Dear Family and Friends:
We have had a very busy week here. We began on Monday evening with a despedida for the Roberts and the Eberhards. The Roberts have served in the Temple Presidency for a year, first as the second counselor and then as the first counselor when the Galvez's left and we joined the presidency last June.
They are from Idaho Falls so we hope to be able to enjoy their friendship for years to come. We will miss our weekly lunches and shopping trips. It was just a relaxing afternoon away from responsibilities. Hna. Roberts broke her ankle two months after I broke my legs so we have whined to each other and predicted the storms very accurately. They served in the Dominican Republic for 2 years before serving here.
With their release from the Presidency, Lon was set apart on Saturday the 18th as the first counselor. Really, his responsibilities won't be that much different and mine don't change at all. Our new second counselor was also set apart on Saturday.
Hna. Rosales was the assistant coordinator on the Wednesday am shift so she has a knowledge of the temple ordinances and how shifts should function. Poor President Rosales has not served in the temple before but he is very intelligent so will learn fast. He is now a sealer and the very first sealer in the history of this temple that can speak Ke'kchi!! We made the history books this week when 5 young couples from the mountains near Coban, Chulac, came to the temple to receive their endowments and be sealed. The men spoke a little Spanish but none of the women did. We called in 3 ordinance workers from other shifts who spoke a little Ke'kchi to help us and with a lot of sign language, we were able to take care of their needs. What a blessing for them to be able to be sealed in their native language without having it translated.
President Manolo y Zenia Rosales in middle
We look forward to serving with the Rosales and getting to know them better.
We also are saying good-bye to the Eberhard's
This is also their second mission, having served in the Washington DC temple for a year before coming here. Their call was only for a year so we really feel like they are leaving us way too soon. Elder Eberhard served here with his first wife on two different missions in mission offices. It is the first time for Hna. Eberhard to serve in Spanish. Elder Eberhard has served as our assistant temple recorder, serving every pm shift. We are going to miss them. They are not afraid of work.
We had a pot luck dinner and had each of the departing couples share their thoughts about their missions and callings.
This is the formal dining room at the Presidents home. Los Allreds, Los Barneys, Los Wilsons
Los Eberhards, Los Roberts, Los Rosados
The rest of the missionaries were seated in the front room.
We had two guests from the temple department. They are here for an inspection of the temple and grounds. Hno. Sofiantini, Los Rosales, Hna. Caballero, Hna. Guzman, Hno. Costantino, Los Burks.
Our numbers are dwindling and we will loose even more in June.
Middle row: Hna. Caballero, Hna. Rosado, Hna. Wilson, Hna. Allred, Hna Barney, Hna. Eberhard.
Front row: Hna. Guzman, Los Thompson, Los Roberts
The temple department has one couple that may be coming to join us soon, but they are trying to find 29 couples for the 4 Latin American Temples that will be dedicated this year; Cordova Argentina, Trujillo Peru, Cuidad de Mexico, and Tijuana Mexico. If any of you have the desire or know of anyone who would like to serve in a Spanish Temple, here is your chance. It is a choice experience to serve with your eternal companion among these loving Lamanite children of our Heavenly Father.
By October, we will only have 8 missionaries left here. We continue to search for more local workers who will dedicate one day a week to the temple. With 27 Stakes, 13 Districts, and 2 Branches in this temple district, you would think that this would be easy. It is an ongoing up-hill battle.
The temple was filled this week. We had extra sessions and full sessions almost daily. What fun to see the patrons come and feel of their spirits. We witness miracles daily as we began a shift with only 4 men and 6 women. As the Stakes and Wards come through the doors, workers from other shifts ask if they can be of use and the needs of the patrons are met.
We had the surprise of our lives on Saturday evening. We were serving on the PM shift and the last session of the day had started. Lon was at the front desk when the guard house called and told him that Flora Perez from Maracay Venezuela was here and wanted to see him. He didn't know quite what to think. When Grandma Flora walked through the door, he didn't really recognize her because we hadn't seen her for at least 16 years. But when she began to speak, he knew it was really her. I too was so shocked that I didn't know what to say. She lives in Twin Falls and we hadn't ran into her for all these years and she shows up in the temple in Guatemala City!!!!
Grandma Flora Perez with her daughter Maria
Maria has married a man from Guatemala and they are here visiting his family. We couldn't go outside to get in the picture with them as we were still in our whites and on shift. Flora is coming back on Wednesday to do a session with us and to visit more. We were thrilled to see that she is again active in the gospel and it just felt RIGHT to be with them. There has always been a special bond between Lon and this family. They were the last family that he baptized while on his first mission in Venezuela. Time has healed wounds and hearts have been softened and we were able to embrace these two women with love in our hearts again. What a blessing and a miracle!! We had to come to Guatemala City to mend fences and forgive and forget.
Well, that is our week in a nut-shell. We have been busy and blessed. Life is wonderful. We love and miss you and look forward to being together again this summer. Have a wonderful week. Love Lon and Nancy, Grandma and Grandpa, Dad and Mom
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