More Flora and Fauna

 I walked to the fruit stand one morning alone.  On my way back I found this leaf.  As a child I wondered about leaves in the garden of Eden, but here in Panama there are leaves big enough to cover.  This one wouldn't work very well, but it was beautiful to me. 

 Here is the other side.  It reminded me of our tarantula, Dirty Harry, for some reason.  I threw it outside after the photos, and it scrunched up and dried and still reminded me of him.  I never tire of the variety that God has created. 

We picked up a student one day and found this (thankfully) dead beetle on his driveway.  His sister and I put our feet by it so that you could see the size.  I'd hate to meet it while it was flying.  The smaller ones are bad enough.

Yesterday we started our Saturday with our directing appointment.  We didn't meet construction on our way to the second one so we were a bit early and stopped at a used bookstore to get books.  We taught at our second appointment normally, but when we continued on to Boquette, neither of our students was there.  We sat in the church parking and read for an hour and a half before continuing on to our  last appointment.  When we arrived there there was no electricity.  We continued on to be on time to a birthday party we'd expected to be really late for.  Rod went to the wrong house (way out of our way) while I continued to read my book.  He didn't say anything aloud when I told him we were at the wrong house, he just backtracked.  When we arrived, we were the first guests and remained the only ones for more than an hour.  The party started 2 hours late.  We're not going to get this one figured out on the mission.  I give up.

Today we attended church in 3rd ward.  The bishop finally called a music coordinator so we wanted to meet her.  She had the music for today, and before we left had selected those for next week.  Hurray!!!
The students who  played sat at the organ until it was time for them to play.  They turned the volume very low and were practicing.  You could just hear the hymns, almost as if you were imagining it.  Then my attention was caught as I was hearing, not a hymn, but Fur Elise.  I caught Angel's eye and wagged my finger at him.  He smiled and changed back to hymns.  Two other students spent the entire hour of relief society in the back of relief society (which is the front of the chapel) practicing the piano.  They have assignments for next week.  I decided if no one else made an issue of it, I wouldn't either.

Our Stake President today talked in our relief society meeting.  He said as a counselor in the mission presidency years ago, he was assigned to guard a door during a meeting in which President Hinckley was speaking.  He had to stay outside and miss it all.  As he was watching, 3 large white cars pulled up.  PRESIDENT HINCKLEY got out of one of them, walked over to him, shook his hand and  patted him on the back and said "Hi, guy".  Fun tiny glimpses!  As he left the meeting, I said "Bye, guy", but he didn't hear, and no one else understood, so only I got to laugh.

I never cease to be amazed at the myriad details that SOMEONE takes care of so that the church can function smoothly.  I love it that each of us is needed so things work out.  Building the talents of the members is part of the magic of the gospel.  I'm glad to be here doing a little bit.