There are a couple of more interesting facts about Spain that you wouldn't expect, and would never see in America. The oddest thing I've been told is NOT to pick up litter. There is a hefty fine for picking up trash, because, apparently, you are robbing clean-up people of work. How's this for a slogan? "Do your part. Litter and help the economy." The temple has a problem because of this law. The grounds outside the fence around the temple have a tendency to get a little trashy, and they are not allowed to clean it up. Apparently the church found that out the hard way. There was a bit of excitement last week when it was discovered that workers finally cleaned the area outside the main gate. I guess the clean-up people aren't as anxious to get to work as some might believe. I'm wondering why Obama hasn't figured out this scheme yet. He can either raise revenue by fining people who clean up after themselves, or claim he has created a million more jobs by encouraging people to litter.
Would you like a mandatory 3 hour lunch break? Come to Spain. These people take their "mediodia" very seriously. Most places do not open for lunch until 1:00pm or later. Most shops close at 2:00pm until 5:00pm. The restaurants will close down lunch around 4:00 and then not open for dinner until about 9:00pm. People stay up very late, and I guess they need time for lunch and a nap. At any rate, you will not be able to shop on your lunch hour, or 3 hours. The temple president said that he had gone to buy a suit. He found one, and it was not cheap. As he took the suit to the the register the clock struck 2:00, and he was informed he would have to come back at 5:00. There is no exception!
We have been very open minded up until now, but we have definitely made up our minds and it is official. We both HATE the morning shift! No matter how early we get to bed, it is just darn hard to get up when it is still dark outside and then spend 7 or 8 hours on our feet. The appeal is supposed to be that you get home by 2:15 and have all afternoon and evening for doing other things. The flaw in this thinking is that first of all, you're too tired to do anything, and if you weren't too tired, everything is closed. We are looking forward to being on the afternoon shift this week. We can sleep in a bit, then go out in the morning when it is cooler, and things are open, and then get back in time for a quick rest, and a nice lunch before going to work. We alternate each week from mornings to afternoons. I wish we could have afternoons every week.
There is another missionary couple working with us that have had to deal with some major health issues. He has been dealing with back and neck problems that cause severe pain. He is diabetic. He was in the hospital for diverticulitis, and has lately been having heart problems. We have all been very worried about them. It looked like they were going to have to go home. We have all been praying for them, and his heart rate finally came back up. We won't know until next week what his tests have shown and the doctor will decide if he can stay or not. These are wonderful people, and we love them very much. They have 12 children and 75 grandchildren! 9 of those grandchildren were born while they have been here in Spain. This is their second mission. They were also in Peru on a proselyting mission. During that time 7 grandchildren were born. That's a lot of new babies to meet when they get back home. I don't know how old they are, but they look younger than us. They are really missing their family.
There is a Portuguese couple working in the temple. They came for a 6 week mini-mission. They have been rather vocal about not being able to serve a full 18 month mission because they have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. Several of the American missionaries inquired what that had to do with anything. She promptly said, "Well, the Portuguese culture is very different than yours. To us family is everything." That did not go over very well. She has since mentioned this idea of her culture a couple of times to me. I have tried to express to her that our families mean as much to us as they do to her, but she has found that a little too hard to swallow. I finally said to her, "We love our family as much as you do, but we love God more." That seemed to end the discussion.
I want my family to know how much we love them, miss them, and appreciate them. We would not want to be away from them this long for any other reason, except that we love The Lord and want to serve Him. I don't think there has ever been another time in my life where I have so consistently felt the spirit of The Lord or his love so strongly. It makes me want to be a better person, and increases my love for my family and others more than I can say.
We have sure enjoyed face timing with Tim and Brenda each Sunday. Jesse always has lots to say and show us. We are so grateful for their kindness and thoughtfulness. We have appreciated hearing from others. It always brightens our day so much. We would love to hear from each of you either by phone, FaceTime, Skype, letters or emails. We get nearly as homesick as the young missionaries. We appreciate all the support we get.
