COME AND GONE....Part 1

At our apartment
Our great neighbors put the welcome signs up for them!!!

One of the benchmarks that we have set for our time here is when Rusty and Trisha were going to visit us. It would be the standard to see just how long we had left here on the mission....and would serve as the reference point for when we would be going home.

Rusty and Trisha have come and gone....and our time is going very fast.

We were able to visit with them for about a week in April. It was fast and furious and Trisha was even able to do some hygiene work in the clinic. We put Rusty's skills to work helping to install a water tank for the clinic. Here are some highlights of the week for us:

Saturday....Airplane arrives and Antigua

Rusty and Trisha took a red-eye all nighter flight from Los Angeles of Salvador and then on to Guatemala City. They arrived here at 9 in the morning...but we picked them up at the airport and then after a quick stop at the apartment went to spend the day in Antigua.

Watching them come out of the door and to US!!!!

Antigua is a great one-day trip. We saw the textile museum, the wooden fruit stores, the market, the San Francisco cathedral, Santo Domingo (where they were setting up for a beautiful outdoor wedding) and the Jade factory. They were great sports and by the end of the day were very tired.

Trisha getting dressed up in the native costume

Lunch at McDonald's

What other McDonald's in the world can you eat in the
shadow of an active volcano???

Outside San Francisco church
(Where the patron Saint of Guatemala is buried)

On the grounds of Santa Domingo monastery
which is now a wonderful hotel

Setting up for the outdoor wedding
It is a fantastic setting

Sunday...Church in a foreign language and Open House

Outside our ward building - Montufar

Open House so that Rusty and Trisha could
meet all our wonderful neighbors and
fellow missionaries

Cousins....with my mom's first cousin Adele

It is fun taking people to Church when it is in Spanish. Rusty really enjoyed the meetings because of his Portuguese. That evening we held an Open House and served Wayne's famous cobbler/ice cream so that everyone could meet our kids and they could meet all the people we serve with here.


Monday - Clinic and Family Home Evening

Getting set up and ready to work

Monday morning we were scheduled at the Clinic. Trisha had some hygiene patients lined up. It was fun seeing her and Wayne side by side working on the patients. Rusty couldn't sit still. He cleaned bathrooms, washed windows, weeded gardens...and watched a movie with the orphanage girls. We had a great day.

Daddy-Daughter party!!!


RUSTY'S DAY:

Catching a movie

That evening we had them attend FHE with us....it was a medical update for SENIORS by the Area Medical Specialist Dr. MacArthur. It was very informative for us....and they got to see what it is like growing older.



Tuesday - Installation of Water Tank...Central Market...Temple

Willian and Rusty and the Montero with the water tank

Tuesday morning Rusty and Wayne left early to go and meet up with Willian Lopez. He is the local general contractor that built the dental clinic. He is a great man whom we have learned to respect very much. He and Rusty were going to put a water tank on top of the clinic so that we would have a days supply of water. When the orphanage is without water....the clinic is not able to have suction. That makes it a little difficult to work for any length of time. We really wanted this to be taken care of before visiting dentists start coming....and figured that Rusty was a perfect excuse to get it taken care of.

On the roof with the supervisor directing

Our little car looked so funny with the tank on top of it. They spent most of the day installing the water tank. But it is working great.....and much to our surprise....When we got to the clinic that morning the orphanage was out of water and we had NO SUCTION!!! We cancelled out the rest of the day and took Rusty and Trisha to the Central Market and them sightseeing around the temple and the CCM. It was a good use of "free time".

Central Market....looking where the locals shop

Look Alissa....we found the perfect thing for your wedding!!!

For Grandma Nan...the most beautiful Gerber Daisys in the world!!

On the Temple Grounds

Cute couple

Family Joke...Trisha and the hydrangas....
she just HAD to have these for her wedding....here
they grow everywhere...not easy to find in Arizona in July!!!