continuing...

This blog is going to have to be our journal, so that explains why so much detail is included.

They have a wonderful tradition in our branch of coming to the front to sing with prelude music. Teen agers, older sisters, come up and sing the words of the hymns as I play them. It is difficult to play when my eyes are full of tears.

We have been royally welcomed. We have been invited to the Area Counselor's home for dinner one night, the Area President took us to dinner last Friday evening. We have been invited to several homes, been to several restaurants with senior couples. There is no time for games, casual get-togethers at home. Everyone comes home exhausted, and yet there is a comraderie and an occasional treat such as I mentioned above. We have a Family Home Evening once a week with all the Seniors, Mission Presidents, Area Presidency, and then on Fast Sunday evening we have a "Break the Fast Dinner". There is much opportunity to feel the great spirits of those serving in this Area. For example, I asked the Area President Don Clark if the missionaries went into Zona 1 in the city. He looked me in the eye and said, "Hermana, wherever there are people there are missionaries". This great enthusiasm for the gospel is a part of every missionary who serves here. We are humbled by their boldness in speaking and are trying to follow their example.

There is so much more to say regarding the many special, spiritual experiences we have had, but I think we may be losing the wireless bubble we have enjoyed for the last hour and I think I had better close down. Even this seems a miracle to us as we have not been able to write anything to anyone except our family for a month.

A couple of addenda:
1. We have two tutors...and they are wonderful. They still haven't been able to work miracles with us, but they have been so helpful. I have made a goal to write every inter-office or mission missive in Spanish and it takes me forever to write anything. If I were working in an office at home, I would be fired on the spot. We have a small clinic and office on the first floor of the Area Office Building, and we have been alone till now. I think we will have to include one more desk for the new mental health missionary who is coming next week.
2. Although we have to be careful about washing our food and hands, the fruits, veggies, meat and poultry are exceptional. We have been trying all the fruits and vegetables unknown to us and are amazed that we haven't encountered them in the states. We don't go out to eat so we eat at home and, in dress clothes besides, and in addition, there really is little snacking. We have both lost a little weight, although I think we are eating much healthier diets. There isn't time to snack. We are keeping cereal bars for the missionaries who come to clinic, but the mission employees have discovered the stash and creep in for treats during the day. I don't like cereal bars, although there have been times when that is all we have time to eat. The carrots are as big as potatoes and different from our carrots, somehow. They are sweet and a bit darker.

We are going to a "corn on the cob" elotos festival at a member's branch on Saturday. The corn is very different,but they know how to cook it so it is soft. We have been boiling corn, cutting it off the cob and then sauteeing it with onions and mushrooms and adding it to omelets. Cooked that way, the corn is delicious.

Enough! This is my journal entry for August 20th. We have had birthdays this month and we have kept all of you in our prayers and kept you on the temple prayer roll. We go to the temple each week and feel that we are doing missionary work for eight people a month even if we don't proselyte. We are going to offer to go with the missionaries, but we haven't even had time to breathe while we are getting used to what we have to do. Maddie, you are the next Birthday. We love you!