November 24th through November 30th:

November 24^th through November 30^th:  Monday, We spent most of the morning cooking.  We had our Thanksgiving Dinner in the afternoon at Pres. and Sister Madsen’s home.  Theirs is the biggest house and could seat all 13 of us.  Mom made 2 pumpkin pies and dressing.  I made some homemade Kitchen Bouquet for the gravy. I got the turkey on about 11:00am and then we just had to wait for the turkey to get done and everyone to arrive.  We had a great time and the food was delicious.  The turkey and gravy that I was responsible for turned out great.  The five different kinds of pie were all delicious.  After dinner and before desert we went around the table and expressed what we were grateful for.  I am grateful for my wife and partner.  We almost always have the hymn book open to the same page, maybe not singing the same melody, but close. We are a good partnership and we both want to be doing what we are doing.  It makes it so much more fun to do things together.  We both ate too much and it was truly a Thanksgiving feast. 

Sister Madsen and the beautiful tables.

The bird, all 22 pounds of him.

Appetizers by the Penas.

We are just about ready to eat.

L to R Mom, Pres. Atkinson, Sister Atkinson, Pres. Pena, Sister Pena, Sister Ray, Elder Ray, Pres. Madsen, Sister Madsen, Luara Perez, Luis Perez and their daughter Lucero.

5 kinds of pie, nothing says thanksgiving like pie.

Tuesday we were back to work.  We had a wonderful week in the temple.

One of the couples that came to the temple this week.

Are they not the cutest.

We set numerous records. Saturday was a record setting day with 8 buses coming to the temple.  I estimate that just under 400 people worshiped together in the temple and we set another record for ordinances performed.  It was a record setting week and month.   Thursday, after working all morning, we went back about 4:00pm to check on things and 2 couples had showed up to receive their endowment and be sealed and one other man from the same branch.  They had traveled over 12 hours from Guerrero.  This is the state that is the most dangerous.  The branch president was one of the couples who had come to receive his endowment and be sealed to his wife and have his son sealed to them.  He has only been a member for 4 years and two of those years as branch president.  He was so excited.  This was the first temple trip that his branch had ever made. There were 16 in all, 5 of them youth who were at the temple for the first time, and they planned to stay for 3 days.  They had not made an appointment and so Chris and I helped to get all their paperwork done.  That took about an hour.  There wasn’t a sealer and so Pres. Serrano asked if I would stay and do the sealings.  I said that we had Pres. Atkinson’s car and were going to go and buy some things for the temple, but that we would be back in time to do the sealings.  What a special sealing.  After I finished sealing their 15 year old son to them, I said, “I think you need a family hug” and the three of them hugged and cried. We could just feel their love for each other and our Father in Heaven’s love for his children.  Even though we had worked over 12 hours, we had a big payday, to be present as God’s tender mercies were felt by all who were in attendance at that sealing.  They asked if we would stay and have our pictures taken with them.  Of course we had to stay and get one for the blog. 

The nativity is up at the temple.

This is one of the couples from Guerrero that I sealed.

This is the branch president from Guerrero and his wife and son that I was privileged to seal.

While we were home getting lunch, we talked to our kids who were all together at James’ home for Thanksgiving dinner.  We are so happy that they get together and share holidays and spend time making memories, even if we cannot be with them.  We got home about 9:30pm, way past my bedtime and we had to be at the temple by 6:00am.  Friday, I was up by 4:00am to get my scripture study, prayers and breakfast made before we left for the temple again.  That’s how our days go, 8 to 10 hours in the temple, and that is not a bad way to spend your time.  

We get lots of moths and bugs on the carpet at the entryway of the temple each morning.  Look at the beautiful design on this one.

This is the biggest moth I have every seen.

Saturday we started at 5:00am with 5 buses and everyone was in the temple by 7:30 am.  After I got the 3 bus load of people in the temple who arrived at 11:30am, by about 1:30pm, we felt we could finish up our office work and go home for some lunch.  The most trying part of a day like that is that my feet hurt and I need to get off my feet. 

We had 8 buses at the temple Saturday, these three had to park across the street because there wasn't room in front of the temple.  Yes Lee, that is a Burger King right across the street from the temple.

Sunday we went to church in Tlacolula with the Penas.  It is a ward about 45 minutes east of Oaxaca.  It was fun to be with saints and feel of their spirit and testimony. 

Mom and the relief society at church in Tlacolula.

The new chapel in Tlacolula.

We had a couple of hours at home before we went with the Penas again to get the chapel ready for our Christmas Devotional for all the temple workers.  President De Hoyos, the Area President was the main speaker.  It was a great meeting and the building was packed. 

Mom waiting for the devotional to start.

The always have nice flowers for any special meeting.

Sorry it is out of focus but the place was packed.

We got home about 8:00pm and I was bushed and went to bed.  Chris stayed up and sent emails and some Christmas cards.  A short story about the Branch President from Guerrero, he has a stall where he sells bread in the market.  The mafia comes by every day and gives each stall an amount of money that they need to pay that day.  They come by every day and if you don’t pay it they will kill you.  He was able to save enough money to come to the temple because the mafia passes him by and doesn’t make him pay.  He feels like he is blessed every day because he is a member of the church.  He has only been a member 4 years and he has been the branch president for the last 2 years.