How do you Keep a Wave upon the Sand?

You can't.  And we didn't.  (But we can remember.  No one can take that away!)

So I will go instead, back to our return from Copan Ruins to a quaint motel midtown amid cobblestone streets.  All went well, from dinner at "Twisted Tanya's" ("You must try it--they wash their produce well, so you can eat salads!")

A salad we ate, as you might see, minus the white wine dressing. Minus the alcohol pumpkin soup.)  And minus the many wires, which you might look at in our friends' blogs, the sunset on a roof was calming and beautiful.
 

The jarring part, was a walk through town as dark crept in.  Copan neighbors prepared for their Christmas party with a boom box on stilts that took up most of a block.  And it was maybe three buildings away from our motel.  Trying to imagine the night with noise that rocked my heart beats as we walked by, I prayed, then called our motel security for help.  No problem.  I have a motel a few miles away.  No charge for cancelling.

(This is where you can see the writing on the wall!)
                                   

For that reason, we did not sleep through church the next morning. 

Copan Ruinas branch consisted of just over 15 people, mainly visitors and missionaries, quite a change for Maria.  Our Roble Oestes ward must have 300 members--so it was a change for us, too.  The rented building had a courtyard restroom with no light.  Considering that toilet paper can be luxury, there were few complaints.  We drove away, grateful for brave missionaries (elders and sisters) celebrating the branch's first missionary leaving for Guatemala, and grateful to have literacy in our lives, as a handful of the members, new and old, did not read.  Yay, Riley, Eleanor, Kaleb, Thomas, Zoey, and William.  Kudos in making that a part of your every day.  Books open doors to adventure, new worlds! 

Our return drive to San Pedro was uneventful, minus a bump in the road, where Val got out and tied a piece of the car back together with the backpack bungee cord.

Note the black polka dot cord in the middle bottom--great method of glueing a car back together on a Sunday!

We loved a little more time with Johns, who kindly escorted us toward an awaiting airplane to an island off the north coast.

Our plans had originally been to visit with Maria at the temple grounds, but when friends had emphatically urged us to see the Jewel of Honduras, we succumbed and carved room into our schedule (and budget) for a moment or two of seascape.





We tried not to be outdone by Riley in the snorkeling arena,

 
but we did not see tiger sharks--only dolphins!  Maria and I swam.  We took a boat and then a taxi to town and found a dessert that Dad would eat!  (At least the berry.)

For Grandma Gee, we watched "Little Women" and part of The Sound of Music. 

An adventurous young adult persuaded Mom to zip line.

Maria made looking at life upside down seem attractive.  Mom tried it, with significantly less grace.

 On the last line, when Maria noticed her camera gone, we panicked (she has 2 years of "niece and nephew pictures" on that camera.) Then we called William in Kaysville to ask him to pray.  We waited, and waited, while petting monkeys and chatting with toucans 

in long enough time to make us worry…but short enough time to get us headed for home--our kind helpers scoured the undergrowth and found the little Nikon next to a stream.  Thank you, William!  And thanks to the angels who listened to his prayer.   We returned to base camp intact, with reminder from our taxista that a cruise ship was docking.  Note the white board at our eating place:  

If you look close, you can see the 82 percent humility...that helps grow the flowers

that remind us of the temple.  We are working on getting to 82 percent humility!

With Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at the island, Thursday morning came bright and early with duty calling.  We rose by 4 a.m. to catch a 7:30 flight home to Tegucigalpa to work just after noon. Perfect timing.  

along with "love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." 

(See Family Proclamation)

Our first plane was old.  Note Maria and her Dad with faces of fear. 

Val says this plane was a 1955 vintage or older, non pressurized, no seals on the window--possibly WWII vintage, the oldest plane he has ever flown on.  Interesting things you learn when you fly with a Boeing guy.  

We flew over and changed planes in a port town, La Ceiba, then flew directly to Tegucigalpa.

(Do you recognize the white building, on the hill in the right photo?)

Our glitch came in collecting the three of the suitcases that we had checked.  Scouring the conveyor belt at the Toncontin airport, we only found two bags.  Sixty one days later, the large green one is still at large. 

I had chosen to check, rather than carry on, my medicine (along with most of "Christmas").  Mistake.  More than a worry, it threatened to consume my peace.  Until one day in one of the temple sessions, I was thinking about Heavenly Father and His experience.  Someone failed to care for (and likely mistreated) my baggage and important things.  Someone failed to care for, and mistreated His Son. 

And a reminder that the important things in life are not things!  We have each other.  We have our faith.  We have the blessing of giving service.  And we have a little more compassion for others who have lost more.

The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.  And your friends do stand by thee and hail thee with kind hearts and friendly hands.

Our friends (Gloria, Sara, and the sister missionaries) watched over Maria...  It was street contacting with the sisters, to Valley of the Angels, boating, and seeing Natividades with Gloria and Melvin, then "Frozen" without subtitles. 

Family Night friends

Here is as close as we can come to finding a furry friend that sings, which Val says increases immunity!

This is the pie that Maria made, "knit together in love" to share with our Flores friends... 

This is the Flores family, with five children, who met missionaries after playing soccer (or futbol) with neighbors at the city park.  Emiliano (boy front left) was baptized first, and the rest followed, smiles intact.  Oldest brother is in the military.  Eldest daughter, Carina, washed all my dishes.  I want them to come back. Dogoberto, father, spoke in church last Sunday with Elder Bednar's talk on the subtly good things that can be found in our lives when we tithe.  I pinch myself thinking they have been in our ward for maybe 3 months.  

Sara and Chad introduced Maria to more Honduran Nativities and other attractions:

Then Mom and Dad got to join in on more time in Valley of Angels.   

(One of our angels)

(To school going grand kids: the mural of the cowboy [above, left] is made of recycled bottles and caps!)

We joined Sara's family to bring in the New Year.  As we ate, visited, and danced, I was gladdened to see a daughter comfortable "in her own skin."  Maybe not perfect in translating every word, but willing to try.  Interested in casting off the "hombre (o mujer) viejo"

This is a stuffed "old" person that is filled with fireworks and burned in the street at midnight.

and embracing the new.  A favorite part in reviewing our pictures afterward was a video of Maria mimicking Dad and Mom walking down the temple hill.  One autumn, in Kaysville, I had a frozen shoulder.  Physical therapy helped, but exercising on the side is encouraged.  Why spend hours and hours in the front room, if you can get range of motion while you walk?  So, Maria  and her sisters (primarily Maria) likes to make a great parade of copying her parents out walking (or walking on the other side of the street!)
                

Here is Dad, with his zigzag descent to minimize incline.  There are giggles to be suppressed.  But why do we have children, if not to see ourselves in a new light, with a half a smile?  ["Maria makes me laugh!"]

May your walk be balanced, with full range of motion.  May your children walk with you, comfortable in their own skin. May they tell you, as Maria told us:  "I am so glad that I could spend time with you, because I know, from being with you, that you are where you need to be.  I can feel how people love you and how much of a difference you are making here."  I don't know if we are sure, every day.  But we are glad to be reminded.

                                     
                                               

And in response to health questions--we have both felt amazingly well, most of the time.  Only a week in early autumn with a cold for Laurene, and another week of "la grippe" or the flu for Val.  Health is one of the things that is better than things…and no laughing matter.  So glad…  And praying for good health for you!  Blessings…Laurene and Val

Through clouds and sunshine, Lord, abide with me!