Week of Jan. 19th to Jan. 25th, 2015

I really can't believe January is almost over, we now have just over 3 months in the mission field! In some ways it seems like we have been here forever and this is just our normal weekly routine,(humans really are pretty adaptable) in other ways it still seems like such a strange and foreign life.

This has been a pretty unexciting week, Monday we went to Walmart with the Roesberrys, we caught a bus and had to go way out around because of a blockeo. The store was nearly empty.We have heard rumors that Walmart may close down because the blockeos are hurting their business.
We caught a Taxi back and ate lunch then the Normans and the Roesberrys came over in the afternoon and we visited and played games and then walked to Sam's Club and wandered around and then ordered a Pizza for dinner, just like a group of Seniors for family night! We did actually come back and have a family night discussion.

I went back to the temple on Tuesday and was so glad to be back to work but still haven't felt really great, the sweet sisters in the temple are so concerned for my health, Sister Peña and Sister Serano, the Matrons, as well as the coordinators, that they won't let me do much. I guess it is just as well because when the Doctor checked me yesterday he said I haven't gotten any better. I felt better for a couple of days then got worse again. He put me back on steroids and on a stronger antibiotic and I am going for a chest x-ray in the morning. Then we will reevaluate, meanwhile I guess I will take it a little bit easier.

Friday was my first real test as a coordinator in the temple, we had 5 busses and we were short workers, we only had 4 plus me! We had 2 Primera Vez (own Endowments) and 2 sealings. We did have some restricted workers so that sort of helped. Thank goodness for Sister Peña she is amazing, we got through the morning with no major disasters and I learned a few things that I can build on to make it better next time, although on thing I have learned is that each day in the temple is different and has it's own unique challenges, but because it is Heavenly Father's house and He loves His children and He is so filled with joy to have us in His house he will provide the way for things to work for our benefit if we exercise faith and do our part (that is to organize and be as prepared as possible and do the work that we can) he always fills in the gaps. I find this so much in my life, I fall short in so many areas despite mu best efforts and He loves me enough to step in and fill in the gaps. How absolutely amazing is that! And in the temple I see it so much more dramatically! 

After we were done Friday we went with the Normans and the Peñas to the funeral home to give our condolences to our friends Louis and Laura Perez. Louis' father had passed away. He was 80 or so, and had been sick and had alzheimers, Louis' mom
had been caring for him for 3 years while he was pretty much bedridden. We again ran into blockeos, they had the whole main road blocked off. I just do not understand why they let them get away with it, last week they blocked all the gas stations one day. As far as we understand it is only this state and Guerero where they are blockading. You can usually find a way around, it just takes a little longer and is inconvenient.   

Yesterday I was sitting in the entrance at the temple and wondering what I could put in this blog for this week and I thought about some of the lessons I have been learning and relearning:

1. You can't buy shoes that are comfortable enough for 60 year old feet to be working 
     in and standing on for10 hours a day.
2. Mom was right when she said "If you say please and thank you and excuse me most
    people will respond with kindness and you will feel better".
3. Definitely look both ways twice before crossing the street. (cars go very fast here)
4. Don't forget your camera.
5. Don't judge, just love. We simply do not know the path that people have been walking,
    we just need to accept people for who and where they are, as we do we find that we end up
    having some of the greatest experiences and friendships of our lives. Lives change as we  
    love and accept one another, possibly even our own.
6. Don't forget to pray, each day take time to communicate with Father, He wants to hear
    from you and you need to hear from Him. 
These are just a few of the things I have been  thinking about lately, some kind of silly, some not so much. We love you all so very much and miss you more than you can imagine. Cuidase! Take care.

The blogger hard at work!

This is a picture of the front of our casa, we live in the one on the left,
the Normans live in the one on the right.