More snippets

The Hermanas spoke in Sacrament Meeting and did a great job. Flor taught Sunday School again. I really like her. She is self assured and  humble. She looks and acts like she is everyone's best friend and people respond to her. I need to be more like her.

We went to our district missionary meeting and the elders had a couple of well planned thoughts and presentations. The presented the mission goal of 600 baptisms in the month of April. March ended with 395. WOW! When we were in Quito, the Quito mission was happy when they broke 200. We did a roll play and I was the investigator. They plan to teach about keeping the Sabbath Day holy every day this week and commit people to coming to church to participate in General Conference. 

We went out hunting for prospective Melchizedek Priesthood holders. We looked in all the wrong places and then found a guy who was helpful and told a taxi driver where to take us. We were looking for an artist's park which it turns out is way out of town and a place where there are about 20 big open sheds where individual artisans stored their supplies and made their products. This is not a souvenir market. This is where carpenters make furniture and  large cabinets and serious stuff. There was also a big shed that served as a cafeteria because we were a long ways from town. We were looking for Luis XV. We found a sign with that name but no one was there. We asked at a nearby one and the man we were looking for was inside. Lewis talked with him and invited him to come to church on Sunday to listen to General Conference. He said he would come. I had stayed in the taxi so that the driver wouldn't leave us. It is a long way back to town.  One success. We shall see if he does come on Sunday. Will we recognize him if he does?

The taxi driver took us back to town. He charged us $6 but it was worth it. We were studying the maps and lists on the sidewalk when the YW's president came by. We asked her a couple of questions and she suggested we talk with Marianita. She was headed to her office and took us with her. Marianita has a business taking care of legal matters and selling real estate. She is a long time member and has lived here for many years. She spent at least an hour with us and gave Lewis lots of helpful information. She knew of several people who have left the island and could tell us who was active and who was not. She gave us names of active members who would be able to find less active member that they are related to. She was so kind to share her time with us. It will be a good help. 

We bought stationary to write thank you notes to the people who were so kind to us during the evacuation. The taxi driver asked us when we got out of the car, "What time did you say conference started?" Maybe...lots of people will come and watch General Conference.

We went to the church. It took several tries each to get four out of five new photos uploaded to Shutterfly. I have not been able to complete a download since coming here but I am getting some things backed-up. I have a lot of new photos for instance. I am just deleting most of my general newsletters and emails and the Feedly stuff. I cannot keep up here. And the time I do have is so inefficient I can get little done. Do you think it might help break my addiction? Probably not, but I will find out I can live without reading everything. I am so glad we can keep in contact somewhat with our family. Skype does not work but we can read and send emails. Leiann sent me an email saying she really liked the birthday cards for Bryce and Troy. Yea for thank you notes. 

We went to visit Raul Acosta again. He was not home. We waited in front of his house for 1/2 hour to see if he came home. No luck. We each got an ice cream cone. We talked with President Banchon and got the keys to the clerk's office so Lewis could try to correct some of the errors on the membership records. He cannot send anything out without the Branch president's approval so he can only do little stuff. He removed the Garner's records. They left a couple of years ago and are now serving in the Area Office.

We found Sister Navarro at the church with a new companion! Things move fast in this mission! Sister Campbell got a phone call last night and left this morning. So did Elder Cabrera. New missionaries to get acquainted with. So sad to have lost the last two but the new ones will be great also. They are scrambling to find the baptismal clothing and get things ready for Gladys's and Kevin's baptism after conference on Sunday. We had leftover vegetable soup with rice and avocado and bread. 

Today is Saturday and the beginning of General Conference. We went early and Lewis worked on the branch computer for a while. It took me several tries but I finished uploading the last birthday card I had made. He set up the broadcast equipment as well. We had 40 people come to listen to the first session. It was wonderful. I even understood most of it. We met the Degel family, Rosa Pisco and lots of people I have seen before. It is good to recognize a few people now. I took notes and stayed alert for most of the talks. There was one big lapse where we missed the song and most of one talk and part of another one but most came through very well.

We went to the "kiosks" to eat lunch. We sat at a table with a young woman and learned that the oldest daughter of the Branch President is her friend. We had soup with bola, I wasn't so sure about the bola but the broth and the vegetables were very good. We had seco de pollo, which is a sauce over rice with a piece of chicken. There was a fried madura (ripe plantain) also. I am learning to like them. It was all good and we had juice too. I can never eat all of the rice that is served. When we got back we had a prayer with Pte Banchon and the family of Pte Tite and the missionaries to begin a branch fast for the less active. I love General Conference, even in Spanish. Lewis went to the Priesthood session but I stayed in our apartment. 

On Sunday after the second session we all gathered in the room with the font. The room was packed full. Lewis and I sat in the hall. It sounded like Kevin was going swimming before they opened the doors to the font. He enjoyed being in the water I think. His mother was baptized as well and they were both confirmed because it would be week until Sacrament Meeting. It was a lovely meeting and Gladys looked very happy.  We were at the church until about 6:00. We were happy to go home and have scrambled eggs for dinner. Conference attendance was:  Sat AM 40, Sat PM 47, Sat Priesthood 27 (San Cristobal 10) Sun AM 84 (San Cristobal 37, Sun PM 50  -   not bad I'd say.