Guess who I ran into

Saturday,  Mar28th

THOUGHT:  "THE ONLY WAY ON EARTH TO MULTIPLY HAPPINESS....
                                IS TO DIVIDE IT!"                                                Paul Scherer

Saturday started early.  I had a meeting at 9 am on the temple grounds regarding an upcoming conference for service missionary doctors all over Mexico.  We tried to identify missions where we need to call more help and reviewed the ones to be released.  I have about 5 service missionaries I told that they won't be released until the millennium.  The small committee that helps me is so valuable, so dedicated.  I don't think I could do this without them.  From there we drove for 45 minutes in Mexico City traffic and arrived at the CCM (MTC for those who don't speak spanish.)  I spelled the doctor there - normally there are two but we are waiting for the replacement of the Latin doctor - he comes first of May.  It was quiet except for an elder with a Pilonidal cyst (fond memories Scot?)  He will need surgery.  It took us an hour to get home (CCM is in the north of town and we live in the west part - in the hills going up the mountains on the west side of the city.)  We had the car washed (45 minutes of polishing and scrubbing for 50 pesos (about $3.50) and it rained and ruined the wash job.  Back home Peg joined the other sisters to watch the women's conference while I when shopping with Elder Sandberg.  Returned home just in time for laundry Saturday.

The other day when we drove to the MTC we
saw about 20 bugs so today while we were
driving there Greg decided to take a few pics
of all the bugs!  The problem is it is pouring rain
and only 2 bugs were out today!!!

The beautiful Jacaranda trees in bloom at the MTC!

Sunday, Mar 29th

THOUGHT:  "AND THE SPIRIT GIVETH LIGHT TO EVERY MAN THAT COMETH
                        INTO THE WORLD AND THE SPIRIT ENLIGHTENETH EVERY MAN
                        THROUGH THE WORLD THAT HEARKENETH TO THE VOICE 
                         OF THE SPIRIT"                                D&C 84:46


Sunday started with a lot of anticipation.  I found out that someone I taught 42 years ago was a bishop in a ward about 30 minutes from where we live.  We jumped on the freeway, ran into a main street blocked of for some sort of running race, and made it in time for the opening song.  I didn't tell Bishop Fuentes I was coming.  I tried to call and leave a message on his phone but like everyone - voice mail was ignored.  After the sacrament one of the councilors came down to ask if we were there on official business.  We were sitting so that the Bishop couldn't see us due to the podium.  I told the councilor that I had taught and baptized the Fuentes Cardenas family 41 years ago and he went back to tell  Bishop Fuentes.  He peeked around the podium and smiled.  He spoke for the last 10 minutes of sacrament meeting and told how he initially was not interested in listening to the missionaries (6 members of his family were taking the discussions from me and Elder Dave Brown from Arizona. )  We came for a discussion and he was there and heard me bear my testimony to his brother Sergio and told the congregation that what he felt changed his heart and he started reading the Book of Mormon. He got baptized a couple of weeks after his family and after I had been transferred so I wasn't there for his baptism, but he still tells everyone that I am the elder that taught him the Gospel.  He gave me an update on his family - 3 siblings have died - one quite young.  3 of his younger siblings married out of the church and have only been semi active.  I supported ($80 a month) his sister Marta on her mission - she married a young man from her mission and lived her married life in Matamoros near the Texas border.  She passed away last year.  His older sister Perla also has passed away, as has his mother that I baptized.  He has 4 children - one handicapped son and 3 daughters all married in the temple to returned missionaries.  His father in law has been a sealer in the Mexico Temple and sealed all of his daughters to their husbands.  He has 4 grandchildren.  He has served twice now as bishop, twice as branch president and 7 years served as a councilor in a mission presidency.  How the Lord has blessed this family and how blessed I feel that 42 years ago a young elder got up everyday, studied the gospel, then left the house to spend the whole day searching for people to teach - and found such a wonderful family.  How great has been the impact of this man on his family and on ward members. I have been feeling the joy mentioned in D&C 18.  Tonight we are going to the home of some members of the English speaking ward for dinner with all the 7 missionary couples that live in our hotel - that will be nice.  The coming week will be a little slow - only one Zone conference to present at and supposedly everything shuts down for semana santa (holy week).

So the church is down this lovely street!
You can't see it, but very rough road!

Bishop Fuentes.  Greg baptized his family!