Michael and the team worked with them the first week for orientation, then they went to their assigned churches for about a week. One church, San Sebastián, is in the interior outside of La Chorrera. Michael and Walter agreed it was a good place for the two women so they could work with Revda. Carmen Saéz. The men went to Torti in the Darien to work with Revdo. Eleadio Rodríguez at Jesús Nazareno.

Michael and I went on a week's vacation in Coronado while the seminarians were at their sites. We really needed the break. During that week, Anne was the translator for a youth group, consisting of 6 youth and 5 adults from Holy Trinity Church in Oxford, Ohio, who came here to do three days work (hard labor) on painting and improving the Bishop Lemuel Shirley Diocesan Conference center at Santa Clara.

The group first went to the Hogar de las Nina's to visit the girls as part of their orientation. Becky Michelfelder, who is from their diocese, had given the group some hints on things for them to bring for the girls so they received a wonderful assortment of teaching materials (including 4 white boards, some vocabulary cards in Spanish and other flash cards), a lot of books, a large number of pairs of underwear (something they always welcome, since they neither receive it unless Anne buys it for them nor do they use used underwear), a lot of sun glasses, some tooth brushes and an assortment of other needed gifts. The girls will receive these gifts at Sue Williams discretion and everything will be used. She doesn't want to shower the girls with gifts every time a group visits them from the States. Sue is an Episcopal Missionary who works exclusively with the home and lives there.

Anne said the teens from the States were great about trying to communicate with the girls. It sounded like a positive experience for them.

Michael and I dropped by the camp while they were there since we were staying only a town away. Bishop Julio was visiting them to welcome and thank them and give them a gift of a diocesan pin. We enjoyed meeting them and welcoming them to Panama. The buildings that they had painted looked wonderful. It will be a nice treat for the youth next time they hold an event there.

For Fathers Day, the Sunday School at St. Christopher's presented songs, dance and other talents. They were so cute. I was really impressed by the four children who performed a Típico (native style) dance. They were wonderful. Anne missed it since she agreed to teach Sunday school for Seth at St. Luke's Cathedral. She never turns down a chance to be with "her girl's," the girls from the Hogar. She agreed to help Seth over the summer until she returns to Boston in the fall.

After the seminarians came back from their assigned locations, Michael, Seth, Walter and Becky took them to the camp in Santa Clara for a debriefing before they left on the 23rd. They seemed to all have had a wonderful time visiting the communities and being here with us. They threw a very nice dinner party for us at Casa Blanca, the Deanery-turned Diocesan Guest House.

Our faire for the Ms. Episcopalian contest was held on the 23rd, also. Anne and I were busy selling tickets at the door and food tickets all day. The event was a first for the Diocese and the Bishop and his wife seemed really pleased with the success of it. There were festive tables for each candidate to sell food, lots of music and entertainment especially when each candidate was introduced. Each of them had their own style of típico dance which was wonderful to watch.  We clergy spouses are now planning the Coronation on Aug. 18. I'll miss it since I'll be in San Jose, CA, at that time. I'm looking for places to stay, one in San Jose and another in Berkeley. Please email me if you have a room to share [Editor's note:  Mona will be staying with Stephenie Cooper in San Jose]. Thank you.