Journal - April 5 - 11

5 April 2010…..Monday
Today Nathan is 10 years old! It was good to get back to the office. I brought the remaining fudge to the office and they were glad to get it. We talked to four young missionaries that came to see the doctor. One was from Ontario, CA and is Tongan. When we said we were from Lancaster, he remarked what a small world it is. Dick left before 10 am to go pick up Elder and Sister Brady and take them shopping. They usually have several stores they want to go to and the car is so full that there is not room for a fourth person. I had some things I wanted to get done so that worked out fine. Shortly after noon I rode home with Tilleys. We stopped at Paiz for a few items. Dick got home soon after I did. He went back to the office for a few hours.

Tonight was Family Home Evening at Tilleys. We talked about our favorite parts of Conference and what we would do to improve upon ourselves. FHE started at 6 pm so those who wanted to could go across the hall to Tomkinsons for the basketball playoff later. I sat with Rexene for awhile after FHE as she questioned Paul Hatch about some scriptures. He taught us both about Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20. He has been an area Seventy in Spain, Los Angeles Temple president, mission president in Iowa, and he and Dorothy are faithfully serving here, even in their eighties. What a great spirit of joy they have about them.

I finished reading Gerald Lund’s book, "Hearing the Voice of the Lord." It is exceptional and one I want to buy when we get home. It is about personal revelation and how to more fully use the great gift of the Holy Ghost in our lives. Living in these last days makes it imperative that we learn to listen and heed. The last chapter was so good that tomorrow I am going to re-read it.

6 April 2010…..Tuesday
It was a full busy day for me as it always is when I get the PEF Priesthood Report. I took two breaks to climb the stairs for a little exercise. Dick went to the Distribution Center to get copies of “The Proclamation on the Family” and then looking for frames so each of his young men could frame their own Proclamation to hang on their wall. This afternoon we came home before 4 pm and then he and Jim left to buy some frames. After they got back Dick left again to buy gas and get large sugar cookies at San Martíns. Then the two of them left for their Young Men’s meeting. Dick loves any excuse to get in the car and drive. Rexene and I took a walk.

7 April 2010…..Wednesday
Driving to work is so colorful. It is like driving through an alfombra (carpet) of Jacaranda leaves. There is purple all over the streets. There are a lot of old, huge Jacarandas in our area. There are other large trees with pink blossoms. No one seems to know what kind of tree they are but maybe I am asking the wrong people. I asked Claudia this morning and she didn’t know either but she called her mother. The pink trees are Matilisguate trees. So gorgeous. This country is so full of color…..the landscape, the buildings, and the clothing. We had some rain last night. We will soon be in the rainy season. This country needs rain to wash the dirt and grime off the foliage and to brighten all the greenery.

We met the Tilleys at Wendy’s for lunch. Dick brought me home as I can’t send the reports until I get the letters to accompany them. Rexene and I walked an hour. It was cloudy and we thought we would get rained on. We saw the embassies for Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Peru and some we couldn’t identify. One cedar tree that had to be at least 80 feet tall had a bougainvillea completely covering the top like a bright magenta canopy. The other side had a wisteria hanging its beautiful purple blossoms. It is incredibly beautiful.

8 April 2010…..Thursday
Today is Joey’s 12th birthday! It was very quiet in our area of the office. John and Beatriz are in Polochic for the week so it is just Dick and me. I got the PEF information from Belize entered in the PEF administration web site. Sister Dunford in Belize had talked to all the kids so she was able to update me on most of them. I then replied to a questionnaire from Salt Lake about the Priesthood report and how long it takes to separate it and send it to all the leaders and what are the biggest problems and what suggestions I have. We are fortunate here in Central America that I can do it all electronically. Some areas have to print the numerous reports, address envelopes, and mail them to all the leaders. That would take forever and I can do it at the click of the mouse. Dick had some exceptions for me to type up in Spanish. Then I worked on the Spanish version of the talk I am giving in Sacrament Meeting on April 18th. Dick brought me home early in the afternoon and he went back to the office.

We had our first major thunderstorm this afternoon. It was wonderful. It rained about an hour. Rexene and I went walking a little before 5 pm. All the green and the color in the landscaping were brighter and more vibrant with the rain. We walked an hour.

9 April 2010…..Friday
Today Cheryl Baldwin (Central Mission president) and Dyan Steimle (MTC president) picked up Rexene, Sandy, Suzanne and me at the apartments and we went to Pecorino’s, a very nice Italian restaurant. We had a very pleasant visit. Cheryl was talking about her friend in Cave Creek, AZ telling her awhile back that her daughter is writing a book and it is about “vampires.” And, now we know what a success the books have been. I figure that information will give me some points with my granddaughters because they are hooked on the books and the movie.

Rexene and I took our hour walk. Dick came home as we were leaving but went back to the office to have Elder Clarke sign the PEF exceptions. He got home at 6:30 pm. We got mail today including Easter cards from Bendixens and Dennings. With the office closed all last week the mail was also delayed about a week.

10 April 2010…..Saturday
It was a good morning to get some things done at home. Dick went to the office for awhile and then to Paiz for a few items. We went to the movies in the early afternoon with a group, to the VIP theater with the leather recliners. We had a quiet, pleasant evening.

11 April 2010…..Sunday
Today was a good Sabbath. We have a new young missionary from Honduras. He joined the church over a year ago. His mother and sister were recently baptized. After Church I enjoyed a good nap. Then we went to a baptism with the Tilleys. Our branch missionaries baptized an entire family…..father, pregnant mother, 12 year old daughter and 8 year old son. The baptism was at the Lourdes Chapel. When we got there the daughter didn’t have her white baptism clothes. I went with Dick and Jim to take her home to get her clothes. She couldn’t find them. Then the guys took two other young missionaries to see if they could find something else for her to wear. It ended up that the little boy was baptized and then the little girl put on the wet clothing and she was baptized.
I played the piano…a lot of prelude music and then three congregational songs. I haven’t sat at a piano for that long for twenty months. It was a beautiful Yamaha. After we got home we all went to the Tomkinsons for dessert so they could introduce their daughter and son-in-law visiting from AZ.