General Conference Weekend, My Birthday

[September 29 - October 5, 2015] Tuesday through Monday

A couple of sections of lawn here at the temple had some wild grass in it, and needed to be replaced. The temple grounds crew sprayed it with a herbicide, and covered it all with fabric. Once it was all dead, they hired some workers (they looked to be campesinos - workers from out in the countryside where they plant and harvest potatoes for a living) to come in and remove the sod and till up the ground. We were so amazed to see how hard they worked.

They did it all manually with hand tools. There were even a couple of women helping them, and one of them had here toddler there. The picture below shows them working in one section. They took less than a day to completely remove the sod in this section, and then till it up 8-10 inches deep, just with their hand tools. The pictures below are of different sections, but they give you a feel for the amount of work these people did. It looked to be back breaking work, and they just blazed through it. It reminded Molly of her Dad, and how hard he would work. We could just imagine him here with us, seeing these workers, and going out there and helping them.

We're scheduled to change from the afternoon turno (shift) at the temple to the day turno next week. We've really come to love the workers on the afternoon shift. They are such sweet, hard-working, humble people, and we imagine that they even love us! (At least, I'm pretty sure they love Molly.) It will be fun to get to know a different group of workers.

As for the rest of the week...

Tuesday
Today was my 60th birthday. Time has sure flown by. I so vividly remember my 20th birthday here in Bolivia. I was working in the Obrajes area of La Paz at the time, with Elder Chatwin as my companion. We lived in a single room in a house there. The lady of the house would cook us dinner, but didn't like to feed us much (trying to eke out the most from our room and board payments, I suppose).

I remember eating a dish made from potatoes (big surprise here in Bolivia), and at the end, remembering that it was September 29th - my birthday. No celebration, etc. (my kids will understand that that was pretty much in accordance with my desires), but I remember distinctly thinking, "20 years old - that seems so old." That was the extent of it.

But, today, Molly cooked pancakes for breakfast, and treated me to a very nice day all day. The workers at the temple all wished me a Happy Birthday as well, so it was somewhat more memorable than my 20th. But, the real gift to me, both times, has been that I have been able to be here with these lovely, loving, sweet people. And this time, I got to be here with Molly as well. Who needs anything more?

Wednesday
A new missionary couple arrived yesterday, just as we were leaving to go up to the temple. They are the Thomases. They told us that this is their eighth mission. They have served as the Mission President in Argentina, in the Santiago Chile, Madrid Spain, and Preston England temples, among their other service.

We got to take them down to IC Norte to do some shopping, and got to visit with them and get to know them a bit. They already know Spanish very well, and are well-acquainted with temple ordinance work, so they'll make an immediate impact.

Thursday
We spent the morning catching up on the blog and studying. It's nice to have the freedom to make our own schedule as senior missionaries.

Friday
We ran over to Hipermaxi to get some fixings for lunch tomorrow and Sunday. The Temple Missionaries all get together and watch General Conference at the President's home via satellite (that means in English), and have a pot luck lunch each day in between sessions.

Saturday - Sunday
We walked over to the Feria to get some fruits and vegetables, as is usual on Saturdays, but this one was different - it was raining. So, we got to use our umbrellas for a change. It was a pretty good storm, which is very much needed around here.

At noon, we went over to the President's house, and watched Conference, then had lunch together back here at the Hospedaje, and then went back over and watched the afternoon session. The brothers watched the Priesthood Session there as well, later in the evening. Since we are two hours ahead, we wrapped up at 10:00 pm.

Sunday was a repeat of the morning and afternoon sessions together, and lunch.

As always, the messages and feelings from Conference give us lots to think about and feel gratitude for. As Elder Bednar so eloquently pointed out in his final, afternoon talk, we are led by seasoned men of God, who have dedicated their lives to service. They are clearly inspired, wise, loving leaders. Listening to the Sisters speak, as well, demonstrates that Heavenly Father is watching over us, and loves us. It was a good two days spent hearing, feeling, and recommitting to living correct principles, and sharing our love with those around us - family, friends, and neighbors.

Monday
We went down to La Cancha with the Thomases to help them find some rugs for their apartment. On the way back, we introduced them to Salteñas at Los Castores. As we walked up, we met a Sister Missionary who was finishing her mission. Her family had come to take her home, and it was sweet to see her interaction with her little sister. As we got to Los Castores, there were a number of members who had come to wish her well. We really love interacting with these young missionaries and seeing their obvious love for the work and for the people here that they serve.

General Conference

On Friday night one of my assignments in the Temple was Silla Uno "Chair One". The chair is situated behind the Mesa "Front Desk" and the assignment there is welcoming and directing people as they come in and hugging and kissing them as they leave (my favorite part).

When Bolivians greet you whether they know you or are meeting you for the first time, they don't just say "Hola" or "Buenos Días" or "Mucho Gusto" etc. They say several salutations quickly one right after another. So I thought I would say as they left "Buenas Noches, Vuelva Pronto,  Disfrute Conferencia General." while shaking their hand, kissing them on the cheek, hugging etc. When I would mention to them to enjoy General Conference I would often get a very animated response. Sometimes they even followed with a testimony. Such faithful people. One young sister kept hugging me and telling me how happy she was to be able to listen to the Prophet and Apostles.

It's amazing to me that even though we are here in Bolivia, supposedly the poorest country in South America, we were able (thanks to satellite TV available at the Temple President's home) to watch General Conference "live" in English in a comfortable home environment. It was sweet to share that experience with the other Temple Missionaries. There were 14 of us in all.

It was special for me to watch conference as a missionary. I have always looked forward to and really enjoy General Conference, to hear the inspired words of counsel from our leaders. But it felt different being a missionary. So many tender feelings, gratitude mostly, to represent The Lord Jesus Christ and His Church in a foreign land. When they talk about missionaries, I am one of them.

I am honored and humbled to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and to wear a plaque with that title under my name. I am so grateful to serve the sweet people of Bolivia in the Lord's Holy House. It was also very tender to me to see Utah in the Fall as they show the grounds and the people coming and going to Conference. I felt a closeness to my family knowing that they would be watching Conference as well.

The tradition here is that between Conference Sessions the Temple Missionaries all get together and have a meal. More like a feast, with lots of good food. Extra tables are brought up from the comedor, the cafeteria here at the hospedaje. Two are put in one of the apartments for all of us to eat at, while another holds the food in a different apartment. We have come to love these missionaries that we serve with. Such good faithful people. All of them, except me, have served more than one mission.

The rest of the evening was spent Skyping our sweet family. A wonderful ending to another great week in Cochabamba.

More Friends, Sawyer Walk, and Pineapple

[September 22 - 28, 2015] Tuesday - Monday

At the temple this week, I've had some very interesting conversations and experiences with the workers here, and some of the members who have come.

This week a group came from Santa Cruz and Montero. There are still some people I would love to cross paths with again - Hermano Rúben Peña, and Elder René Tapia.

Hno. Peña was one of the first members I met in Santa Cruz. he always invited the missinoaries over to his house for lunch. Here's a picture of us at his house for lunch one day:

Lunch with Hno. Peña and the missionaries in Santa Cruz Rama 1, 1975

Hno. Peña was always smiling. He seemed to have limitless energy, and even more limitless (?) energy in sharing the gospel message. He had a little business, and it took him to Buenos Aires from time to time, and he would tell us of the missionary work he would do on the plane with each visit. He shared everything so graciously - as you can see with lunch. He didn't hold back anything. The first truly fresh coconut I ever ate, was off one of the trees in his yard.

Since I've returned, I've learned even more about him. He was called as Bishop of one of the first wards created in Bolivia in 1979. He was instrumental in organizing groups of members to go to the Sao Paulo temple, including the Alvarez family that I've written about before. He's currently the Stake Patriarch. I've thought a lot of him since my mission - such a faithful, cheerful, giving person.

So, I was at the recommend desk greeting members as they came to the temple, and a younger man with the last name of Peña came to the desk. He was with the group from Santa Cruz, so I asked him if he happened to know Hno. Rúben Peña. He said that he was his Uncle! He said that his uncle comes here to the Temple frequently, so we'll see if we can connect. Sweet memories.

Another time, there was a couple just leaving the temple as I was at the recommend desk, and I happened to ask where they were from. The husband said they were from Montero (65 km north of Santa Cruz). Since Elder Tapia, one of my companions in Punata, was from there, I just asked if they happened to know him. He said that Elder Tapia lived in Barrio Guabira in Montero. In fact, his wife grew up in that ward, and knew his family. So I gave him my name and phone number, and he said he'd love to see if he could get us in touch. More sweet memories. Here are some pictures of Elder Tapia in Punata in 1975:

Elder Tapia helping make Christmas decorations, December 1975.

Me with Hna. Maria Irma Rojas, her toddler, and
Elder Tapia at her baptism, Jan. 31, 1976

Tuesday of this week, we had a pretty busy day in the temple, and right before the end of our shift, I was asked to help in a sealing of a family as a witness. There was an older lady who was being sealed to her husband who had passed away, and to six of her children, two of whom were still living. It was a neat thing to see them all together.

The next day, I met the younger man who had stood in as proxy for the husband. We talked for a few minutes. He is the Bishop of the ward in Trinidad (550 km north of Santa Cruz, 900 km from Cochabamba by road), and the lady that was being sealed to her family was his mother in law. One of the daughters being sealed to her was his wife. He told me that his mother in law had been baptized 15 months ago, and this was the first chance they had to come to the temple since then. It just made it that much more special to me to get to know this wonderful family all together in the temple, receiving this sealing ordinance and blessing.

So, that's the fun stuff. Just to document the comings and goings of the week, here's a daily recap of the rest:

Tuesday, 22nd
We walked down to get salteñas for breakfast at Los Castores, and walked down to Av. Padilla to check out a pasteleria called Olivias. Another missionary couple indicated that they had good sweet rolls, so we figured we'd try it out.

The front door (a roll-up kind of garage door that is common on many businesses here) was partially open, and someone was inside, but it didn't look like they had any rolls to sell. As we looked in, the lady came out and said that the rolls would be coming shortly, so we sat down on some chairs outside to wait. Sure enough, a few minutes later a car pulled up, and the rolls were delivered, along with a number of other breads and sweet rolls kinds of things. We bought a couple of things and brought them home to eat. They were pretty good - compared to normal Bolivian breads, but we probably won't fret much if we don't get back down that way soon.

Wednesday, 23rd
There is a sister obrera, Hermana Flores, whose birthday was today. Molly has a special friendship with her - she has suffered an illness recently, and missed some days - so she spent this morning making a birthday card for Hna. Flores, including some special quotes translated to Spanish. I'm sure Molly will blog something about her soon.

Thursday, 24th
We spent the morning studying and relaxing. It seems that we sometimes kind of hit a wall in learning Spanish. We understand what is being said pretty well (unless we are talking to someone from Chile or Trinidad, for instance, where they speak faster and don't pronounce their "s" sounds very well), but it is still a bit difficult to formulate the right words and conjugations on the fly in normal conversation. So, we're working on that right now.

Friday, 25th
Our grandson, Sawyer, went through a real tough time with his aplastic anemia, ending up in the hospital with neutropenic enterocolitis (basically, that means he couldn't eat anything by mouth in order to let his digestive system rest for a couple of days.) Although we know that everything that can be done is being done for him, and that his sweet parents love him and are making sure he knows that everyone loves him and cares about him, it is still a bit hard being so far away and not being able to tell him those things personally.

So Molly had an idea that we would take a "Sawyer" walk this morning, thinking about what things would make him smile or be happy here, and take pictures of those things. Here are some of the pictures we shared with him:

Molly going down the little slide.

Play place at Panchito's

Toy display

A puppy that posed for us

Pastries at Globos on Av. Pando

More pastries at Globos

Ice Cream at Globos

More Ice Cream at Globos

Baloons at Cine Center

Toys at Cine Center

Our prayers are with Sawyer every day. We saw an update from his mom earlier this week with him eating a Nutella sandwich, so it looks like his GI tract is improving. As always, he has the sweetest smile:

Sawyer with his sweet smile (picture stolen from his mom's Facebook post)

On the way home, we saw a mattress store, and bought a pillow for Molly. It's a curvy one that may make it easier for her to sleep. She sometimes has problems with her ear hurting, so this hopefully will help.

Saturday, 26th
Molly spent the evening with the other sister missionaries here, and Sister Jensen, watching the Women's Conference. It was live via the internet, which worked really well. I think they all enjoyed it - President Uchtdorf spoke, which is always a treat. We're looking forward to General Conference next weekend.

Sunday, 27th

On the way home from church this morning, we saw this:

We've seen this a couple of times before - it is a little Quechua lady, herding her sheep along the street leading up to the temple. We're not sure where she starts or ends, but it's amazing to see her get them to go where she wants them to go.

We spent the afternoon visiting with family on Skype.

Monday, 28th
We went to Hipermaxi this morning for groceries. We've had a hard time finding a good pineapple at the Feria, but we think we found a good one at Hipermaxi. Here it is after Molly cut it like we've seen in the markets:

We had FHE with the missionaries and talked about some of the things we do to preserve our family history. For now, this is pretty much it!

So, that's a wrap for the week!

Sawyer James

[27 September 2015] Sunday

This blog post is devoted to our grandson Sawyer James, son of Sam and Mollie.

Sam and Sawyer - August, 2014

Sawyer - September 2015 - from Mollie's Facebook page.

We have 13 amazing, beautiful, intelligent, kind, loving, wonderful grandchildren from Gordon who is 11 years old down to our newest, Violet Josephine, born to Matt and Lisa on August 4, 2015.

I could and might even write about each one of these wonderful grandchildren, but this time is about Sawyer James.

Sawyer is a very smart, mature six year old. He is the only child of our youngest son Sam.

First of all, it is my belief, because of a blessing that Mollie received from her father before Sawyer was born, that Sawyer chose his parents. I also believe with all my heart that Sam and Mollie are the best parents Sawyer could ever have.

Sawyer is a delight to be around. He is almost always happy and quite entertaining. He can tell funny jokes and interesting stories. He is also very fun to play games with. When he was very little, barely talking, he would make up games and we would play them over and over.

As he got older he enjoyed playing Skylanders on the Play Station. Now this grandma doesn't hardly ever play video games, so when Sawyer wanted to teach me, I was a little nervous about my ability to learn. However, through his patient tutelage, I learned well enough to play. He didn't even get frustrated with me but kept encouraging me with words like "you can do it Moggie".

I mentioned that Sawyer is very entertaining. When he was about three or four, he and his dad were having dinner with us. My sister and mother and probably Emily were all there too. Sawyer told us we all needed to think of two things, he made a cute gesture with his fingers and said "a couple of things". We all in turn said a couple of things. We still quote "a couple of things" using his cute gestures.

Sawyer loves and remembers people. Even when he hasn't seen someone for a while, he remembers them, name and all. He makes us all feel important and loved. His smile could melt your heart. He is sensitive to those around him. When I have coughed or sneezed in his presence, he always makes sure I'm OK.

Sawyer is inquisitive and has always asked questions. A "questionable character" like his Grandpa Lyon. When he was quite young, I remember him asking questions or figuring things out. I often heard him say, "Right, Daddy?"

Sawyer can do hard things. I have seen him get woken up very early, even before the sun gets up, even when it was very cold outside, to go to his other Grandma's or his Mom's house. He never complained or got cranky, he just was happy to be with his dad and obeyed and loved him. Or when his dad has been sick, Sawyer has taken care of him. He is also always willing to help with cooking or cleaning, etc. even if it's hard.

Sawyer is doing something very, very hard right now. Since July 29th, Sawyer had been baffling the doctors at Primary Children's Hospital. He was finally diagnosed with VSAA, Very Severe Aplastic Anemia. It's a very rare and very serious deficiency of all types of blood cells caused by failure of bone marrow development. He has had 12 transfusions and 3 bone marrow biopsies  He just finished ATG treatments intravenously through a PICC line which took four days in the hospital. The treatment can take up to six months to see the full effect. He is considered transfusion dependent probably for the next month. If the treatment doesn't work they will most likely do a bone marrow transplant.

Upon returning home after the ATG treatment, he was experiencing severe pain so back to the hospital they went. He was diagnosed with a bacterial  infection called Neutropenic Enterocolitis and will be in the hospital at least another week.

All through this ordeal he has kept his sweet happy attitude. He wants to know everything they do to him and asks very good questions which the medical staff seem happy to answer. He is a light to his parents and all around him. He doesn't complain, he just does it. He is very brave. Sawyer is a little hero.

There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon found in Mosiah 3:19 that says:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

We gave a Family Home Evening lesson to the missionaries here about that scripture. I told them about our Sawyer. I believe his sweet personality and the experiences he has had have helped him develop these qualities and will help him get through this hard trial in his life.

Sawyer is an example to me, he is brave, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things, and he's happy just being with his dad. I want to be more like him. I also want to be happy just being with my Heavenly Father and doing His will, without complaint, the way Sawyer is with his Daddy.
Thank you Sawyer. I'm so glad I know you. I love being your Moggie.

Last of all, yesterday in our preparation meeting at the beginning of our Temple shift President Jensen mentioned this quote, which touched my heart: "Recuerdo también las promesas" or "Remember also the promises".

It's hard for grandparents to be away when our children are going through hard things, but we have been promised that our children will be taken care of while we are serving. That doesn't mean they won't have trials, but that they are in the Lord's hands. I believe that with all my heart. We have felt that.

I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father who has a wonderful plan of Happiness for His children. I'm so grateful that Jesus Christ atoned for everything that can beset us in this life, sin, suffering, pain, heartache, everything. I know He experienced it all individually for everyone who has ever and who will ever live on the earth. I don't know how He did it, but I know He did. I know it because a wise and loving Heavenly Father gave us the Holy Ghost to testify to us of these truths. This is my testimony to you in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Springtime, a Rug, and Legos

[September 15-21, 2015] Another whole week!

As with every week, we really enjoy our service in the temple every afternoon. This week we had a number of wonderful experiences. I'll outline a couple, just so you can get a feel for the nature of these people and the sweetness of the work.

On Tuesday, I met a couple at the recommend desk who had driven here from Arica, Chile (10-12 hour drive) with their thirteen year old son. They had the family name cards for members of their family who had passed away, and were going to do the baptisms, confirmations, endowments and sealings for them while they were here this week. I saw them each day at the temple, and was able to help with some of the ordinances. We developed a friendship, and they greeted me each time they saw me with love and kindness. It was so fulfilling to think that I was even a small part of their diligent family history and temple work, and it was testimony building to see their diligence.

On Friday, I was assigned to help with those who come to the temple for their own endowments. I met a young man from Santa Cruz, who had come to receive his endowments and to be sealed to his wife and baby son. I was able to help him, officiating in the ordinances, and then was asked to be a witness as he and his wife and baby were sealed for time and all eternity. It was particularly sweet to see them and all their family and friends there to support them. And seeing sweet, innocent children, dressed in white, as they are brought into the sealing rooms is really spiritual. They look so celestial, and perfect (even if they are crying). With their dark skin and eyes, contrasted with the white clothing is quite striking.

So, those are the kinds of things that really bring meaning to our being here. All the rest is enjoyable, but not necessarily central to our purpose. Nonetheless, I'll touch on a few of our other activities this week that might be of interest.

Tuesday
We had lunch at a reasonably nice little restaurant on Av. America, close to IC Norte, called "Tuesdays". They have really nice smoothies there, and the food is safe. Their logos, menus, and branding are like TGIF, and are even in English, so it's clear who they are trying to cater to.

Wednesday
We walked downtown, looking for some addresses I found in my journal. I thought it might be fun to see if the businesses I'd listed still existed, knowing the probability of that was low.

We found the approximate addresses, and no surprise, the businesses were no longer there, but the buildings looked like they were well over 40 years old! It was a good walk.

But, by the time we got back home, I was pretty tired. I think I must have caught a bit of a bug or something. It wasn't serious, but we decided to slow down a bit for the rest of the week.

Thursday, Friday
We just hung around our apartment and studied in the mornings. I felt good enough to serve in the Temple in the afternoons, but didn't want to stress too much otherwise.

As I think I indicated before, part of our study is to read articles in the Liahona, translate them (in our best attempts) to English, and then check our attempt against the English version. Sometimes we're pretty close, but we find many words that are new to us.

So, in an effort to have you feel more one with us, here's the list we came up with on Friday, with our definitions (combination of a dictionary, Google Translate, and the English usage in the Liahona):

abnegado	self-sacrificing, unselfish
acurrucar	cuddle, nestle, snuggle
añadir	to add
arrasado	desolate
asolado	pillaged, plundered
avaro	miser, money grubber, greedy
azotar	whip, lash, flog
conllevar	entail, imply
despedirse	to say goodbye
despojado	deprived, divested
diestra	right hand
estruendo	din, noise, racket, blare
gratificante	rewarding
guarida	den, shelter, hideout
mejoras	improvement
merecer	to merit, deserve
perdurable	lasting
perfeccionar	to perfect
piadosamente	piously, godly
rastro	trail, track
refugiarse	take shelter, find cover
siniestra	left hand
soberbio	arrogant, proud, haughty
sociedad	society, community, partnership
transigir	to compromise on...
trascendental	important, far reaching
vecindario	neighborhood
zorra	fox

We come up with a similar list every day we work on it, and we post it on the wall in the kitchen to remind us. hopefully we can augment our communication by including more accurate vocabulary as we do this.

Saturday
As usual, we started the day by going to the Feria for fruits and vegetables. The quality varies. We got a bunch of bananas last week that never ripened... And the pineapples are great when they are good, but pretty dull if they aren't. We're still trying to figure out how to pick better.

After that, we went to La Cancha to find a rug for the living room. The one we have was found in a storage closet here at the Hospedaje, and it was clear why no one wanted it.

One of the problems with La Cancha is that there is so much, that it is hard finding a single, specific item, so we just started asking where you would find rugs. Everyone kind of pointed us in the same direction, so we'd go a ways, and ask again. One lady actually named a place, Mercado La Paz, so that helped in asking directions.

We finally ended up on this street (passageway, whatever), equally (?) shared by vendors, taxis, and people, that was barely wide enough for any one of the three:

We found a nice rug, roughly 7 x 9 feet, and bought it for just under $100 USD. If we'd have brought our Peruvian missionary, I'm sure we could have got it for less, but then, we're stimulating the Bolivian economy, right?

We found a taxi that was a hatch-back, so we could sling the rug in the back, over the back seat, and head for home. As we were driving, Molly told me she was worried because the gas gauge read empty. So, I looked over at the driver, and couldn't see any dashboard, gauges, speedometer or anything (I was behind the passenger seat). So I leaned over to see where Molly was looking, and this is what I saw:

Bolivian Taxi

The car was a right-side driver car to start with, but the steering wheel, etc. had been removed and put on the left-side. The speedometer and gauges were left where they were, disconnected. Apparently, there are a lot of taxis where this has been done (cheaper than left-side ones?), but this was the first time I'd seen it. Quite interesting.

So, we got home, and here's what the new rug looks like in our Living Room. It seems to fit nicely.

Our Living Room - arranged for a meeting Monday night.

So, success!

Sunday
There was a referendum related to dividing some government functions between the departments (states) and the federal government. They were called the "Estatutos Autonomicos", and the vote was just a Yes or No. But, due to the nature of democracy here in Bolivia, no public groups of more than three people are allowed to gather, and buses and taxis don't run. I don't know if all transportation is stopped, like on the Dia de Peaton, but we didn't see much in the way of public or private vehicles when we looked out our window.

As a consequence, no church meetings are held in the chapels when they have a referendum like this. So, we just met with the missionaries here at the hospedaje. Then we Skyped with kids during the afternoon.

For dinner, we had a going-away pot-luck dinner for the Delgados. They are a missionary couple from Chile, and have been here for a total of six years over a couple of stints. They are very sweet, and have wonderful testimonies of the gospel and of temple work, but her health has made it so they can't continue. They were scheduled to finish in February, so we all felt deeply for them. They shared their testimonies with us, and we had fun visiting while we ate dinner.

Monday
We found out that the Referendum failed, which the government is using to claim that the people want a stronger central government. I'm not sure it is more trust of the federal government, or mistrust of the local ones that drove that, but, interesting, nonetheless.

Today was the first day of spring, and they also celebrate the Día de Amor/Amistad/Friendship, and Dia del Estudiante. The Día de Amor is a lot like Valentines Day, and as we were out and about, we saw a number of vendors targeting that. Here's one:

Día de Amor/Amistad/Friendship vendor

We also found a bigger IC Norte store, over on the west side of town. Just to show you that Bolivia is not backwards, I took a picture of a large (this is less than half of the display) display of Legos:

Lego display at IC Norte.

Lest you think you could come here and get Legos at a discount, one of the larger boxes was priced at over $225 USD. Sounds like they cost as much here as in the States. (Sorry for the bluriness)

For Family Home Evening, Molly gave a lesson on becoming childlike (Mosiah 3:19) to all the missionary couples and President and Sister Jensen. She did a very good job. She's a wonderful missionary, and wife, by the way!

Another week in Paradise

[September 7-14, 2015] The whole week!

This week might be a bit boring - we spent a lot of time studying and trying to build some sustainable methods to learn together. As always, we really enjoy our time in the temple, even if we don't have anything to note each day. It is so beautiful, quiet, and inviting to be there. And the beautiful people who come to do the work for their ancestors is truly inspiring. This week we had groups from Santa Cruz and Peru - the temple was really full on Friday and Saturday.

Monday
We stopped into a Wist'upiku (little restaurant) down on Av. Padilla, just to try their empanadas. We met a couple of the missionaries there - two Elders buying breakfast for two sister missionaries in their district. It seems like one of the sisters was sick enough to be in the hospital, and the Elders were helping out her companion so she could stay by her side.

We spent most of the rest of the day Skyping with the family, due to our meeting last night that went late. We really do enjoy visiting with all of them, even when the Skype connection is less than stellar. Every once in a while, we get a very good connection.

Tuesday
This morning, Molly and I went to continue our work on getting our Carnet de Identidads.

It is a seemingly very convoluted process, with multiple touch points with different government agencies. It really appears that there could be some improvement in the overall process, but we just do what we're directed to do here.

This time, we went to the third different location, taking the papers we got previously from the Migración department. They stamped papers, printed copies, had us sign them, took our fingerprints, and assured us that we could pick up the final product in 10 days. We'll see.

Apparently, all this is supposed to be completed within 90 days of arriving in the country, so we're getting close. The other missionaries assure us that ours is going much more quickly than any of theirs, so maybe there are improvements happening. One of them is clear - a recent change means that this process only has to be done every two years. In the past it has varied from every 90 days, to an annual process. So, unless it changes again, we'll be good to go for the duration of this stay.

Wednesday
Molly and I walked to Home Center on Av. Uyuni to look for a rug. The tile floors here are nice for cleaning, but a rug in the living room would be much more comfortable. The one we have is pretty rough and uninviting.

On the way, Molly slipped on one of the (many) uneven sidewalks, and skinned her knee and hand. It's all healed up now (a week later), but it just reminds us we always have to watch our step. The sidewalks are very broken up in some places, and even when they are well-maintained, there isn't any consistency from one location to another. It appears that each home or business owner is responsible to put in their own and maintain it. So, we have to watch where we are stepping all the time.

We also decided to focus heavily on our Spanish vocabulary. We're both understanding much better, but we feel limited in our vocabulary. So, we're reading Liahona articles together each morning, taking our own shot at the translation, and then checking against the English version online. We document all the words that we'd like to learn to use better, print them out, and paste them on the wall so we can work on them. One good word from today is:

a regañadiente - reluctantly, begrudgingly, unwillingly

So, doing something good "a regañadiente" would leave us considerable room for improvement in our service, and most likely, our appreciation and satisfaction.

Thursday
We stayed in today, and devised a way to collaborate on our Scripture Study time as well. We work together, and document our ideas, insights, and learning in an Evernote notebook that we share. That way, we can document our feelings and update them as we feel inspired.

Friday
We ran out of bandaids for Molly's hand, so we went looking this morning. Since there are half a dozen Farmacia's on every block, we had no problem finding some. They cost 1 B for four of them, or 25 B's ($3.50 USD) for a box of 100. They are the plastic variety, but seem to be good quality.

That's probably representative - things that aren't grown here are more expensive, obviously. Still, they appear to be somewhat cheaper than we'd have been paying at the local stores there in Utah.

Saturday
Feria again. Not much excitement to report.

Sunday
We attended both the Rosedal and Linde ward Sacrament meetings this morning. The people are so sweet to us, and we enjoy seeing them each week. In Sunday School, I have to be careful - my careful listening to be sure I'm understanding has convinced the teacher that I am being pensive and have good answers to his questions, so he calls on me. Which means I have to listen even more closely so I understand when he is asking the question so I can formulate a response. Hmmm.... maybe that's what we're always supposed to be doing in Sunday School.

Monday
Today was "Cochabamba Day" - 14th of September - the anniversary of the founding of the city, so it was a holiday. Molly and I needed to go to the Hipermaxi store about 4 km away, so we walked as usual. But, not as usual, there was almost no traffic. It was very nice to be able to cross a street without fear that we'd get run over by a taxi. Just in case anyone who is reading this ever ends up in Cochabamba, remember, pedestrians (even at lights and in cross-walks) don't have any rights. You have to be sure it's clear before stepping off the curb.

But, to be fair to the drivers, if they do catch you in their "headlights" in the middle of the intersection, they will try to avoid hitting you. It just get's a bit scary not knowing for sure if they see you. I need to make a video of an intersection at work sometime. It seems to be pretty efficient, but few abide by the driving rules considered normal in the United States. Very few accidents (we haven't seen one yet).

Just to remind you that this is the "City of Eternal Spring", here are some pictures during the real Spring season. It is clear that trees are flowering more than just a month ago. We see beautiful blossoms, and even more greenery than before. The trees with the purple blossoms are really pretty (especially to Molly, considering that purple is her favorite color). They seem to blossom endlessly, dropping their blossom petals nearly continuously. The street under one of these trees is covered in purple blossoms, but new ones seem to replace the dropping ones immediately.

More of Molly's observations

[September 15, 2015] Tuesday

We enjoy our service in the temple and love being together in this beautiful place with these good people we have come to love. We also enjoy our daily walks, which are always interesting and fun. However, some weeks are more eventful than others and this week has been one of the less eventful ones. So I thought I would share again some of my observations. Here goes:

Bolivians are hard workers and find a way to support themselves.

Vendors are everywhere. You always see Cholitas selling orange juice that they squeeze right before your eyes. The orange juice is put in a plastic bag with a straw. A lot of drinks come in plastic bags.

Others sell pineapple rounds. They cut off the peel and very aesthetically cut out the "eyes" so it looks like they have carved a spiral line around the pineapple, then they cut it into about two inch rounds. I have watched them and tried to do it at home. It is a bit of an art that will take me more time to master. Pineapples are very juicy so they are constantly spooning the juice back over the pineapple rounds.

There are even vendors that sell ice cream that they, in Cold Stone like fashion, mix before your eyes on a cold stone.

Then there are the little sidewalk vendors that basically set up a little store with an awning and  chair to sit on. These sell everything from candy, drinks, nuts, puffed grains to snack on, to toys, coloring books, batteries, coin purses, flags, even make up, to name a few.

Younger Cholitas have come onto the bus with trays of jello to sell. They also sell something on trays in plastic cups that looks almost like a pudding parfait with lots of whip cream piled high on top. It doesn't melt in the heat like whip cream (maybe it's mashed potatoes), but I don't know if we'll ever get brave enough to try it and find out.

One day we saw a man riding his bike, carrying a pole, at least 8 feet long (could be 10 feet) full of different colored cotton candy to sell.

There is a cobbler that we see on our way to the Feria who sets up his sewing machine, basically his whole workshop right on the sidewalk. It's interesting to watch him work. He is his own advertisement.

I have mentioned before about the walls in front of people's homes. They make me so curious to know what is on the other side. The condition or appearance of the wall does not always indicate what is on the other side. If there is an opening of any kind, I peek. Sometimes there is a beautifully manicured yard. Other times it could be a parking lot. If there is a gate, it could be a little market or farmacia (pharmacy). The rich and poor often live side by side.

There is a little Cholita who makes her home in the median on Circunvalación.

The buildings have water barrels on their roof and the water is pumped up to them from trucks.

Children are cherished and are darling wherever you go and Bolivia is no exception.

There are quite a few parks around. Lots of toy stores. We love to see the children. It's fun to live next to the school (I think it's K-12 ages) and see the kids coming and going in their uniforms.

Ok, only a few more random ones. Because there are so many dogs, the garbage bags in some neighborhoods are put in metal baskets raised on poles for the garbage collector to pick up. We see people all the time sweeping the sidewalks in front of their houses or stores and even sweeping the park and street with hand made brooms from gathered plants.

I know I said a few, but I have to share one more. As we were walking the other day we heard some music, a small brass band was playing "Sounds of Silence" very beautifully. When we rounded the corner we saw the combo in full costume in front of the Catholic Cathedral. One of the group was holding a statue of Jesus on the cross and a woman, who was all dressed up, was tossing confetti over him.

We love it here. Thanks for letting me share.