March 2nd: Weekend with Elder Camargo

Saturday, March 2^nd:  We flew back to Cochabamba and arrived at the temple just before noon.  We had to hurry and get ready for the going away party for the Cortes, the Colombian couple who are finishing their mission and flying home tomorrow.  We had a pot luck lunch and played the musical spoon game one more time, because it is Sister Cortes’ favorite game.  Good food and it was nice to honor this faithful couple.  When they arrived at the temple, they made the goal to attend a session every day, either before or after their shift, and they did it.  Sister Cortes explained that it would take them 19 hours in an open air bus to get from their city to the temple in Bogota, so she was determined to make the most of living a few steps from the temple.  They also came with 4,500 names of their ancestors and finished all the temple ordinances for every one.  They are a real example to all of us.

Elder and Sister Cortez.

Good-bye party for the Cortez.

Elder Cabrera thanking the Cortezes.

Listening to Elder Cabrera thank the Cortezes.

After lunch I got ready for the Jaihuayco Stake conference.  Pres. Dyer, the mission president, picked me up a little before 4:00 pm and we headed for the stake center. 

President Dyer and yours truly before the Preisthood session.

This is the first stake conference that I have gone to where an area seventy is presiding.  Elder Camargo from Colombia gave us each, Pres. Dyer and I, 15 minutes to speak in the priesthood session.  He had asked if our wives could come early and meet with him before the adult session.  We all met in the high council room and had some snacks.  He told us that we each (Pres. Dyer, his wife, mom and I) had 10 minutes and could we speak about real life experiences where we had overcome problems and to give them hope and to try and edify the people.  I don’t have a talk in my quiver about this topic.  Mom was first and talked about how Father in Heaven is mindful of us and answers our prayers. I followed her and started by saying that this year we will have been married 40 years and that as I think about all those years I am sure some of them were good. I got a laugh.  But then I explained that we had a year when Ginny was born where she was in the hospital for months and that afterward we worried about and prayed for her for years.  Then there was the year I fell off a 2 story house and broke my wrist and had 3 operations and that I was out of work for that year.  I also explained that we had gone to a marriage counselor and that at one point he had asked, “Why don’t you just get divorced”.  We both said, “That is not an option. We have made covenants to God and to each other and we will find a way to resolve our problems.”  I then talked about hope and faith and that we must never lose these.  When we are having challenges in our lives we have to believe that they will pass and we will be ok in the end.  After the meeting, Elder Camargo told us that we had “hit it out of the stadium”.  He had to explain to me what he meant.  We had hit a home run and had done a great job.  He is a great teacher and very kind and loving.  Not what I expected.  He is built much like I am and he put his arm around me and I felt his love.

Sunday, March 2^nd:  We got a ride with the Dyers to conference. 

Waiting for the Sunday morning session to begin.

The stake choir.

Elder Camargo asked us to each take 10 minutes and I told the stories of the 12 year old boy from Vermejo who came to do the work for his parents and to be sealed to them and the story of the bus with no windshield and the 3 sisters who were part of the 5 couples from Cobija.  There was a sweet Spirit and again after the meeting Elder Camargo was so kind and said we had set the tone for the conference.  Yesterday, we received an invitation to eat dinner at the Dyers with her sister and brother-in-law, the Wilsons, and Brother and Sister Garcia, one of the counselors in the mission presidency.  After the meeting Elder Camargo said he would like to see the temple.  I said, “Well you are talking to the right guy.  I have a key to the temple.” The Dyers then invited him to eat lunch with us.  We had a great meal and then Elder Camargo and I walked down to the temple. 

From left to right, Pres. Dyer, Sister Dyer, Brother Wilson above, Elder Camargo in front, Sister Wilson, Me, Mom, Sister Garcia, and Brother Garcia.

I had mentioned when we got home from conference to the guard that I would be returning with Elder Camargo to go into the temple.  When we arrived at the guard house, Bishop Hinojosa one of the temple employees was there to greet us and he turned on the lights and escorted us through the temple.  He explained that everything was a mess because of all the work they are doing but Elder Camargo said “I am a civil engineer and very comfortable with construction.”  Elder Camargo commented on the beauty of the temple and the fine workmanship of the woodwork and the tile work.  The new carpet will be a great addition. 

Elder Camargo and John in front of the temple.

We then went to the patron housing building and Elder Camargo met with 6 of his missionaries who served under him when he was mission president in the Bogota North Mission.  Pres. Dyer then drove him to the airport.  It was a great weekend spent with a true servant of the Lord.