Monday, September 9, 2013

          Besides the usual P-day activities today we were required to go to the Immigration Office to procure our legal residency for a year.  Our passports allowed us to enter the country as tourists for about three months (I know—we have been here longer than that!).  Then we had to either return to the US or else get this temporary residency status.  It wasn’t too complicated—just time consuming.  It took four and a half hours from the time eight of us were supposed to leave here until we returned at 5:30.  The driver who picked us up was supposed to be here at 1:00 but didn’t show up until nearly 2:00.  We had to wait our turn in line which took another hour.  Then each person was processed individually.  All went well and they kept the service counter open until the last one of us finished.  We will have to do the same thing again a year from now.

          Sister Starkey had to present the FHE lesson alone tonight since her husband was ill.  She did great and even had us do a little bit of a “Charades” game.  I was posed to flee if threatened with participation, but it was all okay this time.  J  

          We live in very scary times.  Please check the six areas of your preparedness circle and read the Ensigns cover to cover.  Follow the counsel from the Prophet and cling to the words spoken at General Conference.  Seek for spiritual treasures, spiritual safety, and spiritual direction.  Put into daily practice what you learn.

          Love you all so much!!

This is a picture of the climate chart I tried to insert a couple of days ago.  I had to bring it up on my computer,
take a picture of it with my phone, send it back to the computer as a photo, and then it worked!  The purpose is to show you how little change there is in year-round temps (left) and humidity (right).
The only seasons here are "wet" and "dry" as shown in the center.  

Glade walked the long way around the temple this morning and took these updates of the little house
whose progress we have tracked with a few photos.  I like the pillar in the center.

This is the interior--not a whole lot of progress here yet, but it's coming.

Glade's friend--still on the job!

This is our group waiting at the Immigration Office.  Left: Glory Dias--a temple worker who happens to work at this office, President Omada, Brother Basset (seated wearing a black suit, glasses, and missionary tag) President and Sisiter Cazier.  

President and Sister Cazier, Second Counselor in the Temple Presidency, on their sixth foreign mission.
 He has worked in the CES Program all of his life.

Brother and Sister Bassett--Temple Missionaries from Lovel, Wyoming, on their fifth foreign mission.  

President and Sister Amado--First Counselor in the Temple Presidency, from Guatamala--also a CES person.

Gloria Dias is a temple worker and has worked in the Immigration Office for 12 years.  She helped us out a lot today.
 She knows all of us and speaks fairly good English.