missionary work

Dear Family and Friends,
We had the most interesting guests stop at door today. When I opened the door they said that they knew we didn’t speak much Spanish but they wanted to talk to us. I think that is what they said since our whole conversation was in Spanish. They needed some help finding their twin daughters that had moved to the Ogden area and then had moved to New Jersey, and back to Hooper but they couldn’t get hold of them and they were really worried about their daughters. We invited them in and conversed for about 30 minutes trying to decide how best to help them. Found out the Mom is going to Texas tomorrow so we told her to call a Bishop there and see if he could access some Bishops in the area where they think the girls are. They are both active in the church so it shouldn’t be too hard. It was a fun conversation, but I got really nervous trying to follow their dialogue and understand what they wanted. What a great experience though. I think they were satisfied with our response and have promised to come to our English Classes to learn more English. (Hmmmm, haven’t seen them yet) They aren’t members, but their daughters are.
Our ward has 2 wonderful Sister Missionaries. They have brought 6 people –one family and a single young man—into the church during the last month. Very solid converts. The Sister Missionaries are learning English—a new program in the Mexico Missions—and seem to be doing all the right things in following the commandments. We are impressed with the missionaries here. Dad is also being a missionary and is teaching 2 young men –Victor and Ramundo about the Gospel. We hope they will be baptized. If any of the older grandchildren would like to purchase—with their own money—a blue, not very expensive Book of Mormon and write their testimonies in it – and include a picture of themselves, if they have it, and send it to us—an English one—we are in need of some. Might give them a Missionary Experience. My English sentences are scary aren’t they? And to think we are teaching English.
Across from the church is a huge sports area where they held part of the Olympics when the Olympics were held here. They have 3 beautiful pools that have looked so inviting that Dad has just been drooling to go there. He finally got someone to help him see what was necessary to be able to swim. It is no wonder that we never see anyone swimming there. They told him the cost was $100.00 –that is pesos—initially and then $100.00 – pesos—monthly and then gave him a list of things to do in order to become eligible to swim. He needed an electric bill to prove he was living here in Villahermosa, his passport or some other I.D., separate pictures of a certain size taken—4 of them—a blood draw of 3 vials of blood for venereal disease, and 2 other kinds of diseases, a urine sample. He arrived at 5:30 a.m. to have his blood drawn—waited for 3 hours in a huge line, went back a different day for the results, then went back to the administration office and showed all the proof they wanted. After that he went back to the pool and paid the money and then had to go buy a swimming cap and goggles. Finally, he was able to swim. The first day he actually got to swim made him so happy and he came back after his swim happier than he has been this whole mission. I think all the trouble was worth it. He swam 3 times this week. He is getting very brown. Problem is that he is coming down with a cold. Hmmmmm, even with all the precautions to have people healthy that swim some germs must have sneaked in.
Our new English Classes have started and we have a good group of adults in the morning classes, but only a few students in the Institute Age class. Most of the kids are so busy; they just don’t have time for another thing in the evening. A lot of them are taking English in their Universities, anyway, so that is good. One girl said she couldn’t understand her English teacher’s English and later found out he speaks no Spanish and is teaching English with a German accent. That must be hard for the Spanish to understand. I think it would be hard for me to understand.
No pictures this week. Sorry, because I know that makes things more interesting.
We surely enjoy hearing from you and reading your blogs. Now that school has started I’m sure things are busy in a different direction than they were this summer.
Dad and Mom