3/9/2013

We made it through another Saturday! Didn't blog last night so I will catch up on that first.  We were supposed to take the car in to have the tires changed.  We got to the area office and I waited in the car for Scott because he was only going to be a few minutes. HA! About 1/2 an hour later he finally came back out and said we were to take the car back to the Casa and meet Alexis there.  Scott wanted to shop at Price Mart first because it was kind of out that way.  We picked up the pictures of the Oriental kids at their recital so we can take them tomorrow.  Scott took the car up to the Casa after we got home and unloaded it but Alexis still hadn't arrived there so he came back home.  We had Spanish classes at 4:00 and 5:00.  During the class Alexis called and said he was there to trade us cars so had to unload all of our music stuff out and into the other car - because, of course, they can't have it done in a day.  So who really knows when we will get our car back.  This one is a blue RAV 4 - very pretty.  I drove it home and back in an hour to meet Scott to go to the temple.  It is so good to drive every once in awhile (around the block). 
   There were so many people at the temple for the 7:00 session they had to divide it into two groups.  We ended up with the Obama Stake group.  We knew Pres. Omparo because we work with him at the Institute.  We don't have time to go on Tuesdays anymore.  I really miss the people who work there on Tuesdays - got to know them doing two sessions on Tuesday nights.  But anyway it was a neat experience.  There were three men in their group that were going through the temple for the first time.  It was heartwarming to see the men take care of each other; help each other.  They were obviously very happy to be there together!  When I went into the Celestial room they were greeting each other with tears and hugs and smiles.  I was waiting for Scott.  I had such a strong impression that that kind of a meeting would be in store for all of us when we get to the spirit world.  Thinking of all of the people I love that are no longer here and knowing the joy there will be to see them again was a wonderful feeling.
      Saturday:  So this morning at 9:00 we get down to the car to begin our long day only to find the car wouldn't start.  We had left our jumping cables in the other car.  Scott finally found some at the Lees and got the car started.  We made it out to La Caleta about 10 minutes late.  What amazes me about this class is how well the boys do!  One of the young boys played the opening hymn - with finger numbering.  An older man had the hymn book open and was holding it so the pages wouldn't turn.  I was standing right there and watched as the boy played the hymn from memory and didn't even look at the book.  He did a great job!  These kids memorize easily and usually do memorize a song after they have played it a few times.  The whole class is doing very well. The funny thing was I had worked with this one guy for a good 20 minutes trying to explain to him in Spanish what he needed to do.  So I am carrying things out and he comes up to help me and in English says: "I will have those songs ready for next week."  Can't believe he knows English and made me try to talk to him in Spanish all that time.
 Loaded up at noon and left for Los Molinos.  This is a mixed talent class so these three young kids that play well were up messing around.  So I set up a contest to see which of them could learn the next two pages and play them without mistakes.  Wow, was that ever a good idea.  I have never seen them work so hard!  I was hoping the sister who had the baby would be there with baby but she wasn't.  Would like to volunteer to be the babysitter but need to be available to help the students. Darn!
  So we left there and headed for Hainamosa not knowing what would be going on there this week.  The high council man was there and he and Scott stood outside talking for 1/2 an hour.  The class was   there so we waited and waited and waited....  The lights kept flickering on and off but were on enough that we could continue with the lesson.  We started 45 minutes late - drives me crazy!  Such a waste of time!
  Our second class there was fun with our old students.  Felix is doing so much better.  That just goes to show you that if you have enough desire, age and slowness is not a handicap.  The young husband is as attention deficit as I am.  If you are not right there with him he is distracting the student next to him or playing some ditty he knows that has nothing to do with reading music like he should be learning.  He tells me he has no time to practice because he works, goes to school, teaches seminary and is in the bishopric in his ward.  I can believe he has no time!  He does okay if you stand right by him and keep him on track.  We took five of the students home - all adults crammed in the back seat of the car.  That is a normal situation for them!  Got home after 8:00 pm and were too tired to eat.  Just then the Yturraldes knocked at the door and came to visit for awhile.  It gave me a second wind so I had enough energy to type!  Finally got some food and now we're ready for bed.

3/7/2013

   Finally home for the night!   We had an early morning meeting with Pres. Anderson.  I was so afraid he was going to tell us since the music program was going so well we should stay a little longer.  He hadn't even realized we would be leaving the end of August.  So he has this idea that we should set up an area wide choir concert type thing that involves all of the stakes in the Caribbean.  "Events" are very important here.  You know how good Scott and I are at "events" - not at all!
So he wants us to find committee members from all over and get them together and see what we could come up with - organize, etc.  He wants this to be a Christmas thing.  The great thing was we aren't going to be here.....  When we told him that he was aghast.  "Why you just got here, you can't be going home already!"  Then asked us if we knew anyone who could come and take our place.  So if you know of anyone let us know.  He asked about my brother Brent.  He asked me if Brent spoke Spanish - don't think so but will ask him.  So anyway, we have lots of work to do besides the lots of work we are doing....
   Got home and had lunch before leaving for our Institute music class.  I wish there were some magic way to get these tecladas up the stairs and into the room without having to carry them.  It does get tiring carrying them in and out of buildings.  We have been so careful to keep them in the bags and the boxes they came in to protect them but these boxes are wearing out.
   Right after Institute we drove to the Santo Domingo ward for our second class there.  We had to divide the class because it was so big.  As it turns out we should have about 14 in each class.  One of the women came in with her daughter about an hour late - her car had stopped on her.  She does speak some English so that is refreshing for me.  Scott is pooped but he never complains. 
  We received some letters from the young women and young women leaders in our ward.  It was so nice to hear from them.  We really appreciated them taking the time to write and send letters to us!

3/6/2013

    This was our morning at the Institute.  There were some students missing so we had a workable group.  They are so excited to be able to play the hymns with one note and fingering instructions.  It's much harder when they begin doing the key names and trying to find them.  We got to leave the tecladas there for our class tomorrow because we didn't need them yet at Los Llanos.  So we finished there, drove home, had lunch and left to pick up the Leavitts to go to Los Llanos.
`  We must have dozens of guardian angels the way Scott drives out there.  I keep trying to tell him it isn't a demolition derby or game of chicken but he just doesn't get it!  He put on the brakes and threw up his hands one time and Elder Leavitt screamed.  Scott was just joking and when Elder Leavitt realized that he started laughing at himself.  He has this infectious laugh you just can't help but laugh at.  I think they have decided to wear blindfolds on our next trip out there - with good reason!!  There was a big group of students at Los Llanos.  At the end of the lesson the table I was sitting at with the teclada collapsed on one side so the teclada slipped off the table to the floor.  Of course I had made some kind on noise ( probably a scream)  that scared everyone half to death.  Pretty embarrassing!
The goats were gone today - I was afraid to ask where they were because they were likely someone's dinner.
  When we got there one of the missionaries came in with a machete, like the ones our kids have.  He had been out cutting grass - here it is:  (This isn't the missionary)

  Then the town taxi went by.  It isn' t the same one I have seen before but cute nonetheless.

     The Eickbushes are leaving shortly so we met them and took them out to dinner.  They are such good friends.  We went to Tony Ramas and had the best food I have had since we came here. 

3/5/2013

      It's been a fun day.  We didn't have any extra things going on until noon when we picked up the Shavers and their daughter to go to lunch.  They are leaving on Monday to go home so we probably won't see them again.  We have really enjoyed them.  He has a personality like Uncle Roger.  They wanted to go to Andrian Tropical where we would have loved to have taken our kids when they came but didn't have time.  You set about 20 feet from the ocean overlooking the waves coming in.

They are from Idaho.  Somewhere near Boise in a place called Eagle.  I think they must have always been fairly prosperous because they say that everywhere they have lived they have had a swimming  pool in their yard.  They are going home to their place that has a connected "nanny apartment"  where they are going to live.  Their kids are living in the main part of their house.  But they also have a guest house.  It would be fun to go and see them!
     After lunch we came home and got ready for our class in Santo Domingo.  We were there on time but we had divided the class last week because there were so may in the class and they wandered in for the first hour.  We ended up with fourteen there - which is great because there will be that many or more on Thursday night. 
     The Yturraldes stopped on their way home from the temple.  They said that Sister Duran had passed away a couple of weeks ago.  She is the older handicapped woman that used to come on Tuesday nights with her son. Such a beautiful older woman with a wonderful spirit.  It was such a privilege to be able to help her.
    

3/4/2013

Missed yesterday in the hustle and bustle that Sundays are.  It was great to see our little kids again since we haven't taken them to church for the past two Sundays.  We had two "cousins" with us again.  The little five year old boy and an older boy that has come with us before. I'm not quite sure why the two extra boys show up to come with us but it certainly won't hurt them to spend three hours in church.  If I were the mother of a five year old going off with people I didn't even know - I would be getting to know who they were and where they were taking my little boy.  We have no idea who the mothers ( fathers are usually not in the picture) of these kids are.  The kids must go through the neighborhood and ask if anyone wants to go to church -   The little girls were so happy to be with us that it was heart warming.  I just hope and pray we are doing something that will help them as they grow up in far less than ideal situations.  As I was waiting in the car for Scott to go tell them we were there this little 1 year old boy across the street started screaming.  Finally I got turned to see what was going on.   Here it is:

Their side of the street had water so she had a bucket of water she was dipping him in and pouring over him.  Of course it was cold but she just laughed as he squealed.  She finally let him down and he ran around naked the rest of the time I was there.  So much for giving him a bath!
        We got to come home for twenty minutes after church to get something to eat and get the things we needed for our two lessons - which turned out to be three lessons!  At San Cristobol part  of the class was still celebrating Independence Day.  One of my favorite  students is a  girl that has  a difficult time learning but she tries so hard.  I so want her to fill successful.  The bishop was so excited because he thinks he is now famous because he is on our website article on music.   He deserves to be famous; he is such a good bishop.
       As we came home we saw many people dressed in costumes either going to or coming from a carnival parade. This celebration has lasted at least two weeks.  I don't understand the costume parade part of it. There is something about being around people with their faces painted that is frightening to me for some reason.   This should be the end tonight.
       We left for Oriental not quite knowing what to expect because we didn't know when they had announced the start of the new class.  When we got there a bunch of boys were gathered outside and followed us inside.  They thought the class started next week so I don't know what they were doing there but before we knew it there were 20 or so people there and all but two were male.  It is so surprising here that so many men are interested in playing the piano.  At the same time half of our graduating class returned saying they wanted to practice.  I thought they were over and done with but they said Scott had told them if they wanted to go on we would help them.  Of course he did!  So I took them in a room and worked with them while he went through the group that had gathered for the new lessons.  The problem being they had not even announced the class in the wards.  That means that next week when we start the class there will probably be twice as many and we will have to divide the class.  We are running out of times we can teach.  We wish there was someone taking our place when we go but Pres. Anderson said he was just grateful to have had us to work with the music and didn't think they would let him have anyone else.  At least some of the people we have taught can teach but they don't have the keyboards to work with.  We have people all of the time coming to ask when we will be starting a new class in their area; it just makes me feel bad because they probably won't have that opportunity.  It was great to see our friends there.  The new high councilman that they assigned to help us is actually taking the class with his wife. 
      Sarah came as I was getting more books from the car.  She doesn't get to leave for London (her mission) until next month.  She is so disappointed because she was supposed to leave in Feb.  She won't find the temperatures or the people as warm there as they are here. It is hard to think all of these people we have grown to love will no longer be a part of our lives.  I'm sure every missionary feels that.
       Today is our morning off.  Time to do a load of wash, read Spanish scriptures, study, fix food, make phone calls, etc.  Scott taught both of the Spanish classes today because Elder Haws was gone.
I went up to Shavers to check on a Spanish program they have.  Their daughter is here with them and will stay until they go home in a week.  We are taking them to lunch tomorrow so that will be fun.
Scott taught about the passive progressive stuff and I just barely understood what he was teaching.  The next lesson was much more fun - for the first time students.
    Family Home Evening was a program we had heard before so we sent treats with the Yturraldes and stayed home.  How nice to have an evening at home! 
     So grateful our kids got home safe from their trip and had a good time......
       
 

3/2/2013

     At the end of another Saturday I am exhausted.  I don't know how Scott keeps going - teaching, driving, teaching, carrying keyboards all over creation (well not quite).  Our classes in the morning and early afternoon in the Los Americas Stake were good.  Some had been able to practice and all were doing well with their learning for the week.  The pregnant woman in the Los Molinos Ward was not there.  They said she had her baby and her mother was home tending the kids.  We thought she was expecting twins - but one of the women there said she only had one baby girl.  Que sera sera.
Who really knows what goes on  here !  The attention span of most of the students leaves alot to be desired.  It has been great to get to know so many of the people.  They are so grateful to have the opportunity to learn to play.  I just wish there was a way to make sure their bishops used them in their wards but we are not to contact the bishops to let them know there are people in their wards that can play.  It gets pretty frustrating!
One thing that makes it all worth it are students like this young boy who is so bright

Doesn't look like it though!  He has a brother in the class and they have a teclada at home to practice on - which is unusual here.
    Hainamos was a better experience today.  We had cancelled the 3:30 lesson until we found out what the stake president wanted to do about all of the nonmembers and if the power would actually be on for our lessons.  When Scott called him he didn't want us to cancel today's lessons.  Well we already had but we went anyway.  Three new students came and two old ones - all members.   Scott's patience with this whole "groundhog day" teaching with this Hainamos group had completely left. After 45 minutes and conversations with many different people he decided to start from the beginning again with this group.

Aren't they cute?

1

These two added alot of personality to the class.  After this class Anderson and the twins showed up for their lesson which we haven't had the electricity to have for the past month.  We were surprised to see them but it was a great opportunity to work with just them.  We actually got to drive most of the way home in the light of day.  That is such a nice thing on the road to Hainamosa there are so many crazy things going on and so many people walking across the highway, cars and motorcycles without lights, etc.  And so here we are at 8:00pm home at last.  Only ten hours after we left this morning.

3/1/2013

     When we went to Los Llanos with the Leavitt's on Wednesday, they had wanted to go see the ship we saw the other day so we arranged to take them this morning.  They are temple missionaries and do not have transportation.  Since we had been inside the boat we wandered around and took pictures of the walls and structures that were built over 400 years ago. 

This is one of the look out towers.  The windows are tiny but the walls are thick and have obviously withstood being fired upon.

This was the entrance to the Colonial City.  It looks like at one time they had kind of a mote in front of the walls but have since built it up and added walkways. The Coat of Arms in cement above the walkway was amazing.

        This must have been a lower level line of defense because these cannons were in front of the others high on the wall.

There are two rows of cement walls.  The path down the middle was where the military with guns and arrow fought from - they were protected by the walls - if they weren't standing that is.
   It amazes me how much history there is here.  I love their old buildings.  They rarely tear anything down here so many of their old buildings have had another layer of cement added to the existing wall and have become homes of businesses.
  They have been celebrating their Independence Day with this weeks long carnival.  This was one of the interesting decorations we saw this morning.

We had two Spanish classes this afternoon then went to Yturralde's for dinner with the Eickbushes.  Sister Yturralde makes these chicken tacos that are delicious!  We played Five Crowns and visited.  It was lots of fun.  Hate to see the Eickbushes go.  
     Made some vegetable beef soup - which usually is tasteless because the beef is  chunks of stuff that have no flavor.  But for some reason this really tastes good.  It must have been the beef bouillon. Got to get to bed and get rested for tomorrow!