Monday, June 23
Kelly's birthday breakfast...
We love her!
We drove the Haroldsen's to lunch and grocery shopping.
The Caballero's and Udall's went to San Vincente today to celebrate the Udall's wedding anniversary.
I got tickled at Wal-Mart where all the TV channels were turned to the World Cup...
and had a big display of soccer balls. This is a BIG event here, as in most countries throughout the world.
Presidente Majano taught about "Humility" in Family Home Evening...
Walt had a good summary of these scriptures from the lesson about humility that it comes down to: "Be humble or be humbled!"
1. Deuteronomy 8:2 "...humble thee to prove thee..."
2. Isaiah 57:15 "...contrite and humble spirit..."
3. Matthew 18:4 "...humble..as this little child..."
4. Matthew 23:12"...he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."
5. Mosiah 4:11 "...humble yourselves..."
6. Doctrine & Covenants 57:10
7. Doctrine & Covenants 133:36
8. Doctrine & Covenants 136:32 "...learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God..."
9. Doctrine & Covenants 112:10
10. Ether 12:27
11. Alma 5:27-28
12. 1st Peter 5:5-6
Hna. Haroldsen, Hna. Majano, Presidente Majano.
Elder Haroldsen, Hna. Udall, Elder Udall, Elder Caballero.
Presidente Alas, Hna. Alas, Hna. Caballero, and Presidente Petersen. You can see that everyone is immersed in the scriptures in learning about humility.
Hna. Majano served pound cake just out of the oven, which smelled delicious, but we had to excuse ourselves as soon as the lesson was finished because we were invited to the birthday dinner for Kelly.
Herbert and Daniela took us to a wonderful Italian Restaurant in the Zona Rosa only about 10 minutes from the temple.
Kelly thought when they served her this big plate of pasta with shrimp: "I will never be able to eat all this!"
Later she said: "I can't believe I ate it all. It was so delicious and I was so hungry from surfing all day that I just kept eating." They said they only stopped for a small lunch at the little beach café. (And they both got very sunburned.)
We also had yummy non-alcoholic piña coladas at the birthday dinner place.
Then the waiter brought the beautiful birthday cake that Herbert and Daniela had brought for the birthday dinner's grand finale.
Kelly is a wonderful dancer and very athletic. These talents were portrayed on the cake.
Back at the temple grounds we got a photo of these two couples who are becoming great friends. Herbert y Daniela and Daniel y Kelly. The Fishers have invited their new friends to come to Idaho to snow ski sometime.
We think Kelly had a fun birthday in El Salvador.
Wow...this one day's activities are almost sufficient for a whole blog post.
But we will go on to the rest of the week.
Tuesday, June 24... This is always a special day because it is when our first child was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the first day of Walt's internship two weeks after he received his M.D. degree at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri
Yes, I traveled over 800 miles fourteen days before my due date.
And this turned out to be the only baby that come on the "due date."
Here in San Salvador we had a day without a shift.
Daniel and Kelly always jump right in after our meals together to clean the kitchen. We drove them over to the Love and Hope Children's Home where they are volunteering for the summer.
Wednesday, June 25
We had the 5:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. shift at the temple. Every Wednesday morning Walt meets with his temple presidency.
I didn't take a photo this day, but here's a photo from Nov. 2012 with the temple presidency and our first group of full-time Sr. couple temple missionaries.
L-R: Elder Dave y Hna. Marilyn Gibbons, Elder Lon y Hna. Nancy Thompson (They are coming to visit us here July 4-8, while the Guatemala Temple is closed where they are currently serving since Dec. 16, 2013. Elder Thompson was recently made a sealer and the Gibbons told us that he has just been called to serve in the temple presidency with President William Burk--whom we served with during our Argentina Mission. So great congratulations are in order and we are so excited to see them!)
Continuing on with the photo--in front Presidente y Hna. Majano, Walt and me, Presidente y Hna. Alas. Back row from Thompsons, Elder Trent y Hna. Arlene Kitley, Elder Frank y Hna. Diane Wall--Diane, Happy Belated Birthday wishes for June 25...ah, the day we're posting about in this paragraph.) (This is the photo that the Thompsons had Josue Peña take and then as a suprise to us all, they had copies printed to give us for Christmas.)
Thursday, June 26...
Before we went to our afternoon shift, we drove Daniel and Kelly to his dermatologist's follow-up appointment from last Thursday to check on the rash he had. It is almost cleared up and he is feeling a lot better. It was diagnosed as a parasite that he got at the beach during their first visit there June 7.
Since we were going to these offices on this day, Walt had also scheduled an appointment with his cardiologist Dr. López Winter. This heart specialist felt all the right things had been done and is pleased with President Petersen's recovery. (The week before this Walt had left copies of the records of his open heart surgery in Salt Lake City and work ups from the Mayo Clinic.)
While I was waiting in the outer office while Dr. L-W was checking Walt's blood pressure and heart beat in the exam room, I took a photo of this picture. It reminds me of going across the bridge from life here on earth to the light of life in heaven. It gave me a feeling of peace.
And, this was an ad in a magazine in the waiting room that I thought would make a great family tree for family photos.
Friday, June 27...
Another special day in our family...The 20th Wedding Anniversary of David and Julie. We hope they had a great day. Actually, they are in New York City for the 16th birthday celebration of their oldest son, Joshua. Their three younger children are being cared for at home.
We had a day without a shift but I had a meeting that morning in the temple with my assistants. Here is the temple complex auxiliary building where the seven apartments are on the second floor, Our apartment is the far top left.
I stopped to take a photo of the row of gardenias that are by the secured locked door into the stairs and elevator to our floor. There are seven apartments--temple president's apartment, one for each of the counselors in the presidency, and four for full-time temple missionary couples. I was happy that our Apartment is "207." Those who know us, know that our number if "7."
The gardenias don't have a lot of blooms right now. But they still have that heavenly fragrance in the evenings.
Here's the walker I use to walk back and forth to the temple to carry my temple bag, and our lunch containers. If I go for very long without using my walker, my back becomes more painful.
We carry our umbrellas everywhere we go during the six-month "rainy season" May to November.
There are several service center employees who help keep the temple and the auxiliary building clean. There are two specific ones who clean our apartment weekly. Here Cecilia is finishing the terrace patio.
Santos is getting ready to mop the kitchen. We are so thankful for their great help to us.
We invited Daniel and Kelly to come have lunch with us at the Comodore (Cafeteria) on the first floor of the auxiliary building.
Friday we also did a temple session in the late afternoon.
As we were walking back to our apartment, a family asked us to be in a photo with them. The Dad explained that they represented a 4-generation family in the Church in El Salvador--The Familia Sanchez.
You can see that it's getting dark at 6:30 p.m.
As we were about to our front door, we saw this happy newly married couple, and asked if we could take their photo. They're from Santa Ana and had just been sealed that afternoon in the temple.
Saturday, June 28... (We're almost through the week.)
We did the Saturday morning shift...opening the temple at 4:15 a.m.
Then when we got back to our apartment at 12:00 noon, we ate a hurried lunch and took a nap so we could return to to the 2:30 session with the stake presidents and their wives whom had been invited to do that session by the temple presidency.
We were pleased that 14 of the 18 stake and district presidents were able to come. It was a powerful, spirit-filled session!
The temple was very busy--with the Stake of Auhachapán bringing 7 full buses during the day.
After the temple session, the stake presidents and their wives were invited to the Comodore to have refreshments. Sergio y Betsabe Penelope Oliva and their crew served delicious shredded chicken sandwiches with potato salad and blackberry juice.
Here is a stake president and his wife who had to take their sandwiches and leave for their long drive back to their home.
You know President Petersen, he didn't leave anyone out as he greeted each with his Christ-like love for all.
Then we gathered outside for a group photo. A few had left, so we didn't get all who had come.
The temple shows up better in the individual photos that various stake presidents and their wives asked to be in with us.
President y Hna. Alfaro of the La Libertad Stake. Gladys volunteers in the temple office many mornings during each week.
I am sorry to say we don't know the names of all the stake presidents. This is the stake president of the Sonsanate Stake--I think.
President y Hna. Menijar of the Cuscutlán Stake.
Presidente Jaime y Hna. Gladis López with their son, Diego, who received his endowment in the session we were in. He has been called to a Mission in Brazil, leaving July 23. President López is the stake president of the Los Heroes Stake, which is the stake we reside in. He is our full-time temple recorder and does many things to help us.
And that brings us to...
Sunday, June 29 - today...
We visited the America Barrio (Ward) in the El Salvador Stake.
Walt met with Bishop Hernández before and after the meeting to see if he has some suggestions for those who could be called from his ward to be temple workers.
We spoke about the temple and then enjoyed attending their Sunday School Gospel Doctrine Class and the combined Priesthood and Relief Society for the 5th Sunday teaching from the Bishopric.
Bishop Hernández served as a bishop of this ward, then was called into the stake presidency, but among his 40 members, their was no one else who could be bishop at that time so he continued to be bishop another full year while also serving in the stake presidency.
And now he has called to be the bishop a second time.
He has seen great growth in his little ward, with 140 in Sacrament Meeting today.
Here are some in the final meeting today.
And here's the other side of the room...
Walt was asked to seal this family on June 14...
The Familia Salinas Martínez...
Raul & Yancy, Gerson y Gerardo. They were asked to share their testimony today.
We appreciate Hugo Ernesto Martínez, the temple engineer, driving us today.
We are enjoying being in these different wards each Sunday.
We pray you have had a restful and peaceful Sabbath Day.
YES, FAMILIES ARE FOREVER.
We are grateful for all the missionaries who have come to El Salvador to teach about The Great Restoration and The Great Plan of Happiness. Well, we are grateful for all the missionaries and all others who have taught about The Restored Gospel.
Because of them, all these members here, and all over the world, can have the blessing of the sealing power effected in their lives with the promise of being with their families for eternity.
The Gospel is true!
We pray that we will remain true to our temple covenants until the end of time on this earth and be worthy to be a family together forever.
And this we would pray for each of you, too.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
