January 29, 2017

January 29, 2017

We traveled to Cuayjiniquilapa today with President Olquin and other District leaders for the Rama Conference and had a pleasant surprise when we arrived at the chapel.  Elders Lopez and Fernandez have sectioned off the little plot of land in front of the chapel and the elders and members are preparing the ground for planting gardens, a total of 9 different plots for different families or individuals.  We took them seeds to use for planting and after a little instruction from Ken last week when they were here for Zone Meeting they have also started a compost pile.  It was like a pay day for us to see this happening in another branch and the members seems to have really embraced this project.  And the good news is that they don’t have a water problem as we do here in Pino, so there should be no reason for it to not be successful.  We’re anxious to return in a few weeks to see it growing.  Speaking of water problem, after waiting since last November for the city to repair a break in the main water line for the city, it was finally completed.  We were so excited because we were able to fill our holding tank at the chapel for the gardens from the faucet for the first time in two months.  Here in Pino the city is divided into 5 sections and each section of the city gets water only every 6 to 8 days, so we carefully kept track of the days, went to the chapel to check for water coming from the faucet, day after day with nothing.  We then had to order another load of water to be delivered and asked the guy what was up with the city water.  He told us that someone had shot bullet holes in the newly repaired pipe and it had to be repaired all over again…manana!  We think it was probably a water delivery guy who did it so he could keep delivering water and profit by it.  So I guess we’re back to waiting for months to get it repaired again, and in the meantime have stopped progress with the gardens.  The water situation is just making it impossible to garden now.  And most of  them have been either abandoned or harvested.

 These young elders are so impressive.  One of them serves as the Branch President, his comp as his counselor, they had a baptism last night, and had investigators at church today.  This is a tiny little town, but we had about 40 people in attendance.  I was watching the one and only deacon they have pass the sacrament in his white shirt and tie and nice pants with his arm tucked behind his back in a reverent attitude, and it reminded me of watching our sons do the same thing many years ago.  I felt blessed to be there.  Ken was asked to deliver a message, along with Presidents Olquin and Avila, and he used the planting of seeds to teach the idea that the seeds are endowed with the ability to become what they were created to become, but we sometimes don’t know what we need to do to become what our Heavenly Father knows we can be, and that’s when the Holy Ghost can guide us and help us reach our full potential.  It was a good message since the lady baptized yesterday was confirmed today and good for the investigators to hear.

 We had a very enjoyable weekend last week in Acapulco for our Zone Conference with Elder Pieper, our Area Authority, and President Avila.  While we were out and about, doing lot of walking and riding of the local buses (yee haa) we were looking for an AT&T store to try to get our phone SIM card replaced.  Someone had given us directions to the store and while walking down the sidewalk lickity split to find the store 4 blocks down the street, Ken just happened to look through the window of the bus station and saw an AT&T sign.  What do you know, it was a different AT&T store.  So we went in, told them what we needed and they directed us to yet another location, the only one in Acapulco who did service, which was pretty far away and required us to get a taxi.  One of the ladies told us that she was a member of the Church but was inactive so Ken started visiting with her and asked why she didn’t go to church and she gave an excuse, but said I need to go back.  He said, when? She said, I don’t know.  He said, how about this Sunday?  She said, Ok, I will.  And then took us outside to wait for the taxi with us so she could give him directions to the correct store.  When we left, I was thinking was a blessing it was that of all the places we could have gone to the Lord directed us to her store and she was so willing to help us.  And then when I thought about it more, I realized that the Lord had directed us to her, for her…and Ken responded to the prompting to “look” through an obscure window to see a tiny AT&T sign and the store, and her! We will never know if she did go to Church, but I hope she felt it to be a blessing that someone asked her to come back to church.  Soooooo many here use the excuse that they have to work on Sunday and can’t come to church….but if they could just see their way to exercising some faith, the Lord could bless them to not have to work on Sunday, with sufficient funds to meet their needs another way.

 Later that night we walked downtown Acapulco along the beach and it was beautiful.  Cool, breezy, lights everywhere, people everywhere.  It was a nice evening.  The next evening we were eating some dinner and just chit chatting when a lady walked up to us, excused herself, and proceeded to tell us that she had been watching us and wanted to tell us what a cute, elderly couple we were!  And then congratulated us for being our age and still married!  Not sure if I was ready to be called an elderly couple, but she was very sincere and it was certainly meant to be a compliment.  That same night as we were approaching the doors to go into Walmart, a couple coming out of Walmart directly in front of us stopped us and we immediately recognized them as a couple who served in Guatemala at the same time we did, in a different mission, who came to our temple occasionally!!!  It was hard to believe that in Acapulco Mexico we would run into friends from a faraway place.  Small world when you are a member of the Church.

We feel very blessed to be able to serve our mission here in Pinotepa.  It is no less challenging than the day we arrived, but I feel that we are making a difference in someone's life...and that was my dream mission.  We are so not talented, but the Lord found a place for us to serve where we could share our experience with someone who may benefit from it (way out in the boonies). We love serving our Saviour. We pray for each of you and our grandkids every day that you will be guided and protected. Be happy.

Love, Mom an Dad