Monday, November 17 to Sunday, December 3, 2017

Monday, November 27, 2017

We had four missionaries go to the hospital for doctors appointments today. We first went to the office so we could attend our weekly staff meeting, but the President was late coming back from Puerto Cabeza so it hadn’t started when I had to leave to go to the hospital. Sister Bell stayed for the meeting as President Poncio wanted to talk with her about several missionary’s health. I  helped three of the four missionaries with various things, including buying 4 of them lunch at Burger King. I then hurried back to the office to pick up Sister Bell and another missionary and drove back to the hospital for another appointment. Monday's are really busy days, mostly because we try to have the doctors appointments that day because it is preparation day. 

We went home and spent the evening there. Sister Bell had a lot of appointments to make, charting to do and request for insurance payment letters. She had a really busy week this past week, having helped 17 missionaries. This is the most she has dealt with in a long time. On top of that she was not feeling well. Fortunately, she is feeling better.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Today was wash, shop and clean the house day. Fortunately, Fatima came today to clean the house so we only had to do the laundry and shop. We stayed at home this morning, working on a newsletter about how to better manage weight on the mission. Sister Bell made doctors appointments, requested payment guarantee letters and charted. She also did the laundry this morning and the clothes were dry about 11:30am. We eat lunch and then left so that Fatima could have the house to herself.

We first stopped at the bank. I got $1000 US dollars out of our account. The kids (Kim, Paul and John) had donated $650, which will pay for the temple bus next week to Honduras from Esteli. We will pay the bus driver on Saturday. The rest of the money will go toward Christmas presents for some of the people we work with. We then went to Pricesmart, then we stopped at a Libreria (bookstore). We purchased $72.00 worth of school supplies for Azaria Perez in Somoto to use as she works with abused girls. We hope to deliver these supplies on Saturday (one of our lasting memory Christmas Presents). We then stopped at the store for groceries and then back home to a clean house.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

We went the Sisters house in Bello Horizante to get their surplus furniture. There used to be three sisters, now there are two. So we picked up a frig, a bed and a fan. We then went by La Primavera and picked up two cocinas. Then to Los Laureles to drop off the frig. Their light bill was really high. Sometimes the frig is the cause of this. If the motor doesn’t shut off when it gets to the right temperature, it can keep running, making the electric bill go sky high. We also took an old bed frame that was not being used. We made a quick stop at the office to pick up some letters for the south mission. Then we went to the Sister leaders house in Ducuali to drop off the extra bed frames. Then we went to the store and then home. Sister Bell treated me to a Carl’s Jr. Hamburger at the new restaurant at the Galeria mall. It was excellent. She had an oreo shake, which she shared with me.

At home, I put together a furniture order for next year and made some phone calls, trying to firm up this week-ends travels. 

Thursday, November 30, 2017

We got a late-night call last night from Hermanas in Leon. Their frig gave up the ghost. So we made a trip to Leon today to take them another frig. We needed to go by the Sister Leaders to pick up a used frig and then we headed to Leon. We got there about 11am. We dropped it off and then headed home. We went straight home so Sister Bell could take the wash off the line (sheets). I then took our passports to Betty’s house, so she could renew our cedulas. I made a quick stop at Walmart to pick up some colored pencils for another Sister (there are special pencils), then I took the bad frig to Jonathan's house so he could have it checked and repaired if need be.

Sister Bell stayed home to start dinner. We are hosting the senior missionary dinner tonight with the Helbergs. She is cooking chicken noodle soup. It smelled really good when I walked in the door.

Friday, December 1, 2017

Our light of the world project was to take a pile of wood that Salvador had cut up in the neighborhood to his girlfriend’s house in Las Colinas. He was very appreciative of our service.

I then got an haircut, and then made a trip to distribution and to the office. We got a call from an Elder in Cuidadela. He had been sick for several days and Sister Bell was concerned that he was dehydrated. We got permission and took him to the hospital. We went and got them as it is difficult to get to the hospital from where they live. We then went home to have dinner while they worked on him at the hospital.  He was diagnosed with a virus. They gave him fluid, some pain medicines, took some blood and sent them home. I returned to the hospital about 10:00 and took them back to Cuidadela, getting home about midnight. Sister Bell, who stayed home, was sound asleep when I got back home. 

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Today was graduation throughout the country. We saw a lot of youth dressed up in pretty dresses and mothers dressed up too. We had to wait for 10 minutes in Ocotal for a long line of graduates and mothers walk in front of us going to where they are going to have their graduation ceremonies.

We delivered our second light of the world service project. We brought Azaria in Somoto school supplies. She helps about 20 abused young girls with their school work and life skills. They needed a lot of school supplies, so we bought them a box full of school supplies and a large whiteboard. This brought tears to Azaria’s eyes.

We also delivered a mattress, cocina and packages/letters in Ocotal. Then we spent several hours in Somoto working with President Alaniz and the missionaries. We counted tithing, reviewed temple recommends, and talked a whole lot of issues. We made a quick pass by the house of Hermana Natalia and Hermana Celia, the RS Presidency, then back to Esteli for the night. 

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Our gift today was to Jose de la Cruz in Pueblo Nuevo. He is 85 years old and tomorrow is his 1 year anniversary of his baptism. He is preparing to go to the temple this next week. Our gift to him was garments, temple clothes, the cost of going to the temple and we took him to and from Esteli for his final interview with President Roger Perez, 1^st Counselor in the Mission Presidency.

We love serving the one….

The yellow trumpet flowers are in full bloom in the mountains. They were everywhere along the Panamerican highway.