Cuernavaca weekend

Sat July 25

THOUGHT: "FAITH IS A REAL POWER, NOT JUST AN EXPRESSION OF BELIEF" 
                                                                                                     Boyd K. Packer

There is a new mission president in Cuernavaca and he and his wife, the Avilas, wanted me to come down Saturday and do some training and help them find some new doctors.  The Sandbergs have been  bugging us to go to Cuernavaca so we invited them.  We left a little after 8 am and it is a very pretty drive over a mountain range with views of Popocatepetl (active volcano 18,300 ft high) although it was a little hazy so we didn't attempt pictures.  We arrived at the beautiful mission home (has a swimming pool) but Peg soon got bored because it was all in Spanish and she and the Sandbergs went to see Cortes' palace.  I ended up staying 2 1/2 hours and seeing a sister missionary with a very sore foot and met with Dr. Beyuma who has for years helped with the missionaries in Cuernavaca.  We came up with a game plan to return and do a mission tour (Acapulco is in their mission along with Taxco) which will take place the end of August.  We found the hotel Mañanitas where we ate a month ago - this time the peacock's were out along with the toucans and parrots.  My meal was great.  We drove home through some of the prettiest parts of central Mexico through Cautla and past Amecameca at the foot of Popocatepetl - but clouds covered the volcano.  We got home early enough to do some shopping.

Cortez Castle in Coernavaca

Another view

The rock construction is interesting

Battle attire back in 1530

The center square of Cuernavaca

The Cathedral

Pics of this old Castle

Weird holes in the ground for some kind of rituals

You can't see this very well, but all the white is tarp covers
that have a millions little shops underneath.
The Mexicans don't spare an inch of this country
to sell something

I don't know!

Elder Sandberg by the baptismal font
They just sprinkled water on heads of people

Old wheel don't know what it was used for
cause description was in Spanish

All leather attire the soldiers wore

A cool carriage

Someone famous wore these funky outfits!

A little section of the history of the Revolution
painted by Diego Reviera  the famous Mexican artist

A huge hole in the ground!
No explanation of what this is - even in Spanish

Back outside - this cute little girl was pulling
this blowup pig all over the square!

Here is one of the million little shops under the white tarps
with a baby holding a stuffed animal asleep in this little hammock
Dad is eating lunch on the right side!
This is one way to give your baby a nap!

The Mission home in Cuernavaca

The Avilas - new President and wife!
Poor people!  Lots of work ahead!

We went to Los Maninitas for lunch
They have this beautiful garden in the back of the hotel

along with these crazy birds

We are seated waiting for our table to eat.
Elder Sandberg has such a heavenly glow!

These peacocks were roaming around the grounds

Sister Sandberg came here when she was younger to eat
and was so excited to come back.  The only problem is
she ordered a leg of cow or something and couldn't even
eat it!  Her dreams are crushed!!!
We had a fun day anyway!

Sunday July 26

One of the talks in Sacrament was about the pioneer members of Mexico.  I know that my great grandfather, David Alma Stevens who moved his family to the colonies in the 1880's wasn't much of a farmer so he worked on the railroad in Sonora to feed his family.  He became friends with a Mexican who came home with him to Colonia Dublan and joined the church there - he was the first Mexican to join the church in Mexico.  Our Bishop who is from Uruguay is moving to Texas so next week will be his last Sunday.  During priesthood meeting Brother Salinas (area 70) has a brother that he home teaches who had to start dialysis.  To have it at home they will need to make some real changes.  Currently he lives in one room with curtains dividing the living spaces.  They say he needs to have a bedroom that is walled off with a door and window and a sink in it to receive dialysis at home.  Brother Salinas is organizing the high priests to help with the project and volunteers to help pay for it (family is very humble - as evident by the one room home.)  It took me 2 1/2 hours to do my report to Elder Schwitzer.  We had dinner in the Griffin's new apartment which has windows and a balcony and heard stories about his life as chief of police in Thatcher Arizona - some really wild stories.  Next week we have our meeting with the area presidency and I have to do an extra stint in the clinic on the temple grounds - the daughter of a couple (both doctors) had pre-eclampsia and had a rushed delivery -both mother and baby in intensive care so the Medinas who have 3 shifts this week need substitutes.