chitre, Vanessa and her Uncle danced for us.  Mayra, our friend and student and Relief Society President and her daughter made a wonderful program with quotes, and each student played.  Javi played the guitar and I got to sing with him our Help Me Teach With Inspiration.  Great fun and wonderful spirit.  Two of the more advanced students played a duet, even.

Our last pose in front of the church with Jorge Luis.  This family was one of the only 15 who attended church the Sunday following our farewell party.  Somehow the members don't attend church following an activity.  I don't know if it's economic or what.

Vanessa and her uncle danced the typical dance together for our farewell in Chitre.    Mayra and her daughter prepared a program with lovely quotes and each of our students played.  Javi invited me to sing with him (he is our only guitar student) and we did Help Me Teach With Inspiration.  Two of the more advanced students played a duet.  They served dinner and we felt LOVED!

We found this huge butterfly in the church.  Sister Chevita says they attack sugar cane in their larva stage.  I imagine they could do damage. 

Here you can see the real size.

A new fruit.  I can't even remember it's name.  It wasn't a favorite.

Here it is open.  It wasn't very sweet and had an avocado texture.  Maybe I should have tried it blended with ice, sugar, and milk, but I gave it to the neighbor.




Sister Savedra is struggling with cancer, so we tried to visit as often as we could.  They treated us to pipa, a small coconut that people drink the juice. 




Another take.


And another.  The meat has a slimy texture, and Rod slipped me his to help him out.  He often helps me out when I have too much rice.

We have a brook that runs UNDER our house.  It babbles wonderfully all day long.  We've turned the house into a studio apartment and are only using the oven upstairs for storage.  It will work fine. Our view is of trees and bananas and the bridge.  I'm going to enjoy that.  Our landlord asked us to compost!  Yeah!!

It is marvelous to go to church in a chapel again and feel part of a going concern.  I had never realized how hard people have to struggle to get a branch really going.  The members are talking of home teaching and there is a large youth group.  We met with the branch president, President Rodriguez, and his wife who helped us organize a list of more than 20 students .  Another branch has 5 who want to meet between seminary and school, so we'll have an early day Friday, but we don't have to travel far.
 
We also traveled to Volcan, about 45 minutes and met with the wife of the branch president and the missionaries.  The Young Women's president will help organize there, and we'll return Thursday.  I wanted to wash our clothes, but Rod was anxious to get things going, and he was right, of course.

Three of our Aguadulce students have called just to see how we are doing and two from Chitre and one from Penonome.  The members are AWESOME!  The gospel is true.  The Savior does love us.