the fam

the fam

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Tehuacan Stake Conference

This weekend we attended a Stake Conference in Tehuacan, with an adult meeting on Saturday night and the General Session on Sunday morning.  Because it's a two hour drive to Tehuacan, we stayed in a hotel overnight.  It was the cutest place with lots of charm.  We loved the room, too, it was very comfortable...


the lobby


the outside hallways and patio areas



the stairway leading to our room


looking back down the stairs


the open hallway and our room where we stayed.  Funny enough, it was called the "Puebla" room


This is President Atkinson, the President of the Oaxaca Temple.  Because the Mexico City Temple is closing in December for renovations, our mission will be in the Oaxaca Temple District for the next year and a half.  President Atkinson also spoke at the Conference.  An interesting thing about him is that he was the Mission President of President Lopez, Robert's first counselor in the Mission. 
 It really is a small world.


He has a great sense of humor and President Reeves always likes to make others feel comfortable...


They always have the most beautiful flowers at our conferences!


At this time of year, every flower is being prepared for harvest during the first of November for 
"Day of the Dead".  We passed several fields that looked just like this, full of beautiful flowers...


As we came back into Puebla, we realized they must have had a good amount of rain while we were gone because this offramp was completely flooded.  The water came up and over the front of our car as we drove through!  It was REALLY deep!




Wednesday, October 16, 2013

October Cambios

With a Stake Conference and the Mission President's Seminar still to come this month, it has been a very busy month!  We started out with 2 weeks of Zone Conferences, New Missionaries and Changes, a Stake Conference and the Seminar... whew!


At the bus station waiting for the new missionaries to arrive

they're here!

Elder Turley preparing for the orientation meeting with the new missionaries


The new missionaries from the Mexico City MTC


The missionaries from the Provo MTC


President is announcing all the changes


Elder Turley and Elder Gay are excited to still be companions


Elder Rowe and Elder Summer will be serving together as Zone Leaders


Sister and Lopez and Sister Reeves... best friends!


Elder Turley looks surprised by the number of new missionaries we have in the mission...



Salientes Departure Dinner
Elder Colmenares requested Carne Asada.  I had never prepared it before, but it wasn't too hard...


...and Elder Knowlton had requested Cheesecake, so we got that at Costco!  
It was a great dinner and it was great to be with all of these wonderful missionaries one last time.


Our Salientes (below)... Elder Mendoza, Elder Kubosumi, Elder Colmenares and Elder Knowlton
 



Sunday, October 13, 2013

October Zone Conferences

We started the first of October with Zone Conferences in Izucar



A special musical number


and fun object lessons involving straws and paper...



Izucar Zone

It must have been a success judging on the Assistants level of alertness afterward...


Day two of Conferences found us in Cholula...


The missionaries always love the "practice" portion of the Conference




Listening intently to President Reeves...




This sister and her daughters prepared lunch for all of us.  It was so good!!
Her daughters and her son have all applied for missions and will be leaving for the MTC next month.  One daughter will be serving in Salt Lake at the Visitors Center, one in St. George and her son 
will be serving in Denver Colorado.  THAT is real service!


Hermana Gomez, Hermana Alvarez, Hermana Olvera and Hermana Cardus (de Argentina)



Cholula Zone



practice, practice...


...a special musical number...


...and more practice


Elder Allred was having a few troubles with some unwanted critters in his home, and he brought one to show me because I told him I like this particular type... he took it home with him and released it somewhere far away from his house...


Tehuacan Zone

On the 8th of October we met with the Nealtican Zone...






As Zone Leaders, Elder Chavez and Elder Ratigan help to teach...


and monitor the practices.


The Nealtican Zone

October 9th found us in Atlixco




President Lopez came to the Conference to give a presentation


Elder Durbano during his presentation


The Atlixco Zone

On Thursday we were in the city with the Mayorazgo Zone




Our Assistants are also great singers and performed the special musical number for the group


The Sister Leader Trainers gave an excellent presentation


The Mayorazgo Zone

The last Zone on the schedule was the Valsequillo Zone...