Another week gone

We have had a quick week, Monday was a moderately busy clinic day, and Monday night we had a Halloween party in the cafeteria of the Casa, probably about 30 of us when we all are together.  We had a good potluck and played some games, guessing about M&Ms in a jar and doing a segment of a puzzle.  We even played a little Bingo for candy prizes.  It is fun to get together, some of the couples are more isolated than we are, so they appreciate it even more. 

Tuesday was a good day in the Temple, we had an Indian couple from Tobago come through to be endowed and sealed.  Tobago speaks English so that meant I was valued for a change.  I was able to do alot with them and we stayed for the sealing, they have a boy about 2 that was sealed.  A radiant father and a great spirit for us.  The Temple work would almost be enough for our mission by itself.

Wednesday was our time for Santiago, the drive is getting to be routine, still beautiful and not boring yet.  The mission home is nice there, I didn't have much to do this week but did have an Elder from New Jersey who may need to go home for surgery.  That is too bad, sometimes the Elders don't come back to finish after going home.  He wants to do the surgery here but it is hard to support him afterwords during his recovery time. 

Thursday we were back in the Temple in the morning, that is our busy day with missionaries so it goes fast.  The multiple languages, when we are working close together, can be confusing.  I stick to English for now.

Today we had a few phone calls and walked a few blocks to the American Embassy to meet with the Medical officer there.  Very helpful to me, they have a list of doctors, hospitals and clinics that will be useful.  Herve Poulard is the officer there, he has had an interesting life.  He was born in Haiti and moved fairly young to New York.  He knows several languages and was very friendly.


Morgan feels the first snow in Idaho, 4 Nov 2011

Cindy sent this email after we received the picture of Morgan:

Love the picture, she looks so happy. Did you see the big flake on her head? I had just seen the temp at 32 an hour ago and dad asked if that was the current temp. Guess it was. I am thinking Florida not Idaho. Our temps have fallen to 70-80 but the humidity is still 80 so it is sticky but better sticky than snow. When I got home from my walk this morning dad said we would walk to the US Embassy, about a mile so didn't even bother to take a shower. Within ten minutes of the walk I felt just like I did when I completed the first walk, dripping wet! So guess a shower would have been wasted. If I could just come up with something to do with my hair I wouldn't mind the humidity. Going out to dinner tonight with the group. Last week was so good, wish we would go there again.


We had a nice potluck for FHE. I always enjoy trying the Latin food. It usually isn't anything too crazy. They have some really good desserts with coconut milk. We are planning our Thanksgiving meal, I am bringing croissants. Next week we are going to Puerto Rico and St Kitts for a week. Will do 4 presentations, one clinic day and one fun day. The Mission President was a missionary in the Tampa mission while dad was bishop. He was Spanish speaking so never served in our ward but knew the Naples people. He is really young to be a mission president but is great in a crazy sort of way. Acts like he is still a young missionary. Lots of energy. We will fly next Sunday to the next Sunday. Steve, you are right, they did change the West Indies/Puerto Rico mission boundaries a year or two ago.

We have now met all the 7 mission presidents and their wives. The three in the DR we see on a regular basis, then we have Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti and the West Indies.The President in Haiti is a native and is 34 years old. I wish everyone could spend time with the Haitian saints. They are the most humble, appreciative, polite, reverent people I have met. He invited dad to visit so dad is hoping to get a trip to Haiti sooner rather than later. I would probably stay back with the mental health sister advisor and her husband who is also a mental health advisor would go with dad.

Anna, I bought pomelos yesterday! They are pink and probably not quite as good as the ones we got in Boise but they are still good. I was excited to see them in the store. We can only get the mangoes from roadside vendors but I am willing to pay the dollar for one. They are really good, definitely my favorite fruit. Melons here have no flavor so I think I am done trying melons.

Our trip to the US Embassy was really fun. Lots of security but dad had made contact before we got there and the man we were to meet came to the gate and got us. He was really nice, knowledgeable and interesting. He was a linguist with the Air Force for twenty years. Had lived all around the world. He also is a physician's assistant and has worked for the state dept for the last seven years. In the middle of all the medical exchange, he and dad got into politics and talked for at least half an hour on fixing the world. Anna, he said the state dept would love to hire you with your Mandarin. That would be a far cry from Montessori school.

We have much to thankful for, one day is not enough to celebrate all our blessings.

Love and miss you all, mom
 
So that is the news from the Spanish Lake.  We are enjoying our time and the associations we make here.  I miss all of the family and some of the pets at home.