Aug. 27th and more fun times

August 27^th:  We went shopping because we had invited a young couple with a 2 ½ year old son to dinner and I had to find some things in order to be able to cook Chinese tonight.  Brother and Sister Flores used to live in Ticquipaya but we saw them at the Cobica ward where I had spoken the 19^th.  We are so impressed with them and they are so sweet we invited them to dinner for the 27^th:  I spent the afternoon cooking and mom prepared the Family Home Evening lesson.  Things went very well and they really appreciated being with us.

August 29^th:  President Crayk showed me a letter he had received from the First Presidency authorizing him to confer the sealing power upon me.  The letter was signed by all three of the First Presidency and these were not stamps.  The exact words that Pres. Crayk is to use were spelled out in the letter.  He said he would come up to the Temple tomorrow and we would take care of this.  He called latter in the day and said that Elder Cabrera would like to be present and could we postpone till Friday morning.

August 31^st: We are off today but went up to the temple at 10:30am in order for Pres. Crayk to make me a sealer.  Words can’t describe what a Spiritual experience this was and it is too sacred to share what was said in the blessing that followed Pres. Crayk’s conferral of this sacred power.  But I am honored and blessed way beyond what I deserve.  Yesterday, Pres. Crayk asked if we would talk this afternoon to a group of young people from Juliaca, Peru.  We are off today and we said it would not be a problem.  On Tuesday, during Pres. Meeting, Pres. Crayk also asked us to represent the Presidency at an Institute activity that would be held in the Los Alamos stake center.  We found out on one of our morning walks from Pres. Dyer and his wife that they had been asked to be judges at the same activity.  We asked if they would mind giving us a ride.  So we spoke to this group from Juliaca for over an hour.  Mom is getting so much better.  She talked for 30 minutes without reading.  I spoke for about the same amount of time.  This was a great meeting.  Most of the young men were returned missionaries and I had them laughing about their next mission (finding a wife) and the importance of coming back to the temple to be sealed, that the goal can’t be reached without an eternal companion.  I then had them crying as I talked about Crystal and her conversion story and how the Lord is mindful of each one of us.  It is so much fun to know that your audience is feeling the Spirit and is right with you. 

The group from Juliaca

We were told that we would be sampling food from all over Bolivia so we didn’t eat before we left.  Dyer’s picked us up and we were on time, 7:30pm, but things usually start late and they did tonight as well.  About 8:30pm things got underway, we were asked to also be judges and we sat at the front table. 

The Esteemed Judges

As the night progressed we realized that this was an activity to celebrate Bolivia’s Independence.  We started by singing the national anthem all 4 verses. 

National Anthem

There were tables set up all around the cultural hall.  Each stake and the Leaders of the Institute had been assigned 2 departments (states) from Bolivia to represent with pictures food and whatever else they wanted.  We walked around with a judging sheet and sampled all the food and evaluated the decorations and listened to explanations. 

Mikey will eat it.

Potosi

Some of he Jaihuayco Group.  (They won)

After about 45 min. we were asked to sit down and we then had to judge the dances that each group had to demonstrate from their respective departments.  So much fun.  

Everyone waiting for the dances.

The group from Pando

Universidad Stake

The Institute Directors

This was the Potosi Dance

Watch the dance video, what a treat to see all the different cultures and practices from around Bolivia.  We ducked out about 10:00pm as they were moving everything out of the way for a dance.

September 1^st:  Brother Ayaviri, one of the sealers, is in the states for his daughter’s wedding.  His assigned day to be the sealer is Saturday mornings.  So we had a replacement, Brother Garcia, for our morning shift.  During the shift I was helping as a witness for sealings.  Brother Garcia, on finding out that I had been made a sealer the day before, offered to change places with me and let me do the sealings.  Luckily I have been trying to memorize the ceremony since we got here.  What a blessing to seal couples together and then seal their children to them.  This was the highlight of my day.

September 2^nd:  Today in Bolivia is  Dia de Peaton.  You can’t drive a car and if you go anywhere you have to walk or ride a bike.  Since all the missionaries are assigned to Wards all over Cochabamba, Pres. Crayk assigned me to organize a testimony meeting here in the auditorium at the guest house.  Mom thought it would be a good idea to have a pot luck dinner after our meeting with all of the missionaries.  When he assigned me to do this he was going to be in La Paz for a stake conference, but upon realizing he would not be able to get home he decided to go to the stake conference and talk in the 2 Saturday meetings and come home Saturday night.  Elder Cabrera on hearing that we would have our own testimony meeting said he wanted to come (he lives a few blocks above the temple) and Pres. Dyer and his wife said they wanted to come, they live across the street from the temple.  I conducted and Elder Cabrera presided and Pres. Crayk and Pres. Dyer were on the stand.  I had assigned different Elders to do the Sacrament.  What a special meeting this was.  You could say it was a Spiritual feast and it was.  Only about two thirds of the missionaries bore their testimonies but they were all powerful and to listen in person to a seventy bear his special witness of the Savior is something I will always remember.  It was the best 2 hour testimony meeting I have been in since I was a missionary at zone conference.  The pot luck dinner was fabulous.  I had a number of people suggest we have one every fast day.

September 3^rd:  We started the day with a session.  It’s the first Monday of the month and we always have a special session for the temple workers (gardeners, security, laundry, kitchen, guest house, maintenance, ect.)  We had a combined FHE with Latin Missionaries and it is always fun to hear them.  The lesson was on testimony and many of the Latins shared how they got a testimony and how they knew they had one.  James mentioned that he thought we are not on a mission, but that we are on a spiritual vacation.  I have to agree with him this is a good gig.