6/30/2013 Sunday again

  Sunday is such a busy day for us - will be happy when it actually is a day of rest!  Not sure when that will be though.  We left this morning a little after 8:00 am to pick up the kids for church.  William's three and two neighbors came with us.  Eliana came out first and gave me a big hug then handed me a rock.  It was shaped a bit like a heart and she was so excited to give it to me.  Then she tried to give me five pesos - which she needs much, much more than I do.  I am just trying to figure out how we're going to leave the people we love here without being bawl babies.  Scott says he doesn't care if they see him cry.  Me either, but sobbing is another thing!!  I just don't want them to feel worse than they already will.  They are so dear to us and I know we are to them.  On the other hand, I am so excited to go home and be with our family and friends.  To actually be part of a ward family will be a great and welcome change for us.  Here's Eliana:

     On the way to pick up the girls there was a kids chair salesman walking down the road:

In this ward we have two music students who are going to Mexico on missions:

That makes four of our students who will be missionaries before we leave.
   
Scott talked to the woman who lives down where William lives.  Hopefully she can help these kids when we leave.  She and her daughter rode home with us - that made one adult and six kids in the back seat:

From there we came home for 1/2 an hour then left for San Cristobal.  It is a beautiful ride out there.
We have loved working with this Canastica Ward.  Lucianni brought me a rose and a heart shaped sucker.  She was so funny about giving one to Scott - which she really wanted to do but didn't dare.so she asked me to give it to him after we got in the car.  Such a funny kid!  They all are working hard on their hymns for another recital.  All are doing well playing with both hands now. 
    Got to Oriental just in the nick of time to have the students who were gathered on the steps help us in with all of the keyboards, cords, books, etc... This is such a big class.  We had four of our old students helping us today.  There were two boys who take lessons already and play very well in the room because they were going to help us.  With 21 keyboards playing and kids that were not in the class meandering around the room distracting those who were supposed to be practicing it was more like policing than teaching.  Is policing a word?? I was ever so grateful when the class was over.
    And now we are home.  Eleven hours after leaving this morning - and I feel every hour of it!

6/29/2013 Dinner with the Morenos

I am just assuming that I am only one day behind - certainly not going to check because I really don't want to know if I am farther behind than that...Scott had invited this woman doctor and her two daughters that live in this apartment complex to dinner.  We stopped in at her apartment Thursday night to see what time they wanted to eat.  An hour later we had tried some kind of dulce she had made, knew she had a Mormon friend in the states and that she is a Catholic who is very happy with her religion.  The Catholic church here is very strong and has probably been one of the few influences for good here.  They are very actively involved in promoting good values here.   I have gained a great appreciation for any organization that teaches some kind of a value system.  Anyway, Milagros, her name, and her two daughters, Sarah and Beatrice came for dinner around 7:00 pm.  We had been at the Institute teaching keyboarding until 4:30 so it was kind of a rush.  Scott wanted to feed them some hamburger vegetable soup and some vegetable cheese soup.  Then Sister Mahon told us that when she took soup to the Institute for their pot luck dinners, no one ever touched the soup.  PANIC!
Scott decided to cook up some chicken and broccoli because we know that's two things they eat.  As it turned out they really liked the soup.  I had mentioned to Yturraldes that it would be nice if they dropped by to visit - so they did. 

Sister Yturralde          Milagros, Sarah 12 years old, and Beatrice, 17 years  old.  They are such a cute family.  It was fun to have them all here.  She is a dermatologist that lectures at the colleges here.

   So today we started off around 9:00 am for our usual Saturday.  Normally when we get to La Caleta there are some kids waiting for us.  This time no one was there, the gate was locked and no one came.  Worse though was I had to go to the bathroom and there aren't any fast food places with restrooms here.  Scott got out of the car to walk around the fence and see if by chance someone was inside the church yard.  Just as he looked up the missionaries came walking down the street.  They had a key to the gate and the church.  Now if that wasn't a tender mercy I have never seen one!
They told us that the kids were all at the temple doing baptisms.  So we had time to meander around the city of La Caleta.  It looks just like the other smaller cities around.  It is right across from the airport so every time we go there I think it won't be long before we are taking the other road and going to the airport.  When we got to our next class at Los Molinos the gate was actually open so we pulled in but couldn't see anyone around.  Thought we would just rest in the air-conditioned car for a while.  After fifteen minutes we went into the building only to find that all of the kids were there and had been since before we pulled into the parking lot.  They must think we are crazy!  This is the most talented class we have if you can just keep them focused on practicing.
    At 2:45pm we left for the next lesson - this one in Hainamosa.  This gate was open too - what a surprise!  I don't know if it is the heat or what but we were pooped and when we got everything hauled into our room it was 87 degrees and the air conditioner wasn't working and they have no ceiling fans in that room.  We had some plastic sheets with music information on so passed them out for everyone to fan themselves.  Finally before we left two hours later it had started to cool off a bit.
It isn't as easy to be patient when you are hot and miserable!  But the students had a good practice time despite their discomfort.
    We were home by 7:00pm.  Our internet hasn't been working but it was fixed when we got home. We had a spliced wire smoking in our closet.  It's the water heater for the bathroom so Scott thinks he got it put back together.  Guess we'll see in the morning! 

6/24-26/2013

Where does the time go??  I think I won't blog just one night and before you know it two or three days have passed.  We had a lot of fun practicing for the talent night for FHE.  Since we really don't have any talent Scott decided to do a parody of "King of the Road".  Which was about things we have experienced here.  On of our friends posted it on you tube but I don't know how to find it.  Here one of the most common sights are street vendors in Claro hats and aprons.  Claro is an internet provider here. Scott has wanted to get one of their hats for some time and since he has made friends with one of the sellers, she was able to get him the hat and the apron thing.  So he donned the outfit and filled the pockets with all sorts of things that they sell on the street here and made up appropriate words.  The skit was a hit!  Scott wants to leave the outfit here as an initiation costume for new comers when they introduce themselves.
   I can hardly believe that we are the ones who will be leaving soon - after seeing many of our friends leave it shouldn't be surprising but it is.
 
  TUESDAY
We were reading the scriptures in Spanish this morning when we heard lots of noise outside.  (Not that it is unusual or anything) But it continued for fifteen minutes so we finally went to the window to see what was the going on.  Close to a thousand people in green shirts were walking in the street carrying banners and shouting.  It was a "teacher rally" to get more money.  They walked past here for at least half and hour, filling the right hand lanes.  It is never quite on this corner of the city!
   We traveled to Los Llanos today with the Grays.  It has been fun getting to know them.  Sister Gray is a lot of help with the lessons and makes sure that the students have an opportunity to play on Sundays.   Got to see Sister Farris again and take another photo for her mom.
    The trip home was uneventful and quick because we took a different route.  So we were actually on time for our Santo Domingo lesson. However we got to the church the gate was locked and no one was there to open it.  Since the attack on Sister Hernandez they have hired an armed guard and changed the locks on the gate. It was a bit disconcerting to see a security guy with a big rifle standing inside the gate. They finally got the little walk through gate open so I went up with some of the students and left Scott sitting at the gate waiting to get in.  About half and hour later the Stake President, who had been called, came and opened the gate.  It is still a novel idea to me to have locked gates on all of the churches.  We got home around 9:00 pm.

WEDNESDAY
     Went to the temple this morning.  I forgot to put on my white socks over my support hose.  When we were dressing in the session I looked down and realized I didn't have them on and wondered why no one had said anything to me.  Then of course I was so self-conscious.  However it soon became apparent to me that because my legs are so white even with pantyhose they probably thought I did have them on.  Their legs were darker than mine with their white socks on!  It reminded me of the time the kids and I were having leg wrestles on the bed and one of them asked me if I had on white pantyhose - --I did not..  We took Sister Cuenot to the grocery store and came home to make hamburger vegetable soup. 
  Barely finished the soup in time to leave for Las Caobas for two lessons.  The students were sparse for the first hour but the next hour plus was much better.  We had time that first hour to work with a new student and a young girl who belongs to the ward music director.  She never smiled and looked so serious and sad.  It was fun to have the time to work just with her - and she actually started smiling.  This second class has some fun adults in it.  Only one of them is actually catching on two playing with both hands though.  We are glad they can laugh at themselves. Got back after 9:00 and sat it the car until we found enough energy to get out and go up to our apartment.
  

6/24/2013 Confesor

   I have wanted to add to the blog Confesor's funeral pictures.  He was one of our students at age 75 who finally gave up on being a musician because his fingers were so stiff and it was so difficult to learn.  A very humble, quiet man.

Elder Leavitt and Confesor

 

If ever we feel that we need more stuff, we just need to look at this picture and realize you can have nothing and be happy if you choose to be.

 

6/23/2013 A surprise at Tres Brasos

    The kids were all ready when we got there to pick them up today.  We only had four though so it seemed like a small crowd in the back seat.  I have been playing for RS if the kids were ready on time and we got there soon enough.  Well we were there on time and I went in to set my things on a chair and a

sister motioned to me to come over to where she was.  When I took time to look at her the first thing that registered that the woman by her had an awfully white face - then I realized it was Sister Wegener.  What a happy surprise!  We just love them.  They have been working in the Institute right next to where our music classes are so we get to see them but now they are being transferred to Santiago.  They just church hop on Sundays finding different LDS wards to attend.  She was amazed at how many beautiful babies there are in this ward and wanted to take pictures with a couple of them.  It was fun to see them there.  The kids were good. Laney, the extra girl today that has been with us for the past three weeks cut the palm of her hand on a piece of glass and had about 20 stitches.  Not covered or anything - it was ugly enough it should have been covered...
We planned with the kids to have them come to our apartment next Monday.  William was getting his hair cut in a "barbershop"  as we passed by so he followed us down and we got to talk to him.  Just can't be sure what is going on in his life but he looks 10 years older than when he worked here just last year.  It is always good to see him.
   Got home just in time to grab some lunch and head out of the city for San Cristobal.  I realize that leaving this ward will be just like leaving family.  Carolina is planning on packing herself in my suitcase - we'll see how that works!  Realized I didn't have any pictures of the building so I am putting one on the blog:

For weeks I have wanted to get a picture of this yellow flamboyant tree because all we have seen has been red.  But then I would have forgotten my camera, or I would get it out and had left the media stick in the computer or who knows what other hair brained thing kept me from getting it.  But today was my lucky day.  Here it is:

Don't now why it looks so blurry - maybe because we were going fifty miles an hour past them.  But  these  trees are beautiful everywhere now.                                                                                        

We have passed many moving trucks full of stuff with men sitting on top holding it on but this time it was three women standing in the back holding everything in place the truck drove down the freeway.

Our drive back through the city and out to Hainamosa was uneventful.  Half of the students were gone to various and assorted events so it was fairly quite today.   

6/22/13

   A rather calm day for us.  Scott went to the temple again this morning while I caught up on other things.  We had lessons at the Institute until almost 5:00 then visited with the Mahon's.  I have been working with Sister Mahon and it has been great.  Ruckers called to see if we wanted to go out to dinner but since we just went out yesterday we decided to stay home and play Crown Five with the Yturraldes.
   Just before they came I got a phone call from Sister Button.  She and her husband had been in SLC for a history training last week.  They stayed in MT. Green with two of their kids for two days.  While there they went to Morgan.  Went to the grocery store- seems funny now that there is only one grocery store.  They talked to Adam Birt and told him they were here in the Dominican.  Wish my kids could have met them!  They are working as the secretary for the Area Presidency here and are such great people.  There are many super couples here from Arizona - they are one of those.  Anyway, besides that she had our flight plans for going home.  It still hardly seems real but we are both very excited to be returning home and very grateful for the experience we have had here.  So we will be flying home on Aug. 20.

SATURDAY
     Now that our crazy Saturdays are coming to a close I am starting to appreciate them more.  We had a big class at La Caleta.  It is so difficult for these kids to progress when the only practice they get is at our class once a week.  Some catch on anyway and others seem to but when you go back to them they can't remember a thing.  The Las Molinas class that we teach just after La Caleta is doing very well. They all have at least one song they can play out of the simplified Hymn Book.  They have such  mental blocks about playing with both hands at the same time!  Then when they start to gain confidence that they can actually do that, they really progress.  I will have to add some photos to this blog because the girls were posing for pics with and for us.  You know when you take someone's picture how they usually stand still and smile - not these people, they are dancing all over and posing two or three different ways by the time you snap the photo. 

  The drive to Hainamosa was uneventful.  We got there early and took a short nap in the car.  There were mucho boys playing basketball in the  gym where we usually teach so we went back to the Relief Society room.  It is so crowded in there the noise almost drives you crazy.  Someone knocked on the door and wanted me to come play for a baptism.  So I left Scott all alone with 15 students - he said it was okay...Glad it wasn't me.  The guy who is over baptisms had everything so organized.  Tonight they baptized five new members.  It was really neat.  A Sister missionary working there sang a beautiful song in Spanish then in English.  While I was playing the first hymn the power went out so everyone just kept on singing.  It was muy calor in that room filled with people and no fans going!  So glad I got to be there.  Pres. and Sister Hernandez were there and she must have left 8 times to answer the phone.  Having so many more Sister missionaries is taking a toll on her but she is awesome.  Stopped at Bravo and grocery shopped.  Still made it home around 8:00.

6/20/2013

What a great day so far!  We went to the temple this morning and were in the session with the missionaries.  So Sister Farris and her comp were there sitting right in front of me.  It is so good to see her.  The Farris' can be very proud of the daughter they have raised.  She is going to be a great missionary.  We were laughing about how young the 18 year old elders look.  They seem so much older and more mature - of course we know that women have always matured faster than men- right??   It is wonderful to be able to be around the missionaries, both young and old.  Anyway so given the golden opportunity to take a picture I could send the Farris' - we took a picture or two:

They already know how to pose like the Dominicans!

 

After a great morning at the temple we met the Ewells and the Walkers at Johnny Rockets for lunch.  I don't know if there are any of these places in Utah but I guess there are many in other states.  The atmosphere is such fun with all of the old 60's songs playing on a jukebox.  Then they turn the music up really loud and all of the waitresses, cooks, and the waiters, etc. all  start dancing to the music.  We had a great time:

  

                                                                          Then we got to come home and rest, wash, study and read before our lesson at Santo Domingo.   During that time though two old friends called.  Wilton will check in with Scott every so often - called today.  I would love to see him again.  He is working selling in a vegetable stand.  Then Julio, who worked here for a short time before being fired because they were going to have to start paying him more, called to tell Scott that he and his wife(?) were taking lessons from the missionaries.  Elder Wynn, who we know from previous missionary contacts said Julio and his wife are really excited about the gospel.  Of course they are not married and would have to get married to be baptized.  It is very costly for these people that have nothing to marry.  He is the one that called many months ago when his baby was crying of hunger and he had no where else to turn.  Your heart aches for these people who try so hard to make something good happen and it just never does.  They so need the gospel in their lives.  It is amazing how many ways the church helps people.                                                                                     

6/19/2013

    The rain today was like the torrents of rain that came down during Hurricane Sandy!  Water was filling up the sliding widow trays and running down the walls flooding the floors.  You could even see the lightening today and the thunder was horrendous!  The problem was Scott had colored my hair - nice of him, huh- but had taken so long my hair was still wet and we had twenty minutes before class.  Just then the power went off so I couldn't do anything with my hair. And might I say I look a bit" Maria-ish" or rather, I fit in here just fine with this hair color!  We thought it would come back on quickly like it has done the last couple of days but no, not so lucky.  Scott thought he could borrow a cap from someone and I could just go to lessons with wet hair.  Ha!  So he went alone, which he is perfectly capable of doing, but it is nice to have some help with the individual students.
     So I have had time to go through my pictures and find the ones of William's family so I can make the kids a picture book with our testimonies before we leave. As I looked over the pictures I just can not believe that much time has passed.  The night we arrived here with the fear of the totally unknown to now with the gratitude of having been here with so many friends and people we have been privileged to know.  What a blessing this mission has been for us!
    Went to the temple this morning.  There were only four of us in the session so that makes for a quite and quick session.  It is a wonderful thing to spend time in the peace and calm of the temple after living on this noisy street.  We took Sister Cuenot shopping with us.  Her husband works out in the area office so she never has a ride to the grocery store when they have their fruits and vegetables on sale. It's a great time to shop for them because they are 40-50% off on Wednesdays. 
     We have seven weeks of teaching left.  Then Scott can trade his chalk and leading stick for a pitchfork and shovel~     It has been wonderful to be able to Skype with the kids but I am anxious to get home and actually hug them!!  I have half a year of history to get together with pics for the area history book.  People ask all of the time when our next class in their area is and it is too late for us to begin new classes now plus we have no time that we could teach more classes.   The sad thing is there is no one that we know of coming to replace us.  Pres. Anderson has tried to convince them at the Senior Missionary office in SLC but nothing has happened that we know of.  There are so few senior missionaries and they are so needed, especially with the increase in  the young elders and sisters.

6/18/2013 Chicken Fight

Yesterday, Monday, went too fast for us.  At the end of the day Scott was saying "I hate Mondays to end" because that is the only day he doesn't have to teach.  Music that is - he still teaches Spanish on Mondays then we have FHE at the Casa.  It was at the Grays last night again.  Elder Young, from the Los Llanos branch was there waiting to leave for the airport to fly home.  He has been such a great help to that area!  Since the Wegeners, the Ewells, the Grays and us were all gathered there and all knew him, he agreed to share some experiences that had touched him. Then the Wegeners talked about going out to the Haitian camps where the people have absolutely nothing and no chance of changing their station in life because they have no papers.  So they can't even go back to Haiti.
They work as slaves basically for the sugar cane field owners. You just have to wonder why we were so blessed to be born where we had the things we needed to survive and grow.  They have 10 and 11 year old pregnant girls out there - much prostitution because that is the only way they have to make money to buy food or water...
   Today Scott went to the temple while I washed then we picked up the Grays and headed out to Los Llanos.  The ride is beautiful with lush greenery and beautiful flowering trees and shrubs.  Scott and Elder Gray went to see if they could get Flor ( the little girl they have turned into Cinderella) for two hours for piano lessons.  That situation has just haunted Scott and I since last week.  Scott was even willing to give her money.  The woman wouldn't let her go but did agree to call her mother and her mother said that she would bring her next week.  Maybe that will give Elder Gray a chance to talk to her mother about what is happening to her.
   We always read in the paper about the organized chicken fighting they have here.  Today we actually saw one as we were leaving town.  Personally, I think it is disgusting.

 

6/16/2013 Father's Day

A busy Sunday began with picking up the kids for Church.  Had three extra today- but the same three that came last week so that was nice.  When we got home the mother of the two extra girls came down to meet me, Scott had already met her. She had such a soft, pretty look. I just find it so interesting that these people will send their kids off with people they don't know at all. We just hope and pray that sometime in their lifetimes they will remember going to church and want in their lives what they saw in ours.  William has a new job far away.  He also has an ulcer on his foot which has been very painful. I know how that is!  He did say that this job will take him away from his family more. That certainly isn't what they need.  Family life here is so different.  Many couples are separated for years as one of them goes to a different place or a different country to work. Of course fidelity is not an issue here as they don't believe that is a necessary sacrifice.  The church members here really have to change their lives and their values to be members.
   Got back with fifteen minutes to spare for lunch before leaving for San Cristobal.  It is always fun to go out there because this group is actually more like family than students.   We really love them and appreciate the warmth and love they have shared with us. They are all beginning to play with both hands at the same time.  How easy that sounds but how difficult it is when you are just learning!
    When we got to Oriental all of the students were standing outside the gate.  Once again we realized how many of them there are.  We took Marie took get a key and by the time we got back someone had opened the gate for them.  For such a big class they are doing well.  Scott has been working with  their recognizing the line and space notes.  They seem to know them until you give them a written test.  The high council man over the music came today.  We thought he had given up because it is not easy for him.  Part of the problem is that his fingers are twice as wide as the keys! So even with his finger tips he ends up playing more than one note. 
We were home shortly after 7:00 pm.  It was great to hear from the kids on Father's Day.  Scott really appreciated it.  I wonder if they will ever know just how much he loves them.

6/15/2013

    Wasn't much to blog about last night.  We had two lessons at the Institute then had the night free. Thought it would be nice just to spend the night at home and go to bed early so we would wake up all fresh and excited about another fabulous Saturday.  We didn't quite wake up "fresh from a good night's sleep because about 3:00 am we heard this reverberating tire squealing sound followed by a very loud crash and flying debris.  Jumped out of bed to look out the window and all we could see was the neighbors also trying to figure out what had just happened.  Finally from the men yelling for help and the noise that the crash had occurred on our corner that is obscured from our view by big trees.  There wasn't an ambulance so either there was no need for one or they were dead already.  Scott came home from his early morning run and said there was glass and plastic car parts all over but he didn't see any blood so thought maybe they weren't hurt badly.  I don't know how that could have been but anything is possible.  Wish we could have seen the cars.  That time of the morning people drive like maniacs (more so than usual).
    Out lessons in the Las Americas stake went well.  When we arrived at Los Melinos no one was there to let us in (normal) but just then a bus stopped beside us and all of these kids got out.  They were all dressed up in white shirts and ties and dresses and had been to the temple to do baptisms.  It was great to see the spirit they brought back with them.  This is a young groups but they are so quick to learn - just lacking a bit of focus for long periods of time or even short periods of time!  Love them.
     At Hainamosa they were having a stake Primary party so we met in the Relief Society room.  Thank heavens for air conditioners is all I can say.  Today has been so hot and miserable.  You are sticky all of the time even if sweat is not running down your back and off your head.  May have to start carrying one of those sweat towels so many people carry on their shoulder here. 
     We were actually back by 7:30 pm - before dark.  We don't have the second class at Hainamos anymore because they all graduated.  Felix comes back and practices while we teach though.  What a determine man he is!  It was great not to travel that road in the dark because there are so many people in the street that you can't see until you almost run into them.  They have bikes, cart, motos, cars on the road traveling with no lights.  We are ever grateful for the Lord's protection.  Time for bed for me..

6/13/2013

    After getting to bed at midnight last night and waking up dog tired, I pledged to myself to get to bed earlier tonight.  It's only ten so there's hope.  We did a morning session at the temple today and as we were coming out of the celestial room one of the workers stopped us and asked if we would go with the missionaries and do sealings .  I had seen Sister Farris and many other sister missionaries in the dressing room.  Some of them went to the session while others did sealings then traded for the next session.  It was a great experience to be with a room full of missionaries.  Just knowing vaguely what they have all sacrificed to be on a mission and how hard it is to have every moment of your day scheduled makes you really appreciate them.  Our job is so easy in comparison!  Some look about the age of Cade, 14 now, while others look 30 years old.  It is the Americans that look so young while many of the Latinos tend to look older. They say it's the hormones in the chicken that make them age faster here.  Don't know if that is a joke or not.....
     Went to the store before our lesson in Santo Domingo Stake to find medicine I'm out of and a couple of other things.  While we were getting a frozen yogurt we met two girls who were speaking English and are from the States.  They are attending medical school here.  The one said she had been a missionary here four years ago but obviously not an LDS missionary.  She had worked in an orphanage four hours south of here.  She loved it so much here she came back to go to school.
    Just got home from the class.  There were only six students there tonight.  Which actually is so nice because you have more time to help those who are there.  Our goth student looks less goth all of the time.  She is so determined to learn to play that she comes to three different classes we teach.  Tonight she said she wanted to buy keyboard.  Not sure where she would get the money but you just don't ask those kinds of questions from nonmembers because their lifestyles are very different than ours.  I don't know if she realizes that all she will know how to play when she is done will be LDS hymns.  Hopefully she will be touched by the messages in the music we work on. 

6/12/2013

A morning at the temple - a session with only four people and two of them were Scott and I.  That makes for pretty quick sessions!   Sister Cuenot was on her way to La Serena as we left the temple grounds so we picked her up and went shopping with her.  She is such a frail little woman and walks a mile to the grocery store then puts the groceries in a back pack and walks home.  I'm so glad we are now going to the temple on Wednesday mornings so we can take her shopping.  She and her husband will leave to go back to France the week after we leave.
  We had four hours before leaving for two lessons in Las Caobas.  Got some white chilie put in the crockpot.  We waited for 1/2 and hour at the church for someone to come with a key to let us in the building.  Shortly after getting the keyboards set up and the air conditioner turned on - the power went off.  We were in a room with ten plus students.  I don't know who was hotter - us or them.  They carry little towel like clothes to wipe sweat off their faces and heads.  No wonder they don't wear any kind of makeup!  It was only 85 degrees in the room but we couldn't open the windows and it felt like 100 degrees.  Since the keyboards need electricity Scott taught a lesson on the note placement in the pentagram on the chalkboard..  You think they really caught on until you give them a paper test....Half way through the power came back on so we survived the rest of the lesson.  We have adults in the second class and one of the guys wanted to play a solo of one of the songs he had learned.  The problem was he didn't count a single note and you couldn't even tell what he was playing - and he didn't even realize it.  I know I had worked with him on that song a few times and it was tough to get him to count then - As soon as everyone else started playing with him he picked up on the timing factor but it sure was funny because he and the guy next to him are always in competition.   
 

6/11/2013 Sister Farris is finally here!

  Our only day without lessons ... I washed and studied while Scott went and did a session at the temple.  We were supposed to take a treat to FHE and I was late getting it made so Scott went to the Spanish classes without me.  While at the CASA he saw Bailey Farris - I had so wanted to see her.  Then he picked me up for FHE and we went back.  While trying to cut the brownies I had made I heard this squeal and looked up to see this darling, tall, redhead girl headed toward me.  I hadn't seen Bailey for a long time but it was great to see her.  She said everyone in the building had been telling her hi for us and when she heard we would be at FHE she had to come find us.  She says she is doing very well - and that is what we hear about her - that she is going to be a super missionary.  She is a bit bowled over by the language but aren't we all??  We took some pictures and I got to send them to her mom and talk  to her on the phone. 

This is a bit strange of me but sooo cute of her!

   For FHE we sisters did a rap for the elders - it was actually quite fun.  Then they had little known facts about the men and everyone guessed who it was.  There are many amazing men in this group.

On to today:  Scott went to the temple this morning while I washed and studied.  He came home with  man that he met in the temple who was here from the US lecturing on Libraries and was in Puerto Rico but came to go through the temple.  He has been to 69 different temples in different countries.  Scott took him to McDonalds for a hamburger then we took him back to the Casa to catch a cab for the airport. I: went in to the restroom and who should be standing right there in front of the elevator but Sister Farris and her companion.  Her companion is a rugby player from BYU:

It is great to keep meeting her there!  She was surprised at how small the MTC here is - expected something like Provo's MTC.  There are only about 40 missionaries here but they seem to have a lot of fun together.
    It has poured for the last couple of days.  Almost as much as during the hurricanes last year...
We had a safe trip out to Los Llanos but there is standing water everywhere.  There weren't too many at class. We sent the missionaries and Elder Gray out to find our favorite little girl who hasn't been to lessons now for a month and she used to meet us with this great big smile at the gate each week.  When they came back they were sad.  Said her mother had moved to another town for work and had left her with this woman her mother knew.  Well this woman has three daughters of her own who feel they are far superior to our little girl and harass her constantly about not being as good and as talented as they are.  She can't leave the house because the "witch" as they called her, said she was a brat and needed to be disciplined.  The missionaries said she was in tears when they went into the house.  The "witch" told them that there must be something wrong with our church if we let someone who was possessed by the devil as she is even come in the door.  Well needless to say, we were all upset.  Does this remind you of the Cinderella story? That's exactly what the missionaries said it was.  We just pray that somehow she gets out of that mess!  That has put a real damper on the day for all of us.
    We came back into the city to drop of the Grays and get to our lesson in Santo Domingo Stake.  It was raining so hard we didn't think anyone would come but we ended up with five who are just beginning to play with two hands - at the same time!  One of the girls in the class just cannot stay in her chair and practice for more than two minutes at a time. What we need is Jake here to glue her to her chair...We really enjoy these kids.
    Got home eight hours after we left and we are both ready for bed.

6/9/2013

    So here it is, another Sunday!  We left home after 8:00 to pick up the kids at Tres Brasos.  Our three kids turned into six - the little girl who went with us last week and her five year old sister and Carlos.  I just think it is so funny that their parents just send them without even knowing what exactly they are going to for over three hours and don't even know us.  I would think that it was the baby sitting time but they just let their kids roam the neighborhood there so tending them is not an issue.  Very trusting people.  I wouldn't let my child out of the house there!  I finally have been able to sit quietly in the car while Scott goes to get the kids without hyperventilating with fear every time some one goes by.  At night time they insist on driving  to the main road with us so we will be safe - now how safe does that make you feel?? 
     We bring half of the Primary every Sunday - just like at home...Scott had to talk today and I had to bear my testimony ( in Spanish of course) Just glad it's over.. That is the first time we have had to do anything but music in the ward.  Of course we aren't really members of the ward but just go there because that is where the kids would go if they went to church on their own. 
    Got home about 12:30 just in time for a bowl of soup and to round up the music things we needed to take out to San Cristobal.  Our lesson was cut short there because we had to be back in Santo Domingo before 4:00 to a Choir Festival training meeting.  Thank heavens they put Sister Johnson in as chairman of the committee so we can do the teaching on our schedule.  She and Sister Anderson have done an amazing job.  We greeted and handed out materials then left for our lesson in Oriental.  It was fun for us because we saw so many of the people that we have been working with.
Maria, our helper  in Oriental, called just as we got into town wondering where we were with the keyboards because they were there and ready for the lesson!  As luck would have it, we were just a block from the church so it all worked out.  There were 21 students there.  They worked hard today trying to learn the where the notes were on the pentagram and the keyboard.  When they master that they just take off.  I know the Lord has blessed them to learn quickly.  Even our older woman did well today. ( Of course 75 sounds pretty young these days)  Stephanie, one of our graduated students, came to help today.  She leaves Aug 6 for her mission in Mexico with another one of our students who is also going to Mexico.  I am glad she is leaving before we do but we have discovered that they don't have any kind of a farewell for these kids when they go on missions.
   You would think there was a national emergency here with all of the national guard that are out on the roads.  The president decided they should be out helping with the intersection robberies and crime in general.  I think there were two on every intersection we passed today and some in between.  Don't know if we feel safer or more obviously in danger.
  Our travel today was filled with beautiful trees covered with red blossoms.  This is a beautiful time of the year here!  Now we are home and Scott is practicing the keyboard while I blog but we are both ready for bed after an eleven hour day...

6/8/2013 Another Saturday...

   One day it's Saturday, two days later it's Saturday again - don't know where the time goes!  The one-legged man I thought was dead on the sidewalk is always a reminder that we have just been to Los Molinos.  He is always on the street as we turn towards the church.  And to think I didn't sleep all night when we first saw him because we didn't stop to help him when he was laying on the sidewalk.  He's very mobile!
     Started our day at La Caleta.  Had a big class there but they are so divided in ability that it's like having three or four small classes at the same time.  Every time I walk up that sidewalk with the step I tripped on I count my many blessings  - but can still feel that horrendous pain in my face!  Bad memories of pain but great memories of being so blessed and watched out for.
     When we got to Los Molinos the gate was open and some of our students actually had the tables set up.  That is so nice when we don't have to go from room to room finding classroom tables to take over to the chapel.  Many of the students were there and actually came on time.  They were choosing songs out of the simplified hymn book.  There were three young girls, 10 & 11, and two teen age boys who play very well.  It is so exciting to listen to them as they take on playing with both hands at the same time.  This group has many good players compared to other classes that just have three or four that can actually play well.  It was heartwarming to see one of the boys trying to help the other one figure out how to play a song:

 The short route to Hainamosa that Pres. Diaz told us  about turned out to be longer than our old route. We pulled up just before 3:30 outside the locked gate.  It was forty five minutes before anyone came to let us in the gate and the church..  By that time at least 10 of our  students were standing waiting to get in and it was h=o=t!  I am so glad we didn't begin here in the summer.  Coming in the winter when it's about ten degrees cooler than usual was a big help in adjusting to this weather.  It is miserably  hot now and the air is so thick with humidity that there are times it is hard to breathe.  But all in all, it is very beautiful here.  So many beautiful flowering trees and bushes and greenery everywhere.

   One of our piano students and her husband were baptized today.  Before I went in to play for the baptism, I went into the restroom only to find an inch or more of water on the floor everywhere.  With my waterproof shoes, I waded through the water to see if I could find where the water was coming from.  Well soon found the baptism font had been overfilled.  The steps were covered with water and it had run right into the restroom.  It seemed to be through running in though.  Out in the hall was a woman that I literally dragged into the restroom to see what was going on.  She looked over the situation and said not to worry. Now that is a surprise isn't it??   The church had drains everywhere for flooding water.  And sure enough there was one at the top of the font stairs and one in one of the bathroom stalls.  So I just left and went back to the baptism.  It was very nice except for the song leader who was animatedly talking to me about the song we were about to sing and what she wanted me to do.  Finally stopped her with "No hablo Espanol" and the sister missionaries who were there came to the rescue and told me what she wanted.  It is wonderful to have a husband and wife both be baptized.  She is our student.

6/7/2013 Games with the Yturraldes and Merinos

 So this morning was my time alone to wash, cook, and study while Scott went to the temple and worked in the laundry as they got a big shipment of new temple clothes that needed to be sorted and taken care of.  We left before noon for our class at the Institute.  When we got there the entire parking lot was full of people sitting in chairs and standing against the walls.  It was a little unnerving!  Pres. Dias said they were sponsoring some kind of a job fair and that there were 3,000 jobs available that these mostly college age kids could apply for.  They taught them how to do resumes, how to interview, etc, then helped them fill in the applications and set up interviews for them with the companies they wanted to work for.  (Many of them were fast food places)  Religion was not a factor.  It amazes me how much good the church does around the world in so many different ways.  They had over 1,000 people there by the time we got there at noon.
   In our first class we had two new students and Michelle. ( the goth girl)  She is very bright and determined to learn and looks better every time she comes.  The other students are a little taken back when they see her - I'm sad that they are standoffish towards her.  By the time class was over today though at least one of the new students was smiling and talking to her.  A newly returned elder came in and wanted to start up again with the lessons he had taken before he left.  He came back to the class at 2:00.
    Sister Button called about some information she needed to send to SLC to get our flight information. Flight information!  I can hardly believe it as we face another Saturday and Sunday of  10 hour days - we have graduated one class on both days so that cuts down the time a bit.  When it is so hot it seems twice as long and tiring.  We have ten weekends left.
  We got home from the Institute in time to have a bowl of soup and get salsa and chips, popcorn ready to take to the Yturraldes.  Scott went to pick up the Marinos.  We had a great time visiting and discussing the latest bulletin from the US Embassy about armed robberies occurring at  intersections.  The president of the country has assigned the National Guard here to help protect the people as so many were being attacked and robbed.  Just makes you feel so secure to get those messages!  But the night was fun and the Marinos were the lucky winners of Five Crowns.

The Marinos were mission president in Honduras and said it is much more dangerous there than it is   here.  That's certainly comforting - not....Sister Marino is a very pretty woman with such a funny personality.  She is the mental health doctor here.
   We have been wondering if Bailey Ferris got here and Elder Marino said he worked with a group of sister missionaries today and she was one of them.  He said she was really sharp and impressive - so if any of you see her parents - be sure to tell them..  We are excited to see her but won't have any time to do that until Monday.  I know these young people have no idea what they are getting into when they come out on missions.  I am so impressed that they choose to serve missions, which are really hard, rather than doing something easier.

6/6/2013 Anniversary dinner with the Despains

   Wednesday began with a trip to the temple.  What a peaceful and calm way to begin the day!  Will we ever get used to the 9:00 session beginning at 9:30 of later???  Who knows.  We are the witnesses about half of the time we attend or maybe more - keeps us alert..  I just love these people.  They have such beautiful, warm smiles.
    Later in the day we were traveling to Las Caobas behind this drink wagon:

This was being pulled by a motorcycle and offered different kinds of liquor (at least that is all we could see). The way the driving here is there are probably many customs that imbibe on their way home from work.  Haven't seen one of these before but they have almost everything on sale in the streets.
     The first  class was full of the younger students:

     Then I forgot to take one of the older students in the next class but they are a hoot!  Three that work hard just to keep up, two that are doing well, and one young girl that is way ahead of them all.

THURSDAY
      An early temple session this morning.  The exact same people work on Thursday mornings as work on Wednesday mornings so it is fun to see them two days in a row.  I love to watch Sister Cuenot - she is like a little mother hen taking care of everyone she sees in need of anything.  What a great woman!  She and her husband leave in August when we do and will be returning to their home in France.
     For two weeks we had planned with the Despains to go out for our anniversary and Elder Despain's birthday.  The Glaziers and the Hammons had talked about this place, La Dolceria, that they loved to go to for dinner.  The Despains only had lunch time off and so did we so we drove around until we found the restaurant.  What a charming place it was! 

The Despains are from Smithfield so we are grateful we will get to see them again after we get home.
We were just discussing the likely hood of seeing many of the people here, who have become so special to us, again sometime - maybe in the spirit world.  I hope that is a possibility.

Now we are off to our Santo Domingo Stake lesson.  Only one tonight so we will only be three hours or so.  It is the one way streets that make traveling twice as long as it needs to be!  I have gained a great appreciation for driving conditions in Morgan and the other places I drive in Utah.  The hope is I can get Scott to start driving like a white man - maybe that isn't quite the way to put it but you know what I mean.....

6/4/2013 Our 42nd anniversary!

We just got home from a hot day of traveling and teaching!  It's 9:00 pm and we left at 1:00 for Los Llanos.  Confessor (I thought that was his profession, not his name) one of our students died this past weekend. He was in his 70's and had been taken to the hospital but walked back home.  Anyway I would have loved to have gone to the funeral but we didn't know soon enough and I doubt I could have dragged Scott  to it.  But we hear it was very interesting.  They don't embalm people here so they have to be buried within two days.  Their caskets are just a hard plastic shell that they put in a space in between the walls of the vault - vertical.  In five years they take them out and do something with their bones but we're not sure what that is....
    It was like a sweatbox in the building they use for a church.  You drive an hour and a half to get there then the lessons set up, teaching, and taking down and loading the car take two hours.  We had a new young man come in today and want to start lessons.  Problem is he is three months behind but he still thinks he can catch up.  I hope so! The Leavitts are doing a temple prep class there so they had driven out too.  The Gray's went back home with them so we could go straight to our next class.
    We all thought that would help us get there sooner but it took us two hours to get back into the city and to the Santo Domingo Stake for the next lesson.  It is sad how tired we are by that time but great that as soon as you get all of the keyboards, books, cords, hauled in and start working with the students you get a new spurt of energy. A young woman came in to class and wanted to take lessons.  As we talked she said she had just got home from a mission in Florida.  She is starting a full time job at the MTC here so we told her to watch for Bailey Ferris.  She has so many things going on and would be way behind the class so decided to wait and take lessons when she retires.  That is a little late because your brain cells really decrease with age - at least many of ours has!

6/1/2013 La Caleta & Los Molinos

  Our first lesson this morning started with a new teacher:

She must be all of two years old but she was determined to be part of the class:

One of the kids trying to get her off his chair so he could play

Then she decided to get her own chair!

What a cutie!  I don't know who she belonged to but she was with our class the entire time.  Wish our other students were as determined to play as she was!!                                                                     

Our Los Melinos class was lots of fun. There are the usual slower, average, and fast learners. 

This is our best student!  She is probably 10 or 11 and really a pretty girl.  She and her sister came with their hair unstraightened today - as you can see!

These  people are all related somehow - we aren't sure how!

We have really enjoyed working with them. 

 After this class we left for Hainamosa.  Scott tried out a new road today and it was better than the way we have been going - not much though, he says.  The power was off when we got there so the first part of class was lecture time.  It was a big class today.   Felix came to practice while we taught.

And two of our students were outside waiting when we finished.  Why they weren't inside is the question.                                                                                                                                          

Now here we are at home.  Grateful to be able to fast for Pres. Clemens and pray that all will be well with him and his family.