Monday, November 20 to Sunday, November 26, 2017

Monday, November 20, 2017

We had a full day planned out. Our day was still full but it didn’t happen as we had planned… but that is OK. It is good to be flexible. Our office meeting was delayed, but we needed to go to the hospital to be with one of our missionaries. So we spent an hour at the office and then had to leave before the office meeting began. When we arrived at the hospital, one of our Elders was just getting done with his doctors appointment so Sister Bell got him off in a taxi. We then helped the Sister missionary get some lab work and xrays done. We then took them home for lunch and then to the distribution center before returning to the hospital to pick up the test results and visit again with the doctor.

We had to wait for more than an hour to visit again with the Doctor. I stayed with the sisters while Sister Bell was with another missionary and his companion who had a doctor appointment. We all got done alittle after 5pm. They all needed to go across town to the Israel Bus station. We were very concerned because the last bus to Leon and Chinandega left about 6:30. The traffic across town was terrible. It took us almost 1.5 hours to get to the bus stop. They literally jumped on the bus while it was leaving the station. We then shopped at Walmart and then stopped at La Colonia on our way home. We got home about 8:30. We eat cold cereal and listened to the face to face broadcast with Elder Oaks and Elder Ballard.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017 - Happy Birthday John

We ran a few errands this morning; hospital to pick up lab results for one of our missionaries that had lab tests done yesterday and made a doctors appointment for another missionary for next week. We then went to Pricesmart for Thanksgiving pies and a Liberia to check prices for school items for Hermana Azaria in Somoto. Then home for lunch and to take off the laundry off the line (Sister Bell washed the sheets and a few other items this morning). I then made a run to the office to get a few things while Sister Bell stayed home and took a nap (she is coming down with my cold that I had last week…. Sorry Michelle).

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

David went with me to the electric company computer service store to make a request to have our connection check. This month’s bill was $60 dollars more than our normal bill. We would like it checked. They will come out and check the meter and give us an answer in about 5 days.

We then renewed our Cedula. We had to go to a local police station to get a record from the police, that Betty will take to immigration. We then went to multicentral to get passport pictures. Elder Howell went with us and helped us get to the right place and ask for the right papers.

We stopped at Walmart to get a contour pillow for a sister missionary with neck problems. Then we went home, had lunch and I worked on next weeks newsletter… how to manage weight in the mission. Many of our missionaries are gaining weight. So we are suggesting they reduce their eating portions, stay away from sugar (soda pop, candy, etc.), reduce fried foods, eat more fruits and vegetables, drink plenty, eat a balanced diet and regular meals.

Thursday, November 23, 2017 - Happy Thanksgiving. 

We hosted a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, happy jello, stuffing, rolls, corn and pie. We invited the office missionaries, the assistants (only Elder Diaz was here), the Bello Horizante zone leaders and David, our guard.

L to R: Elders Hughes, Diaz, David, Martinez, Ruiz, Bennion, Howell, Sister Bell

Elders Howell and Diaz came over a little early as they needed to get the truck serviced. So they dropped it off at Casa Pellas and then came to our house. So we put them to work.

Everyone got really full

We had three types of pie: apple, pumpkin and cheesecake… all from Pricesmart.

Friday, November 24, 2017

We returned to San Juan del Sur with the Helbergs today. We stayed at the HC Liri Hotel, the same place we stayed last time. Tonight, we had an upstairs room. The bed was not as good, but the room was a little better. The upstairs balcony was very relaxing.

We eat a late lunch at the Restaurant. Michelle had steak and lobster and I had a tenderloin steak with an onion and jalapeno sauce. Both dishes were excellent, but they should have been for $44.00.

The sunset was beautiful.

Mauricio, our guide picked us up at 6:45pm and we left for the beach La Flor. We wanted to see the sea turtles lay their eggs. We found about 20 Olive Ridley turtles on the beach. They would come out of the sea, and crawl up the beach using their flippers until they found a nice sandy spot. They would then dig a hole about 18” deep with their hind flippers. They would then drop eggs into the nest. Michelle counted 94 eggs from one turtle before the mama scooped sand back over the eggs with her hind flippers. She packed the sand down with her flippers and body, then she made her way back to the sea. This took about an hour. It was amazing to see. The eggs were like a ping pong ball. The army guards the beach from egg poachers. It was very hard to take pictures because we had to put red cellophane over our flashlights so as not to disturb the turtles.

An egg nest under the turtle. The turtle was still dropping eggs into the nest.

Mauricio told us that they have seen the males waiting for the females to return to the sea after making their egg nest. However, we were also told that the female could be fertilized by several males so the babies in a litter could have different fathers, so I am not sure which father would be waiting in the ocean. I guess we will never know.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

We wanted to see the release of some of the babies. Some of the nests are gathered and put into a incubator. We had visions of lights, heat and sanitary facilities, but we saw a hatching facility. It was bags of sand with eggs in them sitting on a porch. So much for high tech hatching facilities.

Mauricio checked around the area to find an area that would be releasing baby turtles today, but none were so we headed home. We dropped the Helbergs off and spent the afternoon at home. Sister Bell had a cold, and she is enjoying a relaxing afternoon.

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Michelle is still sick and decided to stay home today and rest. So I went to Church in the La Fuente Ward. The primary put on their Primary Program. There were 14 children in the primary. One of the older boys conducted. They sang, gave short talks and recited all of the articles of faith.

 I visited with Elders Chen and Spears and with Hermanas Swanson and Elquist. The sisters are in the La Catorce Ward, which meets in the same chapel. We rested in the house for the rest of the day… well that is our intent. Hopefully, we will not have an emergency that requires us to leave.