August 22, 2014 Out and About with the Massaros

I forgot to mention that while the temple is closed for maintenance we obviously are not able to work in the temple, so the two previous blogs, this one and the next two are showing what we did during maintenance. 

We've been wanting to learn how to use the bus to go to a variety of locations, so Elder & Hermana Massaro offered to show us around. 

This is Hermana & Elder Massaro. They arrived in Panama 2 days after us. President & Hermana Carmack, Panama Mission President & wife, invited us all to their apartment for dessert so we could all meet each other. The Massaros stayed in the Temple Patron apartments for a couple of weeks, and then President Boren, the temple president, gave them permission to stay in one of the temple missionary apartments until they could find an apartment in downtown Panama City. During this time we got to be good friends. They are the Panama Mission nurses. It's nice to have someone on whom we can bounce health issues. This is their second mission. Their first was to Spain as medical missionaries. 

We went to the Panama Mission office first, and then to the small church where Massaros attend church. (Elder Massaro has been called to serve in the bishopric as a counsellor. I think this is odd that a ward, who should have sufficient priesthood to be a ward, would need to call a missionary to do this calling. He said that Pres. Carmack said it would be okay, but he can only dedicate Sunday to this calling. The bishop agreed.) this artisan market is just across and down the street from the church. It's a market we'll bring those who come to visit. 

This is at the Panama Viejo museum, which is just a short walk to Panama Viejo. Panama Viejo was destroyed when the pirate, Captain Morgan, came to plunder the city of the gold the Spaniards had brought in to ship back to Spain. 

The mud in the middle of this picture is a result of low tide. I should have taken a picture of the sign that explained that once every year a group of migrating birds fills this space. I'd love to see this! In the distance is modern Panama towering over Panama Viejo (Old Panama). 

After we left here, we caught a bus back to their apartment for lunch. Hermana Massaro made the most delicious homemade buns! She even gave us some to take home. I'll have to get her recipe because I know it works here.  

About a block away from their apartment is a furniture store nearby where Elder Massaro found a shoulder strap for their umbrella and it had the name of the store on the cover. The Bjornasons have been asking the Massaros about getting them one, so we stopped in to see if it was possible for them to buy one. The store gave us all an umbrella with their logo on it, plus a bottle of water. (This is the umbrella we were given.) They had a pillow inside with a Canadian flag design which they were selling for $95. I was tempted!

We get to see the Massaros every time they come to the temple. They are such a positive, happy couple!