Home Alone IV

     We have waited to send this email with the hopes that it would read "we are headed for Guatemala". But after spending Thursday morning at the immigration office again, we are staying home while the other missionaries go on the trip. We tried to get a 8 day visa on Thursday. This trip just wasn't meant to be for us. The others felt so bad that part of them were going to stay home so we wouldn't be here alone. But we convinced them all to go. We will be here next March and could go then and they will all be gone by then. So, we are going to get some much needed rest and we have at least 4 dinner invites so far. As people hear that we are not going, we keep getting invited. We will not be alone very often.

     Today I sang a duet with Miriam Roque, Picture #1 (she is wearing 3 inch heals) She came up to me one day after church when I was playing and asked for help with the timing on a hymn, she sang along as I played it and I asked her to sing with me. she had never sung in public before. She has an amazing soprano voice. She picked "Where Love Is" for us to sing. She can only come to church every other week because of work so we practiced the song twice two weeks ago and sang it today. She never wavered from her part as I sang the alto. It really sounded great. The ward was so suprised. They had no idea she could sing. The Relief Society has already asked her to sing at the Birthday Dinner so now she will be able to increase her talent and share it with us.

 

     Last Monday, the 27th of Feb. while we women were at the Gringa Brunch, the men went walking through the new subdivision that is being built just behind us. Picture #2 shows the work and above the trees you can see the Angel Moroni on the Temple. They are building 150 two story houses. Every day there is a line of people hoping that someone quits or doesn't show up so they can get a job. We are told that about 800 people a day try to leave San Salvador because there are no jobs. The laborers make $150.00 every two weeks and the block layers get paid by the hour. The block are all cement, very heavy. Picture #3 shows the rebar and the block layer is lifting the block up and over the rebar and Picture #4 he brings it down and puts it into place. Picture #5 is of the lunch woman. She carries the food on the tray on her head and comes to sell to the workers each day. It is a huge project and will be fun to see just how fast it gets done. I am not sure it will be done when we leave. The rainy season is just a couple of months away and it will slow things up a lot.

 

     We are having elections this week here, on Sunday, and we have been warned not to go out the day before or and day after so we will stay close to home those days. Lon hopes to go golfing once this week. Just waiting for Eric to set the time and day. Our last day for the temple to be open was Saturday. Boy did we get slammed. We had a record number of buses, 5 buses and 4 mini buses Saturday morning and mostly youth for the Baptistry. The poor laundry had to bring clothes and towels to our apartment to use our washers and dryers to try and keep up with the number of youth. It was a great day to close on.

 

     Today we got a new Bishop. Bishop Funes has been our bishop for over 8 years. About two months ago, the Stake Choir director, Edward Figueroa moved into the ward and Lon told him that he had moved in at a bad time and that he would be the next bishop. Well, sure enough, he is the new bishop so the stake choir is in trouble. He is the viola player that helped at the funeral. A very talented young man. He will be a great Bishop. Well, I guess that is about all the news from here. We are enjoying the sun and even have a nice breeze that reminds us of home, except it is a warm one and doesn't bite. With all the construction around we are getting the dirt blowing so we really do feel like we are in Idaho at times. We hope you are all well and happy and taking care of each other. We send our love. You are in our thoughts and prayers always Love Elder and Sister Thompson, Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Lon and Nancy and any other titles you want to give us. Have a great week!!