More Farewell Dinners!

Wow, what a week.  We have so many great friends here that all want to take us out for dinner before we leave.  We had a whirl wind of a week.  It began on Monday with the missionaries taking a trip out to the "Puerta del Diablo" devils gate.  We had visited here the first year we were here in the dry season but none of the other missionaries had seen it.  They were in Guatemala when we didn't have visa's.  This picture is of the rock cafe with the Lopez's and Lon and President Petersen. 

    It was a real hot day but the rains have made everything so beautiful.  We climbed to the cave to see the view of the valley. 

   We also drove through Parque Balboa.  The flowers are all in bloom.  We had dinner with the Lopez's for the last time.  We had chinese at a place that they love, but the food really wasn't that good.

     Tuesday morning President and Sister Alas asked us to walk over to Lilies again for a breakfast of pupusas.  They have never owned a car and walk or take the buses everywhere.  Lilies is in the area of town called Antique Cuscatlan.  It is the cleanest part of the city we have seen.  In the town square is this tree.

It is so big and majestic.  I sent pictures of it at Christmas time all decorated but with us in front  of it you can really see just how big it is. 

 

      The Thursday evening shift decided to give us a good-bye treat on Thursday.  At 2:00 pm, I was taken down to the break room to see the cake they had brought in.  It was at least 2 feet in diameter and a beautifully decorated cake.  Lon and I were assigned the session at 2:30 and when we went to the break room after the session at 4:30, the cake was gone!  I couldn't believe it.  Another cake, a chicken quiche, watermelon with bananas, and brownies all arrived and were gone by the time we left the temple at 9:00. 

 

     Saturday morning at 8:00 AM the Saturday PM shift had a breakfast in our honor and it actually started on time! These two pictures are the shift workers who were there and the missionaries and the Petersen's and Majano's. 

We had tamales made with a leaf that when cooked looked like spinach but it wasn't.  I put the refried beans on top of it and it wasn't too bad.  Tamales are not our favorite food.  We had cheese, rolls, platinos, and sweet breads.  They had it down stairs on the patio of the comedor. 

 

     After our shift on Saturday, we went to dinner with Roberto Torrez and Aida Palacios.

   These two are so in love, but down here you have to be novias for at least a year before you get married, some wait for 2 or 3 years before they get married.  Both of their mothers are single and I think it may be a long engagement before these mothers are ready for their kids to leave the house.  They are 28 and 30.  We went to "La Pampa" a restaurant up the mountain with an incredible view of the city.  It was a clear night so we really enjoyed eating outside and enjoying the view. 

 

     Sunday evening, my visiting teacher invited us to dinner.  I forgot to take a picture, I am slipping as a missionary, you are always to have your camera ready!  Brother Funes was our Bishop when we first arrived here and the doctor who came to my rescue when I had my one and only Minears attack.  Sister Funes is my VT and teaches Relief Society once a month.  She is an amazing teacher and with her body movements, you can understand everything she is talking about.  We ate from 5:30 to 8:30.  We started with cheese and crackers, then asparagus soup, yum, a 5 layer sandwich, salad, and a fig dessert.  

 

     We are so tired of food.  It felt good to not eat breakfast today and actually get hungry for a change.  We are trying to eat all the food in our apartment, so some of our dinners have been a bit strange but every time we have gone out this week, the friends send food home with us. 

 

     We hope you are all well and enjoying life.  We look forward to seeing you all real soon.  We love you Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma.