Autumn is here...the month of May here is like your November weather...

Yes, this past week we knew our seasons were opposite yours--the Sr. Missioaries were wearing our winter coats. The locals have been in fancy boots, coats and scarves for a few weeks, but we knew they didn't have a clue what "cold" really was. Can you see the piles of leaves in this photo? This is what we saw this morning on our 15-minute drive to the area office.

Of this we testify…
This is one of my favorite quotes from the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is from his 1842 Wentworth letter which Elder Cook says "conveys in a concise way what must be accomplished."
The Standard of Truth -- Joseph Smith
“No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing;
persecutions may rage,
mobs may combine,
armies may assemble,
calumny may defame,
but the truth of God will go forth
boldly, nobly, and independent,
till it has penetrated every continent,
visited every clime,
swept every country,
and sounded in every ear;
till the purposes of God
shall be accomplished,
and the Great Jehovah shall say
the work is done.”

This is why we are 7,000 miles from home missing out on being with my 89-year old mother in her infirmities and my sister alone having to move her far away from her home and into a retirement center, and help oversee her care.
This is why we are missing our children’s and our grandchildren’s special events: baptisms, mission farewells, graduations, plus a thousand and one other things.
This is why we are not gathering with our children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins for other special events, like putting flowers on our loved ones graves for Memorial Day.
This is why we missed one of our best friend’s funeral and the funeral of our other best friend’s father.
We are here in the South America South Area of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to help the 14 mission presidents and mission presidents’ wives keep their combined total of 2,300 missionaries healthy so they can go on in so great a cause!
We do have a Father in Heaven who loves us.
Jesus Christ is His Son who gave His Perfect Life to Atone for our sins. He is the Savior and Redeemer of all.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His true Church restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith who is the Prophet of the Restoration. President Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet of God for the whole earth and the Kingdom of God on the earth.
The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ, and the word of God.
Of this we testify, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder Walter R. Petersen and Hermana Eileen A. Petersen Buenos Aires, Argentina – May 14, 2009

Mother's Day morning...

This is the 45th Mother's Day breakfast in bed I've enjoyed since becoming a mother a month after the 1963 Mother's Day. At first it was just Walt cooking the special breakfast, until we had 7 more helping him. And last year I had grandchildren also helping. Now it's back to Walt again.

Walt told me Sunday night that he had looked for 2 hours on Saturday--while I was in the apartment putting groceries away, washing clothes, etc.--trying to find me a tote for my scriptures, but I loved what he did get: a beautifully carved wooden jewelry box, and a picture of a kitchen with wood-burning stove, pump to have water for the kitchen, and other old-fashioned things like my mother had in the homes she lived in when she was growing up on the farm in Wendell, Idaho. He also had a sweet, homemade card--anyway, I think it was sweet...it was written in Spanish.
This was a fun start to a great Mother's Day that wound up with most all of our kids and some grandkids calling who could get through on the busy lines, plus my being able to talk to my sweet Mother.
A heart-felt thank you to our kids for the fun, surprise Mother's Day package that arrived today. The new Microsoft wireless notebook optical mouse 3000 is great--which I'm using right now. The See's chocolates are more delicious than we even remembered. I'm sharing them with Dad, so you can also count them for Father's Day.

Buenos Aires...a glimpse of the Casa Rosada

The Bartons had not been to the Casa Rosada since their arrival in January as Employee Service missionaries, so we picked them up after our spaghetti Mother's Day dinner with the Allreds. The highlight of Sunday, May 10--in addition to my sweet children and grandchildren calling to wish me Happy Mother's Day--was the dedication of our Palermo Ward building...but can you believe I left my camera by our computer at the apartment. (Yes, sad day. Walt tried to drive back to get it, but the cars were blocking the exit of the tiny 10-car parking area behind the building.) Walt did take some photos at the end of the dedication on his cell phone, but he couldn't figure out how to download them, so we'll get help today from our computer guru, Elder Chalmers at the office. In the meantime, here's a mini-tour of the Casa Rosada. You may want to scroll to the end to read the "mini-hx" of it.
Walt asks me often, as we drive in this crazy traffic: "What are two kids from little Wendell, Idaho, doing in this city of 15 million people, anyway?"
"We're helping missionaries stay healthy so they can bring the people His truth in this part of the world," I reply.

They're restoring the Casa Rosada for the Argentina 2010 Bicentennial.

And here we are inside with the top of that palm tree showing out the window.

I want to grow a palm tree in our Idaho yard like this one at a patio within the Casa Rosada.

Hna. Petersen and Hna. Barton with one of the grenadier guards at the Casa Rosada.

This is where the Argentine President, Cristinia Fernández de Kirchner (followed her Argentine president husband, Peronist Néstor Kirchner May 2003 to Dec. 2007), governs the Executive branch of the Argentine government.
"Don't cry for me Argentina...you know I'll never leave you..." The famous balcony where "Evita" Peron spoke to her loving Argentines.

Elder Petersen and Elder Barton by "Juan Peron" in the Casa Rosada.

Walt said he almost missed me getting the portrait of Eva Peron.


CASA ROSADA - A mini-hxOne of the world's most famous balconies juts out of Argentina's Presidential Palace, known as the Casa Rosada. The pink building has been the scene of many a political rally, particularly during the regime of the notorious and tragic Juan and Eva Peron. The Italian style building, fronted with palm trees and fountains, was painted pink when it was converted from a Customs and Post Office building into the presidential palace. President Sarmiento decided to appease opposing political parties by merging red and white into a pink color scheme for the palace. Today the building houses a small basement museum displaying some presidential artefacts. Each evening a small platoon of mounted grenadiers emerge from the guardhouse to lower the flag on the Plaza, adding a touch of pomp and ceremony to the pretty building.

The most historical site in Buenos Aires.

Happy Mother's Day, to my Mom...Verna Beth Huffaker Albertson

Mom, you have a great legacy - 2 children, 11 grandchildren, and 40 great-grandchildren, who all love and admire you.
Some memories of my Mom...
Dear Mom, On this Mother's Day I thank you for all you have done for me. I have always felt loved and cherished by you.
You took me to Church in my youth, all those years before Daddy was converted and baptised when I was 16. You shared your strong testimony with me and helped me gain my own testimony. You are a true Christian and an example of an elect lady in Zion.
You read to me when I was little, even when you felt you couldn't get through another "Bucky Bug" in rhyme.
You taught me to cook and clean like your Mom, my Grama Huffaker, taught you.
You have always worked very hard, both in our home and at your outside jobs from working on you Dad's farm bringing in the cows, driving the derrick horse, to a waitress in Bliss the summer before your Senior year. As a newly married waitressing in Ketchum, picking potatoes and plucking turkeys for Christmas money, then during the war years in Long Beach, California in the interior decorating drapery section of the big Department Store. Back in Idaho ironing at the Wendell Cleaners, then going to Twin Falls Business College in the evenings which led to your great job in Gooding at the Southern Idaho Production Credit Association for 27 years until your retirement in 1984, two years after we lost Daddy.
You kept our home very clean, and cooked delicious meals, including homemade bread, "Johnny Jump Ups," which I later learned were scones, and "Little Pigs," which I still call link sausages. It's fun to remember how you let me lick the bowl when you stirred up "scratch cakes," and no one can bake an apple pie like yours.
I felt secure from the winter storms, as well as from the storms of life, with you and Daddy.
I can never thank you enough, but I hope to help pass on all the things you did for me to your future generations.
Love, Eileen

Mom has just moved...
My mother - Verna Beth Huffaker Albertson - age 89, moved from her home of 48 years in Gooding, Idaho, to an apartment at Highland Cove on April 27. Because of her failing eye sight and other infirmities, Walt and I, and my sister had each asked her to come live with us. However, she would not. So with mutual consent, my sister has helped her move to this nice retirement center in Salt Lake City. Since Walt and I are so far away on missions, this is near my sister, Janice, who has really gone the extra mile/s in arranging everything.
Janice said Mom has loved all her visitors. Just last Sunday David & Julie, Josh, Anna, Samuel, and Will came to see her, then Gary & Kathy, McKell, Abbey, Jake, and Issac, along with Steve & Natalie, Kelsey, Cortney, Kimble, Carter came, bringing ice cream to make milk shakes for everyone. Steve made another visit during the week. She's had visits from her brother Don & Marcele, (who live about 10 min away). Marcele went with Mom to Church at Highland Cove Sunday. Ross & Karen Taylor also visited with her. Janice drove Mom to Pleasant Grove to see Sarah & Kenny, Emily and Ashley. Kenny, Janice's son-in-law, had driven the U-Haul to bring Grama A's things for her apartment.
Janice made an appointment with David to have Mom's eyes checked. Janice e-mailed:
"First of all, let me say how wonderful it was to work with David. His staff was great, too." She went on to say that the pressure in Mom's eyes is elevated from her glaucoma, and she has cataracts.
As Mom often says to Janice and me: "Getting old isn't for wimps." Hang in there, Mom. You're a tough cookie.
We're thankful to all who are helping watch over this precious mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother.

Tuesday, May 5 Walt at end of medical Videoconference from Salt Lake City; Monday, May 4 Family Home Evening in our apartment on "Missionary Health"

Walt talking with a mission president's wife after we have just finished an interesting 2-hour videoconference from the Missionary Department, Health Services Committee out of Salt Lake City for South America; they also did one for all the other area of the world that day, at different times.
I meant to put this separate, but I hit "browse" and couldn't figure out how to get out of it without putting a photo in, and I didn't have anymore of the Family Home Evening that follows. As usual, we forgot to get a photo of me at the FHE. We only had to borrow 4 chairs to seat the 16 Sr. missionaries at our FHE--photos below.

And around the corner are the Chalmers. Guess I didn't get a photo after Frank came.

Here's a better shot of the Allreds, and then the Theobalds. Those are photos of each of our children and their kids in the hutch behind them.

Here is Hna. Burk, the Leckies, and Allreds.

Walt's ready with the power point projector. We have to borrow it from the PEF Department because there is not one for the medical advisor as we had in Guatemala. (A lot of things are different from the Guatemala mission...but hey, we're flexible.) By Walt is Hna. Wall (Frank came a little late as they were getting ready to move from our building the next day....boo hoo. We will miss them. They are in a much, much smaller, less expensive place closer to the area office. And since they walk, that will be nice for them. Here, the only area couple with a car is the medical couple, unlike Guatemala where each area couple could rent a Church car for $50U.S. a month.), then the Bartons, and Burks.

For refreshments--oh, there's Frank on the left, so I did get his photo-- I always serve some veggies and fruit for those who don't eat sugar things...for the dessert part I made bread pudding and served with whipped cream because I burnt the sugar when carmelizing it for the carmel sauce. Better luck next time has become my motto. And another important word on the mission: "Flexible."

Two high priest group leaders trying to find where Jimmy lives...

I think I did this backwards...I forget I have to put the one I want at the bottom in first. Oh well, this is Jimmy whom Walt and Elder Wall (on L of photo) went to visit last Sunday evening. He is young but is a high priest because when he returned from his mission he was put on the high council. In the middle are Manuel, the High Priest Group Leader, and his son, Michael.

Frank--Elder Wall is the other counseler with Walt of the Palermo Ward High Priest's Group. Walt--Elder Petersen has pinpointed where they need to drive to on this Sunday evening, May 3.

But first...time out to talk with a sick missionary. "Oh, you have diarrhea?" Dr. Petersen confirms, and he could add, but doesn't, "So do many, many of the other 2,300 missionaries in this South America South Area." We are surprised that there is more incidence of diarrhea here than in the Central America Area--which is supposed to be more third world countries than here. Well, I guess the proper terminology now is "developing countries" instead of "third world countries."
It comes down to 3 main things:
1)Drink only purified bottled water.
2) Do not eat contaminated food.
3)Proper hygiene, mainly washing hands 30 seconds--often--to remove the germs. "Anti-bacterial" soap is a misnomer...it does not kill germs, nothing kills germs on the hands, the germs have to be removed by 30 seconds of vigorous washing...it's the friction that removes them. Even if you don't have soap or water, rubbing your hands on your clothes--for 30 seconds--will remove the germs. The soap and water does get the dirt off. Now, I'll get down from my soap box!

Opps, how about 8 is great...too.

So I didn't get the 7 photos in yesterday, but I do have our missionary granddaughter's weekly letter ready to put in the 2pm pouch today...with photos loaded in the letter.
We grocery shop at "Jumbo's" on Saturdays--our Preparation Day. Here Walt is by a huge fry pan of meat being cooked over gigantic gas burners.

Even though we don't buy this fish, Walt wanted a photo of the ones with their heads still on, lying on ice. Julie, you'd love the smell. Not!
The store has a great variety of things, but hardly any American brands. One time they've had Skippy Peanutbutter in...at $8 U.S. for a small jar. One time we've seen chocolate chips. The gals here just cut up chocolate bars and make chocolate chunk cookies. The brown sugar is thin, the powdered sugar is grainy. But, hey, it's mostly workabe. Just be thankful for your wonderful American products.
I miss tomato soup and canned green beans for Shepherd's Pie; also no graham crackers, Chinese noodles, corn tortillas...well let's just say, we're spoiled in the U.S.of A.
We're thankful to be here and love being with missionaries...both the older and the younger ones. Looking forward to the BYU's "Living Legends" performing next week in Buenos Aires.

"7" of anything is a special family number...

So on this May 7 I'll try to do 7 photos...starting with these two from yesterday. Our area president's wife gathers the wives together every once in a while for a luncheon and outing. It's a different mixture each time, depending who's available to come. The group incudes wives of mission presidents, Sr. Couple missionary wives, U.S. Embassy employee's wives, and a new gal yesterday was a U.S. Embassy employee, plus others whose husbands have various jobs for a while here in Buenos Aires.
Yesterday 12 of us gathered at the Tucson Cafe in the center of the city, eating on their second-floor outdoor terrace on a balmy May (an Idaho/Utah comparable November)afternoon. We didn't ever get all 12 in one photo, but here are some of us.

After lunch we walked a couple blocks to the Argentine National Art Gallery. Some of it was good, but there was too much skin (as my friend, Ruth Melling says) showing on a lot of the paintings for our liking. We had taken the city bus there, then Hna. Bowen drove 7 of us back to the area office, so we did line up for a photo. (Deana had already gotten off at her ship building on the way; Reva Lou had taken the bus to her apartment.) We just enjoy being together speaking and hearing our native language: ENGLISH! Hallelujah.
More later, Walt's just gone to get the exercise room key from the security guard in the lobby, and I need to join him in the 8th floor exercise room. Maybe I'll take some photos for the blog of our 6:30 excercise time. [Later--I forgot to take my camera up, so no photos of this 30-minute morning exercise session...I only got 7 minutes walking in, but got the 12 min. flexibility in with Walt; tomorrow will be the strength training time after the treadmill and bike.]

Happy May Day...

Jacee Beth doing the Scandinavian Maypole last year.

May 2008 Grampa Petersen with grandkids at Storybook Park, Burley, Idaho.

Newel's funeral was touching and tender...

This photo is how we will remember our friend, Newel A. Nelson. As his daughter Sally said "he was a people person," and the people felt his love. Our daughter, Julie, son, Steve, and friends Ross & Karen Taylor said the funeral was a great tribute to a great man. Nancy, Gary, and Sally each did so well at giving a part of their Dad's illustrious life, grandchildren sang wonderfully, the son, grandson, and son-in-law gave beautiful prayers,and of course, we knew the remarks by Bishop Randy Spaulding and talk by President Joseph Sagers would be spiritual and perfect, plus the added bonus of having one of the Quorum of the Seventy, Elder Brent Nielson,present and invited to speak. We were in awe each time Elder Nielson spoke during the year of preparing for the new Twin Falls Idaho Temple. Elder Nielson told us that Newel Nelson had had a great influence in his life.
[Newel was Norman Nielson's counselor in the Seventh Ward Bishopric when we moved to Burley in 1966. Norman & Lucille's son, Brent Nielson was a young Aaronic Priesthood boy when Walt was called as bishop of Burley 7th Ward in June 1970. How the years do fly by!]
Speaking of flying...Sally mentioned that her Dad had a perfect last week of his life: finished his tax season on Wednesday, April 15, Thursday went to the temple, Friday and Saturday golfed, Sunday went to Church and Monday was at his office working on some tax extensions. The only thing missing was if he could have flown his plane that week. So below I will share some about his flying.

One last goodbye to our friend, Newel Nelson

Although Newel doesn't need an airplane to fly now, "High Flight" that was on the back of Newel's printed funeral program describes how pilots feel. The few times I was in our Cessna 206 airplane with both Newel and Walt, it was amazing to hear them banter back and forth and to see the skill with which they each handled the controls of the plane. They were truly kindred spirit pilots...
So, Newel,when the time comes, please be okay with Walt wanting "High Flight" also printed on his funeral program. Walt told me it was a C-46 that Newel flew in WWII, which is pictured above.

High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew,
And, while with silent uplifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God!
--by Pilot Office John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Happy Birthday to Gary, John, Kimble, Jerry...

Gary with brothers David and Steve, and Dad. Happy Birthday, April 24.

John with his kids, Jackson, Maddie, Jacee. Happy Birthday, April 24.
Kimble, Happy Birthday, April 24...."10." Sorry I can't get your photo to load....I'll keep trying.

Jerry, had to be gone from home to a medical convention in Texas. Happy Birthday, April 25.

"He's gone," Nancy said to us last evening.

In memory of Newel A. Nelson, January 23, 1922 to April 20, 2009
Update: Nancy told us on the phone Tuesday night that his funeral is set for Saturday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. 3-7 Ward Building. The viewing is at the new Terry Morrison Funeral Home (between Burley/Rupert) on Friday, April 24, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

We are saddened, as all in Burley, at the passing of our dear friend, Newel Nelson. We extend deepest condolences to his two daughters and son, Nancy, Gary, and Sally, and to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Nancy told us he was at his CPA firm working on some income tax extensions. At 2:30 or 3:30 he told one of the secretaries that he didn't feel well, just before passing out. An ambulance rushed him to the hospital. An aneurism took his mortal life at 5:15 p.m., Monday, April 20, 2009.
For us, it is the end of an era of rubbing shoulders with one of the greatest of "The Greatest Generation." We loved to hear him tell about his experiences as a pilot in World War II and flying "The Hump" in India. We felt his patriotism!
He followed Walt as Bishop of Burley 7th Ward in March 1976. We were at the hospital with him right after Mariam had a cardiac arrest while raking leaves in Oct. 1976, and again in the Burley hospital with him when Mariam passed away in January 2001. Newel served at Walt's side as First Counselor of the new Burley Idaho West Stake from May 22, 1983 to November 9, 1992.
Newel, Walt and Mike were partners of a Cessna 206 turbo 6-seater airplane for many years. Both families loved to fly to the Flying B Ranch of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho's primitive area.
Newel was our CPA from the time Walt started his medical practice in Burley July 1, 1966 to the present.
We will remember Newel for many different things, but all will remember his pleasant, jovial, friendly, optimistic personality, his happy laugh, and his charming, gentlemanly manners. He was aware of "each one" and what was going on in their life.
Most of all we will remember his testimony of the truths of the Gospel and his conviction that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And because of the Atonement of the Savior and His Resurrection, we know we will talk, and walk, and laugh with our friend, Newel August Nelson some day in the future. For now we will let him walk hand in hand with his eternal sweetheart, Mariam, again.
Goodbye for now, dear friend. We love you, your wife, and your family.
We will try to follow the saying: "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." But we are very sad and crying right now.

Here's our family's gaucho...

"Ride 'em, Cowboy!" or here is it "Ride 'em Gaucho! Yes, Elder Petersen does get P days. The 8 area Sr. Missionary couples went to the Estancia Santa Susana on April 9. "Estancia" is Ranch...it was like a dude ranch. Had an Asado (bar-b-que), horse riding, wagon rides, and the 1870s ranch house is now a museum. They're prepared to have 700 a day...only 200 came on our day.

The sun sets on Walt's 75th birthday - April 17, 2009

And how does Walter Ray Petersen end the day he turned THREE-QUARTERS OF A CENTURY! Yes, looking at the sunset out on our 4th floor small balcony talking on the telephone about a sick missionary. He said later: "I feel old, obsolete, and worn out. I'm going to sit in my rocking chair for the next year and unplug the telephone." To which I say: "That will be the day!"
I love my 75-year old husband. 75 years is young compared to our eternity together!
I still pinch myself daily and count my lucky stars that I actually am married to Walt Petersen!

April 17: Walt's birthday evening

Actually, here we're ready to leave the area building about 7:00 p.m. after he spent his day in our area medical office, entering missionary illlnesses into e-med computer program for the Missionary Health Services Department, and on the phone with mission presidents, mission presidents' wives, and sick missionaries. He's great at watching over the well being of the 2,300 missionaries in the 14 missions in the three countries of this area: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay.

April 17: Walt's birthday, afternoon

He was late for his "Chinese Friday" lunch with the Area Sr. Missionary couples in area office because he had a phone call. In fact, he got more phone calls than any other day since here. There must have been at least 20 to 30 calls.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WALT

Happy Birthday, Walt, April 17, 2009. Morning. In sweats, but we took the day off from our morning exercising. He has been known to say: "I hate to exercise." Nevertheless, he does it the 6 mornings a week because that's one of the missionary rules, which sadly in zone conferences we find as he asks how many follow this rule, maybe....maybe....10% of missionaries do their 30 minutes of exercise 6 mornings a week: 20 min aerobic and 10 min strength training, alternated with 10 min the next day of flexibility.

Happy Easter...

This was our "P" day outing to a ranch in the pampas of Argentina. The 8 Sr. Missionary couples for the area went together. It was the 50th anniversary of one of the couples--The Theobalds from St. George.
My two favorite Easter scriptures are:
"...to this end was I born..." --John 37:18
"He is risen, as He said." --Matthew 28:6
Hope the references are right...I'm too tired to look them up.
Have a happy day knowing that we can all look forward to being resurrected because of the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
For a deeper understanding of this, find Elder Jeffrey Holland's 4-min segment on You Tube about Christ from his Gen'l Conf talk of last Sunday.
Love, Los Petersen - Walt & Eileen - Argentina

Sister Aimee Fisher is headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma today.

"Sister Fisher" is on an airplane today on her way to the actual mission field to serve for 18 months in the OKLAHOMA TULSA MISSION. She has had a great experience in the MTC and we know she will be a wonderful missionary. As some families are welcoming their missionaries home, we are just sending our first grandchild off. This 3 weeks has zoomed by since Aimee entered the MTC on March 18.

The Fishers will share in Aimee's mission

Janie & Shawn Fisher and Family will share in Aimee's mission during this 18 months through the letters she writes. Here’s a quote from one of her letters while in the MTC:
“I have learned so much to rely on Heavenly Father and our Savior. I know that there is no way I could do this on my own. It is a great comfort that I don't have to worry about knowing what to do or who to find and what I will teach because that all comes from the Lord through the Spirit. I have never before felt the Spirit so strong. And I have never prayed so much! It is absolutely wonderful.
“Thank you for all your letters! It has been so wonderful hearing how everyone is doing. It makes my day! I love all of you so much and miss you, but I am so happy that I am here. I LOVE being a missionary! 18 months seems long, but at the same time very short.”

"Decisions Determine Destiny"

We love to see the Prophet coming and going at Conference time. The messages seem more poignent each conference, don't they! Walt and I look at each other and whispher "Wow" after most of them, but for Elder Holland's deep doctrinal discourse on the Savior, I didn't have a word because it was beyond "Wow!"
I've been wanting to have some more quotes from President Monson and Elder Jose Teixeira from Portugal gave an excellent one in his fun talk about how the GPS was a new treasure for him in his travels....but then it said: "Lost satellite." Later in his talk he quoted our current Prophet's saying: "Decisions Determine Destiny," which I love.
Each message had so much, we look forward to following President Monson's closing admonision to us: "Read and ponder them..."
And we will also do as he asked: "...Please remember to pray for me and all the General Authorities..." one of whom is now one of Bishop Walter Petersen's Aaronic Priesthood Burley boys from the 1970's, Elder Brent Haight Nielson.

General Conference--a time to cherish

General Conference is always great - no matter what country we're in when it's happening. We do miss being with our kids/grandkids for it, so for now we'll rely on the memories of our past Gen'l Conference times together.
Walt came home last night from Priesthood meeting, all excited as when he and our sons/sons-in-law would all burst in to the room of waiting wives and kids to give us the latest "scoop." (Priesthood was 9:00-11:00pm here...)
"President Uchtdorf is something else!" Walt exclaimed. We both agree that before his call into the Quorum, and now the First Presidency, we didn't realize how dynamic and well-spoken he is.
While I finished chopping the celery for the Hawaiian Haystacks that four of us couples are serving 24 people between the Sunday sessions, Walt went over the highlights of each of the Priesthood session speakers.

It was reafirmed to me that The Lord is in charge, as our Prophet, President Monson told us Saturday, April 4:
"In the world today we face difficulties and challenges, some of which can seem truly daunting. However, with God on our side we cannot fail."

"The new apostle Elder Neil L. Andersen, age 57,born in Logan, was raised in Pocatello, Idaho, on a dairy farm.

"He graduated from Brigham Young University and earned a MBA from Harvard University. After completing his education, he settled in Tampa, Florida, where his business interests included advertising, real estate development, and health care.

Elder Andersen and his wife Kathy have 4 children and 12 grandchildren." paraphrased from KSL News clip.
Let's all learn to spell his name with "sEn".

We are that we might have joy...

This is a fun wall hanging that Hna. Peterson has in the mission home. She said her sister made it for her.

Idea for fun snacks for your guests' bedroom...

This is the fun snack bowl that Hna. LuAnn Peterson had for us in the guest bedroom (in our mission home in Merida it was called the "General Authority Bedroom) of the mission home in the Uruguay Montevideo West Mission when we arrived last Monday, March 30.
That helps relieve the host/hostess from wondering if their guests are hungry...there's a variety of snacks for them to munch on until the mext meal time.
They were very graciious and made staying with them a pleasure. We are always a little uneasy when we first arrive to stay in a mission home because most of the mission presidents and their wife we have not met beforehand.