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We had a sweet group of primary children visit us in the waiting room of the temple today. They were scrubbed sparkling clean and wearing their best Sunday clothes. We invited them in and talked to them for 15 minutes about the temple (such questions as “Why do you think everyone in the temple wears white clothing?” “Who can read what it says over the door of the temple? Who’s house does it say this is? I used a picture of Jesus and they all could answer who He is, and they all agreed that they wanted to go to heaven and live with Him and Heavenly Father someday. Then I showed them a picture of our temple and explained that the temple helps us get back to them . They watched a short DVD and then went outside to walk around the outside of the temple and have their picture taken. Hopefully, this first temple experience will leave them with a desire to return when they are old enough to do baptisms and later to receive their endowment and be sealed.
Aug. 30, 2008
We just got out of the evening conference session of the Victoria Stake. Victoria is the capital of the state of Tamaulipas. It is modern and clean with left turn lanes and multi lane streets. AND the Holiday Inn Express here HAS A BATH TUB! I feel like I’m back in the States.
But, I did want to take a minute and relate acouple of things from the conference. We visited with a sweet couple who come regularly to the temple. They shared their first experience in the temple. It was in 1980, before there was a temple in Mexico. The family lived in Mexico City at the time, the wife was pregnant wife with their third child and they had saved their money for a year to make the trip to Mesa, Arizona. They didn’t know what to expect, but when they entered the doors of the temple they felt like they had stepped into heaven. The workers greeted them with smiles and hugs, took care of their children, and in their words were “angels.” (our goal is that everyone who enters our temple is treated this way). They went through their initiatories, the session and and sealing, and then immediately went to the bus station to return to Mexico City, because they didn’t have money to stay in a hotel or purchase food. As they were leaving the temple grounds, a humbly dressed man extended his hand and said “Take this.” When Hno.Flores looked to see what he had been given to his shock it With that money the little family were able to get home, and have something to eat on the way.
I talked about how King Benjamin’s people had pitched their tents “towards the temple,” and how Lot had pitched his tent “towards Sodom” and asked the question, “Our our tents, or homes, pitched towards the temple and the words of our prophet, or towards the world and it’s voices? And “How can we help our children and grandchildren look toward the temple, and the day when they will enter it and make sacred covenants?” Then I told of the conference in 1977 when Pres. Kimball challenged every family to hang a picture of the temple in their children’s rooms, so that they would grow up with that image, and how I went out the next day and bought one and hung in our family room: and I bore my testimony that, that image of the temple, along with reading the scriptures, FHE and family prayer made a difference in the lives of our children and in our lives too.
It is now September 1st and we are driving home. As usual we have taken the “scenic route.” We have purchased three different books about the state of Tamaulipas, and are systematically exploring all the byways. After checking out of our hotel we headed southwest through the Sierra Madre Oriental. The rich, green, agricultural valleys, and steep wooded cliffs and mountain passes enchanted us. The missions of Jaunave, Palmillas , and Tula, all founded before the pilgrims arrived at Plymouth, by Franciscan Monks were fascinating. Jaunave was alive with people and tiangis shoppers (it was obviously market day). Palmillas was so dead we saw not a soul even though we went through the main square and into the Catholic Church which dates back to the early 1700’s and is noted for it’s elaborate altar and beautiful painting of the madona and child. Tula is famous for it’s elaborate, elegant, embroidered leather jackets and skirts; but we were disappointed to learn that nothing is avalible ready made. Everything is custom ordered and sent to exhibitions because it is a luxury item that none of the local people wear. And Tula is definitely in the “tullies” and not on the tourist route.
We got stoppoed once by a military patrol. They are stationed throughout the highways which lead to and from the border in hopes of catching drugs or other smuggled items. We never get stopped on the main highways, but this is the second time they’ve stopped us when we’ve taken smaller side roads. We think they must just be bored and need to fill their quota. There are always half a dozen soldierswith machine guns and rifles in full military attire with sweat running off their young faces.
This ones for all of you that wonder why you can never see my belly in any pictures, I tend to have someone or something blocking the "baby" view. ENJOY! Plus, it's a shot of my hair cut I got as a present to myself for not having a baby yesterday. :) Kaitlyn thought the camera timer was THE GREATEST idea.
2 weekends ago we hit the beach for a final summer fling. The temperature was high 80's but the water was pretty cold. Did this stop kaite? NO WAY JOSE! This kid is right after her Dad's own heart and so long as she's in the water she's happy. She drown with a big smile on her face if we let her. Aye-Yaye-Yaye.
The Sand has in the past been off limits for Kaitlyn. Not because we didn't want her to play in it, but because she hated the feel of it on her skin. She's a little lady I guess, but FINALLY she got the picture that sand is awesome and we were really digging. Good times. 
I hit the park a number of times last week because the weather was fenominal and Kaite loves it so much. Check out this pig-tail shot. It just kills me to put her hair in piggies, I love it. 
She would go down the slide all day if she could. I thought this wouldn't be to tough of a manuver for me, but after 1 run down the slide with the bumpy ridges, I realized that my range of comfort is truly limited and I returned to the cheering section. Wise move. 
