Our "Third" Mission Begins

We have had a week of miracles as we've begun work in the city of David. People have helped us find our way around and have been very helpful as we were a bit late here and there. We received a lunch (from a home business family), ice cold watermelon which even Rod, a dedicated non-melon lover, had to admit tasted pretty good in the heat when he had the bite of the heart, as well as various drinks.

This appointment goes for 3 hours and has 6 students. (not counting the baby). There were others who came and went around their seminary schedule. Unfortunately, no one seems to have great desire here, but we like to give everyone an opportunity if they ask.
This appointment comes after our marathon one, and has 4 students, all a bit older and interested. We came away from it invigorated after being so tired we wondered how we could face one more
These girls' older brother taught us the ropes in his ward. This is called "typical" dress. Lots of work goes into the hair jewelry. The sisters do it for relief society meetings sometimes.
One night Rod called me into our "bedroom" to see a small lizard. I took photos of him and then let him be.


Later as we were sitting at the computer, Rod felt something on his neck and brushed it off. It was the lizard again. He ran away, seemingly unhurt. When I went to bed that night, Rod was reading and I looked down and there was the lizard crawling up my stomach. I put my arm down to make sure he didn't reach my neck, and he JUMPED onto it. Then he jumped onto the bed. At that point (which I've been regretting because I should have taken videos of the jumping) we decided he was just too friendly and Rod carried him outside.
Here he is on the tabs of my scriptures.

We have missed two days of work this week because there is a blockage of the PanAm highway. Indigenous people are blocking it to protest work the government is doing with hydroelectric plants. It has been blocked for 5 days now, and there is no gasoline to be had because everything comes by the highway. The farmers on this end can't get their produce to market. It will be interesting to see how it all ends. I'd feel better with a bit more food storage, but Rod says we have more than most people. He's right.

Tonight I played for the wedding of Carlos Quintero, our guide for Bocas del Toro when Audrey was here. It started one hour 45 minutes late again. (the other wedding we attended was for the same family) I had been playing more than half an hour after the appointed time to begin when we received a phone call. It was from the mother who'd asked me to play. She said "Sister, did you remember that today is the wedding"? Only much later I thought of a possible other reply, "Yes, I'm here in the church playing. Did YOU forget?" There was a dinner afterwards, but Rod's patience had run out before the food came. We came home for tuna casserole. We are really programmed not to want to have our time wasted.

It's good to remember that this is our mission and our time is the Lord's.

A young man we helped with his mission papers has received his call---to the Utah South Mission!! That is where we live in Utah, I think. What fun!

Thanks to everyone who takes time to read this. It is fun to share.