Christmas El Salvadorian Style

     We hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a fun New Year's celebration. Let us tell you about our Christmas here. It really started on the 23rd. Our Sacrament meeting set the tone for the next few days. I was able to sing a duet with Luciana Figueroa, The First Noel, with Rene on the violin playing Cannon D, and Sherilee at the piano. Then our bishop and a friend played a viola and violin duet, Rene on violin and Sherilee on piano and me on the organ did "O Holy Night" , Sherilee and Rene did a piano duet and a violin and piano duet. Our Bishopric each talked for about 10 minutes and the spirit was so strong. It was a great beginning.

 

Rene Hernandez, Sherilee Broadbent, and me.

     Sunday evening was our Stake Choir Christmas Devotional. Our choir performed above their ability. I got to sing "O Holy Night" with Rene on the violin and Sherilee at the piano. Luciana and I sang our duet again, we really blend well. I also sang "And He Shall Feed his Sheep" from the Messiah. It was an old fashioned Christmas program with a scripture read then a song to tell the Christmas story. We had children dressed as animals and Joseph and Mary come in as we sang the Friendly Beasts, which Rene and Sherilee translated from Engish to Spanish. It was a wonderful program and we had a great turnout to it. Afterwards, we had the Figueroa's over for an all American hamburger feed. They liked everything, but especially the cheese dip. I haven't found velveta cheese here yet, but cheese whiz works real well.

Monday morning, Elder Thompson and Elder Kitley got to go golfing with the Behner family again, Eric, Alex, and Andres. They went to the same course where Lon golfed a few months ago and had such a bad score. He improved his score by over 20 stokes so he felt good. It was a beautiful morning and they had a great time.

     We had a progressive dinner with all the missionaries at 6:00. We started at the Kitleys for ordurves, then to the Thompsons for salad. The Gibbons and the Walls furnished the main course, ham and funeral potatos and home-made rolls. On to the Petersens for dessert and our $5.00 gift exchange. Our evening ended about 10:00 pm and the Figueroa's picked us up and took us to their house for an El Salvadorian Christmas. Families start about 6:00 PM going from house to house wishing their family a Merry Christmas. There is always finger foods to eat and presents are left, usually a basket of food. One of the houses is the gathering place for the Christmas feast. We arrived at the Figueroa's with an hour to spare before the feast. They had a beautiful tree with not one present under it. We visited with their Aunt and two cousins and then at 11:00 PM dinner was served. We had roasted turkey and pork covered with a tomato based sauce. It had mushrooms and green olives in it. The rice had creme dulce, whipping cream not whipped, asparagus and two different cheeses. The salad is only made on the 24th of Dec and Mariela is the only one in the family with the recipe. It is shrimp, carrots, potatos, eggs, peas, onions and a sauce of creme dulce with mustard. Everything was delicious, just too much. This was our second dinner! 

     At the stroke of midnight, everyone hugs and wishes each other a Merry Christmas and the fireworks blast. They rocked the house. The sky was lit up all around. Still no presents?? About 10 minutes later. Grandma Gladys comes downstairs with a gift for the Aunt. She opens it and we sit around for another 10 minutes when Mariela, the mother, brings in a gift for her daughter Luciana. She opens it and again we sit around. Then another gift for the cousins. Paola left at 12:00. The teenagers have to stay with the family until midnight then they can leave for a few hours to celebrate with their friends. This was the routine for the next hour and a half, even the two dogs got their gifts.  We get home at 1:30 AM totalled. I really like our traditions so much better. On Christmas day, most just head to the beach to sleep and relax after being up all night. There is nothing planned for the 25th.

     Have a Happy new Year. We are celebrating at the home of the Reyes so we will send a letter after with pictures for you to see. It is supposed to be quite a house. We love you all Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Lon and Nancy

Merry Christmas Dear Friend

     I just have to share this with someone who will understand that I am not bragging or blowing my own horn, I truly believe that I am just a funeral singer, but the past week has been amazing!!!! Last Sunday was the Temple Worker's Devotional. Our Stake Choir sang two numbers and I was privileged to be asked to sing "O Holy Night" with Rene Hernandez on the organ and Sherilee Broadbent on the piano. The spirit was so strong. I was able to share my testimony to my fellow workers through music that I know my Savior lives and loves us. It was a wonderful gift to be able to give to these special people that I have come to love so much. I got asked again if I sang with the Tabernacle Choir. They just don't understand when I tell them that "no", I am just a funeral singer.

     On Friday afternoon I got an amazing Christmas present that I really needed. President and Sister Petersen decided that I needed to have more sleep so I would be ready for our Choir Christmas Devotional so they told Lon and I not to come into the temple before 7:00 AM on Saturday. Being on the AM Shift all week, I really was starting to wear down and those extra three hours were welcomed!!! I was able to come home at 12:30 and take a nap but poor Elder Thompson ended up there till almost 3:00. He was so tired. We had our dress rehearsal at 5:00 so he didn't get much of a rest.

      Sunday was the most spiritual Sabbath I can ever remember and I sang better than I can ever remember.  In fact, I'm not sure it was me at all. Sacrament Meeting started with Rene and Sherilee playing a piano duet. Then, our Bishop Figueroa and a friend did a viola and violin duet, WOW. Rene and Sherilee did a violin and piano duet and I got to play the organ, Sherilee on the piano, and Rene played "O Holy Night" on the violin. Luciana and I sang "The First Noel" with Rene playing Cannon D on the violin and Sherilee on the piano. It was fantastic because we had only practiced once because Luciana was at LOY (EFY) all week. The music was so amazing. Our Bishopric each spoke and the Christmas Spirit was so amazing. We didn't want the meeting to end. Then, I was in charge of our missionary Sunday meal. I had frozen the turkey carcass so I made home-made noodles. The Wall's weren't supposed to be here so we invited the full time missionaries and then the Wall's got home early with the Mendezes. So that pot of noodles ended up feeding 16 with a bowl left for Lon and I for dinner one day. Talk about loaves and fishes!

 

     Our Devotional started at 5:00. It was an old fashioned Christmas program with scriptures by the narrator followed by a song to tell the story of the birth of our Savior. Our choir never sounded better. Luciana and I again sang and it was perfect. I sang "O Holy Night" this time with Rene on the violin and Sherilee on the piano. It was the best I have ever sounded. It was powerful and the spirit was again so strong. It was a WOW moment for me. I also got to sing "And He Shall Feed His Sheep". After the program, President Petersen hugged me and whispered in my ear that he knows that I had been preparing for years to come here and testify of my Savior through music. I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father has given me this choice experience, not just to testify to others, but to feel the spirit so strong that my testimony has been strengthened also.

 

      I want you to know that I have a testimony of the power of the priesthood. When I was set apart, I was promised that my talents would be renewed and magnified. Wow has that ever come true. I love my Heavenly Father and I am so thankful for His Son and His redeeming sacrifice for me. Merry Christmas and I pray that your New Year will be filled with tender mercies and miracles for you and your family. May God bless you in all you do With all my love, Nancy

To Our Children

      Another year has past and it seems like the time just doesn't slow down. It has been a pretty good year and each of us have had changes and challenges in our lives. As we grow a little older each year, we learn to love our children more and more. It always hurts when we have trials, but need to know that the trials makes us learn and grow.

 

      Ginger has had challenges and changes with a big move and trying to find a new job and adjusting to her new life. She has been blessed and is doing an excellent job raising Jaikka. We enjoy our weekly Skyping and watching BSU.
 

      Tracy and Sarah are going through a challenge in trying to find a new job. It is scary now, but Tracy has been blessed to test well and will find a job soon. We go through trials to grow and develop. Sometimes we need to sacrifice but this brings happiness when the blessings come.

 

      Mindi also has new challenges. She is home a lot while Justin is working away from home. It's not easy, but sometimes we have to do what is necessary to feed our families. I worked away from home a lot to, but my wife did really well but had to sacrifice a lot and had to scrimp and save. I never found out many things until we came on this mission. Mindi, time goes by fast so hang in there and you will be where we are (old and sassie) before you know it.

 

      Shayla, you took on a responsibility which I don't know if I could have done. You and Justin are very special and are doing a super job of raising seven kids. That's amazing when Shayla didn't want a big family. It goes to show what a person will sacrifice and go through when a couple truly loves one another.

 

     We have four of the best kids in the world. You are so thoughtful, helpful, and loving in supporting one another. Thank you all so much. We love you. As we start our last six months in our mission, we look forward to being together again. I want all my children to know we love you so much and want you to know you are always welcome in our home to stay forever how long you can. We love our mission and know that our Savior loves each one of us. We have spent many years serving in His house. We know without a doubt that families are together forever and know we will be also, if not, life would have no purpose. We pray constantly for your health, safety, and that you will always be blessed with sufficient income to raise your families. We want nothing more than for you to have joy in your lives. Thank you so much for being our children. With love Dad and Mom

Merry Christmas and Happy New year!!

      Since it is very expensive and the mail is so unreliable, we do most everything by e-mail. This is not all bad as we have learned how to use the computer a little better. At this Christmas time, we reflect and celebrate the birth of Jesus our Savior. It has really been a blessing to serve in His house everyday. We get to celebrate Christmas everyday. We get to see His miracles everyday. As we watch families join together for the Eternities, it makes us even more aware of His Eternal Plan and that we can, through our service and dedication to His commandments, be with Our Heavenly Father once again. We have really felt that happiness through being able to serve.  We can witness that happiness is not found in earthly treasures, but in serving others and being a positive force in our Father's work. Almost all of El Salvadorians don't have a lot of material things that we consider important for happiness, but they are a happy people and a loving people as they come to know the Savior. As they come to Him, it seems their physical needs also improve. At this Christmas time, may we remember the true meaning of Christmas and be able to be with family and friends. Here we will miss our children and friends, but we have gained many more and are looking forward to music, talking with our children and being together as a missionary family. We look forward to being with our children next Christmas. We know some of you at home are having illnesses and other problems. We think of you often and we pray for you and keep those names of whom we are aware of who are struggling on the prayer roll of the temple.
 

     We send our love and appreciation for all you do for us, for your prayers and enjoy those who take time to email us. We enjoy hearing from all. May you have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. They say with the Mayan calendar starting a new cycle, things are to get better. We are all most definitely in the the Lord's hands. We love you all Elder and Sister Thompson, Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma.

 

The One-Eyed Pilot

     President Petersen and the 4 Elders got a real treat today, for them. Brother Reyes arranged for them to take an airplane ride around El Salvador with a one-eyed pilot. It was a small plane, with room for the 5 of them with the pilot, Carlos.  I willingly gave up my seat!!

     We were a little nervous when we were told that he only had one eye, so Brother Reyes sent us a link to a movie on YouTube about the life of our pilot. I have forwarded the email on to you so don't trash the email to Elder Gibbons from Bro. Reyes. It is a great story told by the people involved. You will enjoy watching it. It is about 45 minutes long.

The pilot and his plane.

One of the volcano's they flew over.    

The beach around El Salvador.

 They flew over the temple

  These 5 boys came home with smiles like it was Christmas morning. They had a great time and are sad to be grounded again. Each one of them took about 60 pictures and Elder Kitley even took videos so we will have lots of pictures to show you all upon our return.

     We had a busy week in the temple, with at least one bus daily and usually two or three. It was great to be so busy. December is the month for weddings here, like June is in the States. It is so fun to see the little families sealed for time and eternity. We have had 3 or 4 daily since the first of December.

     We are busy learning Christmas music for our devotionals. It is always great to be able to enjoy the Christmas music, even in Spanish.  Our grandson, Nathan, has the exact days, time, minutes till Christmas. But for us it is just about two weeks away and then we won't hear these great songs again for a year. We are looking forward to sharing the holiday with our mission family and Skyping our family at home also.

     May you each have a very Merry Christmas, with lots of love and charity for all. Enjoy every minute because it will be gone way too soon. We love you and thank you for your prayers in our behalf. We think of you often and look forward to spending next Christmas with many of you. Love Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

Good Morning

     Lon and I are both fighting head colds so we are not getting a lot done other than our shifts at the temple right now. The AM shift week was too full and we did not get enough sleep. Hopefully by this weekend we will be on the mend again and have another week of the PM to get our rest and be ready for the AM again.

     Do you remember me telling you about the young girl who has breast cancer? She thought it was in remission and they planned their wedding day for Nov. Then, in Oct she came to the temple and just crumbled into my arms and said that she needed a miracle this time. She was so sad and her eyes were not dancing. She was completely without hope. I wondered if I would ever know if she lived or died because I only knew her in the temple, didn't even know her name. On Sat the 1st, I was headed to the breakroom for a bite to eat, as I passed the recommend desk, there she was, sitting in a wheel chair with a blue mask over her face so she wouldn't catch everyones germs and dressed in a beautiful wedding dress. They had just come from their civil ceremony to be sealed for time and eternity. They were not on the schedule for the day so I went upstairs to tell Sister Petersen they were here and about my little friend. It was evident that they were getting sealed because she would soon be dying. Sister Petersen arranged for me to get to attend the sealing. The room was full of family and friends, but not her parents. They were in the states so I think they were against this wedding and the kids took advantage of them being gone. There wasn't a dry eye in the room even before the couple entered. Oh Karen, She had such a peaceful, content, happy look on her face this time. They removed the mask for the sealing and she insisted on kneeling at the alter. You could feel her spirit so strong. She was at peace with her situation and her husband was so attentive and loving and at peace also. They both knew that the promises and blessings they were to recieve were meant for the next life. Poor Pres. Majano had a real hard time getting through the ceremony as he along with the rest of us shed many a tear. Oh, what a blessing to know that there is life after death and that this special couple can be together forever. I am so thankful to have been given the privelage to know her and to see her for the last time so happy and at peace. My dear little friend, Mirian Marcela Vasques passed away on Dec. 4th. They didn't get much time together, but I know that they cherished every moment.

    Dec 1st was also the first of our four devotionals that we are singing at this month. The Stake Sunday School put on a "road show" That is the only thing that I can compare it to. It opened with a grandfather and grandson talking about the Bof M and the first scene was the destruction of the Nephites with Mormon saying his speach about oh you beautiful sons and daughters why did you not repent as he looked over the battle scene. Then the choir sang Come unto Him. As I tell you the songs, you can guess what was acted out just before. The second song we sang was "Nephi's Courage" Boy, the third verse is a killer in spanish!! Next, I sang " O that I were an Angel", then a primary sang "The Army of Helaman", then Luciana and a nonmember sang "This is the Christ". This was our ward and they used one of the Americans to play the risen Jesus visiting the Americas. He grew a beard for the part and it was real impressive as the Lamanites came to feel the prints in his hands and feet. After the last play, Luciana and I sang a duet of "Joseph Smiths first Prayer" and had the congregation join in with the last two verses. I really got choked up as I led them in the last verse. I know so many of these people. The gym was clear full and the benches in the chapel were turned around and they went half way into the chapel as well. How am I ever going to leave them? I plan on cherishing every day from now on and try not to think about how soon I will have to go. It was a great program with great scenery, painted by our relief society president, Karina, and the costuming was good. After the program, the Alas's insisted on taking us out for pupusas for my birthday. We were exhausted but so happy. It was a fun way to begin the Christmas season.

     We are practicing for three devotionals, the Temple workers devotional on the 16th, I am singing O holy Night and the choir three songs, then on the 22 we have a devotional for all the full time missionaries in El Salvador and on the 23 rd we do it again for the Stake. Sherilee and Rene have done great job of putting this together, translating music into Spanish and rewriting music to fit the words. It is going to be fun. I am singing a duet with Luciana and O Holy Night again and maybe Do you Hear What I Hear. So I am getting no Spanish lessons in at all, only music lessons as I study the words in Spanish so I can sing. I am sorry that you only get the one song to sing in Sac Meeting. Maybe next year she will be able to do more. I just love the songs of Christmas and I know you do too. I listened to the one you sent, it was great. I watached the first 15 minutes of the movie and the last 15 minutes. We are thinking of using it for our turn for home evening this monday. Is there anything in the middle that would not be good for missionaries and the Temple President? I just don't have time to proof it for myself.

     I don't know how you keep up with scouts. What a challenge. Tracy is in Oregan right now taking another series of tests for two different towns. I don't think anyone will be hiring until January but he just has to keep testing and hopefully one of the towns will be hiring soon. They are getting a little nervous as his unemployment will be running out soon and they don't know about getting more or not. He is just trying to do all that he can do and then we just have to wait upon the Lord for the blessings. Well, I need to get dinner on. I just had to share my week with you. I am so happy and feel my Heavenly Fathers hand in all I do. It is wonderful. I love you Nancy

December Already, WOW!

     Not sure where November went but we are into December and loving the Christmas season with the music and lights and the spirit of love that fills the air this time of year. It is wonderful that the whole world spends one month a year thinking about their Savior and spreading love and good cheer around. Maybe we should have Christmas a few more of the months? I guess then it would not be so
special and it would be taken for granted.

     We were taken to lunch to a new restaurant, the Cafe San Fernando. It is about a half hour from here and up in the mountains. The view was beautiful and the flowers and trees were breathtaking. I just wish pictures could do it justice but I have included a few pictures from there for you. Pictures #1,2,3 It was fun to actually see pine trees. The temperature was much cooler so it was a very nice afternoon.

      We had a very busy week in the temple. This is the time of year for weddings here so we have had lots of sealings, a few scheduled, but most of the time the people just show up. I got to work in the baptistry three days this week. It is always fun to work with the youth but very tiring as you are on your feet all day. In the Boise and Twin Falls temples, the ordinance workers were not in charge of the laundry but here we are. So when you serve in the Baptistry you also work in the laundry. When the youth come in swarms, it gets real hard to keep up with only two washers and 4 dryers. The worst problem is that a lot of the women have never had washers or dryers and have no clue how to use them.

      We got to go to Antique Custitlan for dinner with the Alas's on Saturday night. They have been trying to take us to dinner for a month to celebrate my birthday but our schedules just would not cooperate. Picture #4 is the four of us eating pupuses and picture #5 is of the tree in the center of town all decorated for the holidays. There were so many people there to see the lights, we felt like we were in a sardine can. The fireworks have begun also. Every night we have fire works all month of December. Then, on Christmas Eve, they start about midnight and go all night long.

     Lon and I are busy with choir practices and solo practices to get ready for the three devotionals that we are going to sing at. It really brings the Christmas spirit into our lives. We hope each of you are doing whatever you can do to bring this spirit into your lives and homes. This is such a magical time of year and it is here and gone so fast. We send our love to all. You are in our prayers daily. May God bless you and your families with peace and love and happiness as you celebrate the birth of our Savior. Love you Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma.

Happy Thanksgiving!

     We want to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope you have a great day with  family and friends and great food. Take time to reflect on all of your blessings and give thanks for all that you have been blessed with. We had a great Thanksgiving on Monday, the 19th. We had 21 for dinner and as you can see in the pictures, we had plenty to eat. Sister Kitley made either Pilgrim hats or Indian head dresses for all to wear. The plate of food was Elder Thompson's. He made sure that he got the most important foods first before he was too full for them. Elder Kitley read the Gettesburg Address to us, in English and Spanish. Wow, it really set a great spirit for our dinner as we reflected on our heritage and our great country.

     School has been out for the El Salvadorians here for a week. They are on their "summer break" and go back to school in January. We have been disappointed at the small numbers at the temple these two weeks and thought that many would be here with school out. Well, we found out that when school ends, it is time for the parents to get the children registered for school for the next year. A single mom with 4 children who works as a maid for one of our embassy girls, Melissa, told us how it works. She lives in one of the shanties build of corregated steel and has no water or electricity and a dirt floor. She has to get in line to register her child for the second grade with all the other parents of all the second graders. She has stood in line all day, only to get to the next in line for the registration when 5:00 comes and the doors are closed for the day. She then has to return the next day and stand in line again. When she is finally able to register that child, she has three more to register and three more lines to wait in. It has taken her up to two weeks to get the 4 kids registered for school, missing work for the days that she is in line. This is for the public school system. Hopefully you are able to get your kids registered in two weeks because that is when the graduations start.

     The Salvadorians love to party and I think they invent things to celebrate. Graduations happen after pre-school, after grade school, after secondary school and after college. This poor mother happened to have a child graduating from grade school and was expected to buy a $40.00 dress for the daughter as all the kids in the class are required to dress alike for the graduation. When Melissa heard this she took over. She took her maid shopping and found the exact fabric and made the dress for her and only ended up spending $20.00. $40.00 is a weeks wages for this woman. We figure we have at least one more week of the parties before the youth start filling the temple with baptisms again.

     We send our love to all. Thank you for your love and prayers in our behalf. We do look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with you next year but for now, we are content and happy to be here serving our Heavenly Father in this beautiful temple with our new friends. Have a great day. All our love, Lon and Nancy, Grandpa and Grandma, Dad and Mom

Weeky Letter

     Yes another week has come and gone and today is ladies day out and so I will write most of the letter today. (edited by Nancy) I got most of my chores done and Nancy thought that I should expand my horizon and so added to the list was dusting all the furniture. That should be it for this mission as we don't do that very often. I think that I have passed the test and am now certified as a true maid. (He only broke one item so that is good for the first time)

 

     We have had a good week and had a couple show up at the temple and as I was walking home I noticed that the vehicle had a Wyoming plate on it and so I went back into the temple and sure enough there was a young couple that had traveled all the way actually from Houston to Wyoming and then down through Mexico, Guatemala and have visited the temples and were on their way to Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and headed back through Belieze and try to get home by Christmas.

     The people down here couldn't believe that they would even try. They had spare tires and gas cans on the roof of their SUV (advertising that they were tourists) and said that they could live two weeks out of their car. They even had a bed in the back. That gave me an idea about buying a tuk tuk which is a 3 wheeler motorcycle but has a back seat and is really cool.

They have them in the states but are about 7,000 dollars more expensive so I have thought that I could buy one down here and drive it home. When we finish in June, I would have good weather all the way home and it is somewhat enclosed and I could be home for hunting season in Oct. with time to spare. That way I could take the souvenirs that we don't have room to take and I could take the excess. I am trying to sell Nancy on the Idea. I still have time to convince her. (I don't think so)

    This week we got to go to another concert or synfoncia and it was really good. That's something that we don't get to see in Idaho. We even knew most of the music.

     Sunday was the primary program and they did super. It was 50% Americans and 50% Spanish. These kids are so amazing as all but 2 did their parts in Spanish and the pronunciation was perfect.
It's amazing how they learn.

     We are preparing for our Christmas programs and I enjoy the music. Of course Nancy is at the time of year that she enjoys the most. The bad part is the 1st of Dec. is when we have the first program and Boise State plays Nevada probably for a share of the conference title and the 22 of Dec is the other program and that is the day of the bowl game that Boise State will probably be playing in. Thank heavens that I have a daughter that can record and I won't have to miss them. Who would believe that living down here we would ever have been able to do such a thing.

     We love being here and love our mission. We love the weather, people and the blessing of serving our Heavenly Father. It's a life I wish all couples that could would do so they would feel the true love of our Heavenly Father. What a joy to be able to serve. Well better close for now as Nancy will be coming home soon. We love hearing from those that have time to write and know many are busy. We miss you and pray all will have joy and happiness in your homes and lives. Elder and Sister Thompson, Mom and Dad. and Etc.

Earthquake

     "I felt the earth- move- under my feet, but nothing came tumbling down!" We are safe but we sure did feel this one. We were in the temple and the building rolled for several minutes. It was the strongest and longest quake we have felt. It is amazing that a structure that big and well build can roll like that, with no cracks in walls or windows. They issued a tsunami warning for the La Libertad coast but nothing has happened here. We did not feel any of the after shocks either. So we are safe and blessed here and feel for the people who were directly affected by the quake.

     We were able to attend a Youth Symphony Concert on the 30th of October. The Majano's took us as a birthday gift for me. It was amazing. They have a program here funded by a Mexican Foundation that brings music into schools. The children from 7 - 18 are able to take lessons on any instrument or sing in the choir for free after school hours. The choir of around 90 youth sang the Hallalua Chorus in four parts in English. The orchestra was outstanding.

     On the 5th, we missionaries took a trip back to San Sebastian to the fabric factory. The Gibbon's and Kitley's had things they wanted to get before they leave the country. We went to a quaint restaurant for lunch with an amazing view of Lake Ilopongo and the private golf course that Lon played at last year. Pictures 1 and 2.

     Elder Thompson is wondering about Ron and Frank's hunting trips. He will never get the thrill of hunting out of his blood.

     The El Salvadorian schools close here for about two months, starting next week. The American and British schools run on the same schedules as in the states. Everyone is starting to prepare for summer camps which take place the week after Christmas because that is when all the youth are out of school at the same time.

     Winter has begun here with winds stronger than usual. This is what they call the cold season because the wind makes it feel colder than is really is. We don't sweat quite as much when we walk now. It is nice for us, but we still don't need a sweater. 

     Hope you all have a great week and are safe and happy. We miss you but love the work we are doing and the people we get to associate with. We send our love to all, Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma.

Happy Halloween to All!

     It is hard to believe that another month has come and almost gone. We keep trying to enjoy each day but they come and go so fast. Elder Thompson of course is lamenting that football season is already half over. He doesn't get to see many of the games because of our schedule at the temple and the games he does get to watch are all on the east coast because it is a Florida channel that we have that carries the games. But he does get to watch the BSU games with Ginger on Skype so life is good.

     I have attached a couple of pictures from yesterday, my birthday.  We had our Sunday dinner with the missionaries and Sister Kitley made me a cake. We went to choir practice and Sister Broadbent made cupcakes. We then went to the Figueroa's for a surprise birthday dinner and another cake. I received flowers, cards and hugs all day long. We are so pampered and showered with love. It is really going to be tough to say good-bye.

     We had a busy week in the temple and did enjoy the PM shift. Friday we had a first thought. At 7:30 pm, we realized that there were only 4 women ordinance workers left in the temple, Sister Petersen, Sister Kitley, Sister Gibbons, and myself. We have always had at least one or two natives to close the temple with, never just the gringa's. Then, on Saturday evening, we were on the swing shift, from 8-4, and Lon ended up putting in a 12 hour day because there were not enough workers to finish the day with. I only had to stay for 9 hours as there were more women. If we have to cut back on the temple hours it will be because of not enough workers to meet the needs of the patrons.

      This week schools are out and on Friday, Nov. 2nd, it is "la dia de bruja", a mix between Halloween and Memorial Day here. We expect the temple to be over full, especially the baptistry.  Last year it was huge so this year should be as well.

     We send our love to all. Thank you for your prayers and letters.  We do enjoy hearing from you. Love, Lon and Nancy, Grandpa and Grandma, Dad and Mom.

Weekly Letter

     Nancy is off partying again so I told her I would try to get our letter written after I got the apartment cleaned, the dishes done and the laundry in the wash. I hope you all are healthy and strong and enjoying the nice weather that it sounds like you are having. It has been a little nice down here and we have had a little rain this past week which was needed. We also had 3 little earth quakes and that was a little interesting because it had been a few weeks since we have had one. It was interesting because we had just had training in the temple about things like that. They weren't anything big.

     Well BSU is still winning and so that's good. I love football season and it's hard to believe the season is half over. That's what's nice about skype, Ginger and I get to watch the games together after we get back from the temple on Saturday nights and don't have to watch all the time outs and advertisements. It takes about two hours to watch the game.

     We had a really busy week at the temple and the time really went by fast. We are glad to be back on the PM shift and getting to sleep a little longer in the mornings. This week was our stake conference and what a great one. I think it was one of the best ones I have been to. I find myself saying that after every conference so maybe it's my spirit. We had 18 young people getting ready to go out in the mission field from our stake and they did a special number which was very spiritual. They sang Sons of Helaman. Half were young women who can go now when they are 19. Many were waiting to go in a year and a half but can go now. We sang 4 songs as a choir and I thought we did great. It seems that we always have special angels with us.

     We are loving our mission and are looking forward to the Christmas season as they have already started down here. We have been practicing Christmas songs in the choir for about a month getting ready for when we sing. We are healthy and strong and hope all is well with everyone there. Nancy has some pictures but will have to send them next time. I miss the hunting season as Tracy got to go and they got their deer and had a good time. This is the second time that I have missed in a long time but look forward to next fall when I plan on going on a great hunt.

     Thanks for all your prayers and letters. I hope all is receiving them as we have found out that some have not. If you email us I can guarantee you will get a return letter. Have a great week and we love you all. Lon and Nancy and whatever else. 

Hope You Have Had a Great Week!

     We send our love from El Salvador. We have had a quiet week here, no adventures to tell about. We were blessed to have two groups from Honduras visit us at the Temple so we had a couple of busy days and of course Saturday was bustling as usual. The rains in the early evenings stop a lot from coming to the Temple but we have not had any rain for two days now so we might be done  with the rainy season.

     We have been warned that this week the public buses will most likely go on strike so we could have a real quiet week. Many of our workers and patrons at the Temple do not own cars and ride the public buses, even on Sunday to get to church. As we were out and about today, we didn't see any buses so we think the strike is on. Let you know how it goes next week.

     Lon got to go golfing last Monday with a young man from our ward.  He got to play at the second course that is here in El Salvador. This one is just a couple of miles from us. They went on a Monday so there was no amenities offered so it was affordable. All he had to pay for was the caddie. Lon says that he set a record score for his life. His caddie won't bend on the score at all and he got a 62. The only problem was that it was for 9 holes!! The greens were soggy from the rain but extremely fast. It had very narrow fairways and the sandtraps were like brick because of the rains. He can't think of any other excuses and looks forward to playing it again to redeem himself. It is tough when you score a 10, 10, and a 9 on three holes. The only bright spot is that he won the match as his partner shot a 67. He had fun being on the course again.

     We are on the AM Shift this week so we will be trying to get to bed early and will look forward to a nap in the afternoon when we don't sleep well at night. We hope you all are well and enjoying life. We thank you for your prayers in our behalf and you are in our every day. We love you all, Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

Christ in America

     When we arrived here and visited our El Salvadorian Temple for the first time last year, we were amazed at the picture that greeted us. Behind the recommend desk of our little temple was the most amazing life size painting of the Savior with two little Indian girls. We could not decipher the name of the artist and had never seen the painting before. A few months later, Apostle Russell Nelsen and his wife came to visit our temple and she fell in love with the painting. She said that she would find out all about it upon her return to Salt Lake City. Sure enough, she emailed Sister Petersen soon after her return with the name of the artist, Jeffrey Hein, and the name of the painting, Christ in America. She was told that the painting was commissioned by the church solely for the El Salvador Temple and would not be in print anywhere else. We were so disappointed that we could not share this painting with our friends and could not have a copy for our homes. Then, our October 2012 Ensign and the Liahona (church magazines) arrived and we opened the cover to find our painting there; Jesus Christ with a little Nephite girl on one side and a little Lamanite girl on the other. The only thing that you can't really tell in the picture are that the eyes of our Savior follow you no matter where you stand in the room. Of course our painting is life size. Isn't it beautiful. All of us missionaries are excited that we will be able to someday have a copy of this beautiful painting hanging in our homes. (We have a hunch that Sister Nelsen had something to do with this) Also in the Liahona we found an article featuring a young man that we know here in El Salvador. We think it may be in the Era because it is in the "Jovenes" section to the Liahona. The article is called "Strengthened by the Word". You will have to check out the article and the photo. If you don't have access to them, I will try to attach a copy of the photo.

     Sister Kitley had her surgery on her knee on Tuesday and is recovering without any problems. We have missed her in the Temple and look forward to her return this week. We had a great week of not getting up to an alarm and enjoyed our time in the Temple each afternoon and evening. We have had some real good thunder and lightning storms and rain almost daily as our rainy season is coming to an end. This will be the last month of the rains.

     As we watched Conference this weekend, they showed photos of the beautiful fall colors. Wow, that we do miss. Fall is our favorite time of year to go 4-wheeling in the mountains. Hope all of you are able to enjoy a beautiful fall before the cold sets in. We are thankful for your love and friendship, your prayers in our behalf. We send our love to all. Lon and Nancy, Grandpa and Grandma, Dad and Mom

Weak Things Become Strong

Months before the entrance exam for high school, I did not feel prepared. I was sure that it would be impossible to do well. So I turned to my Heavenly Father in prayer. While I was praying, these words came to my mind: “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).

I realized that when I pray to Heavenly Father for strength to face challenges and tests, He blesses me and helps me overcome my weaknesses. Presenting my concern to the Lord was the best decision I could make. He is the best teacher, and I know He helped me.

 

Irvin O. age 16, El Salvador

I Forgot to Hit "Send"!

    Well, I wrote a letter last week and as you all just got it, you can tell that I forgot to hit "send". Sorry, but the thought was there. I hope that counts.

     We had a busy week in the temple and were on the AM Shift. We are so excited for this week as we don't have to get up to the alarm. We did get to go to the "Sinfonica" again on Wednesday. The music was great. The pieces were composed by El Salvadorians. They were very relaxing and we were real disappointed when the concert ended.

     On Thursday, we went to the Figueroa's for dinner and to give the two girls a piano lesson. They had gone to a very typical restaurant and gotten take out for us. We had heard how wonderful this restaurant was and had wanted to try the food. We were not impressed. The pupusas were made with the wrong kind of cheese and the rest of the meal was not good. We are glad that we don't have to
waste money there.

     We got to Skype the BSU game with Tracy this week as it was on a local channel and Ginger didn't get it. She was the lucky one, not having to watch it. We are hoping that with each game we will see some improvement. It is definately a rebuilding year.

     We are looking forward to General Conference this weekend. We send our love and prayers your way. Thank you for your prayers in our behalf. We can feel the strength from them, especially on the AM Shift. Have a great week. Love Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

The Temple is Open!!!

     It felt so good to be back in the Temple this week. We reallymissed the people and the work. We were expecting to have the temple filled because we had a great Devotional Sunday night. The chapel and cultural hall were filled and the choir and speakers did a great job encouraging people to flood the temple. Well, Tues and Wed we only had a trickle of people. We were so disappointed. But on Thursday we had 2 buses from Nicaragua and 1 from Honduras arrive and for two days the temple was overfull and bustling with activity. We sure hope the Salvadorians pick up their pace as the new Honduras Temple is to be completed next year and we won't have them here to pick up the slack.

     Saturday was amazing. The missionaries of El Salvador had a special day for their investigators. They had buses full of investigators come to the temple grounds for special meetings and tours of the temple grounds. We had 14 buses here at one time, plus several microbuses. The temple was full also and it turned out to be a great week after such a slow start. We had at least 30 sets of missionaries here and they looked so happy. They really had a great turnout. People want to know how to have Forever Families and our family history center here on the temple grounds attracts many.

     Sister Kitley is still having trouble with her knee and has decided to have surgery to try and clean up the problems and relieve her of some pain. She will have same day surgery, microscopic, on
Monday the 1st. Please keep her in your prayers for a speedy recovery and a successful surgery.

       We are on the AM Shift this week so we are going to head for bed early. We pray that you are all healthy and enjoying life. We are. We send our love to all, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Lon and Nancy

Copan, Honduras

     We now have even greater admiration for our Honduras Saints who spend 10 to 12 hours on a bus to come to the temple. What a grueling trip!! We left on Tuesday morning at 7:00AM, expecting to be in Copan, Honduras by noon. 8 hours later we were at our hotel in Copan. We had a driver who had never been out of El Salvador before, 4 boarder crossings (out of El Salvador into Guatemala, then out of Guatemala into Honduras), road construction, and windy narrow roads with potholes big enough to bury the bus. Our driver got lost once and we had to back track, loosing an hour. By the time we made it to our motel, all the museums and parks were closed so we went to town to see what Copan, Honduras looked like. Picture #1 is the cobble stone, rough roads. #2 We are returning to the van after walking the streets of Copan and shopping. It is a mountain town without any flat ground. Everything is up and down. I think it is probably one of the smallest towns we have been in.

     We did run into the full time Elders at the city park. One was from Utah and the other from El Salvador. There is no church building here, they just rent a house. The TukTuk's are everywhere here. The members live in the mountains, on this ridge or that, and have a very difficult time coming to church. It is a real challenge for these two missionaries.

     After a good nights sleep, we were at the Copan Ruins at 8:00 AM Wednesday morning, hoping to beat some of the heat. The humidity is less here but it is very hot. Picture #3 is of one of the court yards of the pyramids. Looking at the picture, in the right hand corner of the courtyard, you can see a door. This is one of the doors of the tunnels that we were able to explore. When we were here last June with our tour, we were not allowed into the tunnels so this was a treat. You could see what the archaeologists have uncovered. They don't want to uncover them and let the air into them to deteriorate the pyramids. Picture #4 is of the Ceiba Tree. It is a sacred tree for the Mayan's. They are growing all over the pyramids and the roots are actually helping some of them stay standing but to get to the next level down, they need to be cut back but that is not a possibility. This one is right on top of a pyramid. They are huge and so majestic. Our guide was a Mayan Woman who did a great job.  Picture #5 is of Lon with the Sun God who is being swallowed by a monster which means that it is night and the sun is going down.

     We left Copan and headed home about 2:00. The ride home was not as long, only 5 hours, but the driver was like a horse heading to the barn. It really was a scary ride. We do not ever want to have that driver again.

      We enjoyed our travels, but are excited for the temple to open again. We miss it so much when it is closed. We will start on Monday, getting everything put back into place after the painters and cleaners. They are power washing the outside of the temple and are almost finished. Tonight our stake is having a devotional in honor of the one year anniversary of the temple opening and hopefully will inspire all to come to the temple more often.

     Fall football has begun and Lon is skyping Ginger this year to watch BSU. The games are fun when you can share them with family. We wish we could be to Chandler and Ashton's games (Tracy and Sarah's boys) but they tell us all about them on Sunday when we skype. We love skyping and getting emails so we can know what everyone is doing and be part of your lives that way. We thank you for your prayers in our behalf. We feel the power of them daily as we are able to keep up with our schedule. We love this work and these people. They teach us so much about faithfulness, sacrifice and enduring to the end happily and with peace. We hope you all have a great week. We love you Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Lon and Nancy

We're Home Safe and Sound

    We made it home from our Guatemalan adventure. We had everything planned out and left town with confidence that we could accomplish our desired trip, but life got in the way and we ended up with a great trip, only a bit different than planned. We left San Salvador on Tues. the 4th on a Tica Bus. It was the first time that something actually began early. We were to leave at 6:00AM but actually pulled out 5 minutes early. We were in shock. Tica Buses travel from capital cities to capital cities. It was the same kind of a bus that we used on our tour last summer. The bus was clean and we arrived in Guatemala City about 11:30 AM. We were met by our taxi driver, Pedro Jimenez, who will be with us the rest of the trip.

     Pedro took us to the Temple, where we had a room for the night. Picture #1 is of the CCM (the Mission training center). The temple missionaries for Guatemala live on the third floor and the young missionaries on the rest of the floors. We were on the second floor and had a room with two queen beds, a microwave and frig and access to washers and dryers. They charged us $20.00 a night. We spent the evening in the temple, a perfect start to our vacation. This temple is designed very similar to the Boise Temple, only much smaller.

     We left Guatemala the following morning at 5:30 AM and headed for Quetzaltenango or Xela (Shayla) as the Mayans call it. We planned to attend the Xela temple and then go to Panajachel on Lake Atitlan for the night. At 7:30, the car stopped and would not start again. We were two hours out of Quatemala City and 3 hours out of Xela. Our driver called a friend to bring us a different car so we could continue our trip. He didn't come when we thought he should have and Pedro called him to see where he was. This is when we found out that life had changed our plans real fast. The government of Guatemala had decided that to be a school teacher you had to go to school for 7 years instead of the 5 that they do now. The students decided to let the government know how unhappy they are, so they protested with a blockade that closed this 4 lane highway on both sides of us. We were broke down right in front of this restaurant Picture #2 with no other cars around. We had bathrooms and good food and sat there for the next 6 hours waiting for the blockade to open so the other car could get to us. It really was a tender mercy from our Heavenly Father that we were not in either of the blockades with no bathrooms, hundreds of very unhappy people, and the military and police trying to get the students to leave. By the time our other car arrived, it was too late to make it to Xela, attend the temple and get to Panajachel before dark. It is the rainy season and you don't want to be on the narrow curvy roads leading to Panajachel after dark. So we headed straight for Panajachel. Panajachel is a quaint little town right on the shores of Lake Atitlan. This lake is surrounded by volcanos. Picture #3 shows our boat that we took to go across the lake and around the other side to visit three of the 12 villages. These 12 villages are named for the 12 apostales. We only visited 3 of them. San Juan is know for its tranquility and peace. San Pedro, Picture #4, is famous for its textiles. The women and children wear these colorful skirts and blouses. Santiago is know for its wood working. As we approached Santiago, we saw the Mayan women doing their laundry Picture #5. We had to let Lon get a ride in his "tuk tuk". Picture #6. The streets are so narrow and cobblestone. These little cars are all over in these towns. The driver saw our name tags and let us know that there was a Mormon chapel in town. He took us to see it. It was different than any we had seen. It was a two story red brick building.  It is the only one in the 12 villages but there are missionaries in two of the villages.

      It is about 1:30PM now and the clouds are rolling in fast and the calm clear water of the lake is beginning to look real ugly to me. We decided it was time to get back to the main land. We had white caps and rain before we made it back, a real rough ride for this gal. We had lunch in Panajachel and the rain began. Water was running everywhere. We had to walk to the car and we walked on the street but the water was clear up to my ankles. As we headed out of town, we passed this "water fall" Picture #7. It is just rain water washing down the hill. We had rivers of water flowing down the roads. We had fog, hail and rain the rest of the way back to Guatemala City.  We again stayed at the CCM and enjoyed the temple Friday morning. Then we went to the center of town to see the palace and cathedral and shop at the local craft market. We wished we had more time at the market to see all the things that were there, but our bus was to pull out at 2:00 PM so we had to leave. Guatemala streets are cleaner than El Salvador but according to the Temple President, Guatemala is not as safe as El Salvador. Most of the produce here in El Salvador comes from Guatemala. The fields and gardens were beautiful, going up and down the hills. The weather is at least 10 degrees cooler than El Salvador.
 
      We got home at 8:30, an hour and a half late because of the traffic here due to a big futball (soccer) game. We were tired and hungry. Our mission family had supper ready for us and it is good to be home. President and Sister Petersen are still in the states visiting their families so our family is not complete yet. It was a fast trip but we enjoyed seeing another part of Central America. We are home til Tuesday when the missionaries will take a trip to Copan, Honduras. We have been there, but will go with the others as it will be the last time we can all be together for an overnighter.

     We hope you are all well and happy. You are always in our prayers. We send our love and thank you for your support and prayers in our behalf. " Life" has a way of changing our plans but we just have to remember that our Heavenly Father is watching and He will send those tender mercies to help us through "life". Love Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

Guatemala

    Just a quick note to let you know that we are leaving on Tuesday, tomorrow, for Guatemala. We are excited to finally be able to visit the Guatemala City Temple, the Quetzaltenango Temple and Lake Atitlan.  It will be a fast trip and we will be home on Friday night. We will send pictures and tell you all about it next week. Our temple is closed for the next two weeks for deep cleaning and repairs.

     This last week was amazing. The temple was filled and overflowing. It was exhausting and exciting at the same time. We just love being busy and able to serve so many. President and Sister Petersen have gone to Tennessee to visit their son. They are both doing very well. Sister Kitley is trying to decide whether to have surgery on her knee or just try a cortizone shot and delay the surgery till she gets home. But she is moving better and able to help in the office at the temple now. Elder Gibbons has overused his ankle and is in a lot of pain but with two weeks off he will be able to recoup and be ready to go when we reopen. We are just a bunch of old people with aches and pains who love being here and serving in this temple.

     Hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day Weekend. Stay healthy and happy. We love you. Thank you for your love and support and prayers. Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Lon and Nancy

August 27, 2012

      Since it is Ladies day out you will have to read a letter from the man of the house. I just finished cleaning the house and in the middle of the laundry and will get this letter out. We are fine and felt nothing of the earthquake down here. We had some great thunder storms yesterday that woke us up from our nap, but read the news of the Dominican Republic. We saw the storms on the news. We didn't get any of that storm either.

     We are doing well and are finishing our last week before the 2 week break and then will head for Guatemala to visit the two temples there and go to Atitclan, which they think are the waters of Mormon depending on the author. Someday in the next life we will know for sure.We are looking forward to that visit. We will do that trip by ourselves and then come back and reload and go to
Honduras with the other missionaries. They said that they could only take one week of us not the two. It will be a rerun for us as we were there a year ago with the Book fo Mormon tour, but this will be the last time we can go as a group because they start going home in January. We want to go also while we have a visa and can. We renew in February and if it is like last time we will be home before the visa is renewed. In march the temple in Honduras will be open and we hope to get to it before coming home.

     We got to watch a little of the olympics and hope to get to see some of the BYU and BSU games this year. All depends on schedules. I have had the opportunity to do some good reading while I have been here and hope to read all those books that I should have read long ago. Now I think I have most of the answeres I needed to raise our family and myself but it would have been nice to have had that knowledge at age 24.

     We enjoy our challenges and the many miracles that we see each day. We have had challenges with the health of the missionaries and especially our dear President but all are on the mend and doing great. We see miracles every day that strengthens our testimonies. To know God lives and that his Son is our Savior is great piece of mind. To know that families are an eternal joy and that through the atonement and our works and his grace we can have great joy not only in this life but for the eternities.

     We love you all and really would enjoy hearing from a few more people to know if you are still alive. Have a great week and may you have joy in all that you do. Love Lon and Nancy Mom
and Dad Grandma and Grandpa

One Year Anniversar​y!

     We arrived here in El Salvador one year ago on August 17th, 2011.  We were reading some of our first impressions and a few things have changed. We were never going to be able to walk to the store because the traffic was so crazy and fast across the main intersection that we had to cross. We now not only cross that intersection with ease, we walk about 20 minutes further to the "mercado" for fresh fruits and veggies. Grocery shopping took hours because we had to read every label and really search for the items we needed. We now know all three stores and can run in and get whatever we need very fast. It does take all three stores because one won't have what you want but the other one will. And fruits and veggies are fresh on Tuesday, not on Monday when we usually shopped at first. We now walk over on Tuesday's to get the good fresh veggies and fruits. We don't have to struggle quite so hard now to understand. Somedays we actually feel like we understood everything that was said. Our first Sunday here was Ward Conference and a "young man" played a violin solo and the piano. Rene is now one of our dear friends whomakes sure we get to the symphony and choir
practices whenever our schedules at the temple allow. And today was Ward Conference and Rene and his brother played a violin duet for us.

      Tuesday will be the one year mark for the opening of the temple.  We think that we missionaries have done our job because we have a lot of well trained ordinance workers now and the work in the temple is going well. We have new workers almost daily and a lot of sickness and just plain difficulties with getting to the temple by a lot of the workers so we know that missionaries will be needed here for a long time to come. But we think it is that way in all of the temples in Central America. There is a big need for Spanish Senior Couples for Temple Missions now as more temples are opened in this part of the country.

     We had a 5.3 earthquake on the 14th. It moved the temple. Even the locals took notice of this one. It is a real weird feeling to have the walls move. The nickname of El Salvador is "the hammock" as
this ground moves a lot. But there was no damage and the work went on without any interruption.

     We are preparing for our two weeks when the temple will close for cleaning, the first two weeks in September. We are going to go to Guatemala to see the two temples there and visit Lake Atitlan. I will share our trip with you when we return. As for now, we have one week of the AM shift and one week of the PM shift left before the closure.

     We send our love to all with best wishes for a great school year for all the kids and the parents who have to help with the homework. We pray that you are well and happy. We are enjoying our mission and just wish the time would slow down a bit. Have a great week. Love Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

"Elote Loco"

    We have been treated to a new culinary experience that we want to share with you. In fact, if you think it looks like something you would like to try, we do know how to make it and can make you some when we get home. However, you do have to start with corn that is picked when it is in the dent, not fresh and young and delicious. (George told us that he is picking corn and eating it out of his garden now and we are licking our lips remembering how good it tastes.)

     Last Monday, the 6th of August, President Majano's daughter and her husband Alex decided we missionaries needed to experience "Elote Loco",crazy corn. They picked corn from their neighbors garden. It has to be white corn as the yellow has too sweet a flavor for this dish. They boiled the corn, put skewers in it and picture #1 spread a mixture of mayo and mustard all over the corn. Picture #2 shows drizzling first the brown or barbecue sauce then the red or plain ketchup. Picture #3 You then roll the corn in shredded cheese, never cheddar, always white. This is the finished product. We were all a little afraid to take the first bite. Picture #4. It definitely was interesting and not like anything we have ever eaten before. All of us finished one ear because we do not want to offend or hurt anyone's feelings, but we hope we never have to eat "Elote Loco" again. It was not good. The mayo and mustard were so strong and the corn so tough that it really was hard to get it down. The Majano's and the Rivas's ate at least two ears, loving every bite. We will stick with "pupusas".

     We started our week on Monday by being at the temple at 4:30 AM for the special day for the La Libertad Stake. It was a great day, well organized, and well attended. But it really made our week long, serving 6 days instead of 5. We haven't gone anywhere, not even to the grocery store. We are getting our rest back and look forward to another week on the PM Shift with no alarm clocks!!!!
Because of our schedules, we didn't get to see much of the Olympics. Elder Thompson was able to read about it on the internet. Who would have ever thought that the Thompson's would be thankful for the internet? We would be lost without it here. Felicitaciones a Mexico por haber ganar el medalla de oro en los lympicos en futbol.

     We send our love to all. We hope you have a great week and are well and happy. We continue to love our mission, the friends we are making here, and the opportunity to serve in this temple. We have been so blessed. May God bless each of you with those righteous desires of your hearts is our prayer. Love Dad and Mom, Lon and Nancy, Grandpa and Grandma