Fried Chicken

I am grateful that this was our week to have all the missionaries to the house for their p-day (preparation day.)  I had been thinking about making fried chicken, and then the missionaries asked if I could make it again.  I guess we were on the same wave length.  I was very grateful for all the help I had in the kitchen.  All of the missionaries are willing to do whatever they can.

 Hermana Trone, Larsen, West

 We had two large cookers going, so I needed the help.

 And of course, you have to have cream gravy!

 The hermanas were pretty pleased with our finished product.

 And we had Jewish Sweet Bread as well, yum, yum!

 I know they really like the food when they are all eating and no one is talking!

 They look pretty excited about the apple pie and vanilla ice cream.

We had our usual activities of writing emails, 

(Elder Thunell, Hermana Trone, Elder Sarango)

playing basketball,

 and playing ping pong (not pictured.)

But this week, we had a few new activities.  

We finally found pecans at a grocery store, 

but they needed to be shelled.  

I was grateful for all of the missionaries who helped.

(Only two are pictured.)

Hermana Trone had a fun activity.  She had spent several hours walking with a uncapped pen poking out of her backpack.  It was drawing lovely designs on her skirt.  And she switched sides, so the ink was all over two places!  I taught her the trick of spraying hairspray on it and scrubbing hard.  It took a little bit of effort, but it washed up good as new.  

And there is always a little time to just stretch out and relax.

Elder Bybee

Elder Maxfield and Elder Dyer

Elder Moreland

What a great group!

Wednesday, we had District Meeting with the missionaries in Vecendario and Telde.

These elders are all working hard and want to serve.

 They were very pleased with the apple pork chops, baked potatoes, salad, Jewish Sweet Bread and chocolate cake.  

They were also happy that there was leftover bread to take home!

Before my piano lesson and Institute in Vecindario, we visited with Herman Curampa.  She is a very sweet lady from Peru.  We were also able to meet her sister and niece.  They were both so nice.  They treat us with the utmost respect, as if we are someone important.  We just enjoyed the opportunity to share a message with them.

We had a good group for Institute.  I really love these young people and it is wonderful to have them share their thoughts and feelings with us.  

There was a quote in the lesson, by Elder Boyd K. Packer, that I have continued to ponder:

“For some reason, we think the Atonement of Christ applies only at the end of mortal life to redemption from the Fall, from spiritual death. It is much more than that. It is an ever-present power to call upon in everyday life. When we are racked or harrowed up or tormented by guilt or burdened with grief, He can heal us. While we do not fully understand how the Atonement of Christ was made, we can experience ‘the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.’ [Philippians 4:7.]”

I love that thought and pray daily that I can turn to the Savior more for His healing and for His peace.  

Elder Thunell had Elder Tanner as his companion for the night.  The were both happy to show up in time for chocolate cake.

Friday we were able to attend the wedding of two of our young adults.  This is Jonathon with his parents.  

We wish Jonathon and Gabby ever happiness in their life together.  

Parable of the Ten Virgins

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.  It is a blessing that our health and finances are such that we can serve the Lord full-time.  Every week is filled with many different situations and we are grateful for opportunities to learn and grow.

Here are a few pictures from English class.  I am always grateful for the help of the missionaries.

After English class, Elder Tanner took a walk down memory lane by playing from my beginner Bastien piano book.

I love the smiles of our happy missionaries.

 Elder Moreland and Elder Hansen

Hermana West and Hermana Trone

Hermana West is adjusting well.  She is always smiling 

and always trying to speak in Spanish.  

Wednesday we had a Zone Training Meeting, so all the missionaries from our island were together.

These elders were enjoying round 2 of "Cafe Rio" Sweet Pork Burritos.  

I love that these girls always offer to help in the kitchen.  

And of course, Elder Larsen is my right-hand man. 

Since it is fall, we had to have Apple Cake with Carmel Sauce again.  Because I have a very small amount of pecans that I am saving for the holidays, this time I made it with walnuts.  Not as good, but very tasty.  The missionaries didn't seem to mind.

Elders Dyer, Hansen, Moreland, and Maxfield

If you are wondering why this young man is beaming from ear to ear, 

it is because he has turned in his papers to serve a mission.  

This has been a difficult decision for him, 

but he finally realized 

it was not only what he should do, 

it was what he wanted to do.  

He should find out where he is going in about four weeks.

Dario

Dario with Elder Sarango and Elder Thunell

We were invited to a party for Victor and Cynthia.  They have much to celebrate in November; both their birthdays, their first wedding anniversary and Cynthia's first anniversary of her baptism.

Cynthia seemed happy with a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

Elder Hansen and Elder Tanner were so impressed with their healthy choices for dessert that they asked me to post their plates so that their mothers could see.
I did not take pictures of the large bowls of ice cream that they had after their fruit!

Elder Larsen taught four Institute classes this week.  Everyone seems to enjoy his classes.  He is a very good teacher and makes his classes interactive and enjoyable.  Elder Larsen has used the parable of the Ten Virgins several times this year.  It teaches such a powerful message about the importance of of our daily preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior.  I have always loved this quote by President Spencer W. Kimball:

“Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps.”

But with our most recent study, I have been impressed by the end of the parable when the foolish virgins knocked on the door to gain entrance to the marriage and the bridegroom, or the Savior, says "Verily I say unto you, I know you not, " Matthew 25:12.  I will stand before the judgement seat someday.  I am striving to develop a closer relationship with my Savior so that He will know me at that day.  

Here is a beautiful video of this parable.

Doctrine and Covenants 45:56-57 says:
"And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.  For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. "  I pray that I can be wise and abide the day of His coming.  

Happy Halloween!

This week I am grateful for Hermana Trone.  Because Hermana Irigoyen left on Monday morning, and Hermana West did not come until Wednesday evening, Hermana Trone was our companion for three days.  She is a wonderful missionary and a wonderful young woman.  I just love her.  We have been asked several times if she is our daughter.  I'll happily take her.  I never felt like I had enough daughters.  She has a fun sense of humor, a positive attitude, and a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. She works hard as a missionary and has a desire to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as she can.  It was great to have her with us.

We were very sad to say goodbye to these two missionaries, Elder Wiltbank and Hermana Irigoyen.  

 Hermana Larsen and Hermana Trone at District Meeting

Elder Hansen is our district leader.  He told us a great story about when he lived in Boston and was a big Red Sox fan.  He always wanted to get a foul ball for a souvenir.  Finally as they were seated on the wall in foul territory, a ball came their way on the ground.  His dad told him to jump forward and he would grab his legs to keep him falling out of the stands on to the field.  He still has that ball today.  Elder Hansen used this as a great analogy.  Just as he needed his father to help him accomplish his goal, we need our Heavenly Father to help us accomplish our goal of returning to Him. Elder Hansen had tried before to get a ball, but it took the help of his father.  But our Heavenly Father is just like Elder Hansen's father.  Heavenly Father will help us, but we have to do our part. We have to put forth the effort.  And we have to trust our Heavenly Father that He will hold onto our feet, and He will not let us fall.  Great anaology!

 Hermana Trone, Elders Tanner, Hansen, Bybee and our new missionary Elder Moreland

After our district meeting, while we were eating, one of the missionaries referred to the first two weeks of being with a new companion as the "honeymoon" period.  They said that right at first, both companions are trying to get along and have a really good attitude, and that things go really well. Since Elder Moreland just arrived on Monday, then he and Elder Bybee are in that phase.  Then we all died laughing when Elder Bybee and Elder Moreland decided to split the last pumpkin cookie and Elder Bybee fed the cookie to Elder Moreland.  Too funny!

We loved having Hermana Trone with us.  She was a great help in the kitchen and was willing to help out in anyway possible.  But I am sure she was more than ready to get back to her regular schedule and get to work training Hermana West.  We are excited to get to know our new missionary.

Wednesday we received a package from home for Elder Thunell.  He was very happy when we delivered it to him on Wednesday night.

Spaniards don't trick-or-treat and don't celebrate Halloween the way we do in the U.S., though there were a few stores that had a few Halloween things.  Friday night, the missionaries put on a Halloween Party at the church.  They had games and a spook alley. I played scary music in the dark as they entered into the spook alley.

Some very clever costumes for our Missionary Ninja Turtles!

 Hermana West as Daisy Duck and Hermana Trone as Minnie Mouse!

 Ninja Turtles and Apple Bobbing

 Two of our fine-looking young adults, Fran and David.

 And couple of my piano students looking very scary!

 No costume for Josué, just a messed up knee.

 These missionaries had too much fun trying to pop each others balloons.

I baked all afternoon and made a huge batch of spider cookies, monster eyeballs, and green Rice Krispie Treats.  They were supposed to be decorated as Frankenstein heads, but I ran out of time. They all got eaten, even though they weren't decorated.  

Because I was baking for the party, and was with my companion all day, I couldn't bake a cake to surprise him.  So, my thanks to Hermana Trone for baking a decorating a Red Velvet cake for Elder Larsen.  The whole ward sang a rousing round of Happy Birthday to him!

Then they all cheered for a "beso."

Happy 58th Birthday to my Sweetheart!

Saturday was Hermana Trone's birthday and we surprised her with hot cinnamon rolls and A&W Root Beer.  She ate cinnamon rolls in the morning and shared the root beer with the other missionaries that afternoon by having root beer floats.  Nothing like a little taste of home!  We are so blessed to have a British/American store right across the street from the church.  They do have some good things sometimes, if you are willing to pay the price.

We have been a little homesick this week.  One of our grandchildren, Sawyer Lutes, was baptized on Saturday and all of our children and grandchildren were together for the weekend, and went trick-or-treating together on Friday night.  We love them all so much and are happy that they could be together for the weekend.  We are so proud of Sawyer for wanting to be baptized and for being ready to take Christ's name upon him and try to live his life in accordance with the Lord's will.  We love you Sawyer!