A full house

It is wonderful to have a full house of senior temple missionaries!
We have all been inspired and motivated to be our best after the powerful and beautiful words of our leaders during General Conference. So much emphasis is being placed on teaching, supporting, ministering to, and instilling faith in individuals and eternal families. A long way from home, we are grateful to have a strong and loving temple family.

Hermanas Umber, de Schweinitz and Diaz; the Isaacsons, Moses; Temple presidency: Dinamarcas, Wilhelms, Jaras
Marchants, Youngs, Clarks, Wallaces

We enjoyed a delicious potluck dinner and introductions, with special welcome to Steve and Carolyn Clark, who finally have their luggage and are starting work this week. They are surrounded (below) by Counselor Fernando and Hilda Dinamarca, Silvia and Gerardo Wilhelm, President,  Counselor and Juana Jara

The temple gardens are still blooming, hopefully lasting until Easter coming up, despite the months of drought in Santiago (normal to have no rain for 5-6 months like in California).
Watch any of many beautiful short videos:

https://latterdaysaintmag.com/video-church-releases-new-easter-message-becauseofhim/

People ask me all the time what I do on my mission in the Santiago Temple. In these very short videos, the purposes and activities of the temple are explained very simply:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd8tVXN9y6Q

At the conclusion of the 189th Annual General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to build eight new temples. So exciting! There are currently 162 functioning, dedicated temples.

Pago Pago, American Samoa              Okinawa City, Okinawa
Neiafu, Tonga                                      Tooele Valley, Utah
Moses Lake, Washington                     San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Antofagasta, Chile                               Budapest, Hungary

Your chance to visit outside and inside the Oakland Temple before re-dedication!

Watch a temple video.  Sat, May 11 - Sat, Jun 1: Temple Open House.
The temple will be open for tours during all the dates listed except for Sundays.
Free reservations for tours can be made today here.

Book recommendation: The Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell. A certain level of innate intelligence and talent are needed in order to be successful, but beyond that, cultural background, geography,windows of opportunity, timing, experience and hard work (1000's of hours of practice in most cases are required). It is not only fascinating, but has helped me understand the huge role that cultural background (ways of communication, deference to elders and those in higher positions of authority, family, etc.) plays in success and failure in sports, careers, family, etc., and in understanding others. Some points are rational, others surprising!

Thanks to the internet it is such a blessing to be able to stay in immediate touch with family and friends: for example: my daughter Anne enjoying a painting class...

My youngest grand-daughter, 11 months and always busy, Phoebe Carlston. 

My friend and French student when I served in Spain (on right), Evelyn de la Torre picking up their daughter as she finishes her mission in France. This wonderful family is from Colombia but live in Luxemburg. Her parents served in the Madrid temple with me.

Silly trivia, in case you need a laugh??
The weather has suddenly turned cool (I guess fall has arrived). Yesterday I put on a jacket but was wearing sandals, as my big toe has an ingrown nail, I stubbed my next toe on my metal bed leg (which almost pulled off the nail). I finally realized everyone was staring at my sandals...they were all wearing boots and regular shoes. To top it off I had my arms full in the grocery store and dropped a 4-pack of berry yogurt which split open and totally covered the front half of that foot with a huge glob of yogurt. A nice clerk brought me wet and dry paper towels, plastic bag, etc. after I tried to escape more stares....oh, those silly gringas!

(painting by Greg Olsen) May you have a wonderful Easter and reflect on the most important gift ever given to man: Jesus Christ who paid not only for our sins, but for every large or small mistake we make, who understands and loves us anyway, and invites us to repent and start out with a clean slate and return to live with him again in a place of peace and wholeness.