El Templo, la casa de Dios

Dear Family and Friends:
     We were told this story and we want to share it with you.  One day, two big green buses arrived at the temple parking lot.  As the doors of the buses opened, you could hear children chanting, "el templo, la casa de Dios" (the temple, the house of God) over and over again.  The primary children came off the busses and began to encircle the temple.  When asked what they were doing, they replied that they had come to give the temple a "hug".  That is the feeling President Thompson and I have daily as we are privileged to serve in this temple. We just want to give the temple a "hug" because we are so happy and love serving in this "house of God". 
     We have had another wonderful week here.  We have had rains every afternoon and evening.  A couple of days it almost felt like fall.  We almost closed our windows, but when the sun came out again, it warmed right up again. 
    This is Hermana Queveda.  She is an obrera.  She uses shoes that have a 3 inch lift on one sole to make her legs the same size.  However, in the temple, her white shoes do not have this lift so she walks with a huge limp and you can tell that she is in pain most of the time.  But she serves with patience, love, and a big smile.  She is so tiny with a spirit twice as big as her body.  We just love her.

  When I asked her to take a picture with me, she threw her arm around me and I know that she loves me too.  What a great example of service.

       Our Saturday in the temple was busy and thrilling.  We opened the temple at 4:00 AM.  Our first baptism group was a Stake Relief Society at 5:00.  What a sweet spirit these women brought with them as they were baptized and confirmed for their ancestors.  We had full sessions all morning with about 10 sealings and 6 new endowments.  We just love the temple to be busy and always go home exhausted.  We got home about 12:30 and took a good nap.

     Lon had to leave at 5:00 PM to speak at the Priesthood session of the La Florida Stake Conference. (He missed the BYU game, but got home in time to watch the BSU game)  On Sunday morning, we went with President and Hermana Burk to the La Florida Stake Conference.  We had been assigned to speak at this conference, but the Burks had to cancel the conference they were going to because of a meeting conflict, so they spoke here instead.  We had planned on just attending the conference, but ended up on the stand and were asked to bear our testimonies during the meeting. 

 This church building was the biggest we have been in.  This is the walkway up to the front door.

 

Elder Galvez, a member of the Area Seventy was at this conference and we were taught by a servant of the Lord.  The choir was great.  The women all had on the typical blouses of Guatemala.  We really enjoyed the conference and especially being able to meet so many of our temple obreros and feel of their spirit.

 The director is an obrera, but I will have to add her name later when I remember what it is. 

Hermana Betsy Revolorio

 The third lady from the left is Hermana Ortiz, one of our obrera's

  This is Roldano Rivas who picked President Thompson up for the Priesthood session, in a huge rain storm.

 This is Hermano Zuniga, assistant Shift Coordinator with his daughter.  There were quite a few more at the Conference, but we weren't able to get all the photo's that we would have liked.  As we were leaving, we were presented with the bouquet of cut flowers that was on the stand. 

 

     President Thompson is heading out again at 3:00 to attend the Regional Correlation Council with President Burk and President Roberts.  He got home about 6:45 and we were able to Skype with Ginger and Jaikka before the storm knocked out the power.  We were unable to connect with Mindi tonight though.  We love Skyping with our family.  It helps us not be so homesick for them.  We were able to Skype with Grandma Reid this afternoon.  We are very thankful for our family and the love and support that they give us and each other.  We look forward to another wonderful week here and pray that you will each have a wonderful week where ever you are.  May God bless you and keep you safe.  Love Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Lon and Nancy