I think I was warm for about 15 minutes today!

This will be shorter than usual because I'm tired, and have to get up for work in the morning. Man, get up for work, I can't even remember what that's like!


Anyway, so we got home safe and sound. I just wanted to let you all know. All of our flights were on time and we really didn't have any problems. The only issue was that we forgot to pick up the hammock chair that we bought for Charley's parents after going through security in Miami. So then Charley got lost trying to go back for it and we were the last ones to get on the plane! And it turned out that they'd checked all our hand luggage through for us, so in the end we shouldn't even have been needing to take it through security in the first place, but anyway, it all worked out!


We arrived right on time, and all our bags and hammock chair arrived too. And we didn't get charged for any bags, so that was a nice relief.


We spent the day today unpacking, and Charley's parents came and spent the afternoon and evening here. And they love their new hammock chair - we hung it on the front porch to try it out. It was a hit! We were hoping to see Charley's sisters too but one is sick, and the other has her two boys sick, so we'll have to wait until we go down to see them, hopefully soon.


It was unseasonably warm in Indianapolis today (about 63 degrees Fahrenheit) yet despite that I was cold all day. The only 15 minutes I spent being really warm, was when I held my cousin's baby girl for a while! So, while everyone else was enjoying the "warm" weather, I was wrapped up in a blanket. But I'm sure my body will adjust soon.


Well, it's been great sharing our stories. I thought of another couple of good ones today that I never blogged about but I don't really remember what they were right now. Thanks for following along and stay tuned for future adventures and/or reflections.


Goodnight!

Where do I even begin?

Well, I suppose this will be the last blog I write from Nicaragua this time around. I don’t even know where to start.

Monday the landlady arrived (she’s a sister too). Seems like she had a smooth trip here. So we spent the week doing our studies one last time and we managed to meet with the group once or twice in the mornings. It’s all a bit of a blur now. I hardly remember what we did from one day to the next. Our landlady came out in service with us too one day and came on a couple of studies with me. She seemed to enjoy everything about the experience, especially getting her feet dusty on the dirt streets and getting jostled around in the truck as we drove down said streets! Here are a few pictures of the studies I said Goodbye to this week.

The house is being painted on the inside by the same brother who has been doing repairs here for a while now. He attends the congregation we went to last time we visited, El Crucero, so it’s been nice to see him, and last week he brought his wife and son with him one day. It was really nice to spend some time with them again since we became really good friends on our last visit. Their little boy is 4 years old and can quote pretty much word for word the video about Bible prophecy. He quotes all the part about the world powers, which beast in Daniel represents which world power, and he can tell you the ruler of each of those powers. It’s amazing to listen to! When I get home and have a faster internet connection I’ll upload the videos I have of him teaching us all this stuff, although of course it’s in Spanish, but it’s still amazing! Maybe I’ll try and add subtitles!

In Nicaragua this year they organized again what they call Rutas de Precursores (Pioneer Route) which is kind of like unassigned territory in the States. This year they invited any regular or auxiliary pioneers to apply to go serve for a period of time in areas of Nicaragua that don’t get covered in the preaching work. So, in the congregation, two fleshly sisters and a married couple applied and were assigned a couple of hours from here, past Rivas, to serve. The sisters are going for two months, and the couple for one month but with the hope of extending their stay a lot longer than that. So, Friday night was their last meeting here at Piedra Quemada, since early Sunday morning, they all left for the assignment along with their families and a few brothers who were taking them. So, the Goodbye’s started on Friday, and I had to fight back the tears. I had a demonstration Friday night – they told me it was my going away present! It went well I think. And they asked Charley to give the opening prayer, which made me start crying, since I imagined it would be his last prayer at Piedra Quemada. I was wrong, but more about that in a minute.

So, on Saturday Charley went out to do a study, then we went to Masaya so that Leyla could get some things at the market, and I got a shirt that I had ordered there. We sat in the tall chairs at the tall tables again and enjoyed that amazing smoothie again. Then in the evening we went to the party that I mentioned last time. When we got there, I was accosted by three of the kids in a big group hug. I thought it was a bit odd that they all ran up to me like that. Then two of them presented us with this envelope they had decorated, and it had some beautiful letters inside about how they are going to miss us, and wish we could stay, and wish us all the best for the future, and hope to see us again. So, as it turned out, this was a going away party for us, and for the 4 who are going on the Pioneer Route! That was a nice surprise indeed. So we danced the night away and had a great time. I brought some of the Scottish Ceilidh (spelled wrong probably, but pronounced Kaylee) music and Charley and I taught them three dances!!! We had a blast! There wasn’t a lot of room, but about 8 or 10 people joined in and we had a great laugh. I don’t know if anyone got very proficient, but they certainly had fun trying to learn! And Charley was a very good teacher too despite not having done these dances much since our wedding reception! Here are a few pictures from the evening. There are more in our web album. Click here to go to the web album

My girls Priscila & Alondra

The super cool Jael

Linda, Luz Marina & Kenia

Katia & Eunice with Ovidio flying by in the background!

We got quite a few little notes from the brothers and sisters, and one dear friend gave Charley some cologne, and me, a gift set with perfume, lotion, soap, and a beautiful satin scarf in it. So there were a lot of tears shed since we had to say our final Goodbyes to those who were going to be travelling the next day (amongst whom were those I became really close to), and they were saying their Goodbyes to their dear friends in the congregation.

So, then came Sunday, the final meeting here. We spent the day cleaning the house, making spaghetti sauce, writing out cards, etc. The meeting was at 4pm, and they gave Charley the going away present of giving the Public Talk! He gave the one “Should Christians Observe a Day of Rest?” (not sure what the title is exactly in English!). I always enjoy that one because I forget the details so it’s fresh each time I hear it! He did an EXCELLENT job if I do say so myself! They had him give the opening prayer for some reason, instead of the closing one, so Sunday ended up being his last prayer, not Friday. And just before the meeting started I ran out to put a gift in the car, and saw a group of brothers who had arrived in a taxi, heading back out. I got the feeling that a speaker had arrived, and they were sent away! So I’m not quite sure what happened, but I felt a bit guilty that they’d made the trip from somewhere in a taxi only to get sent home because Charley was giving the talk instead!

After Charley was done, the chairman had some lovely words to say about us, and the congregation applauded to send their greetings back to our congregation with us. My eyes are filling up with tears just typing this. Throughout the Watchtower I cried quite a bit. Every time I heard a voice that I was going to miss so much, I just couldn’t help myself! Then the song “Myriads of Brothers” just kept making me think about all these brothers and sisters we’ve made friends with and I could hardly sing the song for crying! And then one of the elders gave the closing prayer, and said such lovely things again about us, that I just lost it and sobbed through the whole thing! After the meeting there were lots of hugs, and smiles, and tears. We got some more cards and a couple of little gifts.

We had a bunch of people over after the meeting. One last evening of pasta and conversation here! Here we all are, well minus one because a sister left before I remembered to take a picture of us all. 

Front Row, L-R - Paula, Leyla, Luz Marina, Carla & Sadrac, Rebeca, Maria
Back Row, L-R - Alan, Wilder, Jorge, Leonardo, Charley, Rachel

We had a good laugh with them all. Then we went and dropped everyone off at home. The last one we dropped off was Luz Marina. I hadn’t realized how attached she had got to us, and she cried and cried when it was time to say Goodbye. And I really am going to miss her, but no tears came at that moment. I felt kind of bad that she was crying and I wasn’t! But I cried plenty later on reading some of the letters people gave us!

So, that was the weekend. It was an emotional one for me to say the least. Just another beautiful reminder of the amazing brotherhood we have amongst Jehovah’s people. Three months ago we didn’t know any of these people, and now it’s painful to leave them all. They’ve become like a dear family to us, and we’ll all miss each other, and long to see each other again to enjoy each other’s company once more.

Looking back over these three wonderful months down here, I realize how I’ve learned to a fuller degree what’s really important, what keeping a simple eye really means, what it is to rely completely on Jehovah, how it feels to see his hand at work in your life, how special the worldwide brotherhood is, and how new experiences can make you look at life with a totally different outlook. 

What Would We Talk About If Our Cars All Ran Smoothly?!

I suddenly felt in a writing mood despite it being around the time we usually go to bed. I feel hyper this evening. We just said Goodbye to a family who came over for dinner, so I’m all wound up!

Well, what’s new? Let’s see. Thursday I took the morning off as usual and Charley went out as usual. In the afternoon we did a few calls. It’s been really hot this last week or so, wears you out really quickly. We didn’t stay out too long because we had a big day ahead of us on Friday.

So, Friday we got up super early and headed off to Las Banderas where the oldest Robleto son lives. We’d already been so that Charley could give the talk, but this time we went to spend a whole day out in service in the mountains, or hills I guess they were. We also were delivering a piece of furniture that they bought from some needgreaters who moved back to the States. It was a rather top heavy piece of furniture (a kind of kitchen counter thing made of plywood & tiles), and in hindsight we should have put it top down in the back of the truck, but we didn’t! So we took a wrong turn on the way there, and when we turned around for a split second we both forgot that the countertop was back there and it fell out, on its tiled top! So, after we picked it up off the side of the road and collected the pieces of tile that fell out we were on our way. I think that’s the last time anyone will ask us to transport anything!

Anyway, so we arrived, rather ashamed of ourselves bc it was a bit damaged although still usable. We reimbursed our dear special pioneers for their damaged furniture – if we hadn’t I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night! Then off we went to meet for service, then waited for the bus. The group you see in the picture below split in two directions.

Here is the group of us that went to the hiking territory. We sat on some rocks for our lunch break, all very glad to rest a while!

And yes, that’s a 3-year old girl in the group. She got through the day very well without too much crying and a bit of being carried. We walked, and walked, and walked, and preached along the way at the houses that were scattered throughout the area. I think I only talked to about 4 people all day because a lot of it was walking, but it was a great experience and good exercise! We walked from 9am until 4pm. And it was HOT in the afternoon. It must have been at least 90. But the locals were all wrapped up to protect themselves from the sun. I couldn’t understand how they didn’t pass out with all those clothes on. The sisters even had shorts or pants under their skirts. And they couldn’t understand how I wasn’t on fire with bare arms and legs!! I had a nice layer of 70 Sunscreen on and that was all I needed. I didn’t get burned at all. Here are some of the sisters all covered up!! I'm getting hot just looking at them in the picture.

There were moments that I got a bit nervous about a climb, or a descent since I have a bit of a phobia of such things, but I’d read this week’s study WT the night before, so throughout the day I asked for Jehovah’s holy spirit to help me stay calm, and not be afraid, and it was amazing how I got through it all that way. I have a habit I think of relying a bit too much on myself, and so then I get afraid of things and it sometimes paralyzes me, but this trip down here has taught me a lot about relying on Jehovah more, and my experience on Friday confirmed how he helps you. It’s a beautiful feeling to have Jehovah’s help that way.

There are more pictures from that day out in service in our web album if you want to see them. Or click here to pull up the album and they're at the end.

While we were out in the middle of nowhere that day, Charley got a phone call from the School Overseer asking him to do the Bible Highlights that night. And reminding him that he had the part from the Benefit book on the Service Meeting. We didn’t realize until today that it was a "reminder" – they’d put Charley on the program but since they hadn’t assigned him anything before, neither of us noticed his name on there! Anyway, so after our long day we got home about 5:45 and the meeting is 6:30!! We were about 10 minutes from the house when the stereo starting turning itself on and off, and the headlights and inside lights started dimming.  NOT a good sign! So we got home ok, but to get to the meeting we had to roll start the truck! Charley did an EXCELLENT job on his two parts, especially considering he prepared them during the Bible Study and gave them without notes! I was very impressed.

After the meeting the truck wouldn’t start, so the brothers pushed it and got it going. But it died again before we got on the highway. Thankfully a brother with a vehicle (one of very few in the congregation who have one) pulled up behind us. And then another brother on his motorbike stopped. After much pushing and fiddling about under the hood nothing worked, so they ended up getting a tow rope and pulling us home! That was an experience in itself! Going downhill, trying to figure out when to brake and when not to. It was a bit of a jerky trip at times, but we got home safe and sound.

So, we spent the weekend using the bus travelling skills that we thankfully learned in our first few weeks here. It’s really easy to get around, but we did miss the convenience of the truck. Anyway, so the weekend was the usual, field service, housework, and the meeting this afternoon. The truck now has a new battery as of this evening so hopefully that will solve the problem. We hope it’s as simple as that. And we had coincidentally, but very conveniently, invited one of the elders and his family for dinner after the meeting and since they have a vehicle we rode home from the meeting with them this evening.

I can’t remember if I mentioned that Piedra Quemada (the congregation we’ve been attending) had a new ministerial servant and a new elder appointed last week. The new elder (Leonardo) is only about 25, but a VERY capable young brother. He’s a regular pioneer too. He conducts the Theocratic Ministry School like nobody I’ve ever heard before. He’s so good at finding good points about everyone’s parts on the school, and his introductions on his meeting parts are always really good. So that was exciting to see them have a third elder appointed. It also makes us feel better about leaving the congregation since they have 3 elders and 7 servants now. However, Leonardo just told us some VERY exciting news this evening. He got an invitation to the Bible School for Single Brothers on Friday!!!!!!!!!!! It’s in Guatemala, starting April 10. He said he’s had the goal since he heard about the school when he was about 18. And he can hardly believe he’s been invited. So I guess Piedra Quemada will be losing their new elder soon!! But for a good reason. We’re so thrilled for him. And jealous at the same time!!!! Imagining him getting his invitation makes me wonder if we’ll ever get to enjoy that thrill of getting invited to the Bible School for Christian Couples. Just imagining it gets me all excited!!!

So the landlady arrives tomorrow afternoon and will be here the rest of our time here. I’m slowly finding people to take over my Bible studies, but still need someone else to take the last two. The Service Overseer suggested someone though so hopefully I can get that all organized this week.

Well, just wanted to share those stories. It was an exciting, eventful couple of days! Oh, and today they told me that this coming Saturday they’re having a get together so that everyone can dance!!!! So I’m hoping to take my Scottish music too and teach them some dances. They sounded like they were up for it!!! YAY!!!! I get to dance AT LAST!!!!

Yes, we’re still alive and well!

Man, things have been so hectic I just haven’t found the time to type. So now I have to see if I can remember what we’ve been doing to blog about it. It seems like there were a lot of times that I said, Oh, this is a story for the blog, but now I can’t remember what those things were!

Firstly, before I forget, I thought I’d give a shout out to the weather! Every time we talk to someone back home they ask about the weather, and I never do think about mentioning it. I’m not sure what the temperature is, but it’s hot, all the time, since we arrived three months ago! Well, actually, this last two weeks it’s been getting hotter. But in the shade it’s nice and there’s usually a breeze to provide some relief. It still rains a tiny shower now and then, which they say is strange for February. It’s probably in the low 90’s at the hottest part of the day. I don’t exactly have a tan, but I’m a darker shade of white now which is a tan for me!! Ok, enough about the weather.

We had a GREAT time with Tasha & Aaron here. It was nice to have company, especially company that cooks meals for you! They made some delicious dinners and a very tasty breakfast one morning. They found the way to our hearts!

Aaron & Tasha outside the house

So, we took them out in service with us while they were here. And we did some touristy things. As you may have already seen in the pictures we spent a day in Catarina and Granada which was a nice day. We did a horse and carriage tour around the city. Our guide spoke good English, so we let him practice on us. A lot of times I wouldn’t catch what he said because of where I was sitting and I’d ask what he said. Whenever he did that, he’d repeat it in Spanish. I’m not sure if by the end of the afternoon he was sure if I spoke English or not! He also turned out to be studying and going to the meetings on a Sunday at the English congregation in Granada. He was real nice and took us to a couple of places that we didn’t see last time we did the tour.

We also spent a day in and around Masaya. We went to the Masaya Volcano which is just at the edge of our territory. It was a different experience for us this time. Last time we went in October 2009 it was really smoky and you couldn’t see very far down, but this time you could see way into the volcano. I posted the pictures in our web album. The smell of sulfur was also a lot stronger than I had remembered. We were all coughing about halfway up the steps to the hill next to the volcano. After that we went into Masaya, and ate at the place you can see in the photos that has really tall tables and chairs. I had the BEST fruit drink I’ve ever tasted. Orange, pineapple, ginger & mint – sounds odd but it was fantastic! We also tried to go to the market where the locals do their grocery shopping. So we all followed Charley about 15 minutes in the wrong direction, then walked back and got lost again, and then after we’d given up and were trying to head back to the truck, we found the market. I don’t have a picture of it, but it was a rather intimidating looking place. It just kept getting narrower. But we did get some good prices on fruit, although after I got home I realized that half the mandarins they gave me were bad. That made me mad. Of the dozen I bought I think I’ve thrown half of them away since then. As you may be able to tell from the photos, Aaron & Tasha didn’t put sunscreen on that day, and so they got quite fried. Tasha stayed home the next morning. We think she got a bit too burnt, and a bit dehydrated. She survived it though. At the meeting Friday night Aaron ended up being a householder for a demonstration which he did nicely. You can see him in the pictures. And Charley, to make up for previous times, took a picture of me doing my demo!

On the way home that day we got stuck behind a funeral at a big cemetery in Masaya. The next day we drove past again, and there was another funeral procession. This time I took a quick video though. Click here to see it. I didn’t know if I should be taking a video, but I just had to. Have you ever seen a tuba player at a funeral before? Like I said… I just had to record a quick clip. I wish I could have got a picture of the hearse. It was a really fancy carriage, and the horses were wearing these sort of big, white, crocheted sheets.

On Sunday we went to the meeting in El Crucero. Mario Jr. (the youngest son of our friends who moved here) was giving the Public Talk and none of us had heard him give a talk before, so off we went. He did a nice job and we had fun seeing all of the congregation again. They also had a going away party for a brother and sister moving back to the States after being in El Crucero for 4 years. They had it on the land of a brother there. It was nice. We ate pelibuey – not sure if that’s how you spell it. Spellcheck says it’s spelled wrong, but it doesn’t have any suggestions on how to spell it correctly! It’s a sheep, that looks kinda like a goat. So, not sure if it goes to the right or to the left…….. Anyway, I didn’t eat much of it. The pieces that I managed to chew and not gag on were really tasty though. And some young brothers and sisters from a nearby hall came and did some traditional dancing. Which was nice to see, because I found out today that the party that our congregation was going to have had to be cancelled, so we won’t get to see the sisters do the dance they’d practiced.

So, we left Tasha & Aaron in El Crucero and on the way home the battery on the truck was dying. It died a couple of times but on hills so Charley managed to get it started. Oh and one time, an army truck pulled up beside us and some hopped out and pushed it until it started again. But then we finally got to a hill that it wouldn’t go up. We tried pushing it downhill to start it, then it got stuck up on the curb, so then Charley winded himself pushing it over the curb and down the other side into another lane, then I hit the clutch instead of the brake and almost hit a tree (but I didn’t hit it). Then we thought someone might stop and help if they saw me pushing it alone, so I did, and got it down the curb, but nobody took pity. Then we gave up. And we didn’t have any money on the phone, so we couldn’t call anyone! So I walked to the gas station to buy some minutes on the phone, and after making two trips, the lazy attendant finally got the energy to admit they did sell minutes and to sell me some. So we called the landlord’s brother and he said he’d come get us. In the meantime Charley noticed that the battery cable was loose, so he was looking for a stone to use as a tool to try and tighten it, when a Good Samaritan stopped, came over with tools and jumper cables and took care of it for us. He was super nice. We gave him a little something for his trouble, at which he insisted that he didn’t stop with that idea in mind, but gladly accepted. And he gave us his business card if we ever need the oven taking care of.  So we finally got home, accompanied by the landlord’s brother, about an hour later than we thought we would have originally.

While Tasha & Aaron were here we tried out their two-person hammock that they bought. Here are the pictures of Charley and me trying to figure out how exactly you would get two people in it. They’re a bit blurry because they were taken in a hurry and there was a lot of movement. As you can see Tasha is standing by trying to look innocent. Thanks for your help Tasha!

So, we’re already starting to wrap things up here. It’s amazing to think we’re leaving so soon. This month has flown by. I’m getting really attached to my studies, and now I have to find people to give them too which will be a challenge since everyone already has their own studies to take care of. We said Goodbye to a call or two today. So next week I’ll have to pass them on and hopefully they’ll keep studying. It’s been a really good month in the ministry. Tuesday went really well, I found all five people that I went to study with in the afternoon. Some study just for 20 minutes, others for an hour, but they’re all learning and enjoying it I think. Yesterday I found two that I hadn’t seen in a few weeks so that was nice. They’d just been busy with this and that, but they both studied.

The landlady will be arriving on Monday and will be here the rest of the time that we are, so we’ll no doubt have a busy week wrapping up our ministry here, and running errands with her. Part of me is ready to leave, but part of me is not looking forward to it! You get so attached to a congregation so quickly, and my eyes are all watery just sitting here thinking about saying Goodbye to them all.

Well, that’s enough of being sentimental! Time to go make some dinner and then have our Family Worship Night.

Just to let you know...

...that there are quite a few new pictures in our web album. Click here to look at them. You'll have to go to the end past the beach pictures to see the recent ones. I'll write more another day but thought you might enjoy looking at the photos at least. We're having a great time with Tasha & Aaron. The photos are of a little hiking trip with some friends in the congregation (before Tasha & Aaron came), and our hammock adventures, our trip to Granada & today's trip to the zoo with most of the kids from the congregation! Enjoy!!! Here's a sneak peek!

Actually we have visitors this next week…maybe!

Hello All!

It’s been a while hasn’t it?! Well, more than a week I mean! Hope you’re all doing well. I just haven’t had time/energy to type much lately, but here goes a blog post.

So, Aaron & Tasha arrived from Indianapolis. They had a smooth journey on a plane where everyone had a row to themselves it was so empty. I was rather jealous to hear that! Note to self: Travel on a Sunday next time! So, they ended up going and staying with the Robletos after all. And then Philip & Luisa’s plans changed so they’re not coming to stay until this Sunday night. So we ended up with an empty house after all! But Tasha & Aaron are coming to stay this week so we still get to have them for a bit. We’re looking forward to that.

On the way home from the airport the day they came we got pulled over twice in about 10 minutes. I’m pretty sure the second cop that pulled us over must have driven past us when we were sitting pulled over by the other cop! But anyway, the first one invented some new kind of insurance we were supposed to have and said he’d have to take Charley’s license away for not having it. But he couldn’t give us very specific details about said insurance, and after we didn’t offer him any money, he must have decided he had no case against us and off we went. Then the second cop found an error in the paperwork of the insurance but like he said, that wasn’t our fault, and we thanked him for noticing it. So we got away, after much repetition on the cops part, without paying anything. So that was a relief but made us late getting back to get lunch started. Anyway, it made for some early entertainment for Tasha & Aaron I guess since they were following us in the Robleto’s car and pulled over to wait for us each time!

The week went by pretty uneventfully after that.  We both had some nice studies this week. We enjoyed Family Worship Evening with a couple of young brothers from our congregation. They are the only two in their house that are baptized, although their dad is currently studying again. It's such a beautiful thing to see young men take such a stand for the truth. 

And then the highlight of the week was our trip to the beach!!!!

We spent a night at an all-inclusive resort called Montelimar. It’s on the Pacific coast, just about 2 hours drive from here. We got there at 10am on Wednesday, at which point they give you your wristband so you can start wandering around and have food and drinks, although there wasn’t any food available right away. But we got to look around and get to know our way around, which wasn’t easy with the map they gave us! But we figured it all out. Then we got our room at 2:30, after lunch. We had a lovely time. We played mini-golf on a course that looked like it hadn’t been played on in two years and had some absolutely impossible holes, and we had to retrieve the ball from a stream, and the middle of a pipe on one of the holes! We had a good laugh playing. They have a “zoo” there too. It has peacocks, deer and a monkey, oh and some geese. Very exotic animals indeed. But I did get some nice pictures of them. We also had a really good laugh at the signs that they had at the buffet at breakfast/lunch/dinner time. Amongst other things we ate married tomatoes, garlic popes, bycon, and crumbled beef!!!! The beach was beautiful. Not at all crowded, the water wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t too freezing! I almost lost my glasses in the ocean, but thanks to my right arm and a bit of coincidence I didn’t! We also spent some time in a cold Jacuzzi – that was a treat. So on Thursday we had to check out at noon, but they let you stay until 3pm, so we spent some more time on the beach and eating. I really only enjoyed breakfast on Thursday I think. Probably because it was the only meal where I hadn’t eaten for about 12 hours prior to it, so I was actually really hungry! But the food was pretty good. They had some really good mini-croissants at breakfast and their bycon (also known as bacon) was really, really delicious. There was what they called a “Variety Show” on Wednesday night that we went to. It started out with 8 couples dancing a traditional Nicaraguan dance. And then the same eight dancers danced another dance in different outfits, and then the same four girls danced, and then the same four guys, at which point we started to wonder what they think the word “variety” means! And then when one of the guys came out dressed as a woman pretending to sing, we left. At least it was all-inclusive so we didn’t pay to get in to the show. So all in all, we had a really nice, relaxing time. The room was nice, the whole place was clean, the food was pretty good, and the beach was gorgeous. It’s not the kind of place either of us would have lasted a week at, but we enjoyed our 29 hours of rest.

So, today we went out in service this afternoon for a bit because we were just too lazy to get up this morning! And tonight is meeting night. We think the other couple who used to go to Piedra Quemada, but who have been reassigned and are now back from working in the States, are going to be there tonight, so it will be nice to finally meet them. Everyone has talked a lot about them, and the District Overseer called them “the ex-missionaries” which we didn’t know they had been missionaries. It seems they’re having a going away part for them since they didn’t get to do it before they left for the States a couple of months ago. So we get to enjoy a get together with the congregation before we leave, we hope. One of the young pioneer sisters told me they’re practicing a traditional dance for it, so it’ll be nice to see that.

Charley says to tell everyone Hello. He’s at the table gluing together all the things he’s broken lately! Note to landlord: If you’re reading this he hasn’t really broken anything big, expensive, important, or that can’t be fixed with superglue.

We got lots of pictures at the beach, especially at the “zoo” and the sunset over the beach. If you click here you can take a look at them. Just scroll down the page until you see where the beach pictures start.  There are too many to put them into the blog. But here are a couple of my favorites as a sneak peek!

Well, that’s all from us. It’s hard to believe that we’re coming home this month. We have mixed feelings about it, but be assured that we’re looking forward to seeing you all.