Happy Happy Birthday this past week to my beautiful mother who is 80 years young! You have always been and always will be my best friend and an example of unconditional love and of beauty and grace. Thank you for all of the lessons you have taught and continue to teach me. I love you forever and always!
Happy birthday this coming week to our wonderful daughter (in law) Tara. We are so grateful and blessed you chose to be a part of our family. Thank you for all you are and all you do to make us better.
This week we started out with an early morning Monday getting laundry done and a little cleaning then another trip to the dentist, this time I had two more of the cavities filled, two more to go! We stopped at the grocery store on the way home and then got ready to go to Laura and Luis Perez' house for Tamales and Family Home Evening. We went with the Peñas and Roesbrry. (Jan is still in the states). The Cardenas' were going to go but had something come up and they weren't able to come. We went to their house where they were finishing making the tamales and getting things ready,then we loaded the cars and went to what they called their casita de peros (dog's house). It is a piece property where they are building a new home for when they retire. luis keeps his dogs on the property, so they call it the dog' house. We had Alote(a drink made with corn), corn on the cob, corn tamales, Itmus style,( no filling just corn) Cornfritters with shrimp, mole, and I took a carrot cake. I swear I don't know how anyone down here stays thin! Part of Luis' family also came, he is the only member in his family as is Laura in her family, after we ate we played Dominos until we ran out of light, the only power they have at the Casita de peros is a generator and it wasn't worth the effort to turn it on. We enjoyed the afternoon and evening. when they get the casa all done it will be a nice place with a big yard yard and lot's of room for grandkids.
Tamale dinner at the dog house
Tuesday we had normal Presidency meeting In the temple, and although President Cardenas is much more relaxed personality wise that president Atkinson our meeting still lasted 21/2 hours. Much of the time was spent in training as he is passing on much of the training he received in Salt lake to us. We feel vey blessed to be able to receive these instructions. We can already tell that the Cardenas' will be easy to love. here is the information from the Church News about them.
Victor Manuel Cárdenas López, 66, Mira Azul Ward, Mexico City Tepalcapa Stake, called as president of the Oaxaca Mexico Temple, succeeding President Donald W. Atkinson. President Cárdenas’s wife,Aurora Ibarra Herrera de Cárdenas, will serve as temple matron, succeeding Sister Cathy M. Atkinson. He serves as a ward young single adult adviser. He has served as president of the Mexico Merida Mission, stake president, bishop, high councilor, and branch president. An independent sales representative for a medical software company, he was born in Cananea, Sonora, Mexico, to Reynaldo Cárdenas Savori and Alicia de Cárdenas López.
Sister Cárdenas serves as a ward single adult adviser. She served with her husband as he presided over the Mexico Merida Mission. She has also served as a counselor in a stake Relief Society presidency, ward Young Women president, and seminary teacher. She was born in El Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico, to Ibarra Montijo Gustavo and Aurora Herrera Ayal.
Word is starting to get around that there is help with genealogy in the temple, besides helping several obreros this week I was able to help some patrons who came with information and their account numbers but needed help to figure out how to navigate the website and learn how to correct information, add information, and then learn to submit names and print. It is such a joy to watch their faces as they receive the family cards for grandparents and parents and know that very soon the saving ordinances will be done! ( Jan hurry back I don't know enough to help everyone and people are waiting for you!) I have an appointment Tuesday morning at the house with a sister from the ward who is hoping I can help her,she is hoping,I am praying!
I added another English student this week, I have been helping Sister Araiza already, she is taking classes through Pathway, an outreach program from BYU. They are all in English and the students have to have and English mentor. Sister Araiza has 2 classes, English and Algebra, I think I should also get credit right along with her! They aren't easy!
My new student is Erika Vasquez, her class is English 101, the first assignment was getting to know each other. She is amazing! She joined the church in 2012, the only member in her family, both her parents are dead, she is about 25 or 26, she was raised by her grandparents and uncles, after she had been a member for 1 year she decided to serve a mission. Her family was against it. She went anyway after working for a year to earn enough money. No one wrote to her or supported her. She loves her family and she lives with some of them, her grandparents died almost a year ago and she can't wait to do their temple work. She is also an obrera in the temple,she loves sports,doesn't like to cook,and has her own network marketing business. She also values her time and believes in being on time or being early! (my other student not so much)
Our engineer, Alan Meza , has been frantically getting prepared for the triennial inspection. He is very preoccupied with how everything looks and how the inspection will go. There are 3 people coming from the temple department for 2 days to inspect all the temple properties and to do training. He has been cleaning and repairing any and everything he can. They even hired a cleaning crew to come in and clean our house, I wasn't sure whether to shout for joy or be offended, I chose the first option! They washed windows, window tracks, scrubbed all the hard water stains off the faucets and the shower tracks, all those things that are hard to find time to get to. After it was all said and done I hired them to come once a month to do the heavy cleaning! Whoo Hoo! The company belongs to a guy named Victor who also works at the temple doing the cleaning. He is quite the entrepreneur.
Yesterday was Sister Peñas birthday, we went with them and the Perez' to dinner for her birthday, we went to a place that is the equivalent of a steakhouse. It was delicioso! We tried different things, Ross had the ribs and I had shish ka bobs, we both had salads. It was great. Everywhere we go it is decorated for Dia de los Muertos.
La Katrina, the princess or queen of the dead
A gift for Dia de los Muertos fron the Familia Villanueva
Bread, Chocolate,tangerines,&mole,
my kind of trick or treat basket!
Pan de los Muertos
Oh how we love the people here, they are so kind and generous. As I sat in church today my heart was so full and I knew that it really would not matter where in the world we were if we were in an LDS church we would be with family. I keep thinking of the Scripture in Matthew 18:20"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This scripture is talking about being united in Christ, as we become united in Christ there truly are no more strangers among us but we are brothers and sisters, possessed of that love and understanding that binds us together as one in purpose and unity, that purpose being to take upon us the Name of Christ and to become like Him. Of course this is not something that happens overnight or even in a month or a few years but is the pursuit of a lifetime and even eternity. Is it worth it? Richard G Scott said "Stay on the lord's side and you will win every time." Henry B. Eyring said "Conversion will not be a single event or something that will last for just one season of life but will be a process. Life can become brighter until the perfect day, when we will see the Savior and find that we have become like Him." I know with my whole heart and soul it is worth it, the times in my life when I experience the greatest joy are those times when I am the closest to my Savior and I hear the Spirit whisper to me keep going this is the right path, good work. I also know that no matter what our Savior loves us and He will help us and does help us,through His atoning sacrifice, accepting and putting this great gift to use daily in our lives is the only way we can every find true and lasting grace and happiness.
We love each and everyone of you and pray for you all, have a wonderful week.
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