Getting busier!! and Happy Birthday Spencer

Monday, Jan 12th -  Happy Birthday Spencer!
THOUGHT: "THE MEASURE OF WHO WE ARE IS WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE!"

Today is Spencer's birthday!  He is 24 today!  I can't believe I have had him for 24 years, but I find it impossible to believe I have had Scot for 36 years!  Time is making me crazy!!
Also it was Sean Stringhams wedding reception tonight!  I am so sad to be missing that mostly because I half raised that kid!  He is part of the family!  Spencer was in the wedding, so he had to drive down on his birthday and be at the reception!  I was informed after he got back to Logan at midnight of how snowy the roads were in Sardine canyon!  I'm glad I didn't know that before!  That canyon is dangerous when it is stormy!  I know he was blessed to arrive back in one piece!  I have a lot to be grateful for!
Life here in the mission is getting a little bit busier!  We spent a lot of time at the office today.  Greg is trying to get all of these service missionaries organized.  He is also trying to catch the mission presidents to have a meeting with them to talk about the health of the missionaries in their missions!
I, of course just piddle around while at the office.  Sometimes I work on spanish but other times I look at Facebook and fill my mind with worthless wonders!!!   I think I need to be spending more time learning spanish!  We walked home from the office, had lunch, got the car and went to Costco!  I couldn't find half of the stuff I needed so I came away frustrated!  I am trying some of the new recipes I am finding on Pintrest and Facebook but I can't find some of the ingredients so back to soup and quesadillas we go!!!   We had FHE with President Pieper!  He is in the Area presidency and very nice!  He talked to us about the plan for the whole country of Mexico church wide.  We talked about fasting and faith and how we aren't solid members until we have faith and fasting and paying tithing and fast offerings!   Our new friends from the Temple were there and we made them come to see out place so they would feel bad for us as they are living in the penthouse and all!  We all had a good laugh about where we live!  It almost makes it worth it to live here - just for the laughs and sympathy we get!   Adios!
DRIVING TIP:  It you turn your flashers on - you can park anywhere you want - even in the middle of the road!

Tuesday, Jan 13th

Another groundhog day!  We got up, got ready and off we went walking back up to the office.  I am really going to be in shape  one of these days from hiking up that hill every day!  Greg had his phone call with the insurance company that the missionaries work with.  Dr. Ruiz and his wife came to visit us at the office.  They seem sad.  I think they really miss being the area medical doctor and wife!  Hey I will let them come back and take over this job again!!!  Maybe in 16 months he can have it back!!  After the meeting we walked back down the hill, to home, ate some lunch then headed off on an adventure!  (as though every time we get in our car it's not a huge adventure on these roads).  I didn't have to drive today!  We took the bus down to the metro station and hopped on the subway for a little ride!  Greg had found a lady that he had baptized 42 years ago!  Her name is Anna Maria Mendoza.  She was 9 at the time and still recognized him when he walked up to her!  She even remembered my name from our wedding invitation forever ago!  Impressive!!!  She has a son and daughter and 5 grandchildren.  She had another daughter that died when she was 14 from cancer.  She runs a little paper store - which included wrapping paper, gift bags and a variety of other little things! It was a very happy reunion between the two of them!  Greg had also baptized her mother.  She had passed away in 1997.  It's a wonderful life!
We visited so long we were almost late getting back home and eating our soup and quesadillas before we went to the church for a little farewell party for the Olsons and Ellis's. The spanish ward is very, very sad to see these couples leave!  They have been a big part of that ward and served them all with cheerful and willings hearts!  They have done everything they have been asked plus a whole lot more!  They will leave a huge hole!  They were 45 min. late starting the party which is a record.  Usually it is 1-2 hours late before things get started in this ward!  Welcome to Mexico!!  They served a warm drink - kind of like a cider but with pineapple juice and cinnamon and something else???  I couldn't tell what it was!  I made Greg drink mine!  I hope he lives through the night!!!   XOXOXO

Anna Maria with daughter and grandchildren
Greg baptized her 42 years ago!

Wednesday, Jan 14th
THOUGHT:  "I CAN'T CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND, BUT I CAN ADJUST MY SAILS TO ALWAYS REACH MY DESTINATION!"

Again, we got up ( not early enough for Greg!) dressed and off we went to go find another Mission President and his wife - the Valadez'   We had a blast finding the right roads and turns and stuff!!  Greg told me to turn left, not at this light, but at the light up there!  Then I got distracted and didn't turn and oh boy!  was I in trouble!  I think I need to let him drive once in awhile!  Every person in every car down here thinks they should be in front of me and everyone else on the road!!!   These people are all nuts!!!
We had a nice visit with the president and wife.  They are done with their 3 years in July!  Sister Valadez talked about being very tired!  All of these presidents and wives work so hard to keep their missionaries healthy and happy and heading in the right direction!  Some of the missionaries come up with the darnedest  things - day and night of every day!  They are very nice.  Sister Valadez kept trying to talk to me in English and so I was egging her on so I didn't have to talk in Spanish!  You know how I am at that!!!
We made it there and back home for a nap!  I get exhausted when every one is speaking spanish and I am trying to listen so hard to try to understand!  It fries my brain!
We got to visit another mission president and wife ( from Idaho Falls - English) in the afternoon!
Such nice people.  They have seemed to have had a lot of sick missionaries in their mission!  Lucky them!  They live is a big beautiful home behind big walls and gates!  You never know what is behind those walls!
WALKING TIP:  Never, never, never look up when you are walking around here in Mexico!  You will trip and break your neck, arm, wrist, ankle and leg!

I don't really know!  Some cool looking church as we passed by!

Saturday Jan 10th!  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!  2 MONTHS DOWN!

THOUGHT:  Life isn’t about getting and having, it’s about giving and being.

So there you go - 2 months down and still a few to go!  Life has settled down considerably since the holidays.  The Olsons are now on their 9 days left here.  The Ellis's have 11 days.  We get the opportunity to drive both couples to the airport!  I am not sure who is going to be most sad!  Both the couples are sad to be leaving!  The Ellis's live in Logan so Spencer, you will have to go meet them!  The Olsons live in California by Disneyland!  We all will really miss them around here!
Today started off with another trip to the Temple for a meeting with some of the other doctors.  Greg is planning the May medical conference that he came to last year right before our trip to Cancun!
After the meeting we found our way to the hospital where the sister is that Greg sent yesterday!  She looks lots better - is getting IV antibiotics and has eaten some food!  She is cute!  I don't like it when the missionaries are that sick!  Luckily we don't see this very often.  It usually is diarrhea, stomach pains, stuffy nose, headaches, backaches and sore feet!  All the things that get abused during a tracting mission!!!  Most of these missionaries work really hard and try to do their best on their mission!  Some need a swift kick in the tushy!  We got home and had a nice relaxing afternoon, ate some dinner and had another movie night at the Andersons - Jewel of the Nile!  Wow those are old movies now!  Unbelievable how time flies!
I asked Greg to do one nice thing for me every 10th of the month!  Get me flowers for my anniversary here in Mexico!  Last month he blew it all together!  It took him until late afternoon to finally get the zeal to go get me some flowers.  He wanted me to drive him to the flower stand!  I refused and told him he had to put forth some effort so he walked down to the stand and got me some! I got one dozen red roses!  It wasn't very far so don't feel bad for him!
Hope all is well in your world!  Sure love you and appreciate all you have done for me over the years!  Also thanks so much for all the support on this mission.  I can feel it and I love it!!!

My 2 month anniversary red roses!

Sunday, Jan 11th -

THOUGHT:  "Don't shine so others can see you!  Shine so that through you, others can see HIM!"

Thanks Dotty for the thought and all the thoughts you send my way!

 Happy Sunday!  Church was all the same in the Spanish ward!  I wish they would speak English!!  HAHA!  I try to listen so hard, it makes me crazy after I sit through Sacrament meeting and Sunday school!  I have to go home and rest my weary brain!  I go back in the afternoon to the English ward for RS.  I really do enjoy being there.  The sisters in that ward are so amazing!  They are all from the states, most of them are young moms, and live in this crazy town for 2-4 years!  Then a lot of them move to some other forsaken place in the world!  I'm not sure I could have done that!  Heck, I struggled while living in Mesa for 11 years!!!  I do love good old Salt Lake City!   I put a turkey breast in the crock pot for dinner!  YUMMY!  It was great.  

I talked to Sister Sandberg - who came Dec. 12th  - about teaching some of us old women spanish!  She was born in the Colonies of Mexico and is fluent in both languages.  She has also taught spanish and english and she is older so she understands our old brains!  Our first class was Thursday and I had to sluff cause I went to Ceurnavaca with Greg!  So Sunday night I had a private lesson to catch up!  I am going to be rattling off spanish before you know it!!!!  I hope you all have a wonderful week!   Be happy and healthy!!

Not so fast

We had family home evening with the couples serving with us last night and the lesson was taught by Elder Paul Pieper of the seventy and member of the area presidency.  He is such a humble and approachable guy.  The area presidency has spent the last 6 weeks developing an area plan with the vision of building on the wonderful progress that has occurred here (1.3 million members and 34 missions) but to move Mexico into its role of not requiring resources but providing missionaries and financial help to other countries struggling.  Their approach is very interesting.  For Mexico to be self sufficient in finances there is a long way to go with tithing and fast offerings.  Their approach is to bring a better understanding and compliance with the law of the fast and tithing and offerings.  He explained that when a general authority goes to a stake conference to reorganize the presidency they bring with them information about the fasting offerings and tithing of the high council and bishops who they generally interview.  He said the sad thing is you wouldn't believe the number of bishops who pay very little fast offerings.  He spoke of a friend who told him that every Saturday evening before Fast Sunday they would meet as a family and discuss the possible purposes of their fast and then he would ask his children what they would be able to offer as fast offerings.  We spend a lot of time teaching our children about tithing but we skim over fast offerings.  We read in Matthew 17 where when Jesus returned from the mount of transfiguration there was the son of a follower who was ill and the apostles were not able to cure him.  They were told that this task required much fasting and prayer.  Fasting is powerful when done properly.   We then read in Isaiah 58 6-7 which talks about the power of fasting and how we should be helping those who are needy as we fast.  He promised us that the way to bring the Lord's blessings into our families is to properly live the law of the fast and allow our children to participate in the offerings - just as we teach them to pay tithing at a very young age.  Fasting will bring the Lord's blessings which will strengthen our faith which will allow us to be more active in church activity and bless our families.  He reminded us that fasting without a purpose is just going hungry.  If the key to strengthening the members in Mexico and bringing the Lord's blessings to this country is to fast with purpose and teach it to our families it will probably work in the United States and in your families as well.
Greg

First week of the year!

THOUGHT:  GOD DOESN'T CARE NEARLY AS MUCH ABOUT WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN
                      AS HE DOES ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE AND, WITH HIS HELP
                      WHERE YOU ARE WILLING TO GO!          Jeffrey R Holland - says "this is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year - and every day ought to be the start of a new day and a new year!    Thank you Jean for the thought today!

Monday Jan 5th - I guess my life is settling down enough that I don't have volumes of stuff to write about!  Boring!  We got up and had quite a drive to the North Mission to meet with the Titensors!  They are from Orem and have been here for 6 months!  We had a nice visit with them and helped them with some medical stuff!  They have a few crazy missionaries in their mission as well as Stuttzeneggers.  Very nice people but I am sad because after I left I thought we need to take a pic with each of the Presidents and wife just for memory sake!  I hope to see them again soon and I will do that!  We had quite a drive back home as well! Then we got to turn around and drive to the Temple to take some supplies over there!  That is not an easy drive just to deliver supplies!
Greg was in charge of the lesson for FHE for the Senior couples so we were over at the Area Offices early to get ready for that!  His lesson was on prayer and everyone loved it!  He is a good teacher!
Sorry no pics today!

Tuesday Jan 6th - We had another pretty busy day. Today is day of the kings in Mexico!  It is like Christmas day here.  This is the day they celebrate the 3 wise men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus.  It is their Christmas here!  So Merry Christmas to us again!!! Greg had to talk to the church insurance people so we walked up to the office and he worked on his service missionary doctors and I worked on a project for most of the day!  We had to walk over to Office Max to get some supplies, then home again!  I had fired up the crock pot with a ham bone and beans that had been cooking all day!  Greg was impressed and so was I!  I have never cooked anything like that before and it turned out great with a little onion and garlic!  We hurried and ate because we went over to the Andersons and had a movie night.  We watched Romancing the Stone!  and Greg ate all of their popcorn!!! Again, sorry no pics!  Since I have no pics I have decided to give you all a few driving tips in case you come down here to visit us!  - which I hope is soon!!
DRIVING TIP: Red lights are quite fun to run, even with a cop standing right there watching you! You just have to be careful that no one is coming!!!  That would be bad!


Wednesday  Jan 7th -
THOUGHT:  You know your driving is really terrible when your GPS says 'After 300 feet, stop and let me out!'

Groundhog day!  Actually we had our meeting with the Area Authorities!  This meeting is where we ( really Greg) tell the Presidency about all the medical stuff that is happening with the missionaries!  President DeHoyos sits and listens and doesn't seem to say much.  He asked a few questions and we move on!   We had the fun opportunity to walk back up to our office to get some information!  Late afternoon the Andersons asked if we could take them shopping so off to Chedraui for some food!  We got home late and just as we were wondering what to do for dinner - Sister Sandberg called and brought us some Minestrone soup!  YUM!  We snarfed that down!  WE enjoyed watching the Jazz beat up the Bulls and went to bed!
DRIVING TIP:  If you are waiting at a stop light with 5 other cars that are side by side going into 2 lanes, watch the bus behind you!  The bus goes all the way over to the left side of the street and zips past all the cars and through the red light!  I guess he wasn't in the mood to wait for the light to change!

Thursday Jan 8th -
THOUGHT:   Some days, you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue, just live with it. 

Up early and off to visit another mission president and wife in Cuernavaca - the city of eternal spring!  It took us almost 2 hours to get there.  We drove up and over some very big mountains ( Greg took pics while I drove)  We got up to 10,000 feet in elevation.  Salt Lake is about 4,500 feet!  The city is back down the other side of the mountain in a pretty valley.  We got to go to the zone leaders conference at the presidents house - President and Sister Kusch!  There were about 40 missionaries there getting some training!  Their mission home is very big and beautiful - even with a pool! It is in a gated community and I am jealous!  It has very big windows everywhere!
Greg was there giving the missionaries the 10 commandments of good health!  They acted like they had never heard of this stuff - like wash you hands, drink purified water or bottled water, don't eat off the street, watch out for dogs and insects, etc!  I can't remember since it was in SPANISH!  The Kusches are from Rexburg!  He is a business teacher up there at BYU Idaho!  They go home in June! It took us 2 hours to get home!  I was exhausted!  We went to Olive Garden for dinner with the Toblers and Rices to celebrate that the Rices have been here for 6 months!!! One year to go for them!
We are starting to settle in a little!  I do still have my Christmas tree up and haven't turned off the lights in a month!  It makes me happy!  I am so glad the holidays are over!  It is time to move on and buck it up!

Hard to believe we are driving in the middle of Mexico!

  

Thar she blows!  Popo spouting off!

Friday, Jan 9th
THOUGHT:   It's better to shut up and give the impression that you're stupid than to say something and erase all doubt.

Today we were up and out to the Temple clinic!  There were a lot of sick missionaries to be seen today.  Now that the holidays are over the missionaries are all feeling sick again!!!  Greg even sent one cute little Guatamala girl to the hospital.  She had been sick since before Christmas and had a high fever and sore throat.   She was one of those that never complained!  I wish the rest of the missionaries were more like her!  There was one Elder that called his mission mom to complain that he had chapped lips!!!  Yep, that's the kind of thing we deal with around here!!  All the missionaries are very cute and we will continue to take care of whatever is "killing" them" at the time!!
Dr. Ruiz ( the doctor Greg took over for ) came to the office and helped Greg get a list of supplies we need for the clinic.  After we finally got done seeing the missionaries, we headed out to find all the supplies.   We were able to find most of the things we needed at the medical supply store.  While we were there I noticed the cutest little girl in the store hopping all around.  Then I could see that she only had one leg. That broke my heart and so I made Greg go ask the Grandma if there was something ( crutches, walker, whatever) we could buy her to help her!  She said that the little girl had a prosthetic leg but she had grown out of it so someone was making her a new one!  I felt a lot better!  She was so darling, I wanted to steal her and bring her home!
We finished out shopping and drove all the way back to our place just in time to get back in a van (which they made me drive) and 3 couples drove back down to the temple for a huge church area meeting! The Area Presidency was talking to all of the church leaders in the country such as the mission presidents, stake presidents, area 70's and a lot of others!  A lot of the mission presidents just watched it on web cam cause it was too far to travel! I guess it was a good meeting!  Ya know of course it was all in SPANISH!   We made it back home safe and sound for another day!
DRIVING TIP: Don't assume people will stop and wait for you to pass in a cross walk or anywhere else for that matter!  THEY DON'T!  They step out and walk through traffic!  Also watch out for the guys selling flowers on the freeway!  They walk in the middle of the road as well!!
Happy January!

Holidays are over!!!

THOUGHT:        
 “May Light always surround you;
Hope kindle and rebound you.
May your Hurts turn to Healing;
Your Heart embrace Feeling.
May Wounds become Wisdom;
Every Kindness a Prism.
May Laughter infect you;
Your Passion resurrect you.
May Goodness inspire 
your Deepest Desires.
Through all that you Reach For, 
May your arms Never Tire.” 
― D. Simone

Friday Jan 2 2015 -  Well Well Well, the holidays are over.  Fridays are our Temple clinic day!  In the past few weeks we have seen a total of 10 missionaries or so.  Today we saw 10 in the clinic!  We had sore throats, colds, GI issues, sore knees and more GI issues!!  Every body has GI issues down here!  We were very busy and loved that!  After the clinic we walked over to the Pococks apartment to see it.  They were in one apartment on the 4th floor but they had a huge fire in it a month ago.  Not many of their personal belongings got burned, but everything smells!  They moved across the hall.  Wow it is a nice, big, spacious apartment with big huge windows that overlook the temple grounds.  They are so lucky!  They even have a laundry room with a washer and dryer of their own.  They asked us if we had a washer and dryer!  We burst out laughing!  First of all, we don't have the space and second we get to use the Hotel's laundry room!  There are 3 washers, one of which doesn't spin the water out of the clothes.  There are also 3 dryers, one of which doesn't work and the other two turn off whenever they feel like it!  And then won't turn back on until they cool down or they feel like it!  Another missionary couple that used to live in the hotel offered to buy a washer and dryer, but the hotel wouldn't let them!  Crazy people!  We have to use the washers and dryers before 8 am or after 6 pm every day.  During the day they are used for washing sheets and towels from the hotel!!!

After the apartment tour, we had an appointment to meet the mission President from the South East mission - President and Sister Stutzenegger .  They are the happiest people I have met.  They have a very hard mission, in a very poor part of town.  They worry a lot about their missionaries being safe all of the time!   They are so up beat and positive!  I love their attitude!  They are from Oroville, California.  He is a dentist!  We had a nice visit and taught them how to use a program on the missionary site called emed!  Sis. Stutzenegger needs to put in all the info on the missionaries when they are sick or need a surgery or any medical issue!   They invited us to go to the pyramids tomorrow with another mission president - President and Sister Titensor.  They are over the North mission.  They are from Orem. We have a meeting set up on Monday to get to know them!

We drove home - got lost AGAIN!  We got home late and talked the Olsons into going to La Onda for dinner!  We took the bus down there and walked home!  Tired!  But good tired!

Saturday Jan3rd -  Another action packed day ahead of us!  Today we left at 9:45 this morning with the Andersons to go to the Pyramids - called Teotihuacan Piramids.  They are the huge pyramids here just outside of Mexico City!  There is the Moon, Sun and the Temple of Quetzacoatl!  They were very impressive!  Greg climbed up the moon pyramid and 6 of us climbed up the steep, tall Sun pyramid and then 3 of us walked all the way down to the Temple of Quetzacoatl and hiked up that one as well!  I have some pics!  Those little people must have been in excellent shape going up and down all of the steps that are around!!  People think there were close to 200,000 people living in these ruins at its peak!  There are little mountains and mounds everywhere where a pyramid is probably hiding underneath.  There is a lot or excavation work to do!  Pretty amazing site to see really!  Who knows how the people ever build such huge structures!  I guess they really didn't have much else to do!  The women should have taken up knitting or something!!!  We spent the whole day there enjoying the 72* weather with a few clouds.  Greg got some sun on his face, so he looks better.  The Stutzeneggers led us to a wonderful restaurant for a nice lunch/dinner buffet!  Food and company was very good!  It's entertaining to hear some of the mission presidents stories about some of the crazy things the missionaries are doing!   I hope my sons never did any of those things!  I will never know!  What happened on their missions, stayed on their missions!!!

We had a great shot at getting back home in some orderly manner but NO!  We got lost again!  I tell you this town is nuts!  The poor Andersons are good sports to go anywhere with us!  They are so patient and kind to never complain!  We had a nice drive through some part of downtown!  We have decided to make it a goal to drive on every street in Mexico City in the next 16 months!  Pretty sure we will make it at the rate we are going!!!

We finally made it home - got our shopping list and headed back out to the store for some things!  

At 9 pm we started our laundry!  Hopefully the washers and dryers are working!

We put our clothes in 2 of the washers - someone left clothes in the 3rd one!  It takes an hour for the washing part!  Back down to put stuff in the dryer and voila!  One of the washers has leaked all over the floor!  Oh well!  Not my problem!  We put our clothes in the dryers and surprisingly they turned on tonight!!! 

I missed a wedding - Annie Pinnock and a funeral - Mike Henderson today!  Weird that I can't be there!

 Where the dignitaries lived
Would you like to move in?

Mural paintings 2,400 YEARS old!

walls made out of basalt

Pyramid of the moon

Climbing pyramid of the moon

I jumped really high so I could be in the picture

Pyramid of the sun - larger of the two
Look at all those steep steps!

You saw looking up - now looking down!

Holding the Moon pyramid!

Steep stairs going down!

Temple of Quetzacoatl!

Hard to see but they have uncovered
heads of Quetzacoatl
Symbol of Jesus Christ!

We went to a little building not very many people know about
behind the pyramids where there is still all of this art work
that is 2,400 years old!

Sunday, Jan 4th - A nice day at church!  I will have church all day this year due to the schedule change!  We go to the Spanish ward at 9:00.  I try to stay as long as possible which may include Sunday School!  I came home today after that and took a nap!  Then we walked back to church at 2:45 to go to the English RS.  We learned about Pres. Benson who I guess we will be learning about this year!  All the couples are going to do dinner together on Fast Sunday so we are taking bread to the Andersons for a nice evening!  Hope all is well at your house!!!  I am praying for you so be happy and keep the faith!!!

Here comes a new year!!

THOUGHT:  Great New Years quote: I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.  Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.  So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.  Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.  Make your mistakes, next year and forever." - Neil Gaiman
Thanks to Laurel Porter for this quote!

Monday Dec. 29th - Today was eventful.  I colored my hair and got rid of that annoying grey with the help of a friend - Bonnie Anderson!  She colored it for me and did a great job!  I can at least survive with color until I get home to Ann!  Today was a very low key day.  We drove back over to the Ciudadele to pick up some Nacimientos which is a nativity set made out of little colored beads.  I have a pic of two of them! That took us all afternoon.   We didn't even have FHE cause we are meeting for a party on New Year's Eve instead!

Look no grey!

Every color is a different colored bead on these nativity sets
made by a cute young little Mexican gal!

Tuesday Dec. 30th - Guess what?? Another driving day.  We went over to the Temple to first see an Elder that had been hit on the back of his head with a baseball bat while walking down the street.  A car drove by slowly and wacked him a good one!  Miraclulously he was not killed actually!  He walked away with only a big headache!  God does protect and bless his missionaries.  We were then suppose to meet our friends the Zapatas but they got a better offer to go to the zocolo!  We stopped at a dollar store called Waldos to look around and the fabric store next door to pick up some baby yarn so I can make another baby blanket when I am just sitting around!  We decided to take another way home and got totally and completely lost!  We ended up at the outer edge of the Merced I was telling you about on Saturday!  So we went on an overpass and came down the other side into the biggest mess you could imagine.  This is how this went:
Me - which way do I go now Greg?
Greg - let me look at the map
Me - hurry there are cars coming from every direction!  (cars were hardly moving - no where to go!)
Greg - OK go straight
Me - which straight?
Greg - that way straight?
Me - I can't!  It's a one way street coming at us SEE!
Greg - then turn right!
Me - I can't, they have blocked off the street and 1 million people are standing over there!
Greg - well, you are gonna have to turn some way, so then turn left!
Me - I can't!  See that huge bus trying to run over us! Also see the other big busses behind that one!
Greg - well you're going to have to go somewhere!
Me - there is absolutely no where to go!
Greg - watch out!  that car is going to hit you!
Me - what would you like me to do about that!
Greg - This is a big mess!
Me - ya think?
Greg - see that kid over there!  He will help us get out of here!
Me - how?
Greg - he is starting to direct traffic a little
Me - Yeah!  I can see us still sitting here tomorrow!
Greg - look, he is helping that bus move, and that car!
Me - great!  We won't be run over today!
Greg - here is some money!  Give it to him and he will help us
Me - OK, Hey kid - *sign language from here!*
Kid - pointing and holding traffic including another big bus!
Greg - go!
Me - closing my eyes I inched out and had to make a U turn in the middle of all this!
Kid - beating his hands on the trunk of the car which tells me to keep backing up!
Kid - also said "Hey I am from your church!" when he saw our nametags!
Me - still closing my eyes!  No comment!
Greg - K go!
Me - eyes open and gas punched!
We then drove back up over that overpass - passing probably 50 cars and 25 busses that were waiting in a line to go somewhere!  Oh my heck!  TOOOO Many People in one area!!!!  Besides like I said it was the outskirts of the Merced.  There are no words to describe the Merced!  Except maybe to think about the worst hoarder you have seen on TV times 1 million!  Does that help?
We were so stressed we forgot to take pics of the whole situation!  You would give me sympathy then but we took some nice pics on our adventure home!  It only took us 2 hours to find our way home!

A pic down an isle at the Merced after we got out of the frey on the street!

A cool old church on a corner as we drove by

Some kind of a shrine in the middle of the road.  

I like the almost American sign!

The Angel of Independence 

A nice tree lined street we got to drive down!

Wednesday Dec 31st - New Years Eve! - Happy Birthday to my friend Rhonda!   Greg had to due a little doctoring before we could start our day today!  Sister Hobbs, went over to the area offices this morning to do a little work.  She had her head down a little and walked smack dab into a glass door that was never, ever shut!  She cut her nose pretty bad with her glasses.  Poor little thing!  Greg made a little butterfly bandage and we got her all taped up!  Good as new!
Well today we have planned an adventure with the Olsons! Actually they are planning the adventures cause they leave in 3 weeks now!  Today 5 couples piled in 2 cars and drove up to the "Desert de los Leones!  (It isn't a desert nor does it have lions!)  It wasn't that far away from where we live and it is up in the mountains like going up Big Cottonwood Canyon or something!  Impossible to believe I know!  I took pics for proof!  Dr. Edwards told us there were beautiful mountains with pine trees and stuff and I thought she was crazy!  But she was right!
The Desert de al Leon - is a convent built 400 years ago for a bunch of Monks!  Also this bunch of Monks had sworn to a code of silence!  No talking EVER!  I wouldn't do well as a Monk!
No body ever knew exactly how many Monks lived at this place.  What I do know is that it is a very peaceful, quiet and soothing place to be!  I want to move right in!  Except wait until you see some of the pics!  There was the big main section to the Monk palace then there were little ermitos - bungalows where one Monk at a time would go and live there by himself for one month!  Tell me - what would you think about if you had 50 years of no talking to anyone?  I want answers! Greg thought he would start at "A" and work down from there - like aardvark (cause it starts with double A and so on!  We spent a few hours there

Nativity Scene at the Desert de los Leones

Entrance into the convent

Dr's office door!

5 crazy monks!

To the right old stairs the monks used
Thing on left - who knows
maybe a self torture  post!

I can't tell what is hanging on this cross!

The gardens with the main part of the convent behind it

Little tunnels underneath the convent.
None of us could stand up straight - they were all so smalll!
The tunnels are everywhere and probably used for food storage.

Entrance to the tunnels!

This 400 year old convent that has a rudolph head made
of felt stapled to the door!
Just sayin'

A gate leading into more peaceful gardens

A lady making little metal puzzles in the convent 

Area down by the river and waterfalls
There is a lake and picnic tables there now!

An ermita = a little house  where one monk would live for months at a time
solitary confinement!
This just doesn't seem right!

Stairs up to the ermita

At 7:00 pm we all met over at the area offices and brought all our junk food and watched The Count of Monte Cristo movie.  Good times in the old town tonight!  Happy New Year to all of you - my treasured family and friends!  Love you all!

Here is the senior gang!
We are the youngest by 5-6 years!
Dear new friends!

Happy New Year from Greg!

ANOTHER THOUGHT: 
May Light always surround you;

Hope kindle and rebound you.

May your Hurts turn to Healing;

Your Heart embrace Feeling.

May Wounds become Wisdom;

Every Kindness a Prism.

May Laughter infect you;

Your Passion resurrect you.

May Goodness inspire 

your Deepest Desires.

Through all that you Reach For, 

May your arms Never Tire.” 

― D. Simone

Thursday Jan 1st 2015 - We had a very quiet day all day today!   Not much going on and not too many sick missionaries which is a good thing!   It gave me time to think of my parents and their peach pancakes they made for 100 people every New Years Day.  We used to be very busy on New Years morning helping to serve and clean up the peach pancakes!  We lost one of their best friends earlier in December - Emma Lou Thayne!   I saw on facebook that my niece Candice has carried on the tradition and made peach pancakes today for her family!  Way to go Candice!  I never did pick up that tradition cause that was A LOT of work!  Maybe when I get home I will have to start that tradition back up!  In memory of you Mom and Dad!
Sister Sandberg was saying last week how her New Years tradition is to have Mexican food on New Years Day.  I said perfect - youre in charge of the dinner then.  She made yummy enchiladas, mole, and tres leche cake.  The rest of us brought additional things and the dinner was a great success!!
I am so grateful for these senior couple missionaries here.  They are all a great support to us!
We learned a new card game called Hello!  I know my kids will like this game!  You play it with rook cards!
Bring it on 2015 - we are all ready for the challenge!!

Miracle of the car keys

Monday we went to the tourist market to get a nativity scene made of beads. When we returned home I was on a call with a missionary so mom dropped me off.  She went up to our room but the maids were still cleaning so she sat on a couch by the elevator. I came up and we were waiting for the maids to finish when an elderly man got off the elevator with groceries. We helped him and came back to get our things and went into our room.  We set up some of the other nativity scenes we got last week and invited the other missionary couples to come and choose one.  The kitchen table was a mess with figurines and wrapping paper.  We cleaned up after and went to bed. The next day we went to get the car keys and they were no where to be found.  We searched the garbage.  We argued as to whether I brought them in from the couch or if Peg did.  We talked to the old man and the missionary couples that were here. I went to the front desk and asked if anyone had turned in a set of keys.  We scoured our apartment.  No keys.  We said a desperate prayer.  Wednesday after several additional prayers Peg picked up a bag she hadn't used for over a week.  A bag I had turned inside out the day before looking for the keys.  Guess what fell out?  The car keys.  This was not a bag either one of us would have put the keys in.  It was way out of the way behind our couch.  We have no explanation as to how they got there other than a loving Heavenly Father.  We are grateful.

Greg

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