New Callings

     We went to dinner on the 21st, Saturday, to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary.  We have celebrated our anniversaries here in Guatemala twice (this year and in 2011 when we were on our Book of Mormon Tour) and in El Salvador twice.  We have spent our last 4 anniversaries here in Central America.  We finished our shift and walked to Pollo Campero for dinner.  We enjoyed ourselves and made it home before the rains came.

     The carrots here are big, sweet, and tender.  This farmer is on his way to the market with a nice harvest.

     On June 6th, 2014, while at the temple, we received word that Elder Amado, our area President here, was trying to find a time to visit with us.  At the time we were both in a session and couldn't meet with him.  On this Friday, it was raining cats and dogs so we didn't go out for our walk as usual after our morning shift.  Elder Amado called on the phone and visited with Elder Thompson for a few moments then talked to me.  He was given the assignment by the First Presidency to extend the call for Lon to be the Second Counselor in the Temple Presidency here in the Guatemala City Temple and for me to serve as an assistant to the Matron.  We had figured that the counselor had been picked long before this and that it would be a Guatemalan.  So we were completely surprised.  We assured Elder Amado that we only have one goal and that is to serve our Heavenly Father whenever and where ever we are needed.  We have had two weeks to ponder and pray about this new call as we have not been able to tell anyone about it till now.  With humility and faith we will move forward to accomplish this new responsibility.
     President Burk announced our call at Family Home Evening today.  We had a dinner of lasagna with all the fixings and birthday cake for President Galvez.

 

We ate in the garage of the President's house

We met all together to say goodbye to Elder and Sister Olson who are finishing their 18 month mission and will fly home to Rexburg, Idaho on the 30th.

     We also said goodbye to President and Hermana Galvez who will fly home to Tennessee on the 30th to spend a few months with their families before heading to Quezaltenango to be the Temple President and Matron of the Xela Temple.

      This week, we will be trained by the Temple Presidency each day during our morning shift.  We will greatly miss being able to perform the temple ordinances daily.  We will be set apart on the 28th of June and will then have a 2 week break for cleaning and will begin our new assignment on the 14th of July.  It has seemed like a dream up to now.
     Our lives will change and our schedules will change.  We will open the temple one morning and preside on the AM shift, then the next day we will preside on the PM shift and close the temple.  The third day we will have off and then start over again.  Our service in El Salvador was all about teaching all that we knew about temples, and this mission is all about learning.  We have learned so much already and have much more to learn.  A few things that I have learned is to let my husband take care of me, learned to call neighbors to come and help me, and learned to walk without a limp.  Elder Thompson has learned to cook, to care for me, to be a sealer. 
     The hardest part of this new call will be on the weekends.  With 27 stakes in this temple district, every weekend the Temple Presidency takes turns visiting Stake Conferences and talking at firesides.  President Burk assured us that we WILL have plenty of opportunities to talk in Stake Conferences and at firesides.
     As we have worked in the temple off and on for the last 14 years, we know more than ever that the gospel is true and that we have a Heavenly Father that truly loves each and every one of us and has given us the way to return and live with him again.  We love our family so much and without any doubt, know that through the temple ordinances that He makes it possible for all families to have their children and loved ones for all eternity.  I have felt this more than ever as I have been able to seal families and to feel without any doubt his love and desire for us to be happy.  We have learned through revelation the importance of family and the only happiness we will have is to be with them forever.  Through His atonement all children can receive eternal life and exaltation.  We love serving and as we study and learn, we have a greater desire to live better.  What a privilege it has been to serve in our Father's house, where he is the head of all learning.
     We send our love to all.  Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Lon and Nancy