Thursday in Oaxaca!

Thursday, Feb 19th

THOUGHT:   "START BY DOING WHAT IS NECESSARY....
                              THEN DO WHAT IS POSSIBLE...
                                   AND SUDDENLY YOU ARE DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE!
                                                                                                          Francis of Assisi 

We met the Madsens last night late, had a nice visit and went to bed!  Tired with long travel!  This morning we got up early, hopped in the car and drove through a typical mexican town to a beautiful church!  The churches down here are very nice inside and out!  The BIG problem is no one ever cleans the inside of the church!  They are filthy inside!  Very frustrating!  Greg did his schpeel at the zone conference and then we sat through the rest of it!  I told President afterwards - you know, I don't speak a lot of spanish, but I felt like the missionaries got blasted with an obedience lecture!  He said you are right!!! It's amazing how body language can get the message across!  I didn't even have to understand him to get that message!  He states these missionaries need a stern reminder every once in awhile about why they are on their missions!  I thought that was a good idea!   They have had a few obedience problems in the mission (as all of them do)!
The missionaries are very cute and social!  I love hanging out with them.  One of the AP's is from Bear Lake Idaho!  He was very friendly and nice!  Them good old Idaho farm boys!
After the conference the Madsens were kind enough to take us to some pyramids!  Remember how I said there are 40,000 of them here in the country!  Well, there are some great ones here! Greg will write about them.
Monte Alban is a fairly large site on top of a mountain (I don't know why they always built their temples on top of mountains.)  There were about 10 buildings all built in exact east/west/north/south directions.  There was one building that was called the observatory that was at a 45 degree angle.  Its southwest wall was like an arrow, pointing we are told exactly towards a building 80 miles away that looks identical and is pointing back.  There was a large sundial that told when it was mid day and also told the equinoxes.  There were some Olmec (translate that to Jaredite) figures in one of the buildings. This set of buildings was started about 500 BC and most member archeologists attribute it to the descendants of Mulek (son of King Zedekiah who was taken by Babylon) who had interactions with Coriantumr - the last remaining Jaredite.  It is located about 80 - 100 miles north of where many think Zarehemla was located and no one has ventured to give it a name of a Nephite city.  Unlike Teotihuacan this one did house families - possibly royalty and was inhabited until about 900 AD.
After the pyramids, President took us downtown to a huge Cathedral.  We took some pics, but they don't do justice to this big place that has more gold in it than any other Cathedral in the world!
It is very beautiful to look at, but boy did they miss the boat!  All of the worshipping of dead Jesus and saints and Guadaloupe!  It is so gaudy in there, you can't possibly even think about feeling the spirit!
We had to hurry home because President had a meeting and interview.  We waited for him and went back to El Paton for dinner like the night before!

I am still amazed at ALL of the houses filled in everywhere!
This is the view from the church out into the neighborhood!

The parking lot is way down below the church!

The Madsens with us!

A view of a teeny part of the city!

Another view!

I almost missed this pic!
The tiny blue dot on the right side is a cute,
little old lady trying to get down the steep hill
probably to her house!
Poor little thing!

First part of the Monte Alban Pyramids!
With one of those pretty purple blooming trees!

This is where they played some sport or competition
These are bleachers with the court in the middle!

There is one side of the pyramids a long way down there!

Here are the 3 amigos walking up to us to sell us something!
People are everywhere selling stuff!

The entrance to one of the pyramids!
This is made for very little people!

This wall has etched pictures of wars with other tribes
The tribes they defeated they etched their heads upside down
on here, keeping track of their victories!

A look from one corner clear down to the other side!

Dad is loving this!

I love this pic!  This is a building that is pointed on the right side there!
This is an observatory.  It points to another building just like it
in perfect line.  The deal is that other building is 80 miles away!
How did they do that????

The sun dial!  This told the people when it was noon!

Up on top of one of the pyramids.
This is a sunken social gathering place.

A pic looking the other way down the pyramids!

Here is one of the pyramids that is off to the side!
See how it is covered with dirt.
They haven't unearthed very much of this one.
This is what the pyramids look like before the
years of dirt is cleaned off!

I really enjoy these pyramids!

Hasta!