We Survived Another AM Shift!

     Well, last week was the AM shift again. With President and Sister Petersen gone, the Walls and the Thompsons are trading each week, one week AM then one week PM. We love being able to do both shifts because we have so many friends on each shift and really miss seeing them when we are on the opposite shift, but that AM shift continues to be a challenge for me. I am just not an early morning person anymore.  President Petersen hopes to be able to return on the 2nd of June. He
has started Physical Therapy and is getting stronger each day. We look forward to his return. It just feels like part of our family is missing.

     I got to sing on Mother's Day in Sacrament Meeting with Andrea Luciana Figueroa, picture #1. We sang the Janice Kapp Perry song "My Mother/My Daughter" in Spanish. Lucy is only 20 so I had to sing the Mothers part, the high part. My sister Sharon and I used to sing this and I always sang the low part. It has been years since I have been able to share my testimony through song. My ward here doesn't believe that I am just a funeral singer at home. My Father in Heaven has really blessed me here to be able to grow and share this talent with others. I don't have enough words to share my testimony, but through music I have the opportunity.

     The rains have begun! It is now winter here and the rainy season. Every day we get at least one rain storm, with thunder and lightning. Some days it is just a light rain and others it pours.
The temperature hasn't varied more than a degree or two since we arrived last August. The rains really effect the attendance at the temple. Mud slides are very common and the people just don't go
anywhere when it is raining.

       On Mother's Day, Sister Perez arranged for a microbus to pick up all the missionaries and Pres. and Sister Alas (2nd councilor) in the Temple Presidency) picture #2 and take us to her chapel for the
baptism of her twin girls. Sister Perez is a temple worker. On Saturday, she gave us an invitation and that is when Elder Wall found out that he was to give a talk. Missionaries are always to be prepared but he was real glad that he had a night to prepare. We arrived at the chapel and the mother and daughter who were to sing the special number saw me and begged me to help them sing the song. So I sang with them, also played the opening and closing songs. Lon ended up helping to confirm the girls. It was a wonderful day. We just had two of our grandsons baptized this month and we really missed being with them. So Ashton and Aydan we thought of you as we helped at this
baptism.

     We had missionaries in the temple each day last week. It is so fun to be with these stripling warriors. They carry such a powerful spirit with them. They are coming again this week and we will miss them because we will be on the PM shift. We have two missions here in El Salvador, the east and the west. Each mission has over 100 missionaries. They are allowed to attend the temple twice a year so they come in 20's to 30's each day for two weeks til each has had the opportunity.

      Well, that is probable about all the news from here. We haven't been too far from home and don't plan on it til the President is able to go with us. Lon and I did go out for Pupusa's with the Figueroa
family picture #3, and all the missionaries had dinner today with our Stake President and his wife, the Lopez's. It is really strange to be on the other side of the coin. We have always fed the missionaries
and tried to help them however we could and now we are being fed and looked after.

     Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers. We thank you for your prayers in our behalf. We are well and enjoying the work here. It is so wonderful to be able to attend the temple
five days a week and feel of our Heavenly Father's love each day. Have a great week. We love you and miss you but are so thankful to be able to be here serving in this part of the vineyard.

      Love Dad and Mom, Lon and Nancy, Grandpa and Grandma