April Showers Bring May Flowers

Dear Family and Friends:
    That time of year has again rolled around and we are experiencing thunder, lightning, and showers as the rainy season begins.  It is still pretty sporadic but it is time to have your umbrella with you.
      President Thompson continues to cook for us.  It fills his time and he is really getting very good at it.  It will be interesting to see if he continues to cook after the mission is over.  He made bread again and whole wheat chocolate chip cookies.

    Semana Santa (Easter Week) is so unpredictable at the temple.  You never know if the temple will be filled or not.  This year the attendance of the workers was very bad.  There are no buses running this week as everyone takes a vacation so transportation is difficult for all.  On the morning shifts, where we usually have 20-25 women, we had only 7-10, and most of them were from another shift but had a car so they came to help.  The men had just as tough of time.  But the temple is the House of God and He provides when the need arises and the work gets done.  These miracles happened daily and we were able to meet the needs of the patrons who came. 
   We were thrilled to see our friends arrive from Belize on Wednesday.  They brought 43 people, including 4 babies, on the 16-18 hour bus ride.  They arrived on Tuesday evening and were at the temple by 7:30am Wednesday to begin their 2 day temple experience.  They remembered us from speaking in their District Conferences and greeted us with hugs and kisses.  We, of course, didn't remember all of them but greeted them as old lost friends anyway.  President Thompson did remember the two couples that were there to be sealed to their children.  He had visited in the homes of the Sanchez and Quiroz families while in Belize. Almost all were from the Cayo District and 90% of them only spoke English.  What a treat to be able to do the ordinances in English!  We used our obrero's who could speak English to perform the ordinances.  We told them that one day the missionaries won't be here and they will need to be able to help their English brothers and sisters.  It was a wonderful two days!!

 The man in the middle front is President Lopez, District President of Cayo District
The American behind him is Hermano Woodbury.  He and his wife live in Belize six months and in the states six months.  They bought a home in Belize.  Hermana Woodbury is in the states with a new grandbaby.  The Hermana's Sanchez and Quiroz are in the very back, one in a gray blouse with a child on her lap and the other standing behind her in orange holding a child.  They each had 3 children to be sealed and they all only speak English.  We have no English missionaries in the temple in the mornings so I had to call Hermana Barney over to help in the Guarderia (nursery).  We kept the temple open all day so that these saints and anyone from the city could be in the temple all day if desired.  The Belize saints left early Friday morning and the temple was pretty much empty that day.  We are always so disappointed when the temple is not filled, but we do understand the problems that exist here with transportation. 
      We enjoyed General Conference so much.  It is always great to be taught by our General Authorities and to re-evaluate our lives and make the necessary changes to be on the right path again. 
After the Saturday am session, the Barney's had us all over for lunch.  What a treat.  We had sandwiches of chicken salad, tuna, or egg salad with chips and fruit and jello.  We were stuffed by then but out came the A&W rootbeer for floats, brownies, and angle food cake. 

 This is Rob Barney and his little girl Rachael and wife Jeannette. The two older boys were eating in the kitchen, closer to the food. They are the reason that the Barney's came to serve here in our temple.  He works for the Embassy.  Elder and Hna. Barney came last May and have enjoyed being close to their family while they serve here.  They are all scheduled to leave in June.  The ward will be lost without them.  Rob is the YM President, Jeannette is the Primary Chorister, and many Sundays the two Barney boys and their dad and grandpa pass the Sacrament. 

 It was a bright sunshiny day and we enjoyed good food and good company.  After we had arrived, we found out that it was Hermana Barney's birthday.  That is so normal for Hermana Barney, taking care of all of us on her special day. 

Dear, dear Friends,

I really hoped to make your day,
But instead you made mine
Oh, what can I do to make YOURS, I ask.
Oh, please give me more time.

Your company is inspiring,
Your service exemplary,
Your friendship is uplifting,
I'm glad it's not just temporary.

Families are eternal
I expect that friends are too.
For it would not be heaven
Without each one of you.

My gratitude and love,
Hermana Carol Jean 😊 Barney

  

It is a good thing that Conference was so good as we were so full it would have been real easy to sleep through the second session that afternoon. 
     We visited Dr. Amenabar this morning and the stitches are out and steri-strips in their place. 

The knee is mending and I can begin to exercise and have the green light to start walking again this coming week.  Life is wonderful!
     We send our love to all.  Cherish each day and those around you.  Life happens and you never know what tomorrow will bring.  We love serving here and love those who we serve with.  Have a wonderful week Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Lon and Nancy