November 3rd through November 9th:

November 3^rd through November 9^th:  Monday Mom and I went to the dentist.  In our neighborhood lives a couple who are both dentists.  The previous counselor in the temple presidency had given us their business card.  Mom has had some pain and decided we had better find out what is the matter.  They picked us up and drove us to their office.  It was a good ½ hour drive to their office in another little town, Cuilapam.  They both spoke pretty good English, so Mom was hoping they had trained in the states, but no, they met in dental school here in Mexico.  Mom was very nervous when she saw their office; it was small and “dusty”. The long and short of it is mom has an abscess and needs 2 root canals and a bone graft and 2 crowns.  They decided to do one of the root canals right then.  I had planned on making some orange rolls for dinner and Family Home Evening at the Pena’s home, so I left and took a bus and then a taxi back to the apartment.  2 hours later mom got home.  She has to go back on Wednesday and have the other root canal done.  Their equipment was newer, but mom says they need to work on cleanliness.  I got my rolls done just in time to go to dinner.  The Penas prepared pork ribs and they were delicious. It was just 3 of the couples that live in the temple housing, us, the Penas and the Rays, and Laura and Luis Perez, who are always driving us around to see different ruins and places of interest and their daughter, Lucerno . 

Dinner Monday night, L to R Sister Ray, mom Lucerno, Sister Pena and Laura Perez,  Lucerno is Laura's daughter.

Family Home Evening

We had a great week in the temple.  On Friday, we set a new record for ordinances performed in one day--2,723. 

Some of the youth from Cuautla Zapata who were in the temple Friday and Saturday.

And on Saturday, we had 7 buses arrive in the morning.  Three of the buses were a Relief Society group from Tlaxcala.  It was a challenging morning, but we attended to over 320 patrons. 

This is one of the brides and her parents.  They are from Huchitan down on the itmas. (SP narrow part of the land between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific)

Saturday evening in the middle of watching Granite Flats our internet went out and we don’t know when we will get it back.  A truck took out the telephone wire and cable for internet.  There are about 10 homes in this neighborhood that are now without phones or internet.  We are supposed to get a new fiber optic cable with phone service and fast internet.  We hope that happens soon.  I don’t know when I will be able to post this, but at least now it is written.  Sunday, we went to church at the Violetes ward and heard great talks from Pres. Junco, the Stake president and Elder Villalobos, the area seventy. At the end of the Relief Society meeting, the young women sang a farewell song to a young woman leaving on her mission.  Mom said it was very tender.

The young women who were singing for the sister missionary who was leaving on Tuesday.

In the evening, we had a meeting with the coordinators to go over evacuation procedures in the temple in the case of an emergency and then another meeting with the members of the High Council who are over the temple in their respective stakes.   Time is flying by; we have just completed 1/3 of our mission.  1 year is all that is left.  I went to a coffee shop close to the apartment and had a hot chocolate so I could upload this post.