One glorious Day, November 11!

Sunday, November 11, 2018, began with a wonderful Primary (ages 3-12) Children's annual Sacrament meeting program entitled "I am a Child of God."
The little boys all wore Chile ties: royal blue with red and yellow/white diagonal stripes, and the little girls all had a red rose bow in their long dark hair. They said their lines and sang the Primary songs (worldwide in each language of course) with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately I could not take a photo in the chapel, but cornered a couple kids afterwards (minus tie and bows).

In our Sunday school class we had visitors from Australia who shared delicious Chilean chocolate rolls filled with manjar (very popular dulce de leche) called cuchufli

This photo was sent by Elder Welch, serving a mission from my home ward, now in Southend, England. They were asked to place a poppy wreath at the WWII memorial on "Veteran's Day" as we call November 11th in the US. Sometimes we forget the great sacrifice and the millions who died or were wounded and maimed to allow us, the living, to enjoy the freedoms and privileges we so often take for granted. As the final line of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" states: "Let us live (righteously, courageously, wisely) to make men free."

We eagerly awaited the arrival Sunday afternoon of new Apostle Gerrit Gong and wife Susan and other area authorities who visited the temple, Missionary Training Center missionaries and then spoke with Young Single Adults and young marrieds in our chapel (below). We met on the temple grounds. It was a perfect spring afternoon.

 

Clara Downer, Miriam de Schweinitz, Elder (Apostle)  Gerrit Gong, Alma Umber. We were interlopers, but since Elder Gong grew up in my home ward in California where his mom and sister still live (and who are beloved friends of mine), I got a hug.

The training center missionaries with President and Sister Carmack, other area authorities and the Gongs

The Gongs and other leaders greeted each missionary personally. The woman in blue is translator as they travel (next to Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina). We will miss the wonderful leadership and friendship of the Pres. Brian and Leslie Carmack when the center closes in December. They are being reassigned to Bogota, Colombia in January.

 

Counselor and Sister Dinamarca and Temple President and Sister Wilhelm with the Gongs (absent are  the Castros, the other counselor and assistant to the temple matron)

Our friends (and MTC teachers and temple workers) on way to fireside with the Gongs!

After the Young Single Adult/ Young Marrieds meeting with the Gongs (as we were returning from our walk)

An attractive preschool in operation for 57 years, which we passed on our Sunday evening walk, and a cute girl (below) with a bunny on a leash! The neighborhood is filled with dogs, but I hadn't seen rabbits here.

It's spring here! While my grand-daughter Evie plays in the Michigan fall leaves, this little girl on the left longs to play in the temple fountain.

This week I have had to move all my stuff to a room across the hall so they can paint (a regulation, unfortunately, as it doesn't seem to need painting!) But I feel like I'm in the garden of Eden today, a rainy cool day, with so much green and so many flowers and the temple out my window.