You've got mail---NOT!

We received a letter in the mail telling us that we have a package down town at the central post office.  We knew of no package that anyone had sent and had decided that we would not go down to get it, but curiousity got in the way.  To pick up a package at the central post office, you have to hire a taxi to take you down, have a copy of your passport to leave with them, find out how much it will cost for the package and go next door to pay for it and bring back the receipt showing that you have paid for it and then you will receive the package, usually after hours of standing in line twice.  We had no shift on Thursday the 5th so we hired Andres to take us down town. 
    We were shocked when we made the trip in just 30 minutes.  There was no traffic to speak of.  When we quizzed Andres about why, he told us that the gangs had upped their extortion payment for both the taxi's and the buses.  A driver of a bus had been killed on Monday and another this very morning because they had refused to pay the new fee.  A taxi company had refused to pay and the gangs threatened to kill a driver a day until the fees were paid.  They had killed two already.  People were just staying home for now.  We truly live in the middle of the "Gadianton" robbers.  These gangs have free reign to do whatever they want.  Every little shop owner, taxi driver, bus driver, even some neighborhoods have to pay an extortion fee to live and work.  It is very easy to see why so many try to leave here and go to the States for a better life.
   We arrived at the building that houses the central post office.  I didn't get a good picture from the car window but it is a beautiful building.  The inside has been kept up beautifully.

 The front door.

                                            There are lots of city offices in the building.

                                                            The center plaza

 The doorway to the central post office

Usually the line is clear out the door but because of the buses not running we were able to get right in and there were only about 16 people there waiting for their turn.  After only an hour we were on our way home again.  The package we were to pick up, we had picked up last April.  We have no idea why we were sent a letter that we had a package, and neither did the postal worker.  We took a trip down town for nothing, well, not for nothing, it cost Q200 or $26.00 for the taxi.  This  is Andres, the taxi driver that we always use.  He thought that this painting was great with the faces as the body of the bird.

 

   We have changed our schedules at the temple for Saturdays.  The Presidency usually only has one couple on shift from 4-12 and another couple on shift from 12-8.  We have three shifts every Saturday for the regular obreros. The presidency is in charge of three preparation meetings, all the interviews and instructions for new workers and for first time patrons.  Saturdays are such big days and usually we just can't be everywhere that we need to be.  So, we have changed our day to: one couple of the presidency from 4-11, the next arrives from 8:30-2:30 and the third from 1:30 to 8:00.  This gives us two members of the presidency on shift during the busiest times of the day.  The mid-shift presidency takes care of all the preparation meetings and that really helps to free up the others for the other assignments that we have.  It means that none of us have a Saturday off now, but it sure is working better to meet the needs of the patrons at the temple.  Saturday the 7th we had the mid shift and I was able to leave about 3:00 but President Thompson didn't get home till 4:00. 

     We walked into our ward Sacrament meeting on Sunday and were thrilled to see a face that we recognized from El Salvador.  Our new missionary assigned to our ward is none other than Hermana Bonilla.

 Hermana Bonilla is the youngest daughter of the Bonilla family who came to the temple every week.  She did baptisms because she was too young to participate in the sessions.  Her mother passed away with cancer and her father, brother, sister, and sister-in-law were always in the last session of the day.  Hermana Bonilla has been out for 4 months now and says that she is loving the work. 

    Sunday afternoon our bright sunshine suddenly turned dull and yellowish.  We were told that Volcano Fuego was spitting out ash and the wind was just right to blow it right at us.  As we walked on Monday morning, we could see the results on any car that had been on the street over night.

 There was a film of ash on everything.

     The skies are clear and bright again this morning.  Fuego must have calmed down again. 

   We hope that you have all had a wonderful week.  We start a week and then before we know it, it is over.  Time is just going so fast for us.  We love it when the temple it filled and we are busy.  But we also love it when just a few are there because of the spirit that each brings with them.  We are trying to just enjoy each moment.  Life is wonderful.  We are happy and pray that you are happy and enjoying life as well.  We send our love to all, Lon and Nancy, Grandma and Grandpa, Dad and Mom