May 12th through May 18th

Sunday, May 12^th through May 18^th:  Sunday morning I picked up Kory and Carolyn at 7:30am. Mom and the rest of our group took taxis to the Villa Graciela and Frutiar Wards.  Mom translated for the Katseanes’ during the 2 sacrament meetings we were assigned to speak in.  In the first one, Bob and Tammie, who came on this mission without speaking a lick of Spanish, gave two of the best talks and then Sister Monroy, who is originally from Ecuador but now lives with her daughter in Brighton, Colo. (Rex Johnson, Becky’s, my brother Van’s daughter, husband is her stake president.) spoke and did a great job.  The Spirit was strong, but then Tammie played a medley of hymns on her violin.  I sat on the stand and watch person after person wipe tears from their eyes.  I joined them. Many in the congregation felt the power of the Spirit.  There wasn’t time for mom to speak, so I used the rest of the time.  My heart was full and I added my witness of the importance of the temple in our lives as a place to help us prepare to return to our Father in Heaven.  After the meeting, I felt like I had just attended a general conference.  Wow.  We then did it all over again at the ward that started their sacrament meeting at 10:00am.  This time the Vallenas’ spoke, but they had had 3 converts confirmed at the start of the meeting and once again we were a little short of time.  But I insisted that mom as least bear her testimony.  She did a great job and then I finished out the meeting.  Sister Monroy translated for the Katseanes’ while mom and I spoke in the last meeting.  I think that this was the best thing we have ever done.  It was more powerful than when we would take all of the missionaries and sing as a choir and we had missionaries in every ward of the Sacaba stake doing what we had just done.  We had Mother’s day dinner at President Crayk’s house with the Eames’, Hurst’s, and Harrison’s.  Pres. Crayk had found a ham and it was delicious.  We spent the evening talking to our kids and grandkids on Skype.  Monday we picked up Kory and Carolyn and took them to the Carmelite convent, Santa Teresa.  They really enjoyed that.  We then walked down by the post office where there are a lot of souvenir shops so they could buy a few things to take home.  We had lunch together and said that we would meet them at the Tuesday’s for dinner around 6:00pm and then we would go with them to the music school, where Kory was going to be a guest conductor of one of the orchestras.  The Cardon’s went with us to dinner and the rehearsal. 

The orchestra.

Kory conducting the orchestra.

Kory teaching how to use the bow.

Tammie brought her violin and played with the orchestra.  Kory had the musicians eating out of his hands.  He is a great conductor.  For those of you that don’t know him, he was the assistant conductor of the Utah Symphony for years.  After the rehearsal Kory handed out BYU tee shirts to all the musicians.  The kids were really excited to get a tee shirt. 

Some of the students with their BYU tee shirts.

Some of the students with their BYU tee shirts.

Fito, the director of the music foundation.

Left to right, Bob and Tammie Cardon, Kory and Carolyn Katseanes, Mom and I after the rehearsal.

Tuesday, Kory called and asked if we had a Book of Mormon.  He had gone early to a TV station with the Director of the music foundation.  The director, Fito, had asked him why he did not smoke or drink coffee and alcohol.   He had explained to Fito that it is because a prophet had told us not to and that we believe in living prophets and we have a prophet and 12 apostles at the head of our church.  The conversation continued to the point to where he asked Fito if he would like to read the Book of Mormon and he said, “yes” and he also asked him if he would like to attend church.  He again said yes, so Kory said he would have the Norman’s come and take them to church on Sunday.  We of course said we had a BofM and they came up and got it and gave us Fito’s address.   We can’t wait for Sunday.  Thursday, we had a young man come with his parents to receive his endowment.  He is the last of 3 sons to go on a mission.  His mom and dad were so cute we just had to get a picture. 

Left to right, the new Elder, me, his dad, and his mom.

That same day a man, who is a bishop by Arequipa in Peru, in his 40’s and his sister and brother-in-law brought their parents to receive their endowments and to be sealed as a family for eternity.  His parents were from the countryside.  He had made the comment to his sister that they needed to get their mom and dad to the temple before it’s too late.  They are in their seventies and their mother was quite deaf and spoke little Spanish. 

From right to left, me, the father, his son, the wife, their daughter, her husband, from by Arequipa, Peru

It was a good day in the temple to be able to help these two families.  Friday, as we were out for our morning walk, I slipped and fell 3 times on the sidewalk (you would think after falling once I would have stopped walking).  It had just stopped raining and I had on a pair of shoes with a hard sole.  I really sprained my ankle and cut up and bruised my elbow.  After our shift Friday night, my ankle was really swollen and hurting.  I pretty much stayed off my feet Saturday.  It’s a good thing it was our day off.