Week of Feb. 9th to Feb. 15th, 2015

This week has been a little bit busier than the last few, that is a good thing for us, busy days keep us occupied and less homesick! We started out the week with a trip Monday morning to the bus depot with the Roesberrys. They needed to buy tickets to Tehuacán, where they will visit some friends they made from when they were here before. We also needed to buy tickets to go to Huatulco and for us to go to Mexico City.

We wish we would have waited on the Mexico City tickets as we didn't get permission to go! Our papers didn't get to the committee in Salt Lake and so it didn't get approved and they don't meet again until this next Wednesday, since it is outside of our temple district we can't go without permission, plus right now they are being a bit careful about letting missionaries travel outside of their assigned areas to sight see so it most likely wouldn't be approved anyway. No biggie we can turn the ticket in and we can actually help in the temple with some of the cleaning the first part of this week. We will work with the Peñas and we love to be around them so we will really enjoy that.

Spring has already come to Oaxaca, look at the beautiful flowers
we saw on the way back from the bus depot. In reality there are flowers all year round!
 

   At 2:00 on Monday we were invited to a house warming and dedication for the new home and business of the couple that were married in November, Ruth Araiza and Max Martinez.  Max used to have a restaurant and he cooked a seafood meal, the temple Presidency were invited, the Normans, Roesberrys, Us, their Stake President, the Paras, (another temple couple), Pres, Seranos daughter and spouse, and another couple. We had a great time! The food was fantastic! There was one dish, a meat to put on  tostados that was really good, come to find out it was his own specialty, made out of SARDINES and EGGS! He put them in the blender with spices then fried it up, believe it or not it was pretty darn good, of course if you put enough hot sauce on anything it tastes pretty good!(or your mouth is so hot you can't taste anything)

Sister Pena, Sister Norman, and Sister Serrano
 

The Serrano's Daughter and her family, this little girl was such a little doll, she really warmed up to grandpa.

Me with Sister Para and Sister Atkinson, Sister Para is one of our Temple Coordinators, she is such a wonderful lady, I love her to pieces!

 

 Friday evening the Atoyac Stake, Greg and Jan's Stake, held a Valentine's party. They talked us into going with them, it started at 7:00, we arrived at 7:00 and were the first ones there other than the ones setting up. It was decorated beautifully, there was a big balloon heart in the entry for pictures and a photographer to take pictures. the chapel was set up like a movie theatre (yes, the chapel) and the movie Frozen was playing! The cultural hall was set up for the dance and dinner, with a live band.
After about 40 minutes when more people got there they started the movie Fireproof, with Kirk Cameron. By 9:30 Greg and Jan decided we better go since we had to be at the temple by 6:00, as we left they made us take a plate of food, I thought it was great, a taquito and a little quesadilla. They had gone to so much work and it was supposed to last until midnight. It was a night to teach and instruct how to love and appreciate you partner, plus a dinner date and a dance, they had popcorn and drinks, decorations, etc. It was so nice and so well done.




Dad in the Cultural Hall where they were prepping for the dance.



Movie theatre in the Chapel.

  

Doesn't it always seem like when we are told we can't have something or something is going to be taken away that we want it more? I think that with the temple closing for 3 weeks everyone wanted to get one last session in for the month. Most of the sessions were pretty full this week. It was so nice to see full sessions and to have people there for all the ordinances, the temple was even open for several late special sessions through the week. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we had busses, in fact Saturday  I think there were 5. We went in at 6:30, worked until 2:30, took a 2 hour break to run to the grocery store and eat lunch, and went back until 7:30, it was a wonderful day! Dad had worked with a couple who had been there for both Friday and Saturday, Friday to get their endowments, in fact we both helped them Friday and then he helped them Saturday. They were outside getting pictures as we were leaving Saturday and we got pictures with them. Their parents invited us to come stay with them in Mexico City, they are such a loving, gracious people. The couple had a little girl, maybe 1 year old that was so cute and so happy, she never cried all day! She smiled and laughed for everyone in the temple. It was so sweet.




Aren't they a beautiful couple, they were so happy! 

 

  Someone is building a house right across the street  from us, I thought a few pictures each week might be interesting to the builders in the family. This week they have been working on digging the footings, etc. by hand. We couldn't help but think how much more efficient it would be to have one of Doyle's or Jared's machines here for a few hours!



This is the workers digging.

Finished or at least part way after most of the week of manual labor!




We Sure do love and miss everyone, we hope you have a wonderful week, you are always in our thoughts and prayers.
We appreciate your prayers for us, we feel them and feel your love, it is amazing how you can feel your families love from so far away but we can. Thank you for all you do for us and for each other we often think of the beautiful Primary song "I feel My Savior's Love" If it wasn't for this love we could not be so far from home and those we love, may His love fill your heart and home with His peace this week .