We have been so busy that we have not taken the time to update our blog.  Saturday, September 6, 2014, we flew out of the Salt Lake airport to Dallas TX, and then onto San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The mission president, President Boucher, his 2^nd Councilor in the Presidency and his wife (Elder and Sister Larsen) and 2 young elders picked us up at the airport.  The young elders took our luggage in a van and we went with the President and the Larsens.  They took us to a Steak House very similar to what we would have found in the states and Sister Boucher joined us for a meal.  We then went to the mission home and everyone went to bed.  We felt like we had the master suite, but the master suite was much much larger.  Sunday morning we went to the English speaking ward and then went back to the mission home where we sat at the dining room table for the next 3 ½ hours as the Larsen’s trained us on the island and our duties (they had been on St Thomas for 4 months before they were moved to St Croix.) At 4:00 we had some senior missionaries that serve in San Juan come and we went over the Perpetual Education Fund.  At 5:00 all the other senior missionaries came to dinner.  We ate dinner and visited and took pictures.  And it was then bedtime.  We got up Monday morning and headed to the Mission Office where we had an interview with the President.  He told us he thought we would spend our whole mission here in St Thomas, unless the Lord told him differently.  We were so impressed with the Boucher’s and the time they took to spend with us.  And the council that he gave us.  One of the Elders that had been an assistant to the President was leaving so President Boucher took us all out to lunch at the Panda Express.  And then off to airport.  I have never flown on such a small plane.  We will try to get pictures posted.  The pilot lined us up per our weight!! So each side of the plane had the same weight.  I wasn’t sure they would get our luggage on, put it all got on and we arrived without any problems. 

The Larsen’s had the branch clerk and his wife pick us up.  Because we needed 2 vehicles to get all of us and our luggage to our apartment.  Such nice people!  The Larsen’s spent the next 2 days showing us the island and introducing us to people.  We met the branch president on Tuesday and he asked if we would be the speakers in sacrament this Sunday. We took the Larsen’s to the airport on Wednesday afternoon and we are now on our own. 

We have been trying to get used to the weather. The humidity really drains me, so although it really isn’t hot, to me it feels very warm.  We have an a/c unit in the bedroom, but the electricity cost so much that we only run it at night.  We have lots of fans, but I feel sticky all the time..  They say that August and September are the worst months that soon it will be very nice.

We have tried our first mango from a stand alongside of the road.  It was very good.  Steve was not thrilled with it, but it taste so much better than the ones I have eaten before.  The tomatoes were $4.00 a pound, cucumbers were $3.00 a pound.  We bought a plantain, they look like bananas, but we are supposed to cut the top and bottom off and boil it…so we will see if that is good.

Going to the grocery store was something of a shock.  I thought I was prepared for high costs, but it just blows me away.  $1.89 for a head of lettuce.  $6.89 for milk and it will only last a couple of days before it spoils.  We ended up buying the milk in a box.  It last longer.  Jello for the small box was $1.89!  We have to watch the expirations dates on things and if you all know me, I was never one to do that!  We did find some ground turkey that was a good deal!

Everything has to be kept in a sealed container.  Even the salt is not in a salt shaker, but in a small container. I think the driving is the hardest to get used to.  Steve is doing very good at driving on the left side of the road.  If that was the only problem we would have it made, but the roads are either going straight up or going straight down!  And in some places there is no room for two cars, but they go anyway!  They just dig a spot on the side of the mountain and build a house.  The owners usually have one layer, and they keep building down the mountain, putting in rentals underneath them.  I really don’t know how people who live here afford it.