Sunday Feb 26, 2023

This great week began on Monday which is our P Day when we have lunch with all the other missionaries in our area.  We went to a place called "Casa del Chef". It was pretty good but it ended up being more expensive that any other place we have been so far.  It is interesting how many restaurants we are finding here.  It is always the Elders who have picked out a new place to go try.  They have all been good, each one slightly different but good.  This one is a more of a tourist place right on the beach.  You can't see it from the picture but directly behind us is the ocean, not more than 50 feet away.  Most all these places and in fruit stands along the streets they have several types of fresh fruit juice or smoothies.  They are all really good.  A bit watered down sometimes but still really good.  That is what we are all drinking are juice combinations.  I tried the pineapple mango, it was awesome.  Colleen's favorite is the pineapple.  The thing about anywhere you go here including while you are sitting down eating lunch, is that there are people walking by wanting to sell you things.  While we were there on Monday for example there was a man selling sunglasses.   A lady selling Horchata mix that was a home made dry mixture of who knows what that you take home and mix with water or coconut water.  There was a little girl who came up to the table selling candy.  A lady selling bread/baked goods,  which is very common here, they are always black women and they carry a big basket on top of their head filled with what they are selling.  It reminds me of something I would expect to see in Africa.   I will have to get a picture and post that another day.  Also a mariachi band, group of three men offered to sing a song for us, they knew who we were so they said they would sing a christian song. So I said yes that would be great. Then at that very moment I realized that they were not going to do this for free, that is how they make money.  So then I was all concerned about how much this was going to cost me.  :)   

Elder Penrod was about as excited as I was,  He said,  "I have never heard this type of music before, this is going to be awesome!"  Anyway they started out outside the property fence but pretty soon here they were right up by our table and it really was great.  Thanks to Elder Wixom who recorded this little clip.  Afterwards I gave them some money which here they have "Limperas".  Then when we paid for the meal I asked the waitress how much should be paid for something like that and it turned out that is exactly what I gave them.  So I was glad for that.  It was a fun experience, and in the end I felt like it was worth every Lempira I paid which was 100 Lempiras, which equals $4.05.  😄. 

We have started English classes here in both Branches.  That has been great.  It is fun to get together in this kind of a setting where it is a fun relaxed class.  We are going to enjoy these class time conversations. 

We went by a families house this week where they have a banana tree. (Guineo is what they call them here).  There are several different varieties here, but they take the green ones and slice them up and fry them till they are crunchy and that is their version of fries,  No potatoes here, very rarely to we see potatoes, anyway they have the fried green bananas then they take the very ripe bananas and fry them whole and they are still soft but very sweet.  Who knew there so many ways to eat a banana.  Their home and way of life is sooooo poor.  Their homes and surroundings are not even believable really.  But talk about happy people, they love to talk about everything religion, anything Jesus Christ.  They love it when we and the missionaries stop by and it is always such a great experience,  I think more so for us than for them.  It is such a blessing to be able to be here to experience this whole mission thing.  Hopefully we are helping others as much as they are helping us.  Speaking of Jesus Christ, I like these verses in Acts 4:10,11,12....."Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."   I am so thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ for all He has done and continues to do for all of us.  He truly is the light and life of all mankind.