Another P-Day . . .

Monday February 23, 2015

Wade always tells me that we can do what ever I want on our p-day . . . . so we went to  the beach.  But first we ha to make a top at Walmart to  find a swim suit for Wade.  then it was off to Punta Salinas in Toa Baja.  Missy Burton had recommended it. It was only about 20-30 minutes from where we live.  Mileage wise much closer . . . traffic can be a real headache here.

Entrance to the road to the beach

Entrance at the beach itself

All of the beaches in Puerto Rico are public beaches.  We did pay to park here.  It would have been a bout a mile or so to walk from the street if we could have found parking.  It was beautiful as drove down the road to the beach.  Looking across the bay you could see Old San Juan.

Old San Juan across the bay

The beach was beautiful.  There are palm trees close to the parking area with picnic tables under them, a couple of bowerys and restrooms (which are a ways from the beach) and outdoor showers to get the sand and salt water off.   

Beautiful day at the beach

You can barely see a bout in the upper left part of the picture.

Wade found his place in the shade . . .you can also see the parking area behind him.

At least he has a swimsuit now!

I enjoyed meeting a couple of ladies and we "bobbed" in the water while chatting.  One is from St. Louis visiting family here.  Her cousin, who lives here, was with her.  She told me that most of the Puerto Ricans go to the beach in the months that don't have an 'R' in them . . . May, June, July and August.  She said that the rest of the time the ocean is cleaning itself, thus all the debris on the sand.  I had never heard of this before, but the water wasn't as clear as when we were at Doroda a few weeks ago.  There were rocks there that gave a barrier against the higher waves.

Looking towards Dorodo in the distance

It was a beautiful day!  We stopped and got pizza on the way home.  I worked some on the paperwork from the weekend so I could get that finished up quickly on Tuesday  . . . the stuff I could do without internet! So glad we can have some down time but keep up with the work as well!!

Interviewees . . .

I have already posted a few of the people we have interviewed here in Puerto Rico.  Each has a story of their own.  I have mentioned some . . . but I want to mention a few more so that I don't forget!

Elder Antonio & Sister Myriam Espinosa

Sister Espinosa is the one who translated the testimony meeting in Toa Baja.  This couple is serving in the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Temple on a mission. Such a sweet couple!

President Jose Santos - Caguas Stake

Desiree Colon

Mario Carrero

Nancy Mena

Arcadio & Carmen Maldonado

President Tomas and Mary Ann Olmo - Toa Baja Stake

The Olmo family

Patriarch Tomas and Maria Olmo - Mayaguez Stake

Sandra Foe and Juan 'Johnny' Berrios

Adah Contreras

Bishop Alex Munoz

Abimelec and Desiree Mercado

Angel Comacho

Cesar Padilla

Bishop Ernest and Midna Robledo Mayaguez Stake

Luis Muniz

Myrta Quinones

Sonia Aviles

Hector and Daisy Landron

We have interviewed youth who have told us that they are grateful for the church in their lives. . . . to know God.  One person told us that they had lost their father and had wondered for years where they were.  The missionaries taught the Plan of Salvation lesson and they knew this was the true church.  

One lady had gone to visit the Washington DC Temple visitors center and requested a Book of Mormon.  She was told that someone would bring her one.  The missionaries stopped by when her husband was at work and told her they couldn't come it at that time and wanted to make another appointment.  She asked again for the Book of Mormon.  She begged for it and they finally gave it to her.  She read it in one night. They came back and taught her and her husband. They gave her husband a video and he stayed up all night watching it over and over.  He knew this was true. They both were baptized shortly after that

One couple met at church.  He was a convert who had been married and divorced.  After his baptism, he was called to be the Elders Quorum president.  Her husband had died.  She was taught and joined the church and called to be the Relief Society President.  They fell in love and were married and so very strong in the church.  Now this love story reminded me so much of the single wards back home.

One of the couples were taught the gospel and wanted to earn extra money to go to the temple.  He had been in the US Army and was a cook.  He baked lots of goodies.  So they decided to bake some little cakes and sell them to the members.  They would stand at the doors of the church after the meetings were over and sell his good.  Then a member of the stake came up to him one Sunday and told him that he couldn't sell those on Sunday.  He laughed as he told the story.  He and his wife have been making pizza every Sunday for their family and those who stop by.  They told us they would make us pizza if we wanted to visit them at their house!

Another man we interviewed had worked several jobs before he met the missionaries.  He was a Black Jack dealer at one of the hotels.  He remained at that job for three years after he was baptized.  And then worked for the church here for m any years.

One sister is a professor at a local university here.  She was divorced from her first husband and found the church.  She was baptized when she was 33.  She met her present at the bank.  He was the vice president and she was the secretary.  He was going through a divorce.  While they were dating after his divorce, she told him she could not marry him unless he joined the church.  He was baptized, they were married and then sealed in the temple a year after their marriage.

Several of the interviews we have done are of members who where baptized at eight or their families had joined the church when they were young. Some raised int he Catholic church, some Protestant, Jehovah Witness, Evangelist and  more and a few didn't attend any church.  

There are many more stories like these.  Yes we are enjoying our assignment here.  It does get frustrating when appointments cancel, but I think it is the Lords way of teaching us to be more humble and patient!

A "Family" Member In Puerto Rico

February 22, 2015

A couple of weeks ago I received a message from a good friend, Pam Fyans Delahunty asking if I had met her niece Missy Burton here in Puerto Rico.  She is the Primary President in the English speaking ward here.  So when we attended the Metro Ward (English speaking ward) n the 15th, I started asking around.  But the Burton's weren't there that Sunday. I was told her husband was in the Bishopric and started putting two and two together.  The first week we attended this ward I met her in-laws who were visiting from Salt Lake. So today I started checking again to meet this lady.  Missy is the daughter of Carol Fyans and Leon Nelson. 

Now a little background . . .  when I was 2 my parents moved to Cottonwood Heights in a home that they had bought from Tom and Helen Fyans.  The Fyans family at that time consisted of 4 daughters, Carol, Kathy, Patti and Pam. (Susie was born a year or so later.)  Since I was the oldest and had no older siblings, these girls became my sisters.  Over the years they have been there for me . . . when I got married they helped plan my wedding giving me all the dos and don'ts.  I have treasured the 'sisterhood' for years now . . .  When other siblings came along, dad would ask if Carol could tend us . . . if not mom and dad didn't go out.  The year I was married, Wade and I drove to LA for New Years.  On the way we had car trouble and decided we need to have the car checked.  We called Carol because she lived in Las Vegas at the time.  We spent the night at their home and the next morning Leon took Wade to a reliable mechanic to get our car fixed.  I love this family who have loved me  in return for so many years . . . Thank you to my 'older' sisters!

More intersting experiences

Monday February 16, 2015

P-Day again.
Today we went to Old San Juan by way of the ferry from Catano.  It was overcast and kind of dreary.  But we made our way there so Wade could do a little shopping . . . he wanted more shoes!  Because mit was Presiden's Day, there was wall to wall people.  We actually found out that there was a protest going on because the Government wants to teach more equality in the schools.  The majority of the people are against it.
Here are a few of the sites today in Old San Juan . . . most are self explanatory . . .

Cute little girl on the Ferry

Senor Frogs - need I say more

Motorcycle cop (for Eric)

Part of the old wall of the city

Wade waiting patiently for the food he ordered

The pigeons and another bird scavenging for food on the sidewalk

Horse drawn carriage rides

Wade finally talked me into a new purse - so many to choose from!

Wade and his 'gray suede shoes"

 Wednesday February 18, 2015

Our appointments all canceled during the day, so we interviews the administrative assistant in the CES had just happened to her this week.  This is the entry from Wade's Oberservations this week:

Sister A is indeed an extraordinary person. She told me there was a miracle going on in her life as we speak.

She submitted her DNA to a Family History organization and a German lady had done the same and they found out they were related—third cousins.  The German lady is not a member of the Church but came to Puerto Rico to meet her and see if they could determine who this relative was. The German lady had no name. She only knew that he was in the 65^th regiment in Germany in 1943.

This German lady has Puerto Rican blood and this regiment was a Puerto Rican regiment because the US separated them at this time. Sister A is very skilled in using all the Church Family History tools so they looked up this time period and the ancestors of Sister A.   The lady did know his age and they were able to discover the name of this common ancestor. And Sister A found 65 additional relatives that she and this lady have in common, which she can do their work in the temple.

This discovery of relatives just happened yesterday. The lady is touring Puerto Rico and they will meet again on Friday before she leaves and has invited Sister A to come to Germany and Spain to search relatives. This is all on going as we speak.  When this lady comes back next week I have asked to meet her. 

We had another appointment in the evening in Toa Baja which is about 20-30 minutes away.  The man we were to intervbiew had a meeting and canceled as well.  Wade gets discouraged and frusterated by the lack of people keeping appointments.  We are going to Mayaguez on Saturday to do interviews.  We hope we will have 5.  The Stake President is setting them up so we will see how that goes.  It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive each way from where we live.

With the canceled appointments it has given me time to catch up!  When we got home, I looked out on the patio.  I could hear all the Coqui frogs and was hoping to get a glimpse of one.  But instead I found this guy just sitting there.

Thursday February 19, 2015 

We visited a husband and wife at their home this morning for an interview.  Their home was beautiful - the walls are painted white with the white tile floors with windows across the front of the house. It seemed so open and airy and very clean.

Today the sky is a beautiful color of blue with some wispy clouds floating and a light breeze.  A beautiful day here in Puerto Rico!

Saturday February 21, 2015

Today we drove to Aguadilla to do the interviews for the Mayaguez Stake.  Sister Eakle, one of the other senior sisters went with us.  She is in charge of the apartments and needed to take a couple of things to the elders there.  

Sister Eakle climbing the stairs to the elders' apartment

Elders apartment - kitchen

Elders apartment- living room/study room

Elders getting the bed and refrigerator out of the truck to take up the stairs

 Pretty creative flower pot don't you think

 The elders had just moved in the day before and still didn't have electricity.  But they were happy with what they did have.  I bought them all donuts from the shoppe next door and they were happy.

This was on the drive to Aguadilla (out the window of course)

 After  going to the store to pick up items, Sister Eakle and I got the elders set, we decided to go visit a local beach while Elder Jewkes was interviewing. Most of the interviews were in Spanish.  We drove to Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla.  It was overcast and because it has been raining the past couple of days, the sea was rough with some very large waves.  I loved watching them though even if it was for only about an hour! 

Church in Aguadilla

Crash Boat Beach

Crash Boat Beach

A house being built on the cliff above the beach

The rough sea

Can you see those waves way out there?

It was awesome to watch!

More waves