June 26 through July 2nd:

June 26 through July 2^nd: Well this week has been very interesting and at times very busy and at other times an adventure.  Thursday, I took President and Sister Atkinson to the airport.  They were going home for the wedding of a granddaughter.  I then went to the temple to help with the big group that was coming from 

Tehuantepec.  After everyone was in the temple, I went home and blogged.  I went back to the temple for the late shift as the assigned sealer.  Friday, I was again at the temple before 6:00am to help with the organization of the big group that came from Puebla.   If we can get them organized outside the temple, we can get almost 100 people into the temple and in their different places in about 30 minutes, but if we just open the doors, it is chaos.  I worked until about 1:30pm helping get the group in place that came in the afternoon. 

Another Bride and Groom outside the temple.

Saturday, was “ground hog day” again.  I was at the temple before 6:00am, but we were swamped with people and I had to be the second sealer for most of the morning to help accommodate more people.  I had one couple in the sealing session whose last name was Ahuacatitan. I said that the names of the deceased people were hard enough to pronounce and that it wasn’t fair to also have hard names for their live representatives.  The name is Nahuatl, one of the Indian dialects here in southern Mexico.  I don’t think I will ever forget Brother and Sister Ahuacatitan.  I did learn how to pronounce their name.  I was the Entry Coordinator for the afternoon group.  Mom came mid-morning and stayed till about 6:00pm. I was done about 1:30pm.  In the evening we went downtown with the Allreds.  They wanted to buy a couple of last minute things.  They leave next Wednesday. 

While the cat is away the mice will play.

Mom found a new friend downtown Saturday night.

Sunday, we talked in the Ixcotel Ward here in Oaxaca.  Our talks are getting better.  We enjoy speaking in church and testifying of Jesus Christ and his restored gospel. 

L to R The bishop of the ward we spoke in, me, and one of Pres. Crayk's missionaries.

I had put on another pork roast before church and made my own sauce this time.  We had a good-bye dinner for the Allreds and a welcome to Oaxaca dinner for the Madsens.  The Madsens are the new Mission President and Nurse.  That is a joke because we went over to visit them on Saturday to invite them to dinner and Sister Madsen said the first day she had at least 20 calls from sick missionaries.  Oh, the life of a mission mom.  The dinner turned out great and my sauce was better than the one from last week.  We also had fresh asparagus. 

L to R  Mom, Sister Madsen, President Madsen, me, President Allred, and Sister Allred.  They are showing how many texts they get, even on a Sunday.

Me and Mom and Pres. and Sister Madsen.

Monday was a great P-Day.  We left with the Allreds about 7:30am for a trip into the mountains.  Remember President Atkinson and his wife are in the States, so we have the car.  We first went to Guelatao, the birth place of Benito Juarez.  Benito Juarez is considered to be the Abraham Lincoln of Mexico. 

On the way to Guelatao.

On the way to Guelatao.

On the way to Guelatao.

At the memorial to Benito Juarez.

Not quite as big as the statue of Abraham Lincoln.  Mom and Sister Allred.

Me at the Benito Juarez memorial.

There is a picture of this lake in the temple.

Next we visited Ixtlan de Juarez.  It was market day and we had some interesting food off the street-cheese and calabasa (pumpkin) flowers in a tortilla. (see picture) 

Market day in Ixtlan.

Market day in Ixtlan.

A band passed by the market in Ixtlan.

President Allred and me waiting for our quesadillas.

Squash blossoms and cheese.

Ixtlan also has a great church that was started in 1640 but not completed until 1734.

The church in Ixtlan.

The church in Ixtlan.

The church in Ixtlan.

The church in Ixtlan.

(see picture below of the baroque bas-relief of doubting Thomas confronting Christ.)

The church in Ixtlan.

View from the church in Ixtlan.

Finally we visited Calpulalpam, a Pueblo Magico, (magic town).   It has this designation because it has met certain criteria.  It was very clean and all the buildings were newly painted, but all in all it was a little disappointing because everything was pretty quiet and closed up.  They assured us it was a “happening place” on a saint’s day or market day. 

Mom in the little town of Culpalalpam.

Mom and me in the little town of Culpalalpam.

Chruch in the little town of Culpalalpam.

We headed home and stopped in the mountains above Oaxaca and had a trout dinner. 

After they caught our dinner they had to get them ready to cook.

Our fish dinner on the way back to Oaxaca.

There wasn't much left of the fish.

We skyped with most of our kids in the evening, because we had missed talking to them on Sunday. Tuesday, I held the meeting with the FM Group and we had Presidency meeting by phone.  We were done by 11:00am and so we worked in the office in the afternoon.  Wednesday, we worked the morning shift because I am the assigned sealer for that shift.  I did 2 sessions of sealings and the session was full.  Wednesday mornings is the only day that the young missionaries can come to the temple and so it generally is full with missionaries.  In the evening we went to dinner with the Allreds.  It is their last night in Oaxaca and they wanted to eat one last time at the restaurant called “LA CASA DE LA ABUELITA,” Grandmother’s house.  It was a lot of fun to eat out with them their last night here in Oaxaca.  The restaurant is on the second floor of a building right next to the central plaza. It has a great view of the plaza and surrounding area. 

Allred's last meal. At least here in Oaxaca.

Mom had 4 different kinds of mole and I had a pork dish.

Dancing as seen from our window at dinner.

Some of you have asked about Oaxaca.  Oaxaca sits at an elevation of just over 5000 feet about sea level.  It has a very mild climate, but in the raining season it can really rain cats and dogs.  (see video)  My guess is it has a population of about 500,000 people in the city and surrounding area.  We love it here and any of you would love it here also.  So get those papers submitted and let me know that you would like to come and serve with us.

Our bird of paradise keeps changing.