This week we had saints from Honduras at the temple again. They are so anxious for their own temple to open and we are not looking forward to the day when they will stop coming here. As I watched them arrive and helped them through the two days that they were here, I got to thinking about sacrifices.
When Lon and I were first married, we had to drive CLEAR over to Idaho Falls to attend the temple; three hours in an air conditioned car with the sun in our eyes on the way over and the sun in our eyes going home. Wow, that was a tough trip! What a sacrifice! Then, the Boise Temple opened; 1 hour and 45 minutes from our door to the temple in an air conditioned car with the sun to our back going and coming. Then, the Twin Falls temple opened; 15 minutes from our door step. We did not sacrifice to attend the temple. The Lord really made it easy for us. Did we appreciate it and take advantage of this blessing? Not like we should have.
I want to share the story of one family who came here this week from Honduras. This family could not just jump in the car and come to the temple. It took years to get ready to come. First of all, they
all had to have passports and visa's to leave Honduras and enter El Salvador. These are time consuming and not cheep. The father had died earlier, so the mother brought her three children to the temple to be sealed to them. The two boys had received their mission calls and the daughter and her husband also were here to be sealed. Five people who had to pay for passports, visa's, transportation (in a bus) motel room for one night, and clothes for the temple. I can't magine how much it cost them. But they sacrificed for years, saving to come to the temple. They just beamed in the temple and spent every minute there that they could before they had to get on the bus for the 8-hour ride home. There was no complaining about being tired or ungry. They just radiated with the spirit while they were here. Most of the people from Honduras and Nicaragua who come to the temple are only able to come once a year. Then they save up for a year for the next trip. We in North America are so blessed. Most of us do not have to travel more than 2 hours and we can be at the temple. I really feel bad for using the excuses not to attend more often: it's just too far to drive, gas is too expensive, I just don't
feel good today so I'll go tomorrow, or tomorrow, or tomorrow.
It has always been said that each calling we receive is to help us grow. Well, this mission call has helped Lon and I both appreciate our ancestors who really did sacrifice so we could live in a free
country with all of our privileges and blessings. We will never take them for granted again. We hope you all enjoy this Memorial Day with sweet memories of our loved ones who have gone to live with our Heavenly Father. Don't take life for granted. Enjoy each day and be thankful for all that you have. We love you. We still do not have a date for the return of Pres. and Sister Petersen. We do miss them.
Love Dad and Mom, Lon and Nancy, Grandma and Grandpa
temple
Monday, May 28, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
We Survived Another AM Shift!
Well, last week was the AM shift again. With President and Sister Petersen gone, the Walls and the Thompsons are trading each week, one week AM then one week PM. We love being able to do both shifts because we have so many friends on each shift and really miss seeing them when we are on the opposite shift, but that AM shift continues to be a challenge for me. I am just not an early morning person anymore. President Petersen hopes to be able to return on the 2nd of June. He
has started Physical Therapy and is getting stronger each day. We look forward to his return. It just feels like part of our family is missing.
I got to sing on Mother's Day in Sacrament Meeting with Andrea Luciana Figueroa, picture #1. We sang the Janice Kapp Perry song "My Mother/My Daughter" in Spanish. Lucy is only 20 so I had to sing the Mothers part, the high part. My sister Sharon and I used to sing this and I always sang the low part. It has been years since I have been able to share my testimony through song. My ward here doesn't believe that I am just a funeral singer at home. My Father in Heaven has really blessed me here to be able to grow and share this talent with others. I don't have enough words to share my testimony, but through music I have the opportunity.
The rains have begun! It is now winter here and the rainy season. Every day we get at least one rain storm, with thunder and lightning. Some days it is just a light rain and others it pours.
The temperature hasn't varied more than a degree or two since we arrived last August. The rains really effect the attendance at the temple. Mud slides are very common and the people just don't go
anywhere when it is raining.
On Mother's Day, Sister Perez arranged for a microbus to pick up all the missionaries and Pres. and Sister Alas (2nd councilor) in the Temple Presidency) picture #2 and take us to her chapel for the
baptism of her twin girls. Sister Perez is a temple worker. On Saturday, she gave us an invitation and that is when Elder Wall found out that he was to give a talk. Missionaries are always to be prepared but he was real glad that he had a night to prepare. We arrived at the chapel and the mother and daughter who were to sing the special number saw me and begged me to help them sing the song. So I sang with them, also played the opening and closing songs. Lon ended up helping to confirm the girls. It was a wonderful day. We just had two of our grandsons baptized this month and we really missed being with them. So Ashton and Aydan we thought of you as we helped at this
baptism.
We had missionaries in the temple each day last week. It is so fun to be with these stripling warriors. They carry such a powerful spirit with them. They are coming again this week and we will miss them because we will be on the PM shift. We have two missions here in El Salvador, the east and the west. Each mission has over 100 missionaries. They are allowed to attend the temple twice a year so they come in 20's to 30's each day for two weeks til each has had the opportunity.
Well, that is probable about all the news from here. We haven't been too far from home and don't plan on it til the President is able to go with us. Lon and I did go out for Pupusa's with the Figueroa
family picture #3, and all the missionaries had dinner today with our Stake President and his wife, the Lopez's. It is really strange to be on the other side of the coin. We have always fed the missionaries
and tried to help them however we could and now we are being fed and looked after.
Love Dad and Mom, Lon and Nancy, Grandpa and Grandma
has started Physical Therapy and is getting stronger each day. We look forward to his return. It just feels like part of our family is missing.
I got to sing on Mother's Day in Sacrament Meeting with Andrea Luciana Figueroa, picture #1. We sang the Janice Kapp Perry song "My Mother/My Daughter" in Spanish. Lucy is only 20 so I had to sing the Mothers part, the high part. My sister Sharon and I used to sing this and I always sang the low part. It has been years since I have been able to share my testimony through song. My ward here doesn't believe that I am just a funeral singer at home. My Father in Heaven has really blessed me here to be able to grow and share this talent with others. I don't have enough words to share my testimony, but through music I have the opportunity.
The rains have begun! It is now winter here and the rainy season. Every day we get at least one rain storm, with thunder and lightning. Some days it is just a light rain and others it pours.
The temperature hasn't varied more than a degree or two since we arrived last August. The rains really effect the attendance at the temple. Mud slides are very common and the people just don't go
anywhere when it is raining.
On Mother's Day, Sister Perez arranged for a microbus to pick up all the missionaries and Pres. and Sister Alas (2nd councilor) in the Temple Presidency) picture #2 and take us to her chapel for the
baptism of her twin girls. Sister Perez is a temple worker. On Saturday, she gave us an invitation and that is when Elder Wall found out that he was to give a talk. Missionaries are always to be prepared but he was real glad that he had a night to prepare. We arrived at the chapel and the mother and daughter who were to sing the special number saw me and begged me to help them sing the song. So I sang with them, also played the opening and closing songs. Lon ended up helping to confirm the girls. It was a wonderful day. We just had two of our grandsons baptized this month and we really missed being with them. So Ashton and Aydan we thought of you as we helped at this
baptism.
We had missionaries in the temple each day last week. It is so fun to be with these stripling warriors. They carry such a powerful spirit with them. They are coming again this week and we will miss them because we will be on the PM shift. We have two missions here in El Salvador, the east and the west. Each mission has over 100 missionaries. They are allowed to attend the temple twice a year so they come in 20's to 30's each day for two weeks til each has had the opportunity.
Well, that is probable about all the news from here. We haven't been too far from home and don't plan on it til the President is able to go with us. Lon and I did go out for Pupusa's with the Figueroa
family picture #3, and all the missionaries had dinner today with our Stake President and his wife, the Lopez's. It is really strange to be on the other side of the coin. We have always fed the missionaries
and tried to help them however we could and now we are being fed and looked after.
Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers. We thank you for your prayers in our behalf. We are well and enjoying the work here. It is so wonderful to be able to attend the temple
five days a week and feel of our Heavenly Father's love each day. Have a great week. We love you and miss you but are so thankful to be able to be here serving in this part of the vineyard.
five days a week and feel of our Heavenly Father's love each day. Have a great week. We love you and miss you but are so thankful to be able to be here serving in this part of the vineyard.
Love Dad and Mom, Lon and Nancy, Grandpa and Grandma
Monday, May 14, 2012
Happy Mother's Day
WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes Mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice
in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly
use string, I think.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.
What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like, is he a crook? Does he get
drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES
to chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My Dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because Dad is such a goof ball.
2. Mom, you can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad.
What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Mom's work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power
'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your
friends.
4. Mom's have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get
rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who
did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the
back of her head.
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes Mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice
in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly
use string, I think.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.
What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like, is he a crook? Does he get
drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES
to chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My Dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because Dad is such a goof ball.
2. Mom, you can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad.
What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Mom's work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power
'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your
friends.
4. Mom's have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get
rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who
did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the
back of her head.
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