Week 8

Week 8

Sun. Feb. 5^th: Well I got my Sundays mixed up. Last week we did teach a lesson the second lesson overall the first lesson on the Plan of Salvation. Today we had different students and taught the first part of the Plan of Salvation over again. I love my IPad. I have the scriptures, all the manuals and the ensigns all in English and Spanish. I can go between English and Spanish so easily and it makes me seem so smart. Mon. Feb. 6^th: Today about 1:00pm we all (the temple missionaries) headed up to Elder Cabrera’s house for a BBQ.

He is the area seventy and the temple recorder. He lives in a nice house above the Temple. We had a great time but I ate too much.

The views from their house are magnificent.

This the view of the temple from their patio.

Left to right: Elder Cabrera, Sister Vallentine, Sister Cabrera, Sister Diaz, Sister Cotez, Brother Cotez, and Sister Ramirez.

Left to right, Sister Jackman, Sister and Brother Vallanes, Sister and Brother Alhstrom.

Left to right: Pres. Crayk, Sister Crayk, mom, Sister Castilla, and Sister Delgado.

Left to right, Sister Dyer, Sister and Brother Flores, and Pres. Dyer.

Left to right, Sister Bradshaw, Sister and Brother Winkfield, Brother Cardon, Brother Kennedy

Same as above plus Sister Kennedy, and Brother Bradshaw.

Brother and Sister Cabrera and mom and me.

Pres. Crayk standing in the pond and being excited about his calling. No Elder Kennedy splashed water on his shorts and made it look like he couldn't wait to get inside.

This activity took the place of family home evening. I took a long nap in the afternoon so I couldn’t sleep and was sitting in the entry of the guest house about 11 pm, mom was doing her supervision with her group in China, when a big group of patrons arrived from Cusco, Peru. They were so happy to finally arrive at the temple. Even though they had been on the road for 16 hours, they were all smiles and truly happy. Tues. Feb. 7^th: We went up to the temple to do some of our extra assignments and there were so many people there that we had to leave after about a half an hour. Besides the group from Cusco, about 70 people, there is also a group from Arica Chile, about 90 people. It is so heartwarming to see the sacrifices that these saints make to come to the temple. For many of them it is their only vacation and they do it every year. I met a woman from Chile and she told me they have been coming to the temple for 9 years. She said that it is the only vacation that her children know. I asked her how they felt about that, her response was they love to come to the temple. Wed. Feb. 8^th: Because yesterday I had to leave the temple and didn’t get my assignment done, I decided at the last minute to put my Sunday clothes on and run up to the temple to finish my assignment. As I got close to the temple, a man on the front steps of the temple yelled at me, “Brother Norman what are you doing here” To my surprise standing there was Brother and Sister Seville. You are asking yourselves who is Brother and Sister Seville? Well 2 years ago mom and I were riding our bikes across the campus in China and someone yells at us are you Americans? We stop and talk to these three Americans, Brother and Sister Seville and a BYU student, they were there in China helping set up an internship for BYU students who would be traveling with the BYU Chamber Orchestra the next spring. Well when I found out that they were from BYU, I said well I am the Branch Pres. here, in Tianjin. They said great we have been praying that we would find someone who could help us find the church. We took them to lunch and church the next day and then had them to dinner following church. The next year they came back to Tianjin following the tour of the Chamber Orchestra with 7 BYU students who had signed up to study at the conservatory of music in Tianjin. Many of you remember that 3 of these students spoke Chinese and taught Crystal the gospel in Mandarin. We both could not believe that we once again had met in a faraway place by chance. Well I don’t believe in chance or coincidences. They are here in Cochabamba with Aaron Rose from the Kennedy Center at BYU setting up an internship for BYU students to come here and teach music at a music foundation. We had them to lunch along with Bob and Tammy Cardon. Tammy use to teach violin at BYU and of course Brother Seville and Tammy had many mutual friends and associates. This was such a tender mercy. Mom and I were having a difficult day, finding these dear friends really cheered us up.

I finished off our shift at the temple officiating for the final session. We had 54 patrons on the session. The room only has 50 seats but we put up some folding chairs. It makes us feel so wonderful to see the temple full of father Lehi’s children. Their commitment and dedication are very inspirational. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I write about how blessed we feel to be able to serve as missionaries. Thurs. Feb. 9^th: This morning I took the video camera on our morning walk. Then I spent 4 hours blogging week 7 and 8. If anything interesting happens for the rest of this week I will add it to week 9. I hope you find these posts interesting and I hope you can feel some of the Spirit of what we are doing here.