The past two weeks have been filled with little acts of service. We are continually amazed how our time is filled with good things each day, even when our appointments fall through. Some days things don't go as planned, but we are blessed with guidance to know where to go and what to do to provide service.
In addition to our regular weekly visits, we have visited the sick and taken them food, helped a sister whose adult son has disappeared, taken a young mother to the hospital to have her baby, Brent took one of our missionaries to the hospital two hours away in the middle of the night for emergency surgery (apendicitis) and stayed with him for several hours until the mission president arrived We visited three people in the hospital, took food to others in need, delivered flowers and birthday cakes, helped with transportation and food delivery for the District Youth Activity, and took a member to the cemetery in a neighboring town to visit his wife's grave and he had Brent dedicate the grave. Giving service is a great blessing in our lives as well as those we serve.
If you follow our blog, you know that we love sharing our mission with others. We invited our three oldest grandsons, Todd, Bryce, and Zac, to come visit us in June with the intention of spending time with them and giving them some missionary experiences as well. They are three of the finest young men anywhere! We had such a great time with them. One new experience for all of us was deep sea fishing. We were on a boat fishing for over two hours when we finally got a big one. It was a marlin and we saw it jump out of the water so we know it was big. 😜 Catch and release was not the original plan but that's how it turned out. The boys took turns reeling it in for 1 1/2 hours. It was hard work and their backs and arms were tired. With about 50 meters of line left to bring in the fish, the hook came loose from the fish and we lost it! 😧 We were all devastated to say the least. But we had a good time trying and now have a cool story to tell.
Brent and the boys made the long trip to the magic waterfalls and had a great time. It's not an easy trip since parts of the road were washed away with the tropical storm in May. But they took a tourist bus and made it just fine. Of course, we loved taking them with us to visit members. And they said that was one of their favorite things to do.
We also had a visit from two of Brent's sisters, Kathy and Wendy. They came in July and we thoroughly enjoyed their visit as well. After four days here in Huatulco enjoying the culture and people, we drove over the mountain to Oaxaca to attend the Guelaguetza dance festival. It's a big deal and we were not disappointed. It was beautiful and amazing. The next day we went to the archeological ruins at Monte Alban. It amazes me how intelligent the people were who lived here long ago. Kathy and Wendy appreciated all the customs, shopping, and color in Oaxaca. They flew home from Oaxaca and we made the trip back over the mountain. I think we have actually adjusted some to the long, curvy road.
You can see that we are keeping busy and our days are filled with good things. I am still teaching six piano students and I'm also teaching a music conducting course (about four weeks) on Sunday evenings. The members are so supportive of us. It will be hard to leave these good friends in a few months but we will continue to love and appreciate our time here.
The Boys
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| It's wasn't so easy for the old man! |
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Frisbee on the beach
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Souvenir shopping, sushi and street tacos |
Visiting members
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| Current and future missionaries |
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| I have no idea what I was saying, but I love that they're listening! |
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| A little gospel study |
The Sisters
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Shopping in the plaza in Huatulco |
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| This trip to Oaxaca is the first time I've noticed this cemetery on the hillside. |
The Guelaguetza
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| After each dance, the performers throw things into the audience--hats, peppers, apples, tamales, even whole pineapples. You have to keep your eyes open for flying objects. |
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| This was P-day so the missionaries serving in the Oaxaca area were allowed to attend the Guelaguetza if they wanted. They stood in the general admission (free) line beginning at 5:30 am for the 10:00 am performance. |
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| Shopping after the dance festival |
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| I just can't think of a caption for this photo.😜 Supply your own. |
Monte Alban Archeological Ruins
We made a stop at the mission office and the Oaxaca Temple.
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| Brent was always trying to prove that he and his sisters were actually siblings--as if there was any doubt.😆 |
To Wrap Up
Graduation is a BIG deal here. Above is our cute friend graduating from kindergarten. Below is a sixth grade graduation.
Seldom do you see a man walking along the road without a machete. They are used for EVERYTHING.
New sights on our way home from Oaxaca.
Babies and Little Buddies
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| Neighborhood Family Home Evening |
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| Cemetery |
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| Conducting hymns class |
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| Build it then sell it. |
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| Another heavy rain. This much water in less than an hour. Everyone welcomes the rain but the rainy season is almost over. |
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| It took us a year but we finally saw more than four people on a moto. And this family gets bonus points for the boogie boards!😁 |
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| Onward, ever onward. |
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