This afternoon Elder Carlos H. Amado, President of the Central America Area, spoke at our Temple Workers' Devotional.
     He kept everyone spellbound for 55 minutes.
     We are thankful for these General Authorities who give the best years of their lives to inspire and lift us.

We are also commemorating the 2nd anniversary of the dedication of the temple - August 21, 2011.
    It was great to have our three daughters join us during that exciting time when we had just been here for one month.
   Janie, Julie, and Jen were here for 5 days. 

This evening I shared some of the same talk I gave last Sunday at the San Miguel Stake Conference, with the focus on the importance of being sealed in the temple.
     We read in Doctrine and Covenants 132:19 this about the sealing power: 
"And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them--Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection...and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths--then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of Life...it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time and through all eternity, and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever."

Walt was teary to see the chapel and rows into the cultural hall filled with so many of our temple workers. He thanked them for all that they do to help the work of the temple go forward.  He thanked them for coming from near and far--some come on buses from 2, 3, and even 4 hours one way to the temple from their homes.
              He talked about special times that touched his heart when he returned from his back surgery just over a year ago and many told him they had been praying for him.   
     One day a tiny, elderly hermana said: "President, I pray for you."
            We do love and appreciate our temple workers. Plus we are also thankful for the patrons who come each day the temple is open.
...........Earlier on this Sunday
We prepared "Costa Rica Sundaes" for a light lunch for Elder Amado.  

I let Daniel take my camera for this week, so Elder Clark came and took these photos for us today. (Many thanks!)  And Elder Clark also gathered some gardenas for the table centerpieces and Hna. Clark helped arrange them. (Thanks again!)

The 11 at lunch today...clockwise, Walt, Aida Majano, Rafael Majano, Jaime López, Elder Amado, Eduardo Alas, Consuelo Alas, Hno. Pitcher, Hna. Pitcher who are temple missonaries in the Guatemala Temple.  (He baptized President Alas at age 25.) 

They are aka "Hawaiian Haystacks" or "Dinner from Bali."
We appreciated the help of Hermana Majano who brought the rice, and fresh pineapple, and Hermana Alas who brought tomatoes, onions, and watermelon.
    As Elder Amado was creating his layers of the toppings, I said: "We have fruit for dessert, or I also have ice cream."
 "I prefer ice cream," he replied.

As we were getting everything put away from dinner, Elder y Hna. Clark went over early for the 4:00 Devotional.  She took a couple of photos:
Here is Hna. Carmen Manzaneres on the left and the Montepeque family on the right...Emilio y Vincenta Montepeque have two sons and two daughters who are all very active, and most of them are temple workers.  Hna. Clark took this photo today before the Devotional began.

Here is another temple worker at the Devotional today: Ruth Peña.

Yesterday, Saturday, August 24, broke the record for the number of buses that came.  Again, The Clarks have shared their photos with us:
     18 bues were parked in the temple parking lot at one time.
Most were from San Miguel, with some coming from Sonsonate and Sonsocate.

Buses, buses, and more buses....filled with workers and patrons. Needless to say, the sessions were overflowing, as were baptisms for the dead, initiatory, and sealings.

We are thankful for the temple, for our temple workers, and for the patrons who come and go each day.  We are thankful for our Area President, Elder Amado, coming to be with us for this commemoration of the 2nd Anniversary of the dedication of the beautiful San Salvador El Salvador Temple.

Here is one of our favorite photos of the temple taken by Elder Trent Kitley...in the group of our first four Sr. Temple Missonary Couples.  Well I can't find that photo in "My Pictures," so here is a good one taken at sunrise by Hna. Diane Wall on one of her early morning walks.

We were so blessed to have Elder Amado here today. Here is a short write-up I found about him:

Elder Carlos H. Amado

First Quorum of the Seventy

Elder Carlos Humberto Amado was sustained a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 1989. In June 1992, Elder Amado was called to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy.

He is currently serving as counselor in the Central America Area, having previously served as president of the Chile Area, the South America West Area, and the South America South and Central America Areas. He also served as counselor in the Area Presidencies of South America West, South America South, Mexico South, Central America, and Mexico/Central America.

Prior to his call as a General Authority, he served in the Church as a full-time missionary in the Andes Mission, a regional representative two times, chairman of the Guatemala City Temple Committee, stake president, stake president’s counselor, bishop, branch president, sealer in the Guatemala City Temple, and president of the Guatemala Guatemala City Mission. He was also assigned to reopen the El Salvador San Salvador Mission.

Initially a technical draftsman, Elder Amado received his degree from the Technical Vocational Institute of Guatemala City. He later became an area director for the Church Educational System, a position he held for 14 years.

He was born September 25, 1944, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, to Carlos and Albertina Funes de Amado. He is married to Mayavel Pineda, and they are the parents of five children. They also have four grandsons and three granddaughters.

Our week in El Salvador...
Bright and early Monday morning we took Daniel to have pupusas for breakfast.

Pupusas are like the national food of El Salvador...

Pupusas are to be eaten with your fingers....but these were too hot for me to pick up, and I enjoy them more if I can use a fork.

You put salsa on them, then cover them with the shredded cabbage, carrots, onions, and other spicy condiments...

Googled this info: A pupusa (Spanish pronunciation: [puˈpusa], is a traditional Salvadoran dish made of a thick, handmade corn tortilla (made using masa de maíz, a maize flour dough used in Latin American cuisine) that is usually filled with a blend of the following:

• cheese (queso) (usually a soft cheese called Quesillo found in all Central America)
• cooked pork meat ground to a paste consistency (called chicharró)
• refried beans (frijoles refritos), or queso con loroco (loroco is a vine flower bud from Central America).

The two most common pupusas are the pupusa de queso (cheese) and more popular pupusa revuelta with mixed ingredients of cheese, beans, and chicharrón. Pupusas are typically served with curtido (lightly fermented cabbage slaw with red chilies and vinegar) and a watery tomato salsa.

Two fills us up....but some connoisseurs can eat 4 or 5 at a time...

We ran in to President Alas and Elder Winter who had walked over to Antigua Cuscatlan...about a 20-min walk in traffic. They were happy to have a ride back to the temple grounds.

Continuing on with our Monday P-Day activities, we took everyone  (our three Sr. couple temple missionaries) grocery shopping.  We had fun showing Daniel the brown eggs. (In the photo some look white, but there are really only brown ones.)

Family Home Evening was at the apartment of Elder y Hna. Haroldsen...

Elder Haroldsen gave a great lesson on "Obedience and Learning Line Upon Line Till We Know the Mysteries of God."
 He shared these four scriptures: (1) Deuteronomy 11:26-28
  "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing... 
"A blessing if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day..."
(2) 3 Nephi 26: 9-10/  
(3) 2 Nephi 28:30/ 
(4) Alma 12:9-11
Elder y Hna. Haroldsen...

Elder y Hna. Winter...

Elder y Hna. Clark...

And most all of us together...

Hna. Haroldsen served "Poor Man's Cake" which is what my Mom called it....the cake made with raisins, without eggs, milk, or..one other ingredient I can't remember now.

Now we need to come up with a lesson and refreshments for FHE at our apartment tomorrow night.  Oh, yes, I remember, I am planning to have Hot Fudge Cake and Ice Cream.

Tuesday, August 13....we had the early morning shift, and Daniel came to the 11:30 session.
    Walt stopped to greet this Dad with his son and niece.

Daniel went out exploring.  I went to see if he had forgotten his key and needed to get back in to the building.  Here is the temple at sunset when I went out at 6:10 p.m.

Wednesday, August 14...here are our wet umbrellas after we got drenched walking back to our apartment after our afternoon/evening shift at 9:40 p.m.

Daniel is typing the day's events for his journal...he did an 11:30 a.m. session at the temple...

Walt is also working at his computer...

Thursday, August 15...We had no shift today.  I made a batch of bread...and some more stew to welcome our new Sr. Temple Missionary couple who arrived tonight from Canada--Elder Roberto and Hna. Irma Caballero.  Her brother, Hugo Martinez, our chief engineer picked them up at the airport. Yes, they are native San Salvadorians but have lived in Canada for 30 years.
   ......I didn't get their photos downloaded before I sent my camera off with Daniel on Friday who has gone out on splits to work with missionaries.
   Friday we had the morning shift; Saturday the afternoon/evening shift.
     Sunday, Aug 18, today, we left at 6:45 a.m. and arrived at San Miguel at 9:00 for the Stake Conference. Hugo drove us, and Elder y Hna. Clark rode with us, then they rode back with her sister and husband: President y Hna. Glazier of the El Salvador San Salvador East Mission.   
Oscar Auriel Machado Soto, age 19, rode back with us. His family lives near San Miguel. He was baptized 5 months ago and today had Elder Clark ordain him an Elder. He is attending the Universidad CentroAmericana JoseSimeonCañas in Civil Engineering. He plans to serve a mission after he has been a member for 1 year. He is the only member in his family, but his mother came to the stake conference today. He lives with a family here in our Campestre Ward.
       We got back at 3:45 p.m. and got in on the second half of the Coordinators Training in the Temple.
     We are bushed tonight and are going to bed.
         We hope you have had a restful and peaceful Sabbath Day.
            We are thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and for His Great Atonement for each one of us.
              Con amor, Los Petersen - Walt & Eileen

S A T U R D A Y ,  A U G U S T  1 0 ,  2 0 1 3
Daniel's here...we are so happy to have our oldest grandson come for a visit.  The rest of the Fishers are coming August 28 for a week.

He took the red-eye 1:00 a.m flight out of Salt Lake City Saturday, with a 2-hour layover in Atlanta, GA, arriving here at Noon on Saturday, August 10.    We stopped at one of the many coconut stands that line the highway to/from the airport.

Got to the temple grounds in time to have a tipica lunch at the cafeteria.  Splurged on lunch at $2 a plate.

"Tipica" being rice, beef asado, chincita, fried bananas, tortillas, and flan.   We're taking him for pupusas on Monday morning.

He got his first view of the San Salvador El Salvador Temple from our 2nd floor terrace patio.  It was clouding up, which makes for easier picture taking of people.
Daniel said he'd gotten a little sleep on the flight, but when we told him to try to rest for a while he slept for 4 1/2 hours.  He was more tired than he realized.

        

 "Beautiful," he said.

While Daniel was sleeping, we got the apple pies baked.  Walt always peels the apples...14 of them and has them cut and ready while I'm making the crust.

We also cooked some hamburger soup...Walt peeling all the potatoes, carrots, chopping cabbage, celery, and onions.  And I mixed a small batch of bread to make scones, cinnamon rolls, and two loaves of bread.

When Walt went in to wake Daniel up at 7:30 for supper, he asked: "What time is it?"
I thought I'd fried way too many scones....but only had three left on the plate after supper.  And they still had room for the hot apple pie with ice cream.

After supper I put together the Lasagna for Sunday dinner.

S U N D A Y ,  A U G U S T  1 1 ,  2 0 1 3
After the 9:00-Noon Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School, Priesthood, and Relief Society, we served dinner to 9 in our apartment.
Haroldsen's brought broccoli salad, Clark's the garlic bread, and Utt's did the dessert of strawberry short cake. 

We couldn't have it as leisurely as usual because we had to leave at 1:30 for a fireside we were asked to speak at in Sonsonate - an hour away. Left to right: Elder y Hna. Clark, Elder y Hna. Haroldsen, President Petersen (trying to stand on tip toe to be taller than his grandson), Daniel Fisher (still taller than his grandfather without standing on his toes), and Elder y Hna. Utt--the Perpetual Education Fund missionaries.

President Majano drove us in the temple president's van to Sonsonate, and then he and Hna. Majano drove over to Sonzacate to give a fireside there (a close sister city).
  Here are Walt and Daniel with the Sonsonate Stake Presidency after the hour-and-a-half fireside.  President Enriquez spoke after Walt and I did.

  The Majanos rendezvoused with us after our and their fireside speeches, and we headed back to San Salvador.

We drove by the stake center again after President Majano got lost trying to get back onto the main road.
    Hna. Majano said: "See, even the local Salvadorians get lost." (Referring to the day before when Walt got lost on the way to the airport--his first time driving alone without a local person.  But we were only "lost" for 30 seconds, and just had to turn back onto the road we'd been on.)

I glanced at the car clock as we were leaving: 5:15p.m.
I couldn't believe that as we were waiting at the security guard house for the gate to open into the temple grounds it was 6:15!
They told us it was an hour drive....but I didn't know it would be that exact.
    The Majanos, Walt, and Daniel.

Did we mention we're very happy to have our oldest grandson, Daniel, with us?

Snatches of our fireside messages...
    I shared about my Mother's passing away but that I am so happy for her to be young again in her prime of life, being able to see, hear, remember, run, and laugh.   And that because of her receiving her temple endowment and being sealed to my father, she was able to be reunited with her eternal sweetheart after being a widow for 31 years.   (Julie has some great photos on her blog as a "Tribute to Grama" ... you can go to it from our blog.)
     I shared these two quotes:

"The temple endowment relates the story of man's eternal journey;

            sets the conditions upon which progress in the eternal worlds depends;

            requires covenants or agreements of those participating to accept and use

            the laws of progress; gives tests by which our willingness and fitness for

            righteousness may be known, and finally points out the ultimate destiny of

            those who love truth and live by it."                  -- Elder John A. Widstoe

                                                                       

            President Harold B. Lee adds this dimension to our understanding of the endowment:  "The temple ceremonies are designed by a wise Heavenly Father who has revealed them to us in these last days as a guide and protection throughout our lives that you and I might not fail of an exaltation in the Celestial kingdom where God and Christ dwell."  --Through Temple Doors, John K. Edmunds, p. 141--Harold B. Lee, Decisions for Successful Living

                                                             (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978), p. 141. I
I also shared that each time I go to the temple, I learn something new, and assured them that they could too.

One of the things Walt shared at the fireside was that when we were first married we lived in St. Louis, then Minneapolis, then Oklahoma far from any temple.  When we moved to Burley, Idaho, there were 4 temples within 2 1/2 hours and we thought we'd be going to the temple often.  One month, two months....up to five months passed and we hadn't been to the temple.  Some friends (The Edlefsens) invited us to go to the temple with them.  They said they found if they set a goal of a specific day each month to go to the temple, that worked best for them.
     So we set a goal to go the 3rd Thursday of every month.  From then on we went to the temple each month.
     President Gordon B. Hinckley said: "I know your lives are busy.  I know that you have much to do.  But I make you a promise that if you will go to the House of the Lord, you will be blessed; life will be better for you."
      We leave our testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been restored to the earth by Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet of God now. Priesthood temple ordinances have been returned to the earth.  Families are forever!
       Walter Ray Petersen and Eileen Albertson Petersen
          Hope you have had a restful and peaceful Sabbath Day.