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.