Follow your promptings

Sunday, June 08, 2014

Early morning love notes from the hermanas!

Up at 4 am to leave our apartment by 5 am to be to the Central and Plaza Chapel in the Trenta y Tres Stake. The drive was supposed to be about 4 hours.  Because of the early hour, there was no traffic and we arrived earlier than expected. We enjoyed the beautiful sunrise.

Plenty of cattle everywhere.

Can't see them too well, but there are sheep out there.

On our way to Trenta y Tres. Melo is next week!

Our presentation went well but we were also asked to talk in Sacrament Meeting. During the week, I had many thoughts about what I could do.  I thought I could play the piano.  That takes no language skills.  I thought I could give a 30 second testimony in Spanish and let Mike have the rest of the time. But, I just couldn't ignore the inspiration I received the other night, even though it made no sense to me.  

I always get my inspiration for things I am pondering just before I go into a deep sleep. Because this is always the case with me, I have learned that I shouldn't ignore the thought or prompting. I was prompted to share a pioneer story about Angeline Hodgkins. I spent Saturday (while in the chapel at the Carrasco Capilla Abierta) using Google translate to translate the talk into Spanish. I gave up reading it though because my skills are just not there and Google Translate always needs Mike to tweak it a bit. 

So Saturday night, I decided not to give that talk and just play the piano. When I got home Saturday night I practiced a couple of songs.  

In the morning, I was still unsure, so I printed my talk in English and Spanish and took my music. Once at church on Sunday, after our Sunday School lesson on the restoration of the priesthood, I knew that my pioneer story was what I needed to share.  I asked Mike to translate for me.  Wow, the spirit was so strong. Mike choked up, I choked up and the members were also visibly touched. I told the members that they were the pioneers of Uruguay and that they needed to write down their experiences for their posterity. I told them how special it was for me to find some of Angeline's brothers' and sisters' families and do the temple work for them.   

Lesson reinforced:  Follow the promptings!  

The Stake President invited us over to his house for lunch.  They were very gracious and we had a wonderful time with them.  His wife spoke very good English and she enjoyed practicing with me. That was our first invitation into a member's home.  They gave us a scrumptious bag of Brazilian peanuts. They are very crisp and quite addicting. 

Capilla Abierta Carrasco

Saturday, June 07, 2014

Capilla Abierta for Carrasco.  It was a cold and rainy day.
We knew that this open house would be different. It is located in the temple block. It is not close to any foot traffic. There were 2 investigators that came and they gave positive comments.  There was a less active member who had not been to church for many years.  A member of the ward was so excited when this person came.  He said that doing the capilla abierta was worth doing just for this one less active man. The members did a wonderful job with their stands.  Despite the odds, it was a great success.

VISITANTES
# de misioneros    12
# de miembros en recorridos   11
# de miembros no en recorridos  10
# de miembros menos activos   1
# de no-miembros    4
TOTAL     38
REFERENCIAS: 6

Video Link:  Carrasco Capilla Abierta

Nursery Room is ready!

Visual of the Twelve Tribes of Israel

The Primary went all out!

Hermana Schaelling and Hermana Ots, our neighbors

Happy Birthday to Mike with a great new hat!

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

We helped in picking up the new arrivals (oros) this morning at the airport. They came in from the Argentina MTC. I love the hermanas!  They are so animated and excited. If the elders could catch some of their spark we would be "afire" with teaching the gospel. 

Video Link: Oros Arrival

We also had a little birthday fun for Mike.

I fixed a nice OvenBaked Chicken dinner with homemade strawberry vinaigrette
for the salad and cream cheese mashed potatoes along with an
apple cake that we shared with the Pugmire's and the hermanas

Hermana Zegarra gave Elder Burnett a hat to keep his head warm!

We lost our internet today because we forgot to pay our bill while we were gone.  It might be out for a week!  The kids can't call to wish Mike a Happy Birthday!  

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

We visited with Pedro and Ema and brought the presents for Pedrito and Angel from Takoda.

They had a nice fire going in their fireplace and it was wonderful!  

Angel looking at the CARS DVD. We watched some of it in spanish.

Pedrito and Mom looking at Takoda with Facetime

Live Facetime with Takoda who picked out the gifts for them

Father, Pedro looking on

Loved the fireplace!

I am teaching Charo keyboard lessons in their home now.  She is really good and is picking up quickly.

Thursday, June 05, 2014

Valientes return home. Hermana Berrios is one. She is one great lady and whoever marries her will be stepping up for sure!  On the other hand, Elder Cutler is also going home and what an awesome young man he is.  Any young lady would be lucky to have him as an eternal companion.

Hermana Berrios in the center and in pink

Elder Cutler facing forward wearing glasses.

Simmering

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Today was voting day for Uruguay.  The whole stake had to meet in this teeny, tiny chapel in Paso Carrasco because the bigger chapels are all used as voting poll places.  

I had put some split pea soup on to simmer while we were at church. This was a bigger project than expected. The night before, I had to split my own peas.  The only dried peas I could find at the Granero were whole.  I thought no problem because I would use my grinder.  The grinder worked fine but I discovered that these had a soft paper thin coating around them and now I had alot of chaff.  So, we put the split peas in an empty water pitcher (a few at a time) and then took my hair dryer and blew the chaff out.  Of course Mike did this outside.  It took some time but it worked!  I soaked the peas all night and then everything was ready for simmering soup.  Except, my stove top does not know how to simmer. It has high and medium high.  So the picture says it all!

There is a flat pan on the bottom (handle seen on the left), the my fry pan on top of that, upside down, and then my soup pot.  

I worried about it all during church and then we needed to take people home.  I thought for sure there might be disaster waiting for me but nope!  I took split pea soup to the break the fast temple group and everyone who finally tried my soup absolutely loved it!
Our patio needed a major clean up though.

 Monday, June 02, 2014

Mike went with Elder Pugmire today 

so I did my FIRST solo drive to the office. I am still alive, so all went well. 

Warning, warning! Hazmat materials

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Back to flying the skies! Only a couple of hiccups this go around. Even though we had a "fastpass" to get through the checkpoints without having to take off shoes, sweaters, etc., Mike was randomly selected to have the full "pat down".  Fortunately, he passed.
Then, while we were sitting at the terminal waiting to board, they called my name over the loud speaker and ask me to come to their counter.

 I did so and they said I had "hazmat materials" in my luggage.  WHAT?  The man had no idea what it could have been and seemed too hurried to answer my questions.  I asked him if I needed to do anything and he said no.  He just needed my address.  When, I went back and told Mike we started thinking about all the things we had packed to bring back with us.  He had some power tools, power batteries.  We bought oxygen packets so that we could start preparing the food storage for missionaries to have in case of emergency.  I had some extra spices and food.  We bought extra vitamins.  We actually brought our old green suitcases full of things!

As we were boarding the plane, I thought to myself, "What if they just keep the suitcase?"

Friday, May 30, 2014

Arrived into Montevideo about 10 am and we are missing one suitcase. RATS!  They must have kept it. Now what?  But, after checking with baggage control there was still one suitcase in Miami and it would take the next flight.  The airlines would deliver our bag to us tomorrow at our apartment.  HOORAY! The Elders picked us up and took us to the van parked at the temple parking lot.  We drove home and started to unpack our goodies to try and determine what was missing. 
All vitamins- check
All oxygen packets - check
All power tools -SORT of...NO BATTERIES
Not all food items - still some in the wayward suitcase

We are pretty sure that the batteries for Mike's tools were the hazmat problem.  His tools are worthless without the batteries but we can get some from China and have them sent here.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Mike went over to the mission office to check on some things and my Casio keyboard finally arrived! The transformer for 220v has not come yet but it will work on batteries.

Our suitcase was delivered and Mike’s batteries were in the suitcase!  Oh happy day!

So what was the big hazmat problem! 

All that was missing was my 4 bottles of Costco size Pam Spray.



After all it is a hazmat item!


Just to clarify things, Briana and I did look this up before we bought these to see if we could take these:

"Other aerosols, if allowed, should be packed in checked baggage, regardless of size.  You may not travel with flammable aerosols such as:
Aerosol laundry starch
Aerosol static remover
Spray paint
Spray cleaners/lubricants, ex WD-40
Aerosol surface disinfectants and other cleaners"

SO, I have no clue WHY?!

Our Week Back Home...Happy and Sad

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Packed up for home.

Montevideo airport 8 pm

Montevideo to Miami FL  9.5 hours  Arrival 7:30 am

Miami to Dallas TX  3 hours  Arrival 11:50 am

Dallas to SLC  2.5 hours  Arrival 3:45 pm
We were picked up by Briana who had flown in for the funeral in our Avalon.
I didn't recognize it at first because Dale has tinted the windows!

We had lots and lots of hugs and greetings when we arrived home.  No words to express
how great it is to be home.  The following statement from a California girl shows how truly excited I was:
From the airplane, "Look, I can see snow in the mountains.  It looks wonderful!  We are almost home!"

Friday, May 23, 2014
My mom came in tonight. She is staying over at Justin and Kammi's.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Dad's funeral was today in Orem at his home ward chapel.  I played the organ prelude and postlude along with the congregational song.  I also played the piano as accompaniment to a violin solo. It was raining this morning, but cleared up good enough for the dedication of the grave.  The service was excellent. Ted did a superb job giving Dad's eulogy and when Mike gave his talk, it was one of the most spiritually, powerful talks I have ever heard him give.  Candiss even told me that someone sitting behind her siad, "Wow, that was powerful."
Here is the link to the pdf of the funeral program: Funeral Program



Myron designed the Funeral Program below.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

This evening was a special opportunity to be with Bethany to receive her patriarchal blessing from Patriarch Corey.  He has been a good friend of Mike's in the days of working in the Jordan River Temple together.  Justin, Kammi, Mike, Me and my mom were all there.  Little Aundrea was there too and she even allowed me to put her to sleep for a second time.  That made the blessing even nicer since she was asleep.  All I can say about Bethany's blessing is that she is a wonderful spirit and has some powerful events ahead of her.
After the blessing, Bethany deserved to go out for dinner because she had fasted all day.  Justin treated us all to our favorite Chinese restaurant - Joy Luck.  And this was from my "fortune cookie"!

Hmmmm????!!!!!  Is Uruguay for another 18 months good enough?

Thank you to our wonderful family for giving us a great time back home.  

We love you and appreciate your support!