Tuesday, November 25, 2014

A week of blessings and one suprise miracle - a photo story.


One busy week . . .

 Our BIGGEST miracle weighed in a 3 pounds and 6 ounces. She also was NOT born at the beginning of the week but I just had to start off the story with our beautiful little tiny miracle Hannah. The week was very intense with concerns for mama and baby but she arrived and is working on growing.






This is where the week actually began. The most perfect Sacrament meeting, because it was a primary sacrament meeting. I LOVE primary sacrament meetings (the extra perk this time was that I did not have  (sorry, I did not get) to speak. :)







Shortly after Sacrament meeting we headed to the airport to attend our first Mission Presidents Training meeting. The seminar was held in Bogata, Columbia. It is not easy to get anywhere from Cochabamba and the travel took an overnight stay!

You are correct - President and his cell phone are rarely parted.

We were happily surprised when the bus carrying the 4 mission presidents from Bolivia stopped at the CCM in Bogata. We were EVEN HAPPIER when the CCM mission president announced that the mission president from Cochabamba was visiting. These brand new missionaries (on their 5th day at the CCM) came running. We cannot wait to welcome them in a few more weeks.

We got to spend time with 30 mission presidents and wives from 
Bolivar, Peru, Ecuador,Venezuela, and Columbia. 
                                  
                                                                                                                                                                             We were INCREDIBLY blessed to be taught, inspired and strengthened by wonderful men like Elder David Evans (first quorum of the seventy and executive director of the missionary department) and all three of our VERY OWN area presidency, Elders Uceda, Waddell and Godoy.






We attended a session in the Bogata Temple - - - with our whole group. THAT WAS INCREDIBLE.












We got to visit with old friends President and Sister Riggins and the new
member of our area presidency Elder Godoy




 Then an afternoon of sightseeing, this is Bogata, a HUGE city. We traveled on Gondolas to the top of Monserrat . . .

We toured the beautiful 17th century church there.  Then we were off to Sucre for a stake conference.


In Sucre we learned there was a baptism scheduled for Saturday morning - so of course we decided to go. The taxi driver stopped when the roads got rough and kindly refused to go further. President had his handy GPS on the phone so off we went . . . in search of the chapel.


We arrived in time for the baptism of these wonderful people - a family of three and a single man. It was great.


Bolivia is a land full of surprises and Stake Conference was another one. We were a little surprised to find people already in their seats when we arrived at 9:30 (30 minutes early) - As we tried to turn the lights on in the chapel we quickly realized the electricity was off. We were trying to figure out how we could hold a conference with no electricity when a member of the stake presidency found us and told us the electricity would be back on at 11. He then offered to drive us to get our luggage from the hotel as the timing of the day had now changed. I was concerned when we returned and walked back into the building. What would all these people be doing with this hour and a half of unstructured time? As I walked past the bathrooms I worried even more. No electricity meant no running water - which is NOT a good thing with all those people in one place. But as I neared the chapel, I did not hear people talking, or playing, I heard - music! and my eyes filled as I entered the chapel to see our wonderful, awesome, incredible missionaries up there on the stand singing hymn after hymn after hymn. It may not have been Tabernacle Choir quality (following a tune is not natural for many of them) but their spirit filled the room. I was so proud of them!



Sunday, November 2, 2014

One of our first great blessings of mission service has arrived

We learned this little one was on his way a few months after our call to serve in Bolivia. We consider him a huge mission blessing and are grateful he could join our family. Max arrived on Wednesday and we are so glad he is here. Although a very large part of me longs to be holding this baby and helping my beautiful daughter I know she has many loving hands and hearts surrounding her and all is well. (and I am grateful for facetime!!!)