Few photos. Life is normal now.

 We always hope that our students will help each other.  Rod was teaching April when Teo came.  He took over and Rod just watched.  It was pretty fun.  I was teaching Daisy in the background. Look at those faces and you can see why each student is precious to us.

 While we were teaching at Genesis' house last Thursday, she noticed these birds.  There was a pair.  He came pretty close .  You can see that he has a very long tail.  The blob at the end is a single feather.  He wags his tail.  You can see it in the video.  He has bright blue band above his eyes, which are in a black band.

Here's a bit closer photo.  He was pretty spectacular.

Sorry it is short, but you can see him wag his tail.

There really is little news this week.  We are wearing out.  Thursday night Rod was ready for bed when a student called to ask permission to come visit.  I tried to talk to the student but his phone cut out.  I assumed he would give up, so I got ready for bed only to hear a "Buenas" outside and here he was.  We did have a fun time with the piano (he's started working and so can't attend his lesson in the day any more).  Rod was frustrated with me as I've been saying I need to cut back.  It really is hard to cut back.  I admit, I don't know how to do it. The good news was that Rod could express it and I could accept it and we'll see if I try harder.

Today we visited Volcan.  We reclaimed a piano from a student who didn't quite earn it and didn't practice after when we gave her the chance.  We also visited our friend Yinive Franchesi and took her to church with us.  Her sister was baptized this afternoon, so we were able to attend the baptism and play the hymns for it. (the pianist arrived too late to do it)  In between we were able to teach a lesson to the District President's wife and a lesson on directing to one of our former students.  It was fun!  Rod started giving me a hard time about trying to fit too much in again.

We brought the other couple missionaries home from Volcan and had a final lesson in Bugaba with Juan Carlos Barahona.  It is interesting to share challenges with the Herreros (the other couple).  They are serving their 6th mission together.  They started earlier than we did.



 It's 8:50 and I'm going to bed.  That's good cutting back, right?
We're still glad to be here, and the gospel is still true.

Friends with fruit, rain and called to serve (kinda)

 We were richly blessed with fruit this week.  Students gave us a hand of natural bananas.  The same day we received a box of mangoes from our friends in Aguadulce.  They are the best we've ever tasted and we have eaten LOTS.  The Lord certainly has made wonderful things for us to eat.  We fill our bowls with mangoes then add raw oatmeal and milk (whole, of course).  The adjustment back to powdered skim may be a bit stiff.

 We had to have both of us pose so we could send the photos back to the Trejos family in Aguadulce.

 Maria, our friend who is organizing the music in one ward and allowing us to teach her to direct (including changing from left hand to right hand), gave us a melocoton.  We use that word for peaches, too, but this was different. 

 Here it is cut in two.  There weren't really large pieces of fruit even though it is large, because the two large seeds were REALLY cling peach pits.  You had to dig the fruit off each one of them.

I refrigerated some of it, and it was just as fresh the next day.
For flavor it was a hit, but I haven't seen it for sale.

We are down to 10 weeks, and I admit we are counting.  Our girls have sent videos lately and we're eager to see the kids in person.  They have certainly grown.

Interestingly, we are counting perhaps as much for the students as for ourselves.  Many just can't seem to feel the need to practice, yet they say they want to continue.

We are in to winter and have had "aguacerro"s or downpours each evening for the last 4 days.  One could get tired of it.  Our neighbor says that these are the nights for robbers to break into cars because the noise of the rain on the roof is so loud you can't hear the glass break.  So far we've been protected. Our problem is that here we are in the house and could call family, but we can't hear the computer at all.  Edyn sent videos and I listened to them again and was surprised to hear voices.  It is LOUD!  Friday night we were taking our usual route home during the rain when we looked ahead and saw a taxi submerged in water and unable to get out.  We reversed, but we found a few big rocks in the bargain and our car's nose is not as happy as it used to be.

We now have 4 of the 7 units who have a music director for us to work with.  It makes a difference for the youth to have someone to organize.  We're hoping the other three units will see the light soon.  One sister who directs poorly (and about whom some have complained) told us how wonderfully grateful she was to have someone offer to teach her because she'd accepted her calling expecting training and had not received any.  It makes me rethink how easily we judge others.

This week Rod was playing while I taught a sister to direct.  He can also direct while I play so that the students get "real" practice.  We are becoming more and more an equal team.  We keep marveling at the magic of being able to work together so much. We would have to go far in order to improve on this mission. 



This is so unprofessional that probably only family (or only we) will enjoy it, but it captures memories with a remarkable young man, Kenneth Acosta,  as well as Rod's persistence in learning.  Both admirable.

Wasp ant hatch

We decided to teach our students in the chapel so that they could have experience playing the organ they would play for church.  The touch is very different, and the keyboard so much larger that they are sometimes confused.  I love Teo looking at Rod, with Rod so relaxed teaching them.  It is wonderful to do this work.

Each Wednesday night we are treated to a special dinner here at the Miranda's.  Sister Miranda takes care with presentation, and the food is delicious.  This is one of the best steaks I ever tasted (I admit I was REALLY hungry) with patacones (double fried platanos) and carrot and cucumber spears.  She brings us the food as we are teaching and we just eat and teach together.  She is a strong mother, holding family home evenings with her children, and encouraging their spiritual growth.

Hattie likes to direct.  She was laughing at the picture because it looks like they are not on the same beat.  I usually play the piano so that they get a real sense of directing, so Rod helps them when they need it.

 This family is interesting.  Our student is the young lady (a returned missionary).  She didn't get the word that lessons were available, but found out from a cousin who is a student.  She just started and is working hard.  She invited us to dinner.  Lovely salad, macaroni, chicken with yummy tomato-based sauce and cheese.
Her older brother is a returned missionary from Nicaragua.  He received his mission call in Russia, where he had gotten a scholarship to study medicine for 7 years.  He spent the first year learning the language and basic biology, chemistry, etc.  Then he transferred to a different city for medicine and the branch of the church was in the next block.  Sounds like he was very active (mission leader).  His English is also quite good.  He is now doing his internship at a small hospital about 5 hours away by bus and boat -- he likes it better than the 1st year he spent in Panama city at a  large hospital.  He was home for the weekend.  He was able to come home every two years, so he basically spent 9 years away from home (mission and school).  The family is more well to do than most.  They seem very nice.

Ant hatch. 

I got started in English, but when Ana started asking questions in Spanish I switched.  She was asking if I hadn't seen something like this in my own country.  I haven't (thankfully).  I was amazed at their calm.  I don't like being buzzed by large flying insects shaped like wasps.

Nicole Ortiz, a student in Lassonde, came for her lesson this week after missing a week for a ward activity.  She said she wanted to play Nearer My God to Thee with both hands as written in the hymnbook.  I explained that it would be difficult and I wasn't sure we had time to do it.  She said "But Sister, I already know it" and she proceeded to play it, a bit slowly, but better than I can do.  I sat with my mouth hanging open.  I asked her how long she had worked at it, and she told me she'd done it in one day.  There are very talented youth here.  I love it that we can give them an opportunity to learn music.  Some of them at least will continue.

I have students asking to play the song "I'll Find You My Friend", written by Linda Leavitt Hartman.  I tried to find to to download, but was unable.  One night I was thinking about it and could see it in Edyn's home.  I called her and asked, and she did have it.  She scanned it and sent it.  With that information, I was able to contact Linda to ask if I could pay her for my copies.  She sent back a lovely letter telling me the story of how she had written it and offering to send autographed copies of the song for each of my students but asking me to then destroy the copies I had made.  I hope we can make it work out in the time we have.  What a generous offer.  She didn't realize that I have more than 70 students.  I didn't ask for that many copies, but she didn't blink at 25.  People are kind. The gospel is true.  I love the Savior.

Just in case anyone would like to read her account, here is the letter she sent:

Beehive Sales beehivesales@mac.com	May 10 (3 days ago)
to me

Hermana Watson,

You might enjoy hearing how the song came to be written.  I sent you in the previous email the story that I read that inspired the song but this is the rest of the story of how it came to be.

Throughout the years I have heard many rumors, stories and other amusing tales of how I'll Find You My Friend came to be.  I chuckle as I hear what has been passed around the church and would like to set the record straight.

I was preparing for my mission to Atlanta, Georgia in 1979 when my sister, Laurel Ann suggested I write a song for my farewell.  I responded with, "I don't know how to write a song, you've got to be kidding!"  When it was her turn to prepare the family home evening lesson, she had the whole family write poetry.  The poetry that came out of our little family was incredible.  This gave me the confidence, and along with her encouragement I decided to try.  Laurel Ann's greatest belief is that "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT TO BADLY ENOUGH!"

Laurel Ann also suggested calling Wanda West Palmer, composer of "Oh That I Were An Angel", who lived in Mesa to receive directions on how to even begin such a task.  When I called her, she told me the key was just to PRAY--that Heavenly Father would work through me as an instrument in His hands to write down His words.

Two weeks before my farewell the music came as I was visiting in the home of Ray and Frances Rolph.  I worked for two weeks on lyrics but nothing came.  I guess I had faith that it would, because I even asked a close relative, Lynette Carling to sing it for my farewell.

The day before the farewell, Lynette was to be at my home to rehearse the song which still had no lyrics.  She called me from a pay phone at the grocery store to tell me she was running a little late.  I was about to tell her not to come, when her child fell out of the grocery cart and she quickly hung up.  I thought. "she is going to be so disgusted when she drives all the way to my home and I have no song for her to sing."  I went to my room and began going over my notes for my talk when I read a story about two friends in the pre-existence.  One was being sent to an LDS home and one was going to be born to a mother in another part of the country and would know nothing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

After I read the story, I began to tingle.  It was as if a surge of electricity was penetrating my soul.  I felt the Spirit of the Holy Ghost so strongly and I knew this was the time to pray.  As I knelt beside my bed I pled with the Lord to help me with lyrics.  Within a few minutes the lyrics flowed through my mind.  I was finished before she arrived.

In 1985, George W. Dyer and Tina Brunsdale Wright recorded my album entitled, "Ill Find You My Friend."  Since the first publication I'll Find You My Friend has been translated into 20 languages.  In 1987, a sequel to the first album was released entitled, I'll Find You My Friend Part II with a song called I Found You My Friend.  Vocalists are George W. Dyer, Lori Bowen Whittle, Keenan Kanahele and Lynette Vance Carling.

Flia. Hnos. Watson

Here is our new family name plaque.  The Flia is an abbreviation for familia and the Hnos for Hermanos (my name placque says Hermana (Sister) Watson, plural -- Brethren Watson).  The grand piano is a a bit of a stretch for our teclados, but one of our students expressed her love for us with this.  It hangs outside our door now, and we'll have to find a place for it at home.  It won't fit in our suitcase, but will BARELY squeeze into the guitar case, so it's going to make it home.

Our students shared their surpluses with us this week.  It makes me think of how much I like to share my garden.  You will recognize the avocados.  Above them are a different type of mango, and I can't remember the name of the green vegetable.  It works to make it into "zuchini" casserole, and we like it just steamed.  Yum!  Our only problem (!) is when we buy avocados because we don't have any and then are gifted 4 in a couple of days. We just have to eat lots. 

This is a road made slippery with mangos that we walk twice a week.  Rod has our teclado and table which we always use.

Here is the bird as a full fledged adult.  I guess this is the end of his photos unless he learns to speak and we can video him. Once again, white bread and cream will not kill a baby bird.  Who would have thought?

Jhoisi came home from the store with this guaba wrapped around her neck.  I was going to say that she is a favorite student, but I realized that almost all are favorites.  What a blessing to work with the youth of the church.  They are great!!!

We are still adding students.  Soon we will need to make a cut off date, but it is hard to do.

Tuesday night our 5:30 student, Hilda Castillo, asked for a blessing of health as she left.  She said she'd been sick for almost a week and needed to get back to life.  Rod gave her a blessing.  Shortly after she walked out I was hit by a horrible pain in my stomach and was really sick(to the point of fear of passing out) for the next few hours.  Rod gave me a blessing as well, and I was only sick for that one night.  We continued teaching the next day, with Rod teaching in our homes with only one student while I slept.  We did cancel one appointment, but that was all. Rod was sick on Saturday, about the same, and we did the opposite.  The people here say that when we change from dry to wet season there is a virus.  Who knows?  It made me even more grateful for the health we have enjoyed here.  We didn't have the sickness at the last change. Hilda was at church today feeling better, so "Hurray for the Priesthood".  I am so grateful for the blessings we've received through it.