Some photos of the coast in El Salvador while we were there.

At our hotel in El Salvador there was amazing scenery.  The following attests to that. What you don´t see is the abundance of mosquitos there.  I literally bathed in "Off" repellant.

 Breakfast at the hotel.

 Al at Breakfast.

 Low tide

 Low tide.

Huge gulls

 Evening shot from the Hotel restaurant

Quite the scenery

Trip to El Salvador June 20 to 24th, Women´s Health Seminar in an LDS Stake Center with instructors from the USNS Comfort

On Sunday June 21st, we traveled to Acajutla, El Salvador where the USNS was docked for its Medical Service in El Salvador.

Our work there was to make sure that an Area Church offical got on board the ship, which he did. Another activity that we looked over was the Women´s Health Seminar to be attended by church members in one of our buildings there and for anyone else that wanted to come.   It was free to anyone who wanted to attend.

There was a disconnect however on the arranging of translators and we managed to get the Mission President of El Salvador to send a couple of his missionaries to translate.  A couple of doctors on board could speak Spanish and English so that was helpful.

There were 33 members that attended and they all felt rewarded for the information they received.  All the information was regarding womens health issues topics covering menstration, menopause, sexually transmitted diseases, abuse and how to prevent all of the topics and what could be treated.

I spoke with the women doctors that were instructing the semanar to see what the feedback was.  The response was that they needed more information on breast cancer, prostate cancer and adolescent pregnancy.  Those topics were not covered. Also there was requested better advance notice of the seminar.  That was to be done by the Humanitarian Department and we felt there was a disconnect. We will write a report stating what was learned and what could be done better.  But for those that attended it was very worthwhile with intelligent questions asked.

This is an important seminar for women as they don´t always know what their issues are and what can be done about them.

A special message for doctors, nurses, dentists and other medical professionals.  You are needed !!!
Whether or not you are LDS or not, the United States Navy Ship needs volunteers.  If you can speak Spanish....all the better.  Translators in the areas where the ship visits are invaluable.

The women who could attend through to the 4 pm hour received a certificate of completions.  So many of the women wanted their picture taken with the Navy Health Professionals that conducted the Women´s Health Seminar.  What a wonderful service this is to the people of Central America.

June 3rd to June 6th, Panama Public Affairs trip, Comfort Ship and Panama Canal locks at Gatún

The USNS Comfort is making its tour through Central America from Belize on down.  We had been in Belize and was privileged to get aboard the ship for a tour.  It was quite amazing.

This is the USNS Ship Comfort in Panama.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has donated a good deal of materials for the Comfort Ship to the amount somewhere in the millions.  In Panama more pallets of supplies were welcomed aboard the ship as donations from the Church.  All members of the Church can donate to the humanitarian fund for the church to purchase such supplies.

While in Panama, a member of the first presidency of Central America, Elder Alonzo received an invitation to the reception on board with the President of Panama and several other dignitaries.  From the local church leaders there was Luis Vallarino, the Director of Public Affairs for Panama and President Muñoz, a Stake President also invited.  President Alonzo and the Panama President Juan Carlos Varela were able to converse about the presence of the Church in Central America.  President Varela asked many questions such as, "How many members are there in Panama, How many churchs are in Panama and "Is that a Temple I see in Panama with a statue on the steeple".  The point is to help others know of us and to let Public Opinion Leaders understand that the church is a Christian Church and believers of Christ and to help put the work forth in the name of Christ, doing good to all people.

Elder Alonzo

While we were there we communicated by phone and email to those who would pick up Elder Alonzo and take him aboard the ship and to be representatives of the church in their own country. We would go to the ship if there was value but it was more important to have the local church leaders there than have missionaries from the United States there.  We are not an American Church, we are a global church, so a back seat did we take.  We mostly sat in the hotel room emailing and phone calling and being on stand by if needed.  The interaction with the President of Panama and Elder Alonzo went very well and friendships were made.  We are so glad it worked out this way.  It´s the way it´s supposed to be.

On Friday, we took some time to go to the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal.  We had seen the Mira Flores side but had not seen a ship come through the locks. So since we were in Colon, we decided to visit the locks.  It rained like crazy but it was so worth while.

 This is a museum piece of an old car that pulls the ship along in the canal

 Freighter cargo ship coming through

 This gives a strange illusion as if the ship is going up hill, but if you notice there is what is called a mule car that helps stablize the ship and pull it along.

Its moving along.

This is how it works

Raining cats and dogs

We caught a commuter train back to Panama City.  The train has two traveling times, 5 am and 5 pm. It was less expensive than a taxi ride and ever so much more comfortable.  The road between Panama City and Colon may look like a good road but it was a tough ride on concrete.

 View on the train

Funeral Services Scheduled for Elder L. Tom Perry

Funeral services for Elder L. Tom Perry, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will be held in the Tabernacle on Temple Square on Friday, June 5, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. MDT. The funeral will be open to the public ages 8 and older.

Elder Perry died on May 30 in Salt Lake City at the age of 92. He was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer (read more about his life).

The Temple Square gates and the Tabernacle doors will open at 9:30 a.m. Those wishing to attend should be in their seats by 10:30 a.m. Overflow seating will be available in the Assembly Hall and the North Visitors’ Center on Temple Square. The Church campus buildings will be closed at 10:30 a.m. and will reopen following the funeral.

The funeral services will be broadcast live on LDS.org, KSL and BYU-TV.

A private burial service will take place at the Salt Lake City Cemetery following the funeral.

There will be no public viewing, but expressions of sympathy can be posted on Elder Perry’s official Facebook page or emailed to condolences@ldschurch.org


In lieu of flowers, Elder Perry’s family has asked that contributions be made to the Church’s Missionary or Humanitarian Fund. Donations can be made at Give.lds.org/perry.

Elder L. Tom Perry passes on the 30th of May 2015

Saturday the 30th of May, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints lost a beloved apostle of the Lord.  Elder L. Tom Perry.  He was a very strong yet kind man. Served the church for several decades. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer which spread rapidly through his body.  He will be surely missed./article/elder-l-tom-perry-dies-at-age-92. Copy and paste this link into browser for more information.

Elder Perry was ordained an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 1974, after serving as Assistant to the Twelve since 1972. The imposing physical presence of Elder Perry, along with his enthusiasm and optimistic style, made him an energetic and popular person among the members of the Church worldwide.

"That warmth, that gentleness, that he really believed people who wanted to all members of the Church and appreciated I believe that this is how he will be remembered," said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Cook said the witness also recalled that Elder Perry was Jesus Christ. "Tom Perry gave a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ. He knew the Savior; He loved the Savior. "

"We should be [strong] in our statements of Jesus Christ," Elder Perry taught the General Conference of the Church October 2011. "We want others to know that we affirm that He is the central figure in all human history. His life and teachings are the heart of the Bible and other books we consider sacred scripture ".
Like the apostles of the New Testament times, the Holy Apostles of the Last Days are called to be special witnesses of Jesus Christ . Elder Perry was one of the fifteen men to help monitor the growth and development of the world Church, which now has more than fifteen million members.

Elder Perry spoke frequently about the importance of religion in society, the family and preserving religious freedom, emphasizing that the "essential freedoms of conscience, rooted in religious freedom, must be diligently preserved and protected". He worked closely with leaders of other religions to advance the cause of religious freedom.

"He had such a way with people; he was equally comfortable with the common man as with presidents and governors; treated them all in much the same way and had a way to interact and connect with them that was deep, "said Lee Perry, son of Elder Perry.

"I think he will be remembered as a defender of the family," said Lee Perry.

Lowell Tom Perry was born on August 5, 1922 in Logan, Utah, USA. UU .; his parents were Leslie Thomas Perry and Nora Sonne Perry. He served for two years with the Marines in the Pacific, immediately after World War II.

Elder Perry's service in the Church began with a mission to the Northern States in 1942. He later served as a counselor in a bishopric in Lewiston, Idaho; as a counselor in a stake presidency in Sacramento, California; as a member of the stake high council in New York; and as president of the Boston Stake.

He received his BS in Finance from Utah State University in 1949, where it pursued graduate studies. His career developed in companies retailing, where he served as vice president and treasurer of companies located in Idaho, California, New York and Massachusetts.

Elder Cook said this about the experience of Elder Perry in the business world: "It was very practical and pragmatic; that has blessed the whole Church. He was very concerned that the "white" of the widow spent a frugal manner and that nothing will be wasted and there was a plan and that there was responsibility. "

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Virginia Lee, with whom she had two daughters and a son. Virginia Perry died on 14 December 1974. He is survived by his second wife, Barbara Taylor Dayton, whom he married in 1976.

The Church will announce details about the funeral as they become available. It has not yet been determined when the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church will be filled.