Still playing catch up and may loose the internet at any given time. We have not had power or internet and now we don't have air-conditioning. You just don't want to tempt fate and wonder what will go next!
Sunday is always a busy day for us but this one was eventful. We went out to Tres Brazos to pick up William's wife, Olglivia and her three kids. When we got there Scott went down the path (kind of) to tell them we were there. I didn't know which was scarier - to stay in the car or go down with him. Decided to stay in the car. I was really glad when Scott got back. Oglivia came out with her three kids but the boy , Gregory, had a swollen face from a bad tooth and wasn't going with us. It was great to see the girls, Cati and Aliana. Aliana had fallen and scratched up her face but also took off a fingernail which was painful for her. Olglivia and I were a great pair at church. Neither of us knew what was going on - she, however, had been there once with Scott already so she knew more than I did. I hate not being able to really talk to her. Scott went to the high priests class and they want him to come back an teach it as long as he can come to their ward. I was amazed at how big their ward was. It looked as big or bigger than ours back home. You just hope when you take these non-members to church that the members will befriend them. I am going to be better at that.
Cati, Alaina and Oglivia
While waiting in the car: I couldn't figure out what this guy was gathering. When we got to the top of the road he was at the garbage dump going through bags of garbage so I guess that was what he was collecting in his shopping cart.
This is where they live - down towards the river bank:
Most of these houses are pieces of tin, wood, cement blocks.
We got home in time to have lunch and get all of our stuff together to teach another class. We have a trunk full of eight keyboards, 25 easy hymn books, white board, markers, a table - it's like moving every time we go to this class! The kids are great though - we love working with them but it is quite a process...Their stake purchased five keyboards and five teaching kits so that helps us out a lot since there are usually 15 - 18 kids/one adult woman in the class. Finding tables to put all of the keyboards on is the hardest part. The buildings here don't have the tables available that we have at home. They have two 8' tables and the rest are small classroom tables; but it works just fine.
One thing we have realized about the music here is they really don't care if they have an accompaniment or not because they just sing the way they think it should be anyway. They are very enthusiastic singers!
We had an uneventful trip home and hoped to have internet but didn't have that or power so we just went to bed.
MONDAY
While we were eating lunch Tati came up to visit. She told us about her granddaughter who is living with her, 14 years old, that she has no control over. Her mother sent her here because she was always with this older guy and thought things might be better here. They are not. She walks the streets at night and doesn't go to school during the day. Tati is just sick about her because she knows she is involved in all kinds of bad things. Fourteen years old and living like this not unusual here but it is so sad to see young girls throw their lives away like that. We have tried to figure out how we could help but nothing seems feasible. We told Tati that the church near where she lives has activities for young women but I don't think her granddaughter is looking for that kind of activity.
Had Spanish classes at 4:00 and 5:00. Hurried home to make a treat for FHE and got back to St. Hilares for a great lesson on the importance of music. Sister St. Hilarea is hard of hearing and does not see well but she has memorized all of the hymns in the hymn book. She said she has learned the doctrine of the church through the hymns. What a great thought!
TUESDAY
Tried to get ahold of some of the stake music directors. At least some of the stakes have music directors now! Our air conditioner is not working but there was a great ocean breeze so it wasn't too bad. We couldn't get ahold of Joel but hopefully tomorrow we can find him to get someone to fix it.
We went to the late session at the temple and it was great. My first all Spanish temple experience!
They have been replacing the sidewalk around the block. First thing in the morning you hear this chopping of bricks sound and it is this guy working on chipping out the cement and hard rock so they can put down tile. Most all of their labor is done this way - by hand not machine.
Sunday is always a busy day for us but this one was eventful. We went out to Tres Brazos to pick up William's wife, Olglivia and her three kids. When we got there Scott went down the path (kind of) to tell them we were there. I didn't know which was scarier - to stay in the car or go down with him. Decided to stay in the car. I was really glad when Scott got back. Oglivia came out with her three kids but the boy , Gregory, had a swollen face from a bad tooth and wasn't going with us. It was great to see the girls, Cati and Aliana. Aliana had fallen and scratched up her face but also took off a fingernail which was painful for her. Olglivia and I were a great pair at church. Neither of us knew what was going on - she, however, had been there once with Scott already so she knew more than I did. I hate not being able to really talk to her. Scott went to the high priests class and they want him to come back an teach it as long as he can come to their ward. I was amazed at how big their ward was. It looked as big or bigger than ours back home. You just hope when you take these non-members to church that the members will befriend them. I am going to be better at that.
This is where they live - down towards the river bank:
We got home in time to have lunch and get all of our stuff together to teach another class. We have a trunk full of eight keyboards, 25 easy hymn books, white board, markers, a table - it's like moving every time we go to this class! The kids are great though - we love working with them but it is quite a process...Their stake purchased five keyboards and five teaching kits so that helps us out a lot since there are usually 15 - 18 kids/one adult woman in the class. Finding tables to put all of the keyboards on is the hardest part. The buildings here don't have the tables available that we have at home. They have two 8' tables and the rest are small classroom tables; but it works just fine.
One thing we have realized about the music here is they really don't care if they have an accompaniment or not because they just sing the way they think it should be anyway. They are very enthusiastic singers!
We had an uneventful trip home and hoped to have internet but didn't have that or power so we just went to bed.
MONDAY
While we were eating lunch Tati came up to visit. She told us about her granddaughter who is living with her, 14 years old, that she has no control over. Her mother sent her here because she was always with this older guy and thought things might be better here. They are not. She walks the streets at night and doesn't go to school during the day. Tati is just sick about her because she knows she is involved in all kinds of bad things. Fourteen years old and living like this not unusual here but it is so sad to see young girls throw their lives away like that. We have tried to figure out how we could help but nothing seems feasible. We told Tati that the church near where she lives has activities for young women but I don't think her granddaughter is looking for that kind of activity.
Had Spanish classes at 4:00 and 5:00. Hurried home to make a treat for FHE and got back to St. Hilares for a great lesson on the importance of music. Sister St. Hilarea is hard of hearing and does not see well but she has memorized all of the hymns in the hymn book. She said she has learned the doctrine of the church through the hymns. What a great thought!
TUESDAY
Tried to get ahold of some of the stake music directors. At least some of the stakes have music directors now! Our air conditioner is not working but there was a great ocean breeze so it wasn't too bad. We couldn't get ahold of Joel but hopefully tomorrow we can find him to get someone to fix it.
We went to the late session at the temple and it was great. My first all Spanish temple experience!
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