June 19, 2000 I boarded a plane and headed to El Salvador after spending 2 months at the Missionary Training Center learning Spanish and how to be a missionary. It was a crazy adventure and helped shape me into the person I am today. While in El Salvador there were 2 earthquakes (7.6 & 6.6 magnitude plus all of the aftershocks), rumors of starting another war, 9/11 happened, and all the other crazy things that happen when you live in a 3rd world country.

Aftermath of the January 13, 2001 earthquake

When I left the country on October 11, 2001 I didn’t really have any plans to ever return. Then we traveled to Matt’s mission in France and that was fun to see his areas and the people he taught. I kind of wanted to return to my mission, but it had to be for a good reason. When the prophet announced that a temple would be built there…that was the reason to return. I got in contact with a couple of my mission companions and we made the return trip happen. And of course there were many adventures.

135 operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Flor de Izote is the national flower of El Salvador and is seen in the decor throughout the temple

Youth Cultural Celebration

After 10 years it was nice to see that the country has made some progress. They now have a beautiful temple of the Lord in their own country. But, there were things that were also still the same…the food, people riding on the back of cars, animals on the side of the roads, beggars, friendliness of the people, etc.

Fit as many people you can, however you can is the rule in El Salvador

Salvador del Mundo is still there...drove around it a few times

Koloshanpan...the flavor of El Salvador

FAB...the laundry detergent we used as missionaries

We ate at this McDonalds every Monday before we did our shopping...It was called Hiper Pais, but Walmart took it over 3 months ago

El Salvadorean enchalada

Typical breakfast...eggs, beans and tortillas

PUPUSAS ... so yummy!

The roads aren't well kept...I drove around that big crack

I had a bad day driving...left the headlights on, needed to ask for a jump in Spanish, something needed to be replaced around the battery and the windshield wipers started to go off.

It was a great adventure and I am so happy that I was able to return to my mission with my mission companions. And if anyone wants to go to El Salvador (don’t know why you would unless you served a mission there and want to go back now) you should stay at the Hotel La Posada del Rey Primero. Super friendly staff, clean, near the city and temple and close to a yummy/inexpensive restaurant called Tipico Margoth.

A couple of the staff members "Here to serve us"

More photos of El Salvador

Kalani gave my brother the nick name Jonji…and Matt had to add the prefix.  Here he is 2 years ago in Utah with my parents.

Getting ready to go the Missionary Training Center

And now he has return from serving a mission in the Denver Colorado North Mission.  He was there for 24 months and had nearly 20 different companions.  We visited him just a couple of months back and saw how much he has grown and changed.  Meeting strangers, teaching them about Jesus Christ, learning to live with a companion, etc. makes one grow up in ways only achieved by serving a mission.  Now he is home and leaving for school in Hawaii.

2 years later at the airport with mom and dad

Elder Jon Limary

Tia and I wanted to do something fun and spontaneous on Memorial Day weekend, so at the last minute we decided to hop on a plane to surprise our brother Jon, serving an LDS Mission in Denver, Colorado.

Tia and I both served missions about ten years ago (El Salvador and France) so we know what it’s like to be so far from family and friends for an extended period of time.  Contact from family is usually restricted to letters and two phone calls a year (Mother’s Day and Christmas).

We arrived on Friday morning and spent the day at the 80 acre, world famous, Denver Zoo.  The exhibits did not disappoint, and my personal favorite was obviously the reptile collection (they even had some large Komodo Dragons).

Friday night we drove to Jon’s address and surprised him by knocking on his window at 9:30pm (the missionaries live in the basement of a host family’s house).  He was definitely shocked (and happy) to see us show up out of the blue and we made plans for Saturday night dinner.

Saturday we spent a good six hours at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.  Here we watched two iMAX productions: Hubble and Arabia.  It was my first time in an iMAX theater and both shows were well worth it.  The rest of the time was spent at the many exhibits.  Kalani’s favorite was Gems & Minerals.  Like his dad, Mason really seemed to enjoy the Wildlife Exhibits.  There’s a video below of him walking around chanting crazy Polynesian war cry.

That night we picked up Jon and his missionary companion and took them to Olive Garden for a relaxing dinner.  It was really fun to catch up and hear more about his mission (he doesn’t offer much detail in his emails).  He’s definitely matured a lot and looks great.

At the airport waiting for the car rental shuttle

Jon's first time meeting his nephew Mason

Moments before the surprise knock on the basement window

A herpetologist in the making

Below we see Mason’s Hawaiian side make an appearance as he bellows his ancient Polynesian war cry.