No internet for the past three days has made life a little tough for us. I'm embarrassed to say that knowing how many of our friends live here but it is true. It's funny how you take for granted that you can email or call your family whenever you get a chance until that opportunity is taken away from you then you feel that panic of "what if something happens at home and no one can get hold of us".
You know that "mother thing" in us all.
It has been anything but dull here the last four days! On Friday about 5:00 I was at the computer studying and Scott was in the kitchen when the computer table started to move. I thought I had just bumped it but then noticed the garbage can was rocking back and forth . It was an earthquake! Interestingly enough, the earthquake was centered in an area where they have had a horrendous problem with gang violence. It was only a 5 so there wasn't much damage but some of the cement buildings ( they are all cement buildings here) cracked. We worked on our lesson for Sunday.
Many times before six in the morning you are awakened by the taxi drivers yelling out their destinations so when I woke up I thought that was what the racket outside.. Then I thought it was Sunday morning and got up to see what was going on. It was 3:00 a.m. and there were three cars parked in the street with guys gathered around one of them kind of shoving each other and yelling. This continued for about 15 minutes then we heard a gunshot and thought it was one of the guards trying to break them up. They took off different directions but many were soon back on the street next to our apartment. It was amazing how many people were walking and driving around at 3:00 in the morning. None of them stopped to see what was going on - which was probably smart! We found on Saturday morning that one of the guys had actually been shot and they didn't break up until morning when three more shots were fired. On the ranch when shots were fired you knew it was someone target shooting or taking care of dangerous animals - here if you here shots you know someone is the target. It is strange going from such a peaceful ranch life (comparatively speaking) to living in the middle of a city of 4 million people !
Scott's Haitian friend, Joel, had come out to try to find his friend who hadn't come home during the melee during the night. Scott had previously asked him to come go to church with us so we got a lot of information from him. What is amazing is they don't think 3:00 in the morning is an unusual time to be out. I don't know how he felt about going to church but he had gone out and bought a new pair of jeans so he could go. That made us both feel bad because he doesn't have the money to buy anything....
Sunday at 4:00 we had a music lesson with the Oriental Stake. Their high councilor over music was there, as was their music director for the stake along with 13 kids and 2 women who wanted to learn how to conduct music. It was a lot of fun for me because Scott had to do the teaching and I got to run the CD and check on the students work. They are fun to work with. We had a message from another stake that is ready to have people from their stake taught so now we are wondering who we can get to help us because we aren't going to be able to teach them all. Sunday is the day they want to schedule but many are far away so we'll have to figure that out as we come to it. We are just happy to be able to work with people!
Monday was the usual two Spanish classes and family home evening at that Casa. It was a farewell for Sister Mead and the McDermids. Sister Mead will be missed as she is a temple worker that was fluent in French, English, Spanish, and German so she could help out with about any situation that
came up. She is so loving and kind but very firm. Elder McDermid is the one who was on our flight here and took care of us when we got here - thank heavens! Sister McDermid cried the entire time she talked. They are from Canada and have been the mental health counselors here. . I have had similar feelings of sadness when I think that some time we will be leaving this beautiful, serene temple.
We have a neighbor, Patricia, who is always in a hurry and Scott invites in to eat with us all of the time. This morning she was coming home from exercising and we were just getting breakfast and she agreed to come in and eat with us. During the meal she asked what we thought about the Mayan prediction that the world will end on Dec. 21. So Scott told her about the record we have of the Lamanites and the last days in the Book of Mormon. She wanted to read it and of course we have some extras because Scott gives them out to everyone! She lives alone and spends much of her time afraid, as well she should, so I think she is grateful to have a couple of "old" friends she can turn to for help if she needs to.
Then there was yelling in the street again - this time a woman had tried to steal another woman's wallet out of her bag as they both got into a taxi. All of the men in the area thought it was funny and were gathered all around watching. I can say that the women are just as loud as the men! I'm beginning to think isn't the safest place to live....
Yturraldes came down to scan something and ended up staying for lunch. Makes it a little hard to get my studying done but we love their company!
At the temple in our session there was this woman who looked like she was 100. I don't know if she was younger and had just had a tough life or was really old. She couldn't see or do anything for herself but just wanted to be there. What an inspiration! When we think that we are just too busy to take time to go to the temple I will always remember the sisters here who sacrifice so much just to come to the temple.
Sister Quenot's brother passed away so between that sadness and her two or three root canals she is having done she was not her usual bubbly self tonight. They served in France as mission president. Can't imagine a better example of love and devotion than those two are!
You know that "mother thing" in us all.
It has been anything but dull here the last four days! On Friday about 5:00 I was at the computer studying and Scott was in the kitchen when the computer table started to move. I thought I had just bumped it but then noticed the garbage can was rocking back and forth . It was an earthquake! Interestingly enough, the earthquake was centered in an area where they have had a horrendous problem with gang violence. It was only a 5 so there wasn't much damage but some of the cement buildings ( they are all cement buildings here) cracked. We worked on our lesson for Sunday.
Many times before six in the morning you are awakened by the taxi drivers yelling out their destinations so when I woke up I thought that was what the racket outside.. Then I thought it was Sunday morning and got up to see what was going on. It was 3:00 a.m. and there were three cars parked in the street with guys gathered around one of them kind of shoving each other and yelling. This continued for about 15 minutes then we heard a gunshot and thought it was one of the guards trying to break them up. They took off different directions but many were soon back on the street next to our apartment. It was amazing how many people were walking and driving around at 3:00 in the morning. None of them stopped to see what was going on - which was probably smart! We found on Saturday morning that one of the guys had actually been shot and they didn't break up until morning when three more shots were fired. On the ranch when shots were fired you knew it was someone target shooting or taking care of dangerous animals - here if you here shots you know someone is the target. It is strange going from such a peaceful ranch life (comparatively speaking) to living in the middle of a city of 4 million people !
Scott's Haitian friend, Joel, had come out to try to find his friend who hadn't come home during the melee during the night. Scott had previously asked him to come go to church with us so we got a lot of information from him. What is amazing is they don't think 3:00 in the morning is an unusual time to be out. I don't know how he felt about going to church but he had gone out and bought a new pair of jeans so he could go. That made us both feel bad because he doesn't have the money to buy anything....
Sunday at 4:00 we had a music lesson with the Oriental Stake. Their high councilor over music was there, as was their music director for the stake along with 13 kids and 2 women who wanted to learn how to conduct music. It was a lot of fun for me because Scott had to do the teaching and I got to run the CD and check on the students work. They are fun to work with. We had a message from another stake that is ready to have people from their stake taught so now we are wondering who we can get to help us because we aren't going to be able to teach them all. Sunday is the day they want to schedule but many are far away so we'll have to figure that out as we come to it. We are just happy to be able to work with people!
Monday was the usual two Spanish classes and family home evening at that Casa. It was a farewell for Sister Mead and the McDermids. Sister Mead will be missed as she is a temple worker that was fluent in French, English, Spanish, and German so she could help out with about any situation that
came up. She is so loving and kind but very firm. Elder McDermid is the one who was on our flight here and took care of us when we got here - thank heavens! Sister McDermid cried the entire time she talked. They are from Canada and have been the mental health counselors here. . I have had similar feelings of sadness when I think that some time we will be leaving this beautiful, serene temple.
We have a neighbor, Patricia, who is always in a hurry and Scott invites in to eat with us all of the time. This morning she was coming home from exercising and we were just getting breakfast and she agreed to come in and eat with us. During the meal she asked what we thought about the Mayan prediction that the world will end on Dec. 21. So Scott told her about the record we have of the Lamanites and the last days in the Book of Mormon. She wanted to read it and of course we have some extras because Scott gives them out to everyone! She lives alone and spends much of her time afraid, as well she should, so I think she is grateful to have a couple of "old" friends she can turn to for help if she needs to.
Then there was yelling in the street again - this time a woman had tried to steal another woman's wallet out of her bag as they both got into a taxi. All of the men in the area thought it was funny and were gathered all around watching. I can say that the women are just as loud as the men! I'm beginning to think isn't the safest place to live....
Yturraldes came down to scan something and ended up staying for lunch. Makes it a little hard to get my studying done but we love their company!
At the temple in our session there was this woman who looked like she was 100. I don't know if she was younger and had just had a tough life or was really old. She couldn't see or do anything for herself but just wanted to be there. What an inspiration! When we think that we are just too busy to take time to go to the temple I will always remember the sisters here who sacrifice so much just to come to the temple.
Sister Quenot's brother passed away so between that sadness and her two or three root canals she is having done she was not her usual bubbly self tonight. They served in France as mission president. Can't imagine a better example of love and devotion than those two are!
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