A happy 'Coincidence' and next time don't trust the map

This is a photo of a tender mercy from the Lord.  I talked Rod into participating in a walkathon for Leukemia. (The mission has softened him.  It was easier than you would think).  The youngest girl in the photo has it, as well as another older one of our students.  Ashley, on my right, is one of our students.  Carlos, on Rod's left, is a student from Penonome.  He didn't come to our farewell party, and I was really sad.  He was one of my favorites.  He was visiting here in Chiriqui and decided to do the walkathon.  He spotted us.  I'm sure my long dress and bobby socks helped him.  Everyone else was dressed more like him.  He said he knew he was close to where we live, and was praying that he might see us. 

Rod is helping our student Karin with her algebra homework.  She hates having her photo taken.  This may be the only one I ever get, and she saw me in time to duck into his shoulder.  They tease a lot together.  She is one of those about whom you wonder how they ever even have a chance in life, and you want to do anything you can to help.

We were invited to the birthday party for Octavio. 

Here's his dad with the pinata. 

On the way to the birthday party we passed this iguana running across the road.  He was nice enough to pose for a photo.

Definition:  Adventure -- surviving a potential disaster.

Our Adventure: This week was a holiday when we went to visit our students in Volcan, chiriqui, panama.  We rearranged our schedule, but still had two cancellations -- letting us go home early.  However, one of us had the bright idea to see some new country (in case Audrey might like to see it or it might have been (past tense) an inherited trait).  At any rate, we have a Panama road map and it didn't look much more than twice as far to go home through Rio Sereno, Chiriqui, Panama by way of the Costa Rica border in Canoas and then home on the 4 lane.  If you put in Volcan and Rio Sereno in maps.google.com, you won't find our route -- they show another one, sort of in the middle and say it can be done in 1.5 hours.   Actually our more direct route took about 45 minutes to get to Rio Sereno.  We passed beautiful coffee plantations (Cafe Duran).  It is up in the mountains, very green, very hilly and the road has just been paved -- quite passable.  However, when we got to Rio Sereno, there wasn't any road signs showing where the 3-4 exit roads went.  We saw a nice looking couple (without a machete) waiting for a bus and asked if the road ahead lead to Canoas.  They confirmed that this was the correct cow path.   So we gave them a ride and decided that surely the road would get better. We passed tomato fields.  They are covered with plastic and have rows about 3 feet apart and maybe 4 feet high.  Our guest works in the tomato fields.  They say that the tomatoes just melt if they aren't covered with plastic. About 1/3 of the way, we came to a border crossing with Costa Rica and they got out and pointed the way to continue and said in not too long there would be an improved path with reflectors.   Well, the road was narrow and mostly (85%) paved.  Even after it got dark, non of the chuck holes swallowed our Yaris.  It took well over 2 hours and very winding hilly slow driving road to get back to the freeway.  The reflectors were on sticks to ensure you didn't go over the edge without warning.  There were a few big trucks on the road, luckily going our direction as there wasn't always room to pass.  As you can imagine, the view wasn't very spectacular considering the dark and the fog. You will notice we got home, but most of our friends talk about it as a dangerous route to take.  (Rod tells people I was in the back with my head covered.  Actually I was straining to see the road as well, and praying hard.) We are glad that our car is reliable and that we didn't break down in the dark -- no gas stations the entire way.  If you put Rio Sereno and Volcan Chirqui Panama in google maps getting directions, you will find the way we didn't go -- according to Google maps we went overland from Volcan to Rio Sereno and then took a non-road to Canoas which is on the 4 lane.  So far we consider ourselves cured of the adventure addiction -- I guess you have to hit bottom to give some things up.

Last week I went into our dark kitchen in my stockinged feet.  I felt something on my leg and reached down and brushed off--A LARGE COCKROACH!!!  I of course screamed for Rod--My hero-- who yelled back "I don't have any shoes on".  I made a snap decision that he couldn't escape and STOMPED!!  If you stomp hard enough they don't even crunch. Amazon woman!!  The mission fumigates our houses periodically.  I got a call from the fumigator who said he was coming two weeks ago.  I believe I'll call him.

Yesterday in church the bishop came down from the stand to ask for more hymns.  Someone had forgotten the sacrament bread.  The district president went to buy, but I had bread at home closer, so I followed him out and ran all the way home and back.  He was impressed with my energy.  I was, too.  Actually, it's only a block or so, but I don't run much any more. Our students were doing the hymns when I got back.  Yeah for them!

I don't remember if we told you, but our first student has earned his piano.  In 2 months he can play 12 hymns and has taught himself a new one.  He has played in church 3 times.  We're awfully proud of him.
Once again we're grateful to be here and have meaningful work to do.