Calacoto Stake Conference in La Paz

Saturday, January 26^th: We were supposed to talk to a group of 14 people who are preparing to come to the temple for the first time tonight at 6:30pm.  When we started there was one couple and the woman who organized the fireside.  The bishop came 20 minutes late and a sister who was going on a mission came later.  But we gave our talks and then had pizza and potato chips in the cafeteria.  If only one person shows up we still blessed to talk about the temple and bear our testimonies.  We then had a party at Cardon’s to watch 2 episodes of Downton Abby.  Yeah! 

Sunday, January 27^th:  We decided to go to a ward that had a 10:00 am sacrament meeting.  We chose the Colon Ward because we haven’t been there and it is close.  I was coming out of the bishop’s office having just asked him if I could speak for 5 minutes during the sacrament meeting, when who do I run into but Pres. Crayk.  I said, “Well since you are here, you can take the 5 minutes.”  He said, “No, you go right ahead and talk.”  I gave a short recount of the group from Pando and their sacrifice and then read the quote from Pres. Monson. (See last week’s post)  Then I invited them to come to the temple.  Short and sweet but effective.

Friday, February 1^st:  This past week has been filled with saying good-bye to the Kennedys who leave on Sunday and me preparing to go to a stake conference in La Paz on Saturday.  Sister Kennedy taught mom how to make cinnamon rolls.  I can’t wait for the results. They are really good and you can’t buy anything down here that resembles the bakery products that we all love.  The Kennedys also gave us many of the comforts they had acquired to make their stay here a little more like home.  Examples:  speakers for the computer, a big bowl that mom can make a batch of cinnamon rolls in, and the large round table extension that fits on top of the table, we have so you can seat 8 to 10 people for dinner, but if you ever have that many, then they have to bring their own plates and utensils.  Mom got a new hair dryer from Sister Kennedy and a bunch of office supplies and of course a lot of food that hadn’t eaten.  Thanks Kennedys for all your kindness and I’m sorry I forgot to say good-bye before you left.  I was still in La Paz when they left on Sunday.  They were well loved in their ward and in the temple.

I have been working on a new talk for this stake conference about “What is your goal?”  Our goal should be to return to our Father in Heaven and receive from him the gift of eternal life and if that is our goal, “What is it that we need to do in order to receive this gift.” 

Saturday, February 2^nd:  Got up at 4:30 and got ready to go to the airport.  In La Paz the airport is really in a city called El Alto meaning the tall one, which sits above La Paz on the Altiplano, 13,620 ft above sea level. When I arrived I could see that it had snowed on all the mountains that surround La Paz and El Alto and it was 6 degrees centigrade, 43 degrees Fahrenheit. 

La Paz in the valley below El Alto.

Cold by Bolivian standards, but not by Utah standards.  I know I will get no sympathy from any of you in Utah.  I went to the hotel and worked on one my talks.  I will be giving 4 talks, 20 minutes each in 2 days.  President Pozo picked me up at 3:30pm and we headed to the stake center.  This is the first conference for this new stake.  It was one of the new stakes created from the stake that was divided a few months ago.  The meetings went well; the adult session was at 4:00pm and the priesthood session at 7:00pm.  I was back at the hotel about 9:30pm.

Sunday, February 3^rd:  Again Pres. Pozo picked me up at 9:00 am and we were back at it. 

General Session Calacoto Stake Conference.

Me and Brother Santiago Castro Calle, 91 years old,  member for 8 years.

Closing song general session.

I thought my new talk went really well, although I was very emotional and at one point a lady from the audience came up and handed me a tissue.  They don’t know that for me it is no problem to talk and sob at the same time.  They had a cute primary choir. 

The Primary Choir

I got a video of them practicing before the meeting started.

Left to Right Pres. Quintanilla and his wife, Mission Pres. La Paz Mission, 2nd counselor St. Presidency, Brother Davalos,  me, President Pozo, 1st counselor Brother Castillo.

Pres. Pozo took me home with him and I had lunch with him and his daughter.  His wife is in the states for 2 months.  3 of his adult children live in the states.  They all went to BYU and married North Americans.  He has a son on a mission in Calgary.  His youngest is 15 and she cooked dinner.  We then went back for a meeting with the Young Single Adults. 

The young single adult session.

There are 16 missionaries serving from this stake.  There are also 12 who have received their calls, but have not left yet, and 7 who will be sending in their papers this month.  35 in the field by July is what he told me.  The Lord is hastening his work and this generation gets it.  I then went with the stake presidency to a viewing for the husband of a member, one of the pioneers in La Paz.  He dropped me off at the airport and I got home just before 10:00pm.  Fell in bed and was asleep by 10:15pm