January 26th through February 1st

January 26^th through February 1^st:  Monday, on our morning walk we went and walked around Home Depot.  It really is one of my happy places.  It makes me want to redo a kitchen or a house or just make something.  We also did grocery shopping. 

Me in my happy place.

Spring has come early for this bush.

Tuesday and Wednesday were the same as they always are.  Tuesday, presidency meeting till 1:00pm and then the evening shift.  Wednesday, morning session at 9:00am with a group of missionaries from one of the zones here in Oaxaca and then the evening shift.  Thursday, 2 buses arrived from the Cuautla stake and they stayed for 3 days.  They have a lot of workers and are pretty much self- sufficient.  Friday we also had a group of youth come from the Nealtican stake in Puebla.  They all had earned their trip to the temple by meeting an indexing goal.  We really thought this was a great idea.  They were really cute and added a great spirit to the temple. 

Nealtican stake youth group.

Saturday we had, in addition to the 2 buses from Cuautla, a bus from the ward Xilotzingo in Puebla and a small group from Puerto Escondido.  We had a busy 3 day weekend and over 7000 ordinances were performed, over 30 percent were family names if I remember right.  When we have multiple groups, I stay pretty busy organizing how they will get into the temple and what they will do once they are inside and receiving all the members who come for personal ordinances. I help in the office with recording and checking to see if sealings can be performed and sometimes being the sealer for a sealing session. Mom also helps people with Family Search who come with problems and need help in order to print their family names. 

Me hard at work scheduling.

Sunday, we went to church in the Juarez ward and the teacher for priesthood meeting didn’t show up so they asked me to teach the lesson.  That was a lot of fun.  We had Sunday dinner at the Pena’s apartment with the Rays and the Atkinsons.  President was late because he had a 6 hour meeting with the area seventy and the stake presidents. 

Sunday dinner at the Pena's L to R, mom, Sister Atkinson, mission President Atkinson, still at a meeting, President Pena, Sister Pena, Elder Ray and Sister Ray.

Sister Pena made a delicious pork dish.

Mom interviewed, over Skype, a Chinese woman for possible acceptance into the CAPA program and I listened to the last half of the Super Bowl, boy what an ending.  The weeks and months seem to fly by and we are now half way through our mission.  We love it and are continuing to learn and grow.  It is such a blessing to be here and we feel so blessed. 

Week 2