hi, everyone. i wish i could just write a letter and tell you all what we are experiencing. i really don' t like typeing. but i'll try. some of the things we are already taking for granted, like our car is washed every morning before we get up by the gate keeper. our house is cleaned every other week and all oran's shirts are ironed. we eat out a lot. the food here is very good in resturants but i don't like the food we would eat in the states, for some reason it tastes different. i have been told it is because they add sugar to everything even the bread. there is a little family that are squatters right next to where we live. a young couple with two girls and a boy about 3, 2, and 1 years old. we give them food and will try to help them. i will get a picture of them soon and put it on the blog. the traffic here is another story, there are no rules, you just inch your way in front of each other just like you would if you were in a big crowd trying to get in a store or movie. we got a new car and your dad wrecked it the second day, but it is just a little dent on the bumper. the people here are all really kind and polite and they love american's. i haven't seen any anger. i'll write more later. lov mom

our gate keeper has had his leg amputated from gangreen and some american's paid for an artificial leg, it's a little on the crude side but it works. when we first got here we ask how to get to the mall, he jumped on his little bicycle and pedaled there in front of us and then pedaled back, all with a smile on his face. he is about the size of alec. he is a good member and has six sons. three of them have been on missions and one taught the gospel doctrine class and did very well. none of the sons are working so he supports all of them. the unemployment rate here is 37 %, he makes about $ 40.00 a month. oran gives him extra tips regularly for being so helpful. at first i felt wierd being taller than everyone, but i'm used to it now. the people are usually thin because they walk every where and have little to eat, but the rich or even well to do are over weight and some of the children are chubby. there is a little tiny women, probably about as big as mariah but all bones, she is about 50 yrs. old and she does her laundry on sun. afternoons by hand on the church parking lot where there is a fauset. the squatters have no electricity and no water or toilets and it gets dark here at 6:30pm all year around. they must get very bored. it gets lite at around 5:30 am. everyone is worried about the flu but dengue fever has killed over 300 people here just this season. dengue fever is caused by mosquitoes that are out in the middle of the day and i guess they are black. the malls are better than anything we have in ut. but we get lost in them and then very frustrated. the clothes are beautiful and in style and not very expensive. a pretty blouse for a girl is about $12.00 compared to the states it would cost double. little girls dresses at name brands is also around $15.00. i just wish they carried my size. well that's enough about us for now, we love all of you and want to hear from you. lov mom