a few a random pictures from a p-day and campus and missionaries

I guess this was a spider bit.  It was four times this big to start with and very red and painful.  It took a couple of weeks to heal.  

 One p-day we went downtown.  They had artistic soccer balls on display for blocks as we rode along.  I guess Park City can have moose and Mexico City can have soccer balls.

 We parked the car close to a Torrie bus stop so we could view the city from the top of a bus.  As it turned out the place where we parked was near a military/government base of some kind.  They had these very artistic creations made from guns and then painted.

This one is depicting the aqueduct of Querertaro.

This one reminded me of the scripture that talks about turning their swords into plowshares.  In this case it is turning guns into a harp.

At the same government military facility there was a changing of the guard ceremony going on.  

 The Mexico City Stock Exchange as seen from the top of the Torrie bus.

sky scrapers

 I really like this one of Benito Juarez a past president of Mexico.  Especially since the temple work of he and his wife have been done.

Not all missionaries who come stay.  Hermana Rojas has persistent knee pain that prevented her from functioning as a missionary.  She had knee surgery a year before she came and was still having problems with it.  

Around campus

As amazing group of missionaries.  They were in our branch 11.  Hermana Van Drew on the end left was always so willing to help in any way with piano playing or what ever else.  She also played the violin and is just an outstanding woman.  The end sister of that foursome is Hermana Wright from Magna.  She actually lived in a subdivision that was build in the field behind the house we lived in when I lived in Magna as a child.  The Polynesian Hermana in the other foursome was a beauty queen and is also very talented and willing to help play the piano when ever needed.  This was a district of 8 Hermanas and 4 Elders.  Dennis and the Branch President Zircher are also in the group.  He works for the FBI int he kidnapping division.   

I am glad we have our own water system here on campus that is totally separate from  the Mexico water system.  The well is just below the water tower.  The water system is not without problems.

"B" is for baptism now instead of Benemerito.

This is what the little valley used to look like.  It was farm land.  The youth that came to Benemerito had the option of helping on the farm to pay for their school tuition.  

Waiting to be able to greet the new missionaries that just arrived.  This was the day we had 180 missionaries come.  With Latinos who arrived in the morning that totaled 223 new missionaries.  

They came on the large rented tour bus.  One of our drivers, Geraldo in this case rides with them.  He goes into the airport to greet the missionaries and escort them to the bus but we needed two big buses and several smaller vehicles to transport all the missionaries that day.  Sister Janet Call, Stan Call and Dennis.  The security building is in back.  

The missionaries formed a luggage brigade to get all their luggage from the bus to the The Thomas S. Monson Building.

And then the rains came and the missionaries still had to get their luggage to their houses and dorm rooms.  All 142 of the new Elders moved into Dormitory A where we are living.  

When it rains it can really pour.  

Right after the family left we were asked to moved back to Dormitory A.  This was the day after they left and the day before we moved.  The hail came and so did the rain.  It flooded the street and sidewalk.  The problem is that missionaries still had to get around from classroom to cafeteria and other buildings in the pouring rain.  

Dinner with Jose Machado

Jose Machado and his wife invited us to their home for dinner a few weeks ago.  He was a student at Benemerito when it first started and their were only 6 houses.  There are 50 houses now plus two guest houses.  His wife was 16 when she started to work as a secretary for the Benemerito President. He was also a teacher at Benemerito after he went to college and got a degree in chemical engineering.  He also went to BYU and received a degree there.  He is a very wealthy man.  His wife is an atorney although she has not continued to practice law.  Theirs is the story of what education can do for people.   His mother worked at the hospital for two straight shifts in a row  each day while he was at school and to provide a living and an education for him.  He was raised by his grandmother.  He was happy to come to Benemerito at the age of 12 because he had friends at school and sort of a family.  Prior to that he would come home from school and be alone or with his grandmother.    She also self educated.  After she was 12 her mother said she had to go to secretary school.  She did and became the B A de Las Americas secretary and they law school.  

The Packard's, Bruch and Jody are a counselor to Jose Machado in branch 12.  He has worked for Petroleum of Mexico or Premex.  That company owns all the gas stations in Mexico.  It is a government business.  The Machados have a lovely home 45 minutes away from the CCM.  It has lawn and is in a neighborhood.  

visit from family

We loved having family come.  Unfortunately sickness went around the group.  I stayed home with Spencer one day when the group went out sightseeing.  Then I stayed home with Tyler the next day when he was sick and I was starting to feel ill and the next day I really was ill so I missed some of the action but was glad that Dennis was available when I wan't.  

Dennis had to stay at the clinic on Saturday so I went with our driver Benjamin to Teotihuacan.  It was sunny and bright.  The boys are on top of the Pyramid of the Moon with the Pyramid of the Sun on the left in the background.  We hiked to the top of the Sun.

Benjamin helped Jordan negotiate a price for a dagger and now he is staging a little scare moment for the photo.

Inside the inner court of the temple at Teotihuacan.

The steps of the pyramids are very steep especially it seems steep coming down.  Those people were short and so they practically crawled up the steps in a bent over position.

Jordan ...happy after buying treasures from this woman

                                   The group with the Pyramid of the Sun behind us

An appetizer of crickets on a tortilla at La Gruta restaurant after the pyramids.  Benjamin showed the boys how to pull off the legs and pop it in your mouth.  He said he ate them all the time on his mission.

Tyler trying a cricket.....I don't think he has swallowed it yet.

Rachel ordered corn field soup.  It comes with corn and pumpkin blossoms in the bowl and then from a picture they pour in bean broth.


The boys enjoying authentic food

Those on the other side of the table

Mexico City Temple Visitor Center

It was sunny and bright.  Perhaps some of these boys will be back in a few years with a mission call to speak Spanish.

Dennis turned 69 while the family was visiting.  I like the creativity the boys took in posting greetings on the big white board.  Cake and ice cream and lots of tropical fruit.  We ate at the comodor a lot for breakfast and dinner.

Benjamin and his wife have six boys and one girl with another child on the way.  They used to live in Utah for a while running a catering business.  In Mexico he also caters and is a chauffeur.

Temple today

On the way home from the temple the taxi in front of us was being used to move a sofa. No ropes to tie it down just arms out the window holding on to it. 

We went with two Hermanas to the temple today. The taller Hermana Lopez had not been to the temple before. She is a convert of nine years. The nearest temple to her was 9 hours away. She wants to study law when she returns from her mission. I asked why she decided to serve a mission. She said she wants to share the joy of the gospel with other families because her family had been blessed by the gospel to be an eternal family. The other Hermana has been a member all her life. She wants to become a physical therapist when she get back home. She worked prior to her mission with their family business making and selling yogurt. 

Xochimilco with the family

The canals of Mexico City built by the Azrecs and frequented by our family

The boys and our driver, Benjamin taking in some sun and sights. 

The marina band of two we hired to play us s song. 

The 14 year old boy and his uncle who cook corn and squash on their boat. 

We bought corn on the cob. Some had it sprinkled with lime juice, grilled or boiled. 

We brought our own picnic as opposed to stopping at a restaurant.

We did make a bathroom pit stop at one of the flower nurseries along the way. We paid this woman so we could use her potty and now she is handing out three squares of tissue to everyone.