Winding UP -- almost done -- ready or not.

Maria and Janell behind her home on the beach in Puerto Armuelles. This is the beach where Audrey stayed when she came.  Maria told us about the trials of living on the beach, how the water comes up two or three times a year and pounds against the beach, making the house shake.  The house is made of cinderblocks and there have been enough earthquakes that the walls are separated.  She says whenever there is a little earthquake she always worries that the walls will fall.  She says the government has repaired some homes, but so far not hers. She is single, but her daughter and her family live there as well.

 One of the reasons we needed to go back to Puerto was to take a piano to Eduardo and Nazuli.  They had earned one for each, but we didn't have enough pianos then.  Now at the end of our stay here in David, we are reclaiming pianos from those who chose not to practice, and we have enough. They came to church prepared to play for Sacrament meeting but I didn't know it until after.  There was no one organizing the music, so the president asked me to play two of the hymns and Jaynis, our other student, to play.  This is one of our challenges as we move on, is to have someone in the branch to support the youth.

 Here Jaynis is teaching one of the North American elders to play the piano after Sacrament meeting.  She is not a member of the church, but attends with her grandmother. 

 Dahlias can live here in Panama.  This one made me think of my mother and the wondrous display she and my dad used to create at the church in Moore, Idaho where I grew up.  The Huerta family grows them.

 Angel Polacios is from the branch in Las Lomas.  The first time I met him and shook his hand he didn't say anything.  I was inviting him to learn to play.  I remember thinking that there was something  not exactly right with him and that I was glad I wouldn't have to challenge myself to teach him.  When I met him the first time at his home after making the schedule, I was a bit surprised. He came to the first concert dressed in a white shirt, very sharp.  He played his hymn perfectly.  Rod and I were both praying hard. Last Friday he completed his hymns to earn his piano.  He has already played in church 3 times.  Hurray!!

Javier is a cousin of Angel.  We teach them in the same house.  He didn't have a piano to practice for a long time.  Finally we had one he could use, and he, too, has played his hymns. He still needs to play in church. We count them as our miracles.  I pray someone will support them.

We are beginning our last full week.  It will be one of triumph, we hope the students who don't complete will have learned something about the need to put forth effort and will not feel hurt or angry.  It couldn't be a surprise, anyway, as we've been trying to encourage them with every lesson.

We are definitely ready to see our family.  Life is good, and the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.  (It has been a source of amazement to us, how many 'tender mercies' we receive as we work with the youth here.  I am really grateful for His continual help.  We would never have found this method of teaching and surely been pretty unsuccessful without it.  Plus, every week / almost every day we recognize inspiration to do something better than we would have on our own.)