Week 71 from Mexico

2 Jan 2011

This has been a quiet week, though we did do a few fun things.  Monday was our turn for FHE and we did it at the Neil's, with me doing the lesson.  Tuesday I spent the day making a tote bag out of all the plastic grocery bags that we've been saving since we got here made into plarn, which is the bags cut in strips and fastened together.  Lynn really didn't think I would do it.  We just kept saving all these bags and he said, “If these are still around when it's time to leave they are going in the garbage because we're not haling them home.”  Well, I showed him. I got a rather nice looking bag out of it. I'll attach a picture of it for you.  I estimate it took about 100 bags, more or less, and I crocheted it in a little over one day.  It worked up really fast basically using a granny square pattern.  It was a real hit where ever I took it.  The sisters were really impressed that it all came from grocery bags.  Now the Relief Society want me to teach a class in how to make them. Now, that could be a challenge as the directions, which I got off the Internet, are in English and I don't speak much Spanish but we'll see if we can pull it off.

On Friday we went with the Neil's to ride the Paseo and see the Fundidora. Unfortunately, we got there after it closed at 1pm, which was early because of the holiday, so we didn't get to see it again, like last year but had a fun time on the canal ride, eating lunch and visiting with the Neil's. As we were headed to the canal ride a couple of police offices saw our missionary badges and came up to meet us. They were very friendly and we visited with them for a little while.  They showed an interest in the church. One of them has already been given a Book of Mormon so Lynn gave one to the other one. Then on our return trip on the canal boat there was a man sitting across from Lynn that just happened to be a member of the church.  He had attended BYU and started working for a company, 4 Life, which sent him here to Monterrey to work in their offices here, which is where he is originally from. He spoke very good English and we had a nice visit.

Friday night we were invited to the Herrera's, the High Priest group leader in the ward. He said he was having some people over and we thought it was going to be a big party but it was only the Menenes's and us.  He said that he invited the Clarks but they had already been invited to the Torres's.  The Torres' had also invited us but it was after the Brother Aurera invited us to his house. I guess it was a matter of first come first serve situation.  It was a nice quiet evening even though we could hear lots of firecrackers and fireworks going off in the neighborhood. Sometimes we have to stop and wonder because we often hear what sound like gunshots and we're not really sure which it is.  We stayed until about 2am.  I kept falling asleep so they let us go.

The next morning, New Year's day, we had breakfast at the Neil's with our FHE group and then played a new game called Wacky Six that the Clark's brought from home.

Today at church they announced that Carlos Treviño has been called to be a mission president starting in July.  He is the one that we spent Christmas Eve at his home.  It's kind of interesting that he was the one to replace President Cantu when he was released last year from the stake presidency in order to serve as mission president last July and now, after only serving less than a year he has his own calling to also serve as mission president.  President Taylor stood up at the end of the meeting to reassure everyone that he has nothing to do with who is called as mission president. That it was just a very nice coincidence. We are very excited for them. He will make a wonderful mission president and Ester, his wife, will be a great support to him as he serves.

As we look back over the last year we have so much to be grateful for.  We've seen how our mission has been a great blessing in the lives of our children and their families.  As hard as it is to miss many family activities and special events in their lives we are gladly willing to serve the Lord, if only to see how it has helped our family. But, the icing on the cake is to also have had the opportunity to get to know some wonderful people and to be able to experience and learn about a different culture.  We hope to be able to have many more such experiences in the future as we serve other missions.

Well, I guess that's about it for this week.  Next Tuesday we start back to our regular schedule at the temple. We will be doing morning shift to start with.  It will be good to be back at the temple.

Amamos a ustedes (our love to you),
Elder & Hermana Nelson (aka Lynn & JaAnna, Dad & Mom, Grandpa & Grandma)