January 21, 2018

We went to the ruins in Xochicalco the other day.  They are from 700-900 AD.  Pretty incredibly preserved and very large area.  Sits right on top of a mountain with 360 views.

January 16, 2018

We had a fun class in Iguala tonight....taught them how to make funnel cake...they loved it.  We changed the name to "pastel loco" because the real name wouldn't make sense to them.

January 14, 2018

January 14, 2018

Hello from Mexico (the second to the most dangerous country in the world, after Syria only!)  I’m pretty sure that if we were getting ready to start our mission I would be scared to death, but the reality is that it’s the cartel killing the cartel mostly. We have always felt protected and I know that our young missionaries are because they are fearlessly on the streets day and night. However, we are glad that we didn’t drive our car to our mission as we had been planned to do…it seems safer to travel on buses with lots of other people because we’re less likely to be targeted as gringos traveling alone on the highways.  Last week while in Acapulco for a class we saw and spoke with a bunch of Canadians who favor Mexico now over the US because it’s cheaper and they don’t have crazy Donald Trump (their words).  A couple of them had zero knowledge of the danger, however, and apparently not aware of the gun battle that took place last year on the main tourist street in Acapulco between the cartel and police.  One of our taxi drivers here in Cuernavaca gave us his advice:  don’t trust anyone and be in your house (behind all of the walls, bars, and locks) by 8:00!  What a sad way to live.  And EVERYONE we talk to says it doesn’t matter who they are – police, government, military, or cartel—they are all the same and all corrupt!  We also read last week about 11 people killed in a tiny farming community about 30 minutes from Pinotepa in a gun battle between the militia and police/cartel.  

Well, anyway, for the stuff that matters…last June on our last Sunday to be in Pinotepa we had District Conference and the theme of those meetings was how to plan and prepare to go to the temple.  You probably don’t remember but Uncle Jimmie provided the funds for the purchase of a beautiful picture of the Oaxaca temple, which is their assigned temple, to be given to each family, and we suggested that they display the picture in a prominent place in their home where it would be seen often.  We both had the opportunity to speak in that conference along with the rest of the District Presidency and President Avila.  It was really wonderful to see their reaction and pleasure at receiving one of these pictures at the end of the meeting.  Well, Dad recently spoke with his friend from Pinotepa, Hermano Nacho, who took Dad’s place in the District Presidency, and he said that the District went to the temple just before Christmas and the attendance was double!  Not only that, four couples were sealed and our friend, Hermana Eugenia, received her endowment also.  AND, that attendance for sacrament meeting has also doubled.  Isn’t that amazing!  Well, we think it is and wish that we could have been there with them at the temple. 

Another bit of awesome news…our “Beloved Elder Hughes” (that’s how he put his name and number into our telephone!) told us about a little pueblo not far from Pino where the missionaries have been teaching and baptizing, so far just a couple of people, but there are 30 more who want to take the discussions!!!  These are indigenous people who speak not only Spanish but Mixteca as well and the thing with these people is that they recognize the story in the Book of Mormon about Christ visiting and teaching the people on the American continent after his crucifixion as THEIR story.  The same thing happened in Guatemala…when the indigenous people hear the BoM story they recognize it as true because it is their spoken history and many were baptized there.  Anyway, this is exciting news.

We had some awesome classes this past week and were blessed to teach a totally new group of sisters, many of whom are single.  The location of this class is in Jojutla, which is one of the hardest hit areas from the earthquake last September.  As we were driving to the chapel there were piles of rubble on every street…houses and buildings collapsed and they are still trying to clean up the mess and rebuild.  We’re hoping that they can use some of these skills to improve their living circumstances.  We told them that every single person who has made and sold the things we’re teaching has had success…not one person has told us they were not able to sell what they made.  We taught these sisters how to make brownies, rice pudding, and bran muffins, which they liked and which meet all the qualifications of being a winner:  quick, cheap, and easy to make!  We’ll have a chance to teach them maybe 2 more times before we leave.

President Monson’s funeral services were sweet…what an awesome man he was.  One of my favorite things he said was:  “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”  In fact, here is the whole quote, “Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”³ We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say, “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”⁴ 

I love being a wife, a mother and grandmother, and a missionary.  I love each of you and we are so grateful for your love, respect, encouragement and support.  We are grateful for your goodness.  We appreciate your prayers.  We have seen over and over again blessings and the hand of the Lord in your lives.  We encourage you to live worthy to receive his guidance, and always to be grateful.  And to notice His tender mercies.

Time’s flying. Before you know it we’ll be off on another assignment.  We love serving the Lord and our brothers and sisters here in Mexico…it’s been a wonderful experience for both of us, and we hope for them also.  What a blessing to be representatives of Jesus Christ…I love that His name and my name are on the same name badge…what an honor.

With Love,

Mom and Dad, Non and Pop, Ken and Chrys

Some of you have already seen the photos below...this is the day we handed out temple pictures in Pinotepa District Conference.