Progress in South America

This is a picture of us with Elder and Hermana Newman who are living in Bogota, he is the Area Welfare Director. We met them in the MTC, we began our missions at the same time. They were here to do some training of the leaders here in Quito. We were able to go to lunch with them on Friday before their training on Saturday afternoon. It was very good to see them and compare notes on our experiences. They are happy to be in Bogota. Many people feel it is a dangerous place, but they have not found that to be true. They travel all over Columbia, completing welfare projects for the Church. There are many types of "aid" the Church provides; most often it comes from findiing the needs of an area; sometimes it's medical necessities, construction projects, food and commodities and of course leadership training. They are enjoying their assignment. Our South America North area includes Columbia, Ecuador and Venezuela. They travel to all those countries.

I am posting another photo of some young women who volunteer in a local orphanage. The administrator of the facility is in our Bishopric. Both times we have been here in Quito, there have been many very sweet young women, most, but not all, are members from Utah. They volunteer for three months and take care of the small "unwanted or orphaned" children of Quito. Unfortunaltley there are several of these orphanges around the city housing many children. When I took this photo and spoke to the young women, they told me that at this time they have 32 children UNDER 2 years old! It changes all the time. We are also blessed to have them in our ward because they (coming from Utah) sing for us in Sacreament meeting every now and then. In this group of young women is a sister who is about 6 feet tall and very blond, unfortunately she was not there the day I took the picture. A trio of them sang one day and when they got to the podium to sing one small girl said, (in Spanish of course), "Look mommie, there's Barbie." The young woman was very, very flattered, we all thought it was really cute.

This is a photo of Hermana Griesemer, the secretary to the Mission President. The Mission is preparing for President Lara and his family to end their three years of service to the Quito Mission, and welcome a new Mission President, Tim Sloan. He and his family will be here at the end of June. They are coming from Utah, where he is an employee of the Church. The mission office was just remodeled during the last month. It is beautiful and so much more functional and tranquil now. I don't know how things were accomplished before, it was very "disorganzed" and allowed people to come and go at will. Now, Hermana Griesemer has some "control" of the door to the office. She is a great secretary and a very willing Senior Missionary who gets things done, whatever that may include. She always greets everyone with her beautiful hearfelt smile.

We are doing our best to work hard and accomplish what the Lord would require of us. Our testimonies of the restored Gospel are strong. We love our Savior. We work in a nice atmosphere with employees of the Church and missionaries also. Elder W. takes the opportunity to teach Priesthood Principles whenever it is appropiate. We are blessed to be here in Quito again. I don't think it matters where our assignment is, as much as how we want to be of service. Our good friends, Elder and Sister Shipley from our home Ward in Henderson Nv., are in Ghana, Africa. He is the Secretary to the Area Presidency. Now that is a calling! But, they love it and love the people of Africa. as we too love the people of Ecuador.

Well, that is really all that is happening at this time for us. We pray all is well with all who read this. Until I write again.

Hermana W.

I Wish I Had A Great Title

As I sit in our living room on this rainy Saturday, I have no great stories or situations to tell you about. How unusual for me, right. It is just a plain "Pday" (preparation day). This morning at 9:30 when the supermarket opened, (which is right under our apartment on the main floor of the building), I did the shopping for the week and probably a little more. When I shop here, it is like when you shop at Costco, if you see it, you buy it, because it may not be there the next time you shop. Prices here have almost tripled like we hear they have at home. Just for an example; when we arrived in July, a box of Duncan Hines cookie mix (chocolate chip) was about $2.40, (afordable) then it went to $4.35, now it is an UNBELIEVABLE $8.49. Obviously we are not baking D.H. cookies! Chocolate chips are not available here, I can't figure out why, they have wonderful chocolate. We don't need the sweets anyway, but every now and then the smell of baking cookies was nice!

We received a nice e-mail from our daughter Cindy today, our oldest grandson Ry will be graduating from Saugus High School in June. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I remember My graduation as if it were yesterday, OK a few weeks ago. How fast time is going. On a personal level how blessed we are to have the technology of the Internet to keep in touch with family and friends. We have several blogs we can log onto and know that family and friends are well and what is happening in their lives. Corinna and Jamie are wonderful to share photos regularly with us as well. It is good to see those grandchildren in their sports and musical recitals, etc.

We are also very blessed to have the technology of the internet and computers in our office also. To be able to communicate with Salt Lake at any time is a great help. Our work is so much record keeping, I can't imagine how hard it would be without the computer, and, as I have shared with you before, Elder W. is the master records and charts creator. We have charts for every statistic there is.

It is now 3:30 in the afternoon and the Andean clouds are rolling into our valley. It is about 2 to 3 hours early. Since our apartment is on the 16th floor we are litterly in the clouds each evening.

We are very blessed to be here serving our Father to share Priesthood principles with our brothers and sisters here in South America. We have said and are teaching daily, the most important part of our calling is stressing to the particpants and leaders the keeping of covenants and being honest. It is a pleasure to see the understanding of the people change little by little, day by day.

I don't know if I should wish for some "exciting" things to happen before I write again, but I will try to take some more pictures of our diverse city to share with you.

Until I write again. Love to all.
Hermana W.

A Mother's Day Tribute To My Family

As I am far from our family this Mother's Day, I feel a great need to share my feelings about my children, their spouses and our grandchildren.

In my Patriarchial Blessing, I am told that "I am especially honored and blessed to be a mother in Isreal, but it places upon me great responsibility to rear my children under the influence of the Gospel that they may grow up to be worthy members of the Church and a power and influence for good in these last days."

I am proud to be married to their father for 43 years. I won't say they have all been "blissfull", but I am grateful for the Priesthood he righteously holds and uses daily. I am very greatful to Father in Heaven for allowing me to rear seven of His choice spirits. This is the only photo I have of all six living children. It is many years old, but I love this picture. It was taken at a very special time.

Each of our children are loved for their own individual qualities. They have become caring, loving, compassionate adults. We love their spouses as our own. They all have their own trials and hardships to deal with, as do we all, but they have become stronger and wiser as the years and trials pass. They are doing their best to be good parents to our 21 grandchildren. I could ask for nothing more.

For the last 16 years, for our family, Mother's Day is more than just a day to celebrate motherhood. It is the day that Becky, then 19 years old, was killed in a traffic accident. I want my children to know how proud I am of the way in which they have handled this tragedy. We all still miss her terribly!

I am so greatful to know that in the future we will all see her and be with her. We know where she is and that is a wonderful comfort to us. We speak of her often, I am especially glad that her siblings talk of her to their children. Although none of the grandchildren personally knew Becky, they do know her through family stories and many photos. Her death has strengthened my testimony of how Heavenly Father loves all of His children unconditionally. I pray it has done the same for the other members of our family.

I miss our family very much, but the Lord has promised that through our missionary service, our children and their families will be blessed, and I am holding HIM to that promise.

As your mother, there are things I wish I had done differently, although, I have tried to be the best example that I could. As we think and reflect on this Mother's Day, I pray each of our children all know of the love I have for each of them and again, how proud I am to be their mother.

Happy Mother's Day girls.

Until I write again, I love you all!

Mom

No Pain, No Gain, Nothing But Rain

I know this is probably hard to see, but it is the rain we received very suddenly one afternoon.

Elder W. hobbled down with the camera to the entrance of our apartment building. The drops of rain were HUGE. Quito gets more rain in one month than we get in one year in Las Vegas. I wish I could bring some home, we always need more water. We can't wait for what they call spring. It has supposedly already started, but I have not seen it yet. I am really ready for some warm weather.

Elder W. did something to his left ankle (post batman experience) it is still very, very sore. He finally agreed to go to the orthopedic Dr. Bravo! I got some sort of virus on Thursday last week. It affected my balance, and thought process. Now I know you all think I'm a little daffy anyway, but it was really bad. If anyone had seen me walk, they would think I had too much to drink. I went to the Mission Dr. and he told us what he thought, gave me two prescriptions and we came home. In two days what a difference, I am so much better.

Elder W. has been helping to restructure the Mission Office. It was

a horrible mess before. Very, very disorganized, dirty and not pleasant to work in. This is a picture of the Mission President's office. It is beautiful. We get a new Mission President in July, Tim Sloan is his name. He works for the Church in the Welfare Dept. Because we worked a little with him during our last Misson, Elder W. has been in contact with him and what he would like in his office. It will be a good change, the Mission needs some new direction.

This is only one photo of the new office, none of us can believe the difference. It is a very calm place now.

Today is the second day that we have had no rain. I am soooooo happy. The sun actually brighened the sky today for most of the day. But no rain!

So when Elder W's ankle is healed, the sun is shinning a few more days in a row, and the Senior Missionaries are back into their new office, things will be great.

Serving here is a great pleasure. We are so happy to be in the Lord's service whenever or wherever we are called.

Love you all tons, miss you lots.

Until I write again,

Hermana W.