April 13th through April 19th

April 13^th through April 19^th:  Monday we had a barbeque with the Rays, Roesberrys, Atkinsons, Penas, and Pres. Madsen.  His wife was hosting a luncheon for some of the sister missionaries.  We cooked burgers, French fries, and had potato salad, and watermelon.

I was cooking french fries while others were cooking the hamburgers.  So I didn't get a picture of the grill full of burgers.

It was a lot of fun and then we all drove up to Brother Pavey’s home for his presentation on the lands of the book of Mormon.  He has a beautiful home in San Felipe de Aguas (Saint Felipe of Waters).  It is where the old Spanish Aqueduct started that took water to the center of Oaxaca.  Much of the old aqueduct is still intact. 

The group before we started.  Don't you love the bougainvillea bush.

Just before Brother Pavey started his presentation.  Back row, Sister and Pres. Atkinson, President and Sister Madsen, President and Sister Pena, Elder ans Sister Ray, mom, Front Row, Sister Pavey, Elder and Sister Roesberry, Standing Brother Pavey.

 We just got underway and the sky became black and the wind started blowing and then the lightning and thunder started.  We had been outside under his carport and we really had a downpour, even more rain than yesterday.  We moved inside just as the power went out. Our cars were in his gated community and the gate does not work without power.  We were stuck.  He finished his presentation by candle light and the battery in his lap top.  Pres. Atkinson finally ordered taxis about 9:00pm and we headed home, still raining cats and dogs.  I went out on the front porch and made a short video of the sound of the rain and some of the lightning.  I love rain storms.  

From their front porch.  Big rain drops.

https://youtu.be/9r9v2oBk_cQ

This is a the video of the rainstorm. At 20 seconds you see some lightning.

Tuesday was the same as all Tuesdays—presidency meeting and office work.  Wednesday we started an early morning session at 7:30am.  We usually have a 9:00am session on Wednesdays, but most Wednesdays it is full, so we have added another session.  Both sessions were over half full.  I’m sure as the word gets out we will have more people coming.  After the 7:30am session, which was attended by many missionaries serving in the city, an Elder Christian from somewhere in Utah county came into the office and said he was a friend of Doug Thayne’s and Doug had said to look us up when he got here.  So we took a picture of him for Doug.  

This is for Doug Thayne,  This is Elder Christian, who is a friend of Doug's and came and found us in the office after his session,

Thursday we had 2 buses and a very nice day in the temple.  Friday 4 buses arrived and everything went swimmingly.  I love that word.  

This is the young couple I sealed last Friday.

Saturday was another story.  I had a request from a bishop in Mexico City, to come to the temple on Saturday.  I explained that he could come if he came at 11:30am.  He said that would not work.  So I offered him a special session at 6:30am and told him he would have to be here at 5:00am for this to work.  He was going to bring 2 buses.  They arrived at 5:50am and we asked them to come straight to the temple so we could start on time, because I knew we had a stake with 3 buses arriving at 6:30am for the 8:00am session.  The stake with 3 buses scheduled for 6:30am arrived with 6 (yes, 6!!) buses at 6:10am.  

4 of the 9 buses, left of the gate of the temple.

Another 4 of the 9 right of the gate to the temple.

We hurried and filled the session at 6:30am with some of their people and then I went to work to figure out how we would accommodate the 150 people we weren’t expecting.  It took us till 11:00am to get everyone in.   But everyone was so patient and happy to just be at the temple.  

              Some of the saints waiting for their turn to enter the House of the Lord.

At 1:00pm we had another bus arrive.  They were supposed to have arrived at 11:00am, but had problems with traffic.  What a blessing for us that they were late.  By the time they arrived, we had space for them in the temple and they did not have to wait. We had 16 people receive their endowment on Saturday and we had 6 sealings.  I performed one of the 6 sealings, a really cute couple from Sahagon Stake, that is near Mexico City.  

This is the couple I sealed on Saturday.  We had 6 sealings on Saturday.

Don't you love her dress.  Saturday was a great day.

We got home at 3:00pm, hungry and tired.  After lunch/dinner and a short rest we went over to the Ray’s apartment and played cards with them and the Roesberrys. It was a nice way to unwind and relax a bit.  Sunday we went to church at the Dainzu Ward and after lunch we spent 4 hours in the temple with the Coordinators and Secretaries meetings.  We spent the evening calling and checking on the kids.  The 4 families in Utah were all together (21 of them) at John’s home for dinner.  They get together once a month for dinner.  We are so happy and pleased that they will do this.  We would want them to be with us, at least once a month, if we were there.  The cousins love to play together.  

These two are the cutest and I stole this off Facebook to show you cousin fun at John's house yesterday.

Saturday the secretary called in sick, so mom and I were really busy in the office.  We had to call in people to help us print and cut hundreds of family cards to do ordinance work.  It was crazy busy, but a great day.  As we laid in bed that night, I said to mom, “I don’t know how we got so many people in the temple.” And then I remembered, we didn’t, He did. Miracles happen every day if we have eyes to see.

Work continues for the roof or the next floor.