some local mission fun and adventure with the Presleys in Boquete, Panama

Let us welcome you to a look around our area, where we have now served for 10 months. Lots has happened, that's for sure. We are doing well, pretty much all healed from the accident, and back visiting, working, and doing what we do best, being part of the people. There are 27 pictures here, so we hope you have a couple of minutes to join us. Here we are a couple of weeks ago enjoying a hike on our P-day, which is like a free day. We have hiked up a pretty steep hill , and it is dry, but beautiful

Lower down the hill, we walked along the river bed, which in the dry season, (there really is no summer or winter here, just wet season and dry season), Not much water right now.

After that long hike, there is nothing like resting near the River Caldera on a rock that seems like a bed. Don could stay here all day! At least there was a little water!

At times our hikes are actually visits to members. Here is Lynda coming back down from the visit, along with our Ward Mission Leader, Matt Nez. This is a tricky path. Don actually slipped a bit and cut open his already messed up hand. Adventures everywhere!

Being a missionary has it's challenges. We are not sitting in any office. Lynda is getting a little help from Brother Matt as they make their way around a turn on the path.

And to add to the excitement, we have to cross the river on this bridge that was possibly taken from Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland. It sways and shakes as you cross this rickety,rusty bridge. Matt was pretty nervous crossing it. 

Nothing like riding the local buses around town. We ride in yellow school buses that came from the US. They are really old, and are the main mode of transportation. That lady is trying to make her way down the isle. You have to be sure to use lots of deodorant, and hope that the others do too. We get to know each other very well. ;-)

this is Abby, 3 years old and a doll. She is the daughter of Matt Nez. She covers us with hugs and kisses whenever we visit. 

We opened our home and allowed the Nez family to have Abby's 3rd birthday party here. Good thing we have a large house!

We have some very strange and large bugs. This is a Chiggara, a type of cricket, we think. It makes an incredible noise in the evenings. That is a quarter next to it to give you an idea of its side.

this is some sort of beetle, I think it escaped from the movie "the mummy". It has horns and a very hard shell. I think they call it a scarab beetle. It is one ugly bug. Again, the quarter to show you the size.

Another "hike" as we go to visit a family. This entire area is where they work on this huge farm. we have to walk about 30 minutes up the mountain to their home. Great walk.

Along the way we saw this house along side the trail. Note the "bridge" to cross to the house. Glad we didn't have to go there! Well, maybe next time we will stop in and leave a pamphlet, if we are brave enough!

Hermana Presley is admiring one of the many Coffee trees on this farm. She had a very interesting question. "Do these beans come with caffeine already in them?"

One good thing about these long walks is that it is good for losing weight. I have been told my clothes are looking a little baggy on me. What do you think?

This is the Pinto family, who live at the top of that trail. Behind them is the property owner's home. But these people live in the traditional tin house, one room. But they are wonderful, and show great faith in walking so far to get to church. It takes them more than an hour and a half. Imagine when it rains what it must be like!

We have had a shortage of water here, and the Montezuma family, who live in the house that we built for them (see prior posts) have no water to wash their clothes. This is Mariella, 14 years old, washing clothes for the family with soap, a brush, and a couple buckets of water that comes from the small pool at our house. They are using the water from the pool to wash clothes and bath themselves. Amazing...

Here, 6 year old Albert, the baby of the Montezuma's is having some fun in the pool while getting a bit cleaner. 

this is 17 year old Moises, doing some homework in our house. We try to help when we can so they can have access to the computer for some research or projects. 

Our 5 mango trees are all ripening and we have hundreds of mangos falling from the trees. We have to clean them up as well, because they rot and smell, plus attract bees and worms. This is the 4th wheelbarrow full of rotten mangos that Moises and I cleaned up. We give good ones away, I eat two a day, make juice, and still can't keep up. Too much!

This house came with dogs. At first I was not real happy, but now, I am grateful for these two great dogs that watch our property while we are away and at night. They are good, loving dogs, and we are best friends. Monte, the brown dog that looks like a bear, is gentle and loves to be scratched on his belly. Bobby, the Alaskan Huskie, is a bit more excitable, and trys to talk rather than bark. Here, he is complaining about having his picture taken. We walk these two every other day and that is good exercise I have to tell you. They are strong!

The Eyes of Bobby. Need I say more?

This is Isidoro's pup, Pico. He is a great dog. We all love him. Isidoro and I are giving him a bath. Not much fun with a bucket of cold water being splashed on him to rinse off the soap. But it has to be done.

It is sometimes indescribleable how beautiful it is here. As we take the dogs for a walk in the early morning, we just have to stop and admire where we are. This is the road behind our house with Lynda and Monte walking peacefully. Like a painting!

Pico, this wonderful pup, had a very difficult time with some infections. We have lots of ticks and fleas, and although I bathe and powder the dogs, Pico was infected with Tick Fever and passed away at 6 months old. I tried so hard to get him well, and the vet did all he could. Here, he is sleeping and relaxing. He was one of the best dogs I had been around. When he died, it was like a family member died. Here, you take care of the animals even after death, and we buried him in the back yard with small rocks marking his spot. Chau, little Pico.

And, to end on a note of celebration, I had my 63rd birthday this month. We had the Montezuma kids and the Nez family over for a birthday dinner and cake. No big party, just a nice evening and favorite dinner of Lynda's enchiladas and all the fixings, and of course, a wonderful Chocolate cake. And of course, fire extinguishers standing by!