Keys and kids

 Yohanna got tired of playing her pieces after an hour and her family didn't come to pick her up.  We played Go Fish, and she read "Where the Wild Things Are" to me.  I enjoy her a lot.

 She brought me flowers again.  Her mother lets her cut them from their garden in Volcan.  Some of them last several days.  I really enjoy them.

 Keys and locks are not our favorite here.  Seldom do they work properly.  Yesterday we were in Boquete and forgot that the front door lock doesn't work.  We inserted the key and it wouldn't come out, or open the door or anything.  We decided to call the repairman who told us we'd need to handle it.  We called the Church Education System person (who is also a member of the mission presidency) who lives next door.  He was at a baptism in David.  He said "Oh hermana, that lock doesn't work"  DUHHH!!!  Anyway, by this time we were several miles down the road with a carload of kids. He wanted us to go back and break off the key so no one could possibly get in (even though we couldn't get in either).  Rod grudgingly turned around.  The kids wanted to try to get the key out.  I'd prayed all the way back thinking this might be a simple thing for the Lord to take care of, but we didn't get a miracle.  I finally borrowed pliers from a guy at a car wash across the street  and we tried with those.  When it just wouldn't work, I broke off the key and here it is.  I'm not sure if it was the right thing to do, but...

 Sunday morning with four students slated to play their first time in Las Lomas.  They were nervous.  The member of the bishopric told me "Hermana, you look more nervous than the kids.  Don't worry.  If it doesn't work, we'll just turn on the CD."  NOT what I wanted to hear.  They actually did fine.  Some almost perfect.  It is a big challenge to make yourself get over nerves and just do it.  I sat beside these kids to give them confidence.  They all got the idea that this might be interesting and fun LATE.  I'm not sure if they can pull it off to earn their keyboards.  I hope so.

 This lady is blind and on dialysis.  She is the grandmother of three of our students.  This grandson, William, was sitting by her in Sunday School class today.  Pretty sweet.  She's from Bocas del Torro, on the coast of Panama.  She gave us avocados one day, and called them "Peras", pears, because of their shape.  English (Jamaican) is part of her culture.

 I never get tired of these "group of students enjoying each other and the music".  We do have fun.

 Abril started really late and hasn't taken off.  This brother Alvarado tries to look out for her and calls her when she doesn't come for her lessons. 

 We were invited to dinner Thursday night.  Often there is a fair amount of time just sitting by ourselves and waiting until dinner is ready.  This time Rod had a book, so while I played Go Fish with the kids, he read.  He has played Go Fish so many times that he has no desire to play it again unless he is partners with a small child.

 Count your blessings normally at 45rpm playing at 78rpm

These two kids are our 11 year olds.  Genesis, directing with me, I think will learn her 10 hymns.  Lorenzo won"t unless we have another miracle, but he has learned something.  He did play it flawlessly in church.



The stake president's dog (the apartment under ours) likes to bark at us and jumps when excited.  Janell gets tired of him, but decided the jumping was of interest.

David Caballero, a student from Bugaba, rode the bus in and met us at Price Smart Saturday night.  We cooked meatballs mashed potatoes,pumpkin bread and lemon sauce.  When it came to decide for or against the sauce, I asked David if he'd rather play piano or make the sauce.  He said "Your husband likes the sauce."  I said yes, but that he could do without.  David then said "I like the sauce", so we made it.  We took him home about 8:30 and visited the Romero family. As we pulled up, someone came running down the road.  I said "Is that you , Pipo?"  No answer, so I figured I'd just blown it royally.  It was he, though.  He gave me a hug and then went right in for his teclado.  He sat down and played hymns the entire time as she cut my hair (by then it was 9:00).   One of his cousins, Patricia, a student who stopped practicing while we were there, played 5 hymns.  She may try to finish before we leave.  It's little time, but if she can focus she could do it.
It was a nice, relaxing night.  Rod read a book and didn't finish it until early in the morning.  Wow!  He knows he can sleep while I do things like this blog, I guess.

This week Rod's message was on prayer, taken from the bible dictionary.  Prayer is not meant to, nor can it, change the will of the Lord.  It is meant to help us to gain blessings that we can only have if we ask for them.  It was an interesting week.  I was focused on a need of one of our grandkids, and to hear that message 5 times a day, just after praying, was thought provoking.  Here I am, trying to practice "Thy will be done", and also "There is another kind of faith...it calls forth things that otherwise would not be".  I want to bless my family all that I can through my faith in the Savior.

Our lesson from Alma today talked about the sons of Mosiah and how even though they were doing right, they had hard challenges.  I just read Elder Hales conference talk which talks about life being  a time to have experiences that we learn from.  Shoot! Myles said, "If everything were peachy, you wouldn't be eating mangos there in Panama".  Our friends from Aguadulce, the Trejos family, sent us another box of them.  YUMMM!!!  Life is still good, and our health is still holding.  (That is we continue to pay for insurance and the money all goes for someone else's sicknesses -- guess we can't be too sorry for that!)  Have a great week!