Wheelchairs

    Happy February Everyone!

Our week was a little different than most weeks here.  Monday morning we worked at the Clinic then met Dave and Susan Oyler and went to check out a place where they make and place wheelchairs.  There is also a dental clinic in the same building, so we went along to check it out and see if there were any opportunities for us to come there once a week or so to help out.  The lady in charge of the dental clinic was not there so we had a tour of the wheelchair factory and watched as they were helping 15 children get their first wheelchair. You can't just pass out a wheelchair to a child and their family. They have to have it adjusted to the particular child, especially if the child cannot sit up on their own.  It was pretty amazing, most of the people working at the factory are in wheelchairs themselves.  They make every part of the chair except the wheels and they put about 250 chairs together each month.  Irma is a volunteer and works several days a week there. She showed us around, this picture is her with Susan and me.

We were at the Clinic Tuesday, but on Wednesday Dad needed to be at the CCM for new missionary interviews at 8:00.  I went with him and then walked to the temple to do a session, but while I was at the CCM the bus pulled into the parking lot directly from the airport with the missionaries from the states.  It was so fun to see them all, about 15 piled out of the bus, collected their luggage and headed into the CCM.  I have added a couple pictures of them.  

After interviews and the temple we had lunch at the CCM with the missionaries then we decided to go back to the temple and do initiatories for the 10 cards Angie left with us after the kids did the baptisms while they were here in December. 

Thursday was dental screening at the CCM in the morning and then back again by 5:00 for dinner and orientation for the new missionaries about how their Sundays are scheduled and what they are responsible for.  Friday we went to Antiqua again with another couple and found some new places to check out.  

I even got a pair of boots!! with tipica fabric on the heels.  They are shorter than yours Callie, but we got them in the same town.  

Movie night was "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers".  We haven't seen that one for a while, but it was cute.  We just had a Krispie Creme (sp??) open here, so someone brought a bunch of them to movie night.  I am making popcorn for movie nights with all that great popcorn you guys have brought/sent us.

Last night we had a farewell party for one of the couples here from Virginia, the Whittiers. He is a veterinarian and they have been the humanitarian missionaries for the whole Central America Area.  They have done some amazing things and will be missed very much.  The couples leaving now are the ones that we have known the longest and it is a little harder for us to see them go.  I am sure all of you who have served missions, including Martin and Laren, will know exactly what I mean. There is a new couple here from San Antonio to replace them, they just seem a little more reserved than the Whittiers but I am sure they will do a great job.

We gave our devotional at the CCM today, it is actually an hour meeting, on the Gathering of Israel.  The more I studied, and prepared for it, the more I was so impressed that the Book of Mormon is definitely the instrument of the gathering.  In fact, President Nelson said that without the Book of Mormon there would be no gathering. We talked today about 1 Nephi 15:12-16 and I have been so touched by verse 14 where Nephi describes the things that the Book of Mormon will teach his descendants:

"And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved."

 I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon and for all that Joseph Smith went through to get it translated and printed for all to read. It is so amazing to be here in the midst of some of the descendants of Lehi and think of these scriptures pertaining to the gathering of Israel.  Yes, God has a plan and everything is going as planned, I am thankful to be a small part of it.

This is inside an older church not used anymore in Antiqua, and a little tienda in Pastores where we found a ceramic store behind it. You never know what is behind the walls in these little towns.

We Love you all and am so thankful for all of your efforts to be a forever family.     MOM/Grammy