Week of April 27th to May 3rd, 2015

Can you believe it is May already? I really can't, April went by so fast, it seems to me that the weeks go by quickly but there are days that just seem to drag by. Happy Birthday in the morning to Adam, we hope you have a great day and everyone spoils you for the day. 

Monday we didn't have plans but the Normans and the Roesberrys both had to go downtown so we decided to meet there and find something to do. We went with the Roesberrys and as we were walking down what is called the 'walking street' (it is a wide street with a lot of stores and shops) we noticed a bunch of little kids were sitting on the curb and on the edge of the road, we wondered if there was a parade. It was a group of preschoolers with books, they were asking the people on the street to stop and listen as the kids read the books. We had so much fun listening to different kids 'read' the stories. For the most part they couldn't read but had the stories memorized or in some cases looked at the pictures and made up a story. It was great to see he street lined with pedestrians being read to by preschoolers!

The walking Street, with kids reading to passersby.

Grandpa being read to.

This story was about a princess who just kept getting fatter and fatter, halfway through the little girl said "she is embarasado" (pregnant). She was adorable! 

The street also had a display of statues made of stone and of metal, there were sign that said it was all for some Oaxaca Town festival. Down town was pretty busy. I loved this dragonfly!  

Ross with one of the stone carvings.

  We met Chris and John and decided to go visit a museum we had not seen, Ross and I have tried to go at least twice before and each time it was closed. It is a private museum and contains on mans artifact collection. Inside the double doors was a beautiful courtyard and then different parts of the collection in different rooms around the courtyard. The cost was 20 pesos and it would have been worth that just to sit in the shade in the courtyard and visit but the museum was really nice also.

One of my favorites from the museo, this is a depiction of a ball court and the ball game with spectators on the rims.



Another favorite, this shows a building on one of the pyramid bases, it gives me a lot better idea what it would have looked like.

By the flowers in the courtyard at the museum. Ross and I, Greg and Jan, and Chris.
We really do let John come with us, he just always takes the pictures!

While waiting for John and Chris we couldn't resist getting a Picture by this beautiful tree.


Later we all went to the movie, it is nice to have a relaxing day before gearing up for a busy week. We saw The Theory of Everything, about the life of Stephen Hawking. We thought it was a good movie and as always, we enjoyed the popcorn!

Tuesday Wednesday were what Brother Norman calls groundhog days (think of the movie with Bill Murray) no different than the one before! Thursday there were no busses scheduled so the temple was reserved to the YSA or as they are called here, JAS(Said as a word, remember the J makes more of an H sound) Joven Adulto Solteros.  Ross and I aren't scheduled to go in until 11:00 on Thursdays so we didn't go as they were supposed to be done by then. Only about 3 showed up so they were for sure done. We went for the evening shift and it ended up being about normal. Friday and Saturday were both busy days, 5 busses Friday and 7 on Saturday. Ross was coordinator for Friday again and he was tired when we came home after a 12 hour day. Again we had a lot of Own Endowments and several sealings, I got to help get one little girl ready, it was fun to do her hair and help her get all pretty. She was very excited and for a 5 year old had a good grasp of what was going on, she told me there was a song from primary that says 'families can be together forever' and  that it was here favorite.


The construction across the street seems to be moving at a snails pace, I'm sure the rain has slowed it down some.

 

They did not just make pottery to be functional but also beautiful, I love the parrot and the laughing dog.

 It was Chris' birthday on the 30th, Roesberrys gave her this cake, they shared with us Sat. afternoon. It was as good as it looks!   


I have been contemplating the atonement a lot lately and how much we each need the light and power of the atonement to help us and lift us and bring us hope and peace, I love this quote by Jeffery R. Holland "However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don't have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of Divine Love. it is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement Shines".  Beautiful words of hope and  love, His love truly is great enough to help us to overcome any of the trials and adversities we may face.

We love all of you and keep you always in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.