LIVING THROUGH IT ALL!!

Here is an American Airlines plane on the runway at the airport
You can see the ash on the runway as well as on the top of the plane

We have decided that in order to experience life you need to go on a mission.....the past couple of days we have dealt with the volcano eruption as well as Tropical Storm Agatha. The rain was literally coming down in sheets yesterday and there was terrible flooding throughout the country. They have declared Guatemala (as well as parts of Salvador and Honduras) disaster areas. Church was cancelled throughout the entire country (for all denominations) today. We have been spending the day in our apartment. It reminds us of our shut down in Honduras at the first part of the mission. We watched "Music and the Spoken Word" this morning as well as the movie "Emma Smith...my story". It was an uplifting morning. We also had a great soup lunch with the people on our floor.

Some of the muck from the rains and volcano activity
They are reporting 73 confirmed dead as of today
The rivers are swelling and causing massive flooding
As of now we have had no reports of problems involving
members or missionaries

We realize that our last week here will be busy...and that we are a small part of what is happening here. We are praying and hoping to be able to go home on schedule. The airport is planning on being closed for 72 more hours. The rain has actually helped to wash off the volcanic ash on the roads (and runways). We actually have people visiting us here from Provo. They are scheduled to leave Tuesday morning. We will see.

Staci Elizabeth Gietz May 27th
6 lbs. 7 oz. 20 1/2 inches long
Parents: Kris and Amy Gietz

Staci Elizabeth Gietz is here. We are glad that all is safe with her and her mom. Alissa is less than two weeks from being married. We are in the twilight zone between mission and home....it is coming fast!! Love to you all!!

100 DOWN....TWO to GO!!!!

When you realize that you are going to spend 23 months on a mission....that is just at 100 weeks. We started to calculate yesterday and we have TWO WEEKS LEFT!!!

Can we just say that the time has gone so fast and that it is amazing and sobering to realize that we will be returning home so soon. It is one of those mixed blessings in life.

We have loved every minute of the mission.
We have had such great support from our family and friends.
We have learned to love the Latin people.
We love Central America.
We love missionary work.
We love missionaries.

Be prepared to have the "why aren't you on a mission?" talk when we get home. It has truly been one of the most rewarding things we have ever done.

LUNA NUEVA

Waiting for dental work

I know that there has been lots of discussion on the Twilight series phenomenon. I myself have read the series as my daughters were reading it (although honestly I cannot remember the story line or the plot details). When Sara and Alissa were here they bought pirated copies of the latest movie on the streets of Guatemala City. And believe it or not, they were actually good copies of the movie.

Last week I noticed a couple of our dental patients in the waiting room reading. As I looked closer at the book.....I realized that he was reading NEW MOON. I asked him about it, and he said that it was a great book. He even turned off the movies that were on so that he could concentrate on the book.



Who knew?? Twilight is indeed a force in the entire world!!

JANUARY 7TH....RELEASE DATE

Carolyn and Kim Taylor ready to leave for the airport
Their replacements, The MacArthurs are behind them

Today is our release date. We would be going home today if we hadn't transferred and extended our mission in Guatemala. We got up early and said good bye to our wonderful friends Kim and Carolyn Taylor. We were next-door neighbors with them at the MTC in Provo, have been under their watch in Honduras (Kim served as the Central America Area Medical Advisor) and been their neighbor while we are in Guatemala.

Tomkinsons and Taylors one last time in the mission field
(Can you tell we were just out of bed?)

We love these people. It is strange to think that we would be home in Arizona as I write this. We know that our time to return is not yet. We have much to do with the clinic. We are sure that June 7th will come fast enough!!

THE MARLENI MIRACLE

Marleni and Hermana Gomez

Why does it take a miracle for me to recognize the Lord's hand in my daily life? This week I had a great reminder that sometimes things happen to us for a reason. We were hoping to get to the temple with Bill and Robbie Taft (dental equipment experts) before they had to go home. They wanted to be able to say that they had been to the Guatemalan temple. I was a little nervous because the afternoon was rapidly getting away from us. We were having everyone over to our apartment for a taco bar to celebrate the equipment being installed.

We made it to the temple and got the last 4 spots for the 4pm session. It took until about 4:25 for the session to start. It took us quite a while to finish the session and be prepared to change clothes and go home. The session was wonderful. I really do appreciate the perspective that attending the temple gives me. It just lets me be apart from the cares of the world. I was relaxed and ready to enjoy the rest of the evening as we went back.

We found out that there were several groups from Honduras attending the temple that day. Most of the buses were from San Pedro Sula, so we didn't see many people that we knew. As I was going back to the women's changing area my eyes met those of a sister waiting to enter her session. It was MARLENI.....our dear Marleni....who served in the mission home in Comayaguela with the Gomez and Flores families. We just love her. I was so excited to see her and she was equally excited to see me. She just kept saying Hermana Tomkinson. She told me that her son is entering the CCM in January to serve in Panama.

I never would have seen Marleni if I had been 2 minutes earlier or 2 minutes later. It was great talking to her and catching up. The Lord knew that I needed to have that lift and remembrance that he really is in charge of our lives. It was the perfect time to be in the temple....even though I originally thought that it would wreck my entire day if we got to the temple late in the afternoon...

I just need to listen a little closer.....

DOGS WITH A DRIVER'S LICENSE

Our lazy orphanage dogs
Flo is the orphanage director

There are two dogs that are a part of the Orphanage where the Dental Clinic is being built. They are a part of the landscape and are included in the mosaics that Judy Albert made. (Also included is the rooster below). These dogs are the laziest things that I have ever seen. They lay in the sun all day long and barely notice when we come into the parking area.

Have you ever seen anything strut so much?

That is until the other day.........

Wayne and I were leaving the orphanage when the dogs slipped by us and left down the street. I was really worried that they had escaped and we would never see them again...that cute little girls would be crying because the dogs were gone, etc. Never fear...Wayne took one look at those runaways and said..."OH NO!!! They are going with a purpose. They know exactly where they are going and what they are up to!!"

On a mission.....look at those tails!!

Sure enough....those dogs were on a mission. They knew exactly which corners to stop at and where to "leave their mark". They were trotting with their tails held high. It reminded me of a teenager with a driver's license for the first time alone. We have talked and talked about those crazy dogs. Their secret will be safe with us....they really are not all that lazy!!

THE LOST CHILD

Most of you have probably had the feeling of losing a child....in a shopping center, at the beach (go Alissa) or at Disneyland. You remember the moment of panic between the time you thought you had misplaced the child and when you first saw them again. I have wondered what the child is thinking during that time....

Yesterday Wayne and I went to work out at the gym with our good friend Jim Tilley. Jim and Wayne were going to play raquetball and I was going to work out for the hour or so that it took them to play a few games.

After I finished my workout I came downstairs to the court area and Jim and Wayne were not there. I thought for a minute or two that they had gone upstairs, out to the car to wait or anything else I could think of.....then I actually realized that they had LEFT ME AT THE GYM!!! I didn't know whether to laugh or get mad. I thought about walking home, then realized that Jim is the head of Security for the Church for Central America and that would not be a good idea. Besides...it would be dark by the time I got home....etc...etc....

After trying to get Wayne on the cell phone, I called Tilley's and asked them if they were already at home....yup....and then they realized that I was still at the gym....When all was said and done (and I got picked up) we were able to have a good laugh and I can tease Wayne about that one for a little while. So sorry that there are no pics on this one....impossible to have everything with you when you think you might get "lost".

So much for keeping track of your companion....

AREA OFFICE

With our move to Guatemala we will be changing our assignment somewhat. We will be working with the Central America Area Office. We will lose the relationship of being assigned to a specific mission. BUT.....we will be able to have the association with the missionary couples that are serving there. Many of them we already know. We have associated with them as they have visited the missions in Honduras.

One of the added benefits is the "social life" that this will give us. Our new apartment is Victoria Suites, commonly known as the "Mormon dorm". With us there will be approximately nine apartments that house Mormon missionaries. We spent the first six months of our mission as basically the only senior couple in Tegucigalpa. Tom and Jane Adams arrived last January from Kanosh, UT. They have been great friends and we will miss them and our friendship. However, we definitely have a place to stay on those trips to Utah!!

Jane and Tom Adams
The "other" Senior couple in Honduras

Our apartment is going to be three bedrooms, so we will have plenty of space for visitors. I forgot to take any pictures, because they were working on it when we looked at it. I really feel spoiled, this is not at all a sacrifice for a missionary!! We will receive our mail at the Area Office. The address is:

Elder y Hermana Tomkinson

Area de Centro America

2a. Calle 15-65 zona 13

Guatemala, Guatemala

Código Postal 01013

THE BLUE ONES

Today we had another new experience. We needed to get some documents notarized so we went to the US Embassy here in Tegucigalpa. When we drove up we could not believe the lines of people...just waiting to get into the door. We finally parked and found out what entrance we were supposed to use. We realized that we were to go into the main door....where all the people were waiting in line.

The door to the Embassy
In the afternoon...after all the lines are gone

We needed to go to "Citizen Services" at the Embassy to get our papers notarized. As we went up to the front of the line the guard asked us for our passports. How comforting it was to be able to show the "blue" passport that proves you are a citizen of the United States of America. As we entered, checked our electronic equipment, went through security and past more lines of people we realized how blessed we are to belong to a country that so many people want to go to instead of leave.

Another entrance

When we got to the dental clinic the girls asked us how the morning went. We said that it was relatively easy...just took a little bit of time. They said it was because our passports were "the blue ones".

Small thing....but it really made me think today.

ONE YEAR WEEKEND

This weekend marks our one year in Honduras. Someone asked me the other day if it feels like we have been here a year...YES...sometimes a year and sometimes a day. It is amazing that it has already been one year in this country. When we feel that things are slow and we are accomplishing little all we need to do is look back over the past year and see all the things that we have accomplished....the language, the future missionaries we have treated, the people we have met and love, the missionaries we have seen grow and develop and return home.

We are thankful that we have been busy this past year. It makes the mission so much easier and fulfilling. We are thankful for our family and the great support they have been. They have learned to lean on each other and do without mom and dad...(but thank goodness for SKYPE!)
We are looking forward to the next year and all that is in store for us. We know it will be a different challenge in Guatemala, but are hoping that we can contribute there as well. All of our Senior friends need to get ready and GO!!....it really is the best two years of your life!

SAN DIEGO PUZZLE

Every year our family (Wayne's whole family) goes to San Diego on July 7th. Last year we entered the MTC on July 7th...so we will have two years that we don't attend our annual family reunion in San Diego. In honor of that I completed my annual San Diego Puzzle this week. I found a 1000 piece puzzle and spent a week or so putting it together. Each year we set up a puzzle in our room and we spend the week doing it. It has become a tradition of sorts. Here is my puzzle for this year:


Our children know that we don't insist on their attendance at every holiday or family gathering function at our home....but when July comes....they are expected to be in San Diego if at all possible!! It is a great tradition that we have.

VINCAS

For years I have tried to grow Vincas every summer.....those beautiful pink flowers that you see everywhere. I have never had any luck with them...I have been told that it is due to root rot. When we first moved into our apartment our duena (landlady) planted a garden in our apartment patio. She threw in about six little vinca plants. My first thought was GOOD LUCK....I know all about vincas!! Well here are our plants almost one year later!!

This is our private patio at our apartment

Mind you, we have only watered them about 3 times in the entire year. This manifestation of vincas is purely because of the soil and rain here. It truly is the promised land. Everything grows here......now if I only had time to sit on our patio and enjoy them....

Thoughts on Democracy

Political demonstration as viewed from our office

I am convinced that we take our freedoms and our democracy for granted. This has been brought to our minds so forcefully over the last week as we have "lived" through the coup in Honduras. The was a relatively peaceful coup.....really a political coup and not a military one. We haven't felt threatened in any way or felt in danger at all. What worries me is how quickly people can react to ideologies and beliefs of others and be persuaded by them.

We have been able to watch several demonstrations from our mission office. The Casa Presidencial is within about 1/2 mile from our office. That is where the seat of government is here in Honduras and where most of the political demonstrations have been staged. We are accustomed to hearing helicopters overhead and to see people marching down the street for whatever side they are on. For the most part, things have been peaceful and the demonstrations have not gotten out of hand.

Helicopter over the Casa Presidencial

Last Thursday we were able to capture some video from our office. This was a demonstration for democracy and the right that the Honduran people have to protect that democracy. The people all wore white and blue...the flag colors of Honduras. The Casa Presidencial is where the huge Honduran flag flies. We also took photos of some of the people leaving the demonstration that walked down our street.

People leaving the demonstrations wearing flags

A whole family walking for democracy

As we went to Church Sunday there were some things that were unsettled. The leaders had decided that we should only hold Sacrament Meeting (testimony day). Each building held one meeting so the wards were combined. It was interesting to us that the opening hymn was "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". When they started testimonies they announced that we should bear brief testimony so that all could participate that wanted to and that we were not to make any political comments.

Here is a video we took from our office to give you the perspective:

NEW HUMP DAY

Not many missionaries get to have two HUMP DAYS in their mission. But this week we passed our second "official" hump day. President Clarke (Central America Area) has asked us to extend our mission and transfer to Guatemala. Wayne will be helping to start the new dental clinic that the Church is building in Guatemala. It is going to service future missionaries as well as help the missionaries when they come to the CCM (MTC) in Guatemala. We are so excited about this new adventure. It will be a totally different type of mission, and we will be able to spend the last 10 months of our mission in Guatemala.

Our new release date will be June 7, 2010........

CLOSING BANQUET

The medal that we got

Every time the brigada finishes their week they have a closing banquet. This year we had a wonderful buffet dinner and Dave Sheets put together a slide show of the week's events. It is just a good time for people to dress up and enjoy each other's company.

A group of future missionaries singing to us

We had a surprise during the dinner. Elder Cordone who is an area Seventy and who was instrumental in planning the whole trip brought several of the future missionaries that we worked on to the hotel. They sang for us and presented each of us with medals to thank us for the service that was performed during the week. They sang the EFY arrangement of the Armies of Helaman....a song that I have always loved. When the missionaries here sing it in Spanish I just cry and cry. Here they are singing about being this army....and they really are the army. It just affects me.

Getting our medals

It was a very touching evening and we were pleased to see several of the youth that we met during the week. It makes it so much more real to be able to identify the missionaries. Hopefully we will be able to see some of them in the future as they serve.

The ladies from Registration pulling their hair out
Hermana Tomkinson, Karen Lucero, Melanie Roundy, Jan Herrod and Sharon Anderton

Our future missionaries singing The Armies of Helaman...listen for the word Helaman!!
Sorry about the last part.....I tried to edit it for 2 hours...but my computer skills aren't that great...


This concludes the blogs on our Guatemala adventure (thank goodness!!). We had a wonderful time...it was a good middle to our mission. The people were great, the work was fun and HARD, and we enjoyed our renewed friendship with the Senior missionaries there.

A BAG OF CHIPS

One of the hardest things to get used to in Honduras is the begging that goes on. Every time we are stopped at a traffic light someone begs for money from us. We have started to keep all of our one denomination limpiras (about 5 cents) to hand out to them. Wayne even sets criteria for our donations...needs to be handicapped or obviously having a problem...not just handouts.

The other day we were stopped and watched this little boy talking to the car in front of us. He reached into the car and came out with an unfinished bag of chips that they had given to him. He immediately went to the tree next to us, sat down, and started his bag of chips. He was so excited...and showed them to his mom.

They are such beautiful children...it is hard not to help everyone of them.

SIX MONTHS!!!

Today marks our six months on our mission. It has gone so fast, and yet we realize that we are just getting started doing the things that we want to accomplish. Our Spanish is coming (SLOWLY) but at least now we are able to communicate with people. We are even starting to be able to speak in the past tenses. By about 8pm my mind is ready to explode. I just can't think any more.

The dental school is starting to be a routine. Wayne loves teaching and helping the six students that we have in there. The new year will bring more opportunity there. We are seeing missionaries leave on their missions that we have helped to get ready. We are sending others home with a clean bill of dental health.

I am anxiously looking forward to teaching several piano groups starting in February. It is so hard to teach piano in Spanish...but I am determined to help make a difference here. I have a couple of groups of 8-12 year olds that are really excited to start.

We are getting used to the slower pace and changes that missionary life brings. We realize that we can't be busy 24 hours a day...but that is when we are the most happy. We have enjoyed being "alone" here in the mission field. It is different when you are the only "couple" around.

We are so appreciative of the Gomez family. They have made this transition for us so much easier. What a great example of a missionary family. We are so thankful for our own family who has adapted to life without parents. They make serving so much easier by the things they do for each other!!!

Just a word about our missionaries...WE LOVE MISSIONARIES!!! It is sooo fun to watch them grow and develop into the young men that return home ready for the rest of their lives. We love watching the hermanas and are reminded of our own five girls! We love watching them get excited about their appointments, and disappointed when those appointments fall through. We love watching them get a baptism program ready and making sure that things are set. It is a joy to serve with them.

Best of wishes for a wonderful New Year. Keep reading and commenting on our blog...it is a lifeline for us!!

PLAYING THE PIANO

I have always know how much music affects us in our everyday life. As a musician I turn to music for spiritual enlightment, entertainment and just about everything else. I didn't realize until this past week how much I miss having a piano at my disposal. I really had a bad week and found myself wanting to play the piano. Wayne says that this is not unusual. Through the years he has been able to tell my moods and needs by how I am playing (or when I am playing) the piano.

This week I was able to spend over an hour by myself in a chapel with a piano. It was amazing what this did for me. It didn't matter what I was playing...although some fun Christmas arrangements were great....just the fact that I was able to play for a while. I will never take for granted again the opportunity for expression that the piano has brought to me. Just having my piano in the other room is a blessing that I should not take for granted. The fact that I am able to play (I have always had a nightmare about not being able to) is a blessing in my life!!

What blessings do you have that are ordinary? Think about it!! I learned one of mine this week.

"THAT IS BEAUTIFUL"

Dr. Wayne with his students
Dra. Michelle clinic director, Anna, Vicki and Sonia

I am constantly reminded here of the things that I have been blessed with in my life. This past week Wayne was cleaning and checking out some used handpieces that were sent to him for use in the clinic here. Thank you LDS Academy of Dentists!! As he was working, the three students who work in the clinic came over to see the handpieces. They were amazed to see so many at one time, and picked them up with reverence and honor. One of the students said, "That is beautiful" as she held the handpiece.

What a joy to be able to see such simple things become blessings in others' lives. I am truly humbled by what I have been given.

Ciudad Espana

CHICKENS, FLIES, FIRES AND LATINO MUSIC FROM NEXT DOOR....

Members of the Cuidad Espana Branch
The front to the church is right behind Wayne
Notice the broken bottles on top of the wall for security

How was your Sacrament Meeting today? We had the greatest opportunity this morning to return to Cuidad Espana. President Gomez asked us to go and visit the branch there and to take the electronic keyboard. This is the city that was built for the people after Hurricane Mitch where we delivered our two missionaries several Friday nights ago. We love the layout of the city...you can see the different areas by the different color of rooftops.

Wayne with Elders Mazariegos and Elder Medrano
(Elder Mazariegos is being transferred this week)

The church building is in an old home that they have converted. It is right across the street from a HUGE Methodist building. We got there early and were able to help set up and watch the Saints arrive. They were wonderful!! These people were meeting in the most meager of circumstances with distractions that would make most people stop coming to church. I am not kidding...the neighbors were playing Latino music almost full blast next door. I told them that today we would rival their neighbors with the organ and the Tabernacle Choir. They really do sing like that...full force. I have never heard anything like it! Everyone sings....there is a lesson in there somewhere about our true worship.

They had about 40 in attendance today...about the average. Mostly women and children and probably 2-3 Melchizedek Priesthood holders...not counting the missionaries. The families were so fun...one mother had 2-3 of her children and their families including several grandchildren. She wanted her picture taken with me.

Making another Relief Society sister friend
She carries a large type Libro de Mormon and a magnifying glass to read

As we were sitting during Sacrament Meeting I felt something next to me and looked down and it was a DOG. They said that he usually shows up each week and is just a member of their branch.
Here he is just leaving the church building.





It was the fifth Sunday today and the topic was on Youth Standards and how to help them to dress more modestly. Wayne and I felt that we were back home....same problems and same discussions. (At least that's what we think they were talking about...it was in Spanish).

The branch Young Women and their leaders
Notice the medallion on the leader in pink

Today made me realize how my worship needs to improve. Could I go week to week without ideal circumstances? Would I be faithful enough to give talks over and over, and lessons every other week? Would I be able to go to a small home that everyone meets in? I really need to look at the true meaning of worship.