GETTING SETTLED IN

We have found ourselves in an enviable and unique position.  We live right next to President and Sister Klein of the East Mission; yet we serve with President and Sister Dester of the West Mission.  As a result we get the best of both worlds - we feel blessed. Both have been gracious in their gratitude for what little suggestions or help we might offer.  Both apologize frequently for taking a moment of our time.  What they don't realize is that it is a great privilege to just associate with them.  That is what we were able to do this past week.

Setting up their new homes requires that woman's touch and so LaRae and Sister Dester slowly roamed through the aisles of our version of Walmart - called Diunsa.  President Dester and Wayne just smiled and tried to stay out of the way.  This was last Saturday's activity.  We traveled from store to store - a pillow here, a bathroom scale there, a loaf of bread and more.  The real challenge is just trying to figure out the street system so as to not get lost.  We had such a good time with them.  We are positive that their missionaries are going to love them.  From a very personal standpoint - we already do love them.

Following their Saturday of shopping and stocking up their pantry, they began a grueling week of interviewing their missionaries.  They traveled to the furthest away zone and then did all the closer ones after that.  President Dester was able to interview 136 of his 138 missionaries.  We are sure they are exhausted.  Meanwhile we enjoyed having only half as many missionaries to manage.  This won't last long as we are expecting to receive more than 100 new missionaries in the next six months.  But, at least for this week, we actually had some free time.  We even came home early (4:00 p.m.) a couple of times. 
     Then today we were privileged to repeat much of the cycle with President and Sister Klein. They had left the very day after they arrived in Honduras for their furthest away zone and had taken all week to work their way back home.  The Lord, obviously, is blessing them with energy and strength.  They are keeping a schedule that would wear out any normal person.

One of the stores they both wanted to visit was Pricemart.  It is the Honduras version of Costco.  It carries the same brands and everything.  We helped direct them there, get their membership cards, and then just walked with them as they shopped.  We enjoyed our time with them.  They are good people and are already having an impact on their mission.

Then tonight the six of us went out to eat.  We took them to a Uruguayan Grill that we had once tried with President and Sister Veirs. The food was  wonderful.  The conversation was pleasant and, as you would expect, focused upon some of the situations they have encountered during their first 10 days as mission presidents. They are fully invested in doing the work of the Lord.  It has been a real privilege to be with them and to be able to call them friends.