Just Random Stuff . . . Oh Goodness . . . it's been busy . . .

It's been a long time since I've taken the time to create a personal blog post for our Alpine Klein Bunch.  Ohhhh . . . goodness . . . it's been busy around here :)

The days just seem to blend one into the other, and before we knew it . . . a whole three months have gone by since we left our cozy home in Alpine / Highland, our Cleo, black lab and almost everything we own to spend three years in the service of our Heavenly Father.

One thought I want to share before I move on to much randomness . . .

We see the Lord's hand in the work everyday.  

WE see the Lord's hand in the work everyday.  

We see the LORD's hand in the work everyday.  

We see the Lords hand in the work EVERYDAY!  

I wish I could make it more clear . . . we see in almost every talent, skill, opportunity, insight that we have been blessed with throughout our whole lives in anyway, is now being utilized to further the work of the Lord upon the earth at this time.

We don't know why it wasn't obvious to us before.  But I'm willing to bet that it isn't just us.  It's not just us that Heavenly Father has blessed with strengths,  knowledge, insight, gifts, blessings, talents . . . and now is the harvest people.  Now is the time that we give our all . . .

And I don't think Heavenly Father means for that to be just us . . .

My first random thought . . . think about it.

Hark all ye nations, hear Heavens voice. Through every land that all may rejoice. Angels of glory shout the refrain, truth is restored again.  Oh how glorious from the throne above, shines the gospel light of truth and love. Bright as the sun this heavenly ray, lights EVERY land today!

We see miracles every day.

You can too . . . become a part of "Hastening the Work".

Recent thoughts of randomness  . . .

I can't stop thinking . . . these young people ages 18-25 approximately are way more amazing that I was at their age . . . yes it's true.  Their level of maturity, willingness to sacrifice . . . I'm constantly amazed at their insight with their service here in the mission, their faith  . . . and more.  They were saved for the latter days . . . it's absolutely true and it's becoming very apparent.







Many many many people here have infinitely more faith than I do . . . I'm trying to catch up . . .  It's a common situation here for couples in Honduras not to marry.  As one embraces the gospel and desires to be baptized, if they are living with someone and / or have a family together . . . well, they need to get married before they can be baptized.  Here in Honduras, that is easier said than done.  It's a great test of their faith . . .  It's expensive for them to get married, some must save for many years to accomplish this.  Then they have to travel and pay more money to get the records needed to get married.  It's complicated but the long story short   . . . One such family lived apart for many, many years trying to save the money, and obtain an opportunity to travel to get the needed records etc, to get married.  Before they could do so, one of the parents became seriously ill and passed away.  Such a heart breaking situation . . .

I am humbled . . .











We experience the law of tithing in action here.  I remember when we were young and starting out with our new family, we tried to logically fit our tithing money into our meager budget but the math just didn't work out.  There simply wasn't enough.  Yet we faithfully paid our tithing every month, before we paid anything else.  And for us, I can say that we never went without.  We can't explain how the money stretched to pay the rest of the bills but it always seemed to work out.  Now we are experiencing the same principle in relation to time.  There's no possible way we should be able to fit into our 24 hours every day the amount of things that must be done.  The list is long and endless and each needs it's appropriate due time.  We give the time to the Lord and he magnifies it and it all seems to fit in.  We don't have extra time . . . we just have enough.  And that's what matters.  The Lord's work get's done . . .











Groundhog day - it's 5:44 am  - time to rise and shine once AGAIN.  It's a do over, lather, rinse and repeat, and repeat and repeat . . . one of these days we'll get it all right (like in three years) and then the clock will reset and we'll be back in the real world once again.   :)
















I am like a star shining brightly . . .
Shining . . . I was never comfortable being the center of attention, I'm still not . . . and we are so frequently the center of attention . . .  shining brightly.  Ouch!  I'm still not comfortable . . . but I'll keep shining . . . brightly  :)








BUGS!  They are so annoying and you get bitten in the most inopportune places!!  There's no getting away from them, they are constantly everywhere . . . big ones, little ones, tiny ones, invisible ones . . . seriously . . . invisible ones.  They are the ones that cause us the most problems!  One lesson we learned is to pack food VERY well.  Wrap it up tightly, but it inside of something.  Put that inside of something else.  And maybe if you're lucky the bugs won't be able to find it . . . but usually, they don't eat much.

(so not attractive!)

(Oh . . . and did I mention the snakes??)

UGGGG!  No diet coke in the pantry, no diet coke in the storage room . . . no diet coke in the closet . . . hmmm . . . maybe there's one left in my backpack . . . nope . . . . Ugggg!  No diet coke and I don't get to use the car for three more days . . .

HURRAY! - I spy one in the back of the fridge . . . whew!  That was a close one.
It's a good thing I'm not picky . . . they have the most unusual random soda here and you never know what it's going to be.  Real Diet Coke is not always easy to find.  But you can find other things like Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper, Diet Cherry 7-Up, Diet Vanilla Pepsi . . . I get the impression some grocery store back in the States sends all their random less popular soda item . . . I'm sure and somehow they end up here.  Good thing I'm not too picky . . .









I am so glad google translate is free - but I have to admit . . . I would pay money for it, don't tell Google that . . . because at this moment.  I couldn't live without it.

I frequently feel so sad for the struggles of this beautiful country . . . really, it's so beautiful . . . but it has problems!   In many ways . . . maybe we're just extremely unlucky, but since we've been here -  a whole three months, almost every credit card we brought with us has been used fraudulently and has had to be replaced.  It's not like we have time to do this! . . . crazy! We have to monitor the accounts so carefully.  And we are not careless, we're always very careful . . . but occasionally have to let them out of our sight at gas stations (they pump the gas for you!) and sometimes at restaurants also.  It's crazy . . .












Ha!  I've spent months cultivating a relationship with the beautiful birds here . . . and they are picky picky picky!!  I've tried everything, even homemade gourmet bird food - and they usually are still un - enticed!!  They do come in all colors, shapes, and sizes.  You can see some amazing parrots from far away.  You can always tell when they are in the neighborhood because they are sooooo noisy!  Lots of loud squawking whistles, chatter - but they stay high up in the tallest trees.  I think it's because they know everything gets eaten here . . . and they don't want to be next.






Just a few lovely pix from the other side of my lens . . .

(Oh the places we go . . .)

(A birds eye view . . .)

(Raining . . . buckets . . .)

One thing for sure . . .

There never is a lack of COLOR in our days . . . from morning 'til night . . . different
sensations, light . . . sometime black, sometimes white . . .

Sometimes it's vivid,
sometimes
subtle . . .

There's always a broad spectrum

of

Color.