Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day...We remember...

We remember and honor our loved ones in heaven...
Grandfather Andrew Peter Petersen 
    and Grandmother Nellie Katie Olsen "Kate"
      Wedding day - 12Oct1904 - Andrew age 23, almost 24
             Katie - age 19, almost 20. 
Andrew died 5Apr1938 at age  57; Kate died 23Feb1928 at age 43.
More to come.....
Grandfather Byrum Heber Prescott B.H. "Bide"
   and Grandmother Maria Smith Prescott "Rie"
Wedding day - 10 June 1903 - Bide age 29, Rie age 21
Bide died 12dec1943 aat age 69; Rie died 19Sep1970 at age 87.
Grandfather Clarence Albertson
   and Grandmother Blanche Ilene Hartwell Albertson
   Married 19 Feb 1912 Clarence age 25, Blanche age 18
All their photos burned when her house in Hagerman burned down about 1932
Clarence died 3Sep1955 at age 69;
Photo of Blanche at age 18 that one of her siblings had.
The next photo is Blanche in the 1960s before she passed away on July 27, 1966 at age 72.
Grandfather Simpson David Huffaker
  and Grandmother Ella Louise Morris Huffaker
Married 29 May 1913, Dave age 21, 11 mos; Ella age 22, 5 mos.
Dave died 6Jun1982 at age 90; Ella died 20Nov1982 at age 91.


Father - Raymond O. Petersen
  and Mother Jane Maria Prescott Petersen
Married 18 June 1931 - Ray age 23, Jane age 20
Ray died 17Feb1970 at age 62; Jane died 6Feb2001 at age 90.
Father - Arnold George Albertson
Married 29 September 1937, age 24
Died 6Feb1982 at age 69.
   and Mother - Verna Beth Huffaker Albertson - still living age 93
Married 29September1937, Verna age 17


Plus we honor all those
who have kept our country free...

Sunday, May 26, 2013

This week in San Salvador

Today Walt left at 6:15 for the quarterly Regional Correlation Council...the first Sunday of May it was in the El Salvador El Salvador Santa Ana/Belice side of the country with 9 stake presidents and the Area Seventy.
Here is Walt waiting in the van at 6:10 for President Alas, his second counselor to come.
     Today it was in the El Salvador El Salvador Misson, with the other 9 stake presidents.
   Here they are driving past the temple this morning in a lot of fog.
Going down the exit from the temple it shows even more fog. You can see the small security guard house they will pass as they leave.
The stake center to the back left is where our ward meets. I got to go to our Campestre Ward today 9:00-Noon, for the second time in May.
One of our Embassy families shared their testimonies today since their two-year assignment finishes May 30.  Peter and Sheralie Broadbent and their 4 children have been a great asset to the ward.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Another week in San Salvador, El Salvador...

Today we spoke at the El Salvador San Salvador Layco Stake Conference...  Sunday morning - Walt putting the final touches on his talk before we left for the 30-minute drive to the stake center.
Walt spoke about how Satan is also our brother. His name "Lucifer" means light and he was a Son of the Morning, but because he would not accept the plan of Heavenly Father of having our agency on earth to choose between good and evil, and wanted his plan to force everyone to be obedient so not one soul would be lost, he was cast out of Heaven and became the devil. One-third of all of Heavenly Father's spirit children followed him and his plan and are now in league with Satan.
    However, Satan is powerless to tempt us beyond our ability to resist, otherwise we would not have our agency. (Can anyone tell me the scripture reference for this?)
      Because Satan will never have a body, and thus never have a family, he doesn't want families to be happy nor be sealed together for eternity.
     I had spoken just before Walt about when I first went to the temple and my father and mother also went that same day to receive their endowments.  I knew nothing about the temple and was nervous.  No one had told me I just had to remember two things that first time through the temple: my new name, and how I felt on this very special day in my life.
     Since that day I have been to many different temples hundreds of times and each time I learn something knew.
    I ended with wishing each one there would have the opportunity to be sealed in the temple as a family for eternity, or had already had that opportunity.
     Plus I said I hoped that Walt and I, our 7 children, and 33 grandchildren would live so that we will be a family together forever.
     And, of course, I closed with my testimony:
Joseph Smith is the Prophet of the Restoration.
I love the Book of Mormon.
Every day I am thankful for the Savior and His Atonement, and 
for our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson.
I am also thankful for my "novio," who is my husband for eternity.

Bishop Gabriel Méndez and his wife Karla came to guide us to the Layco Stake Center.  He is the assistant temple recorder.
When we arrived back at the temple grounds, we invited them to come and have Sunday dinner with us and the temple missionaries and the PEF missionaries.
Elder and Sister Clark were the hosts today.  He is pouring the ice water.  By him are Elder y Hna. Utt--Gary and Janet, the new PEF missionaries.
Hermana Clark is a great cook -- today she had baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes with a special gravy, and hot rolls out of the oven (albeit from San Martins).
The Thompsons brought a 5-fruit salad; the Utts brought green beans with white cheese grated over them; and we brought the dessert of snowballs. 
Here are the snowballs.
We were all missing Elder y Hna. Wall who finished their 22-month mission here and flew home to Salem, Utah, yesterday morning. It was just getting light when they loaded up their luggage at 5:15 a.m. and Hno. Morán drove them to the airport.
Yesterday afternoon Silvia and Waldo Reyes hosted a Mother's Day Luncheon for the sisters in our ward and for the Saturday morning shift of temple workers. Hna. Reyes is a worker on Saturday morning.
The Reyes are such sweethearts.  They had gifts for all the sisters there.  There were about 60 who came.
Their are currently two missions in El Salvador: The El Salvador San Salvador Mission and the El Salvador Santa Ana/Belice Mission.  Their presidents have been having their young Elders and Hermanas come to the temple during the past two weeks.
Rod Ralphs, our friend from Burley, Idaho, e-mailed us that his son would be in a group coming on Friday, May 17.
    We didn't have a shift on Friday, but we went over early to see Elder Ralphs before his group of 20 Elders did the 8:30 a.m. session.    Then I had a bi-monthly meeting with my assistants.  So when President Petersen and I were walking back to our apartment, the Elders were just coming out of the temple.
    We invited Elder Ralphs, his companion, and his zone leaders to come and see the temple president's apartment.  We took photos on our patio terrace.  He has been here 4 months and we could feel his great spirit and know that he is a wonderful missionary.
We also took a photo with Elder Ralphs.
On Thursday, May 16 was our grandson, Michael Fisher's 10th birthday.  In this photo he is giving his Mom a "10" on the after-school treats for the first day of school of his  5th grade year.
Michael, we hope you had a great birthday!
Wednesday, May 15, we had a day with no shift so Walt had a chance to go to an Otolaryngalogist to get his ears checked because
his hearing had been diminishing for a few months.  Sure enough, the doctor saw a big chunk of wax which he flushed out with strong bursts of water.  (I did take a photo of it but don't want to gross Julie Beth out.)
    Walt said: I can hear again!
 Here's Walt with the doctor.
That evening we went to a marvelous piano/violin recital with Sheralie Broadbent and René Hernández.  He is second violin for the National Symphony here and she is like a professional. 
They played the works of Mozart, Schumann, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Hubay, and others. 
Here is Sheralie with the Hernández family.  They are all in our Campestre Ward.  She has been my visiting teacher since I have been here.  Her husband has been here with the Embassy for two years, and now they are being transferred May 30th to Vancouver, Canada. 
Sheralie and Peter have a darling family of Jeffrey 11, Laird 8, Lucy 5, and James 3.  Lucy was sad when they found out that baby #5 would be a boy and that she wouldn't get a sister on Aug. 28 or before.
 Tuesday, May 14 we had the afternoon evening shift from 12:30 noon to 9:30 p.m. We have many spiritual experiences in the temple which are too sacred to share.
Here we are with Melanie, a sweet teenager from our ward.  For our 22 months here, Walt keeps calling her any name but Melanie.  She finally figuered out that he's just teasing. (This was after the concert Wed.)
Monday, May 13 was the Farewell Dinner at our apartment for Elder y Hna. Wall. They shared their testimonies and their feelings about their 22-months serving here as temple missionaries.
President Majano took a photo of the Walls while everyone else was in line to get their pupusas, quesadillas, banana empanadas, and other typica San Salvadorian food.
Hna. Wall said in closing: "We have a beautiful missionary family here, and we're going home to a beautiful family."
Elder Wall said he spent part of the morning just walking the streets 
of the city near the temple for one last time.  He served his mission as a young Elder here close to 50 years ago.
Here's the group that were at the farewell dinner.
Front: Elder y Hna. Thompson--Lon and Nancy; Bishop Gabriel Méndez and wife Karla; Second row: Hna. Petersen--Eileen, Elder y Hna. Wall--Frank and Diane; President Petersen--Walt.
Third row: Elder y Hna. Clark--Joe and Marilee (he is behind her);
President y Hna. Majano--Rafael y Aida; President y Hna. Alas--Eduardo y Consuelo; and Hna. Estrada--Rosy (she is a temple worker, and also caters for our small dinner parties).
And earlier on Monday, May 13, we had a Gringa Brunch as a Farewell for Diane and Sheralie.
It was at the home of Janis Nielsen. Photo--Front: Celeste Mecham holding Sophia, Diane Wall, Shaulee Curtis, Traci McKay, Nancy Thompson, Eileen Petersen, and in front Lucy and James Broadbent.
Next row: Janis Neilsen, Sheralie Broadbent, Marilee Clark.
Last row: Delena Markland, Kristine Freestone.
Some weeks are busier than others!  Busy is good.  The time is zooming by.  Tomorrow, Monday, May 20 marks 22 full months that we have been here.  That leaves only 1 year, 5 months, and 11 days that we have left to serve here in the beautiful San Salvador El Salvador Temple.
The sealing power is the greatest power in the Universe...families sealed on earth will be sealed in heaven.
      The Priesthood Ordinances of the Temple are true and binding, depending upon our faithfulness to these temple covenants.
We hope you will have a great week wherever you are.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy Mother's Day

Mothers and Mother's Day...
Abraham Lincoln said: "All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my angel Mother."  I also believe he could include his father in that, but today we are focusing on mothers.
My angel mother... in September 1937, age 17, photo taken at the Jerome County Fair, the week before they eloped.
Verna Beth Huffaker and Arnold George Albertson

(post to be continued.....we talked this morning at the Illopango Stake Conference and now we're scheduled to speak in an hour on Family History and Temple Work
at a meeting for our whole Los Heroes Stake.
....be back
Back...
Just want to say that I am so thankful for my Mother and all she has done for me throughout my life.  
Here she is at age 26 in 1946 just after we moved back to Idaho after World War II.  My Dad worked at the ship yards there to help in the war effort.  The Army wouldn't take him because he had flat feet.  That was their loss.  Now they've found out that men with flat feet can march just as well as others.
Here is Mom at age 42 in 1962.  Walt and I had driven from St. Louis to Idaho between his 3rd and 4th year of medical school. We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary with family there.
I'm glad we got a photo with my Mom and Dad and my sister, Janice.  My Dad would have been age 49, Janice 13, and I 23.
Here's Mom at age 92 in 2012...couldn't find other photos in between 42 and 92.  I have some in her life story that I'll have to get into "My Pictures" computer file.
We are so thankful for our daughter Julie and her husband John taking such good care of Grama A in her fragile, elderly years. 
My Mom has seen many changes in her lifetime--from outhouses to indoor plumbing, from doing her homework at the kitchen table by the light of kerosene lanterns to an all electric home, and from horse and buggy to rockets to the moon.
      Can you imagine what her great-grandchildren will encounter in their lifetimes?
       My Mom has 2 daughters, 11 grandchildren, and 46 great grandchildren.
        We, her posterity, thank her and honor her for the legacy she has given to us.  We pray we will always bring honor to the heritage and name she has given to us.
         We are thankful God gave us M O T H E R S.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Another great week in San Salvador...
Walt left at 5:30 a.m. for the quarterly Regional Coorelation Council...this time in the Santa Ana/Belize Mission area. It was in Sonzanate, which just took a 45-minute drive in not much traffic.
President Majano drove his car.  Walt said they chatted the whole way over and back.  Not often are just the two of them able to have time like that together.

President Majano took this photo of us as we all returned from a
2 1/2 hour training of our temple coordinators from 3:00-5:30.
Today was our turn to host the Sunday pot-luck dinner.  We chose to serve Saucy Pork Chops.  I quadrupled the recipe--cooking 20 thick, boneless pork chops, so I had 4 onions to peel and cut.  My eyes were still stinging throughout Sacrament Meeting.
      Walt is normally the onion cutter, and I was lamenting the whole time that I had not remembered to have him cut those reeking onions last night.
    I got the chops browned, the onions sliced, and the sauce made to combine it all in the crock pot for the 3-4 hours on high, just in time to get to Church at 9:00. I got seated just as the second counselor stood up to welcome us.  Our Bishop Figureroa was home sick today. 
The Saucy Pork Chops took the full 4 hours to be tender enough. (Everything seems to take a little longer to cook here--especially roasts and such.
 I was so excited when I was standing by the kitchen window to see Walt walking across the parking lot to the apartment complex.  These Reg. Coorelation Councils are scheduled from 7:00-2:00, but they left early because we had to open the temple at 2:30 for the coordinators to come in and change into their white clothes for the 3:00 start of the training.
   Walt took this photo of me while I was getting the salt and pepper  shakers to put on the table.
The Clarks brought mashed potatoes, the Walls brought corn and a jello salad, and the Thompsons brought a dessert of cherry cobbler with ice cream.
Walt was enjoying the food and conversation so much he almost forgot that he had to leave to open the temple.  We barely had time to take the group photo.
Front left to right: Hna. Thompson--Nancy; Hna. Wall--Diane; Hna. Petersen--Eileen; Hna. Clark--Marilee.
Back: Elder Thompson--Lon; Elder Wall--Frank; Dale Wegkamp, here with the USAID helping the youth of El Salvador (His wife, Lisa, is in the USA to return in a couple of weeks with their daughter Laura and her two little girls.); President Petersen--Walt; Elder Clark--Joseph.
I didn't get a photo of all of us at the table, but I got a snapshot of the little purple flowers, plus the tiny yellow blossoms that bloom in the lawn cover that is used here instead of grass.
Plus, Hna. Clark returned her little May-Day basket filled with pistachio nuts.
And, I'm getting a neck cramp from sitting at the computer.....so I will continue this post in a while.
   ....Now it's Wednesday evening.  So I guess this will be the end of the post for last week.