Queretaro

On Saturday June 27th I went with the other senior missionaries for an outing to the city of Queretaro.  We drove in a van and met Carlos Zapda and his wife Sylvia along the way and then followed them to the city where they showed us the sites.  Unfortunately Dennis stayed home because he would have been the only doctor on campus and he felt he was needed there. Queretaro is a Mexico independence city as it was there that an uprising was planned for September 15th.  The people rose up and defeated the Spanish army so they could have their freedom.  We went into the independence hall and saw a bust of the Mayor and his wife who help plan and institute the uprising.  

Carlos and Sylvia met each other in high school when the CCM was the Benemerito church school.  He graduated and then went on to become the high school principal. He now works at the CCM.  They live in Pachuca an hour north of the CCM. He  stays at the CCM from Monday through Friday and then drives home on Friday to his wife and returns again on Monday.  He has lived in Utah and speak English well.  His wife does as well.

They took us to brunch at Nico's restaurant where most of the couples had eggs.  I had a fruit plate and they served fresh bread plus an apple roll.

Me, Sylvia and Carlos, the Calls, the Beechers and the Gills

Carlos had divorced eggs. That is an egg dish with two eggs separated by black beans. One had a red sauce and the other a green sauce.  Sylvia had an egg, potato, cheese dish called tortilla because it was flattened with the hands like a tortilla

Sister Beecher in from of a pink VW bug.

We went to a park run by the government.  It cost only 1 peso to get in.  It was very well kept and seemed to be a very popular place for 15 year old girls to come and have their picture taken.  Evidently in this culture at the age of 15 the parents throw a big celebration sort of like a "coming out" party for their daughter.  There were three girls there dressed in formals with flowers and photographers.  It seems like their parents are pushing them a little to grow up.  Is this an invitation to be promiscuous early.    The event is called quinceanera and may involve a limo, parties, a fiesta, etc.

Benito Juarez is shown in this statue at the state park.  He has been the only indigenous Mexican president.

Pizza Hut delivery on moped

The traditional Mexico doll only much larger.

We were going to eat at this scenic restaurant by the reservoir but being short of time we ate fast food at Carl's Jr.  instead.   

impressions/ inspirtation

We arrived on a Saturday and the next Monday when I was helping with the taking of pictures for the outgoing districts I noticed a hermana who was wearing a torn lace skirt.  I hoped she would mend it.
The next morning when I said my prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help me know what to do that day I had the impression that I should mend her skirt.  I found her and asked if I could do that.  She left shortly after that but I do hope she will wear the skirt again now that it is mended. I just did what the spirit told me to do.

Last night as I was reading the Book of Mormon before going to bed I had another impression that the elder who is in the hospital with the abscess from the ruptured appendicitis should have a priesthood blessing.  I had Dennis call him in the hospital and I talked to him and told him that I thought he should have a blessing this morning when he gets a switch in companions.  At that time there would be two elders with him.  

visa problems

As Dennis and I were helping the new incoming missionaries last Wednesday we learned that the ones staying in Mexico had to get a visa that allowed them to have residence status.  That brought us to the question of what to do with our visa.  Evidently the immigration officer at the airport marked us as tourists instead of short term residents so we had to go to the airport on Thursday and get our visa corrected.  Dennis and Dr. Gill were supposed to go to go to the clinic by the temple so they could get an orientation from the AMA, Dr. Greg Stevens.  We had our visa picture taken at 7:30 AM after breakfast at the comoder and then we went with Dr. Gill and Hermana Gill to the Mexico Temple visitor center when we met Dr and Hermana Stevens.  We saw the clinic, the Mexico Temple Visitor Center and two LDS bookstores.  I talked with Hermana Shaw who is a guide at the center.  The visitors center is absolutely beautiful.  It is the perfect place for missionaries to take the people who they are teaching.

After the visit to the clinic and temple we had a driver from the church area office pick us up and we went to the airport to resign our papers.  I think we will still have to go downtown to get them further processed as will the other missionaries who are staying in Mexico.

We came home from that trip at about 4:00 PM and then went with the other couples to Costco and Walmart and then to dinner at Panda Express.

I love this picture at the Mexico Temple visitors center because I think it must be what Mexico looked like when the Nephite's lived here and this was one of their temples.  

This is a dormitory on the temple grounds.  It can house temple patrons who come from a far distance or in the past it has been used for the Mexican MTC before the CCM was established at Benemerito School 2 years ago.  Right now it houses the medical clinic for the Mexican missionaries to use when they come to see a doctor. (namely Elder Gill and Elder Harston on Tuesdays.

The temple will be reopened in  September after having been closed for about 2 years.

We met our first district

Denis and I went to our first branch  meeting tonight and meet the 4 Elders and 2 sisters who will make up our district.  This coming Sunday since we are so small we will actually meet with Branch 9 and then the next week we will receive more missionaries as they arrive at the CCM and our branch will be larger.

I worked on the welcoming orientation slide show presentation that I have been asked to narrate.  Sister Call has been doing it, but since they need to find things for me to do Carlos Zepeda asked if I would do it.  That will be each time new missionaries arrive I will show the little slide show and tell them about it.

New Missionaries Arrive

Dennis is preparing for the new elders  who will arrive shortly.  He is clearing the mosquitoes out of the room with an electric racket shaped swatter that kills them instantly. We will then review their medical records for immunizations.  

Three bus loads of 76 sisters and elders came in on the direct flight from Salt Lake City.  Immediately after the buses arrived the heavens opened with torrential rain.  Dennis is soaked through to the skin.  Rain water was coming in under the closed doors. Two other missionaries came about a hour or so later.  They came in on other flights and so were the only other missionaries on their plane where as the flight from SLC had the 74 missionaries.  

Heavy rain poured down on the missionaries as they exited their buses.  

Most of the missionaries came in before they were completely wet.  Welcome to the rainy season of Mexico.  It will last until after the summer is over.  It is clear and even sunny in the morning and then in the afternoon the rain begins.  We waited this one out and by the time the missionaries had started the welcome orientation it stopped raining and they could go over to the comodor for dinner and even came back to finish the process without getting rained on again.  

bridal shower for Penelope

The secretary for the mission president met a man from Utah on line.  They are getting married in August but she is leaving for Utah in July.  Nadia Cates put on a bridal shower for her.  

President Tenorio/s wife in in the back in green

  The party was very elaborate

into the second week at CCM

I have been trying to learn Spanish a little more.  Catty is teaching me lessons.  I had a lesson last Thursday and another this week.  We had 70 new Latino Elders and sisters arrive yesterday and about 80 North American Elders and Sisters will arrive today.  I have been asked by Carlos Sepata to help with that orientation process.  It has been a little slow right now with the census low but with the new missionaries now I hope it will get busier.

I am surrounded by Spanish speakers and yesterday found myself in a meeting where I was the only one who could not speak Spanish. This is not unusual.   I will concentrate more on learning Spanish  in the next 6 weeks until Dr and Nancy Gill leave and I will have to pick up some of Nancy's responsibilities.

Penelope's shower

President Tenorio's secretary is getting married in August to a man she met on line from Utah

The party was very elaborate

Tepotzotlan outing June 19, 2015

Today was our preparation day so we went on an outing with the other senior couples.  Stan and Janet Call, Neal and Jackie Beecher, Fred and Nancy Gill went to the city of Tepotzotlan.  We went in a CCM van and Fred drove while Stan navigated.  The city is about a 45 minute drive north west of mexico.  We went over the hill with the "B" that stands for Benemerito and drove north on very crowded streets.  Fred did very well to navigate.

The city was was populated in Aztec times and was later known as a city for the Indians.  (or in my reference it was a city for the Lamanites who remained after Christ has come)  Later it became a major education center when the Jesuits established a College of San Francisco Javier.  The college complex that grew from its beginnings in 1580 remained as an education center until 1914.

Today this complex of colleges units is the home to the Museo del Virreinato (Museum of the Vice Regal or Colonial Period).  We went through that museum and then went to dinner just outside of the official museum but in part of the church/school grounds.  We then walked around the town and shopped at the small outside stores.  I bought a little purse at a tienda where two sisters were selling the bags their mother made.  Sister Beecher and Gill bought many bags.  I just needed a small one to put on my shoulder and carry my key and phone and notebook as I go across this campus.

On the way home we stopped at Walmart and bought groceries and supplies.



Tepotzolan Cathedral

We encountered this little alley after we parked and walked to the town.

What colorful "junk food" was sold in the plaza.

The Beechers, the Gills and the Calls with the cathedral in the back ground

Before the priests entered the holy church they went into this room and washed themselves with water from the fountain and then changed their clothes into holy clothes that were in the cabinets shown in the pictures below.

  

The priests took a vow of poverty and then worshiped  in a gilded cloister.  This was just one of the many walls covered with baroque gold decorations.  This wall was dedicated to the priest Guadeloupe.

stairs going up to the organ loft

more detail of the gilded  walls.  The area of Mexico is rich with gold and silver

the organ

Nancy Gill leading the choir with the organ and the bellows in the back

Stan and Janet from the organ loft looking down in the the gilded walls

a view from the top of the cathedral

In the outside plaza and orange groves

At the restaurant inside and on the grounds of the Cathedral, Beautiful bougainvillea.

making fresh tortillas in the town

The two girls who ran this shop are church members.  We all bought purses and bags from them.  They showed us a picture of their mother as she sat on the ground and wove the fabric for the scarfs and bags.  They said she would send me via email a picture of their mother.  

beautiful bougainvillea in the court yard at Tepotzolan June 19, 2015

new missionaries

Last night 16 new Elders and Hermanas arrived at the CCM.  It was very interesting to see these new missionaries get off the bus from the airport.  Actually only 15 arrived because Sister Young missed her flight or connection or something and didn't get here until several hours later on another flight. They got off the CCM bus and came into the Thomas S. Monson  building. They were given a packet of information and then were sent into the rest room to use the bathroom and wash their hands from airport germs.  Next they had an orientation from Sister Call, the wife of the counselor to the President.  She showed them a slide presentation.  They put on their missionary name badges, were told where they would be living and that the water was safe to drink.  She told them this training center had been dedicated by Dallin H. Oakes and that he had declared it a safe haven from the world.  They were assured that they were safe and would be well cared for.  The new missionaries then went into a computer lab and emailed their parents to let them know they had arrived safely to the MTC.  They had to present their immunizations to the doctors and nurses and they were asked if they were allergic to anything.  Actually they saw the doctors first and then the emails.  They then received a small bag/packet of materials including scriptures in Spanish, a "Preach My Gospel" manual and several pamphlets of instruction.  Some of the other missionaries came to take them to the comodor for dinner.  Because it was poring rain they were given plastic ponchos.  Later they were given a tour of the campus.

This morning I went to an orientation given by all the members of the Mission President and their wives.  There was also more instruction given after they broke into Elders and Sisters.  The Sisters had a discussion on dressing and grooming that is appropriate for a missionary.  Hermana Call did a very nice job of leading this instruction for the new missionaries.  Some sisters on campus have not been obedient to the rules and it is necessary to call them aside and talk to them about wearing military boots or denim jackets or the like.  At some point they all have a discussion about sexual purity and hopefully no one has to confess transgressions and be sent home.

Catty who is a nurse at the clinic is going to teach me Spanish.  Our first lesson was today.  She was pretty intense and expected a lot from me.  I also have homework to do. Dennis and I went to another new missionary discussion this evening and heard what the rules for this CCM are.  I am very impressed that they teach these new young men and women who have just graduated from high school to be dignified and professional as they are now representatives of Jesus Christ.

Sean Cates took us to Walmart the other day.  It was a little humbling because he is the (34 year) director of the entire CCM.  We tried to shop quickly and pick up just a few things that we absolutely needed so as to not waste his time.  He was patient and helpful.  He has a wife and three sons and lives on the campus.  We have been treated very nice including having a new picture of Christ hung on our wall and an electronic keyboard  delivered to our home.  (No petal, so no sustaining of the keys...I was prompted to bring my pedal from home and did not...Ill learn to follow the spirit better next time.)

We have been exercising in the morning at the gym including walking around campus.  I am trying to eat healthy.  So far I haven't eaten desserts and white rolls at the comodor, however I did have pasta one night.  There is lots of fruit and nuts and salad fixings.  I am doing pretty good to eat veggies and fruit and I am even able to have a spinach smoothie for breakfast.

The birds are amazing.  I have seen red cardinals and green parrots all around the campus.

first Sunday June 14, 2015

We arrived safely with a personal drive to greet us at the airport and take us through the maze of traffic that led to the bit of heaven on earth called the CCM.  We had a tour and dinner and met so many people last night and then today  I attended RS where Hermana Call of the Presidency gave an excellent lesson to these missionaries and their need to defend the proclamation of the family.  We looked up scriptures to support each paragraph and shared them with others.  I attended a district meeting with the supervising Hermana conducted.  We sang, prayed and shared feeling and testimony.  We then went to our sacrament meeting where these  young missionaries were prepared with a talk to give.  They are always supposed to be prepared to give a talk so if their name is called they can speak on a moments notice.  The branch president announced that certain elders and sisters would speak and in what order and they came up and spoke in their newly acquired Spanish of one, two or five weeks of training.  A sister played the piano and another led the music.  They all pray very well in Spanish. We have attended two devotionals today and now we chose not to watch the movie ,"meet the Mormons" but to get a little more situated in our dormatorio.  I have a lot to learn.

A new beginning

Renee dropped us off at the airport at 7:30 in the morning on Saturday,June 13th.  

We are off to Mexico.  

Doctor Montoya

our welcome

June 13, 2015 we are welcomed to the MTC by by Jackie and Neal Beecher and Dr Fred and Nancy Gill.  Flowers from Nancy. Nice to be here

Fifth and last day at Provo MTC

Dennis and I enjoyed working with the couples in our district.  The Baers sat next to us and so we got to know hem best.  This is their second mission. The Rails are a great couple.  She is from Scotland and he is musically inclined.  The Curtis' are from Minnesota and have 7 children.  She is a nurse.  They are going to St. Louis.