Mother update here:
I hate to say this, but these updates might go on a two or even three week vacation. I've got a heavy "work" load the next few weeks (cub camp, ragnar, family camping trip) that will have me busy most Monday afternoons. I've noticed that as of right now I'm getting Jason's emails between 11 and 3 our time. And next week I'll be busy with a whole bunch of cute cub scouts. The following week I'll be on Whidbey Island enjoying the smells of a campfire (I hope). I'll still get his emails, but I won't have the big screen to make editing changes that make these blog posts look so nice.
This "work" load also puts a damper on my time to email/write Jason so PLEASE take a moment and share a favorite conference quote, scripture or funny story that happened to you this week with him. His email address is jblanding@myldsmail.net . I know he would LOVE to hear from you!
He did send a photo this time but it was of another dead animal and I refuse to put them on my webpage.
I did mention a recent article in the Seattle Times about El Popo (the volcano not far from him) erupting and if it was a big deal, his reply: "Why was it in the paper? It hasn't done anything since I got here, that I know of. It looks like any other mountain (I can see it almost every day)."
Here's the link (don't know how long it will stay there) http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2017999800_apltmexicovolcano.html But this is my favorite website for updates on the volcano--more "real" than hype. http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/popocatepetl/news.html And they have a live webcam--I get to see the weather in Mexico. Puebla is about 35 miles due east of Popcatepetl. The views of the crater are spatular (see below for one snapshot I grabbed for Jason's missino journal). I lived through Mt. St. Helens (was living in Richland) and remember that day very well. Anyway….
Now on to his emails:
Well this week was interesting... first we went to visit a sister who's in her 80's and had been diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago. While we were there she was sleeping so we were talking with her daughter who was taking care of her. She told us that for the last few days she had started talking in her sleep, to her siblings and parents that have passed. While we were there I needed to go to the bathroom and while I was doing my business I hear the hermana saying "mami" over and over again and she starts to sound desperate. All I could thing of was "please don't let this be happening". By the time I was done she had passed on. It wasn't a surprise to anyone that she did but it was a surprise to us that we were there when it happened. Here they always have the funeral the next day and so we went. It was a nice service and everyone knew it was her time to go.
Now that that story is over I have some news. So when we got to this area we split a ward with the Elders who were already here. Now both of the other Elders in Alamos 2 (we are Alamos 1) are being replaced by Hermanas (sisters)!!! This changes a lot in how things are going to work in this ward because up until now we have eaten together with Alamos 2 and we also washed our clothes in the same place but now we can't do that anymore (not allowed to). It is a little inconvenient but things will work out. We will find out tomorrow who they will be and exactly how it will all work (transfers are tomorrow).
Oh and could you send me some slippers to walk around the house with because my sandals are not the most comfortable shoes in the world and you can't really walk around barefoot here.
Love you all.
Elder Blanding.
Here is the crater of El Popo as of June 25, 2013. COOL!