Thanksgiving

 Seems like we never have time to keep up with this blog....I don't know if that means we are busy or just lazy!..
We had a great Thanksgiving here..we invited the Smiths, Zapata's, Cisneros, Pres and Sister Anaya and 2 sets of Elders. The apartment was full to say the least. It was the first Thanksgiving dinner for President and Sister Anaya and Elder Mejia from Ecuador. The Cisneros family have children in Utah so they have experienced it befo re. Sister Anaya really liked the stuffing, Pres. Anaya the Pecan Pie and Elder Mejia...Everything! Sister Anya was also intrigued by how to cook a Turkey.

What is Thanksgiving with out Pies!

 We divided up the food assignments between the Smiths, Zapatas and ourselves so it really was quite easy.

 It also served as a good bye for the Smiths and the Zapatas. Javier and Bonnie Zapata left the day after Thanksgiving as Brother Zapata has been having some heath problems and needed to go home to the Phoenix area from some

Elders Mejia(Ecuador) Tribett (Logan) Davies(ST. George) Dillon (So Jordan) 

Elder and Sister Zapata in the middle with the Cisneros from our ward here in Mexico City.

additional medical treatment. He has had back surgery here, which went very well, and then when he was just getting ready to go back to work had chest pains and went into the hospital. They discovered several blockages in his heart and put in a couple of stints but they do not have physical therapy here after heart surgery so the Mission doctor Greg Stevens suggested he go home for some treatment. We were so sad to see them go as they have become good friends. They left with every intention of returning in 6-8 wks and we hope they can. Then on the following Monday David and Elaine Smith completed their mission and headed back to Idaho Falls. Sad to see them leave too but this was their second mission here in Mexico with the FSY program and was time for them to go back to their family. They too have become good friends and we hope to see them after the mission.

The Sunday before the Smiths left the  Area Presidency had a Christmas Devotional here and then they turned on the lights here on Temple Square. It was a nice service and the Sisters in the Visitors Center participated with some musical numbers. Marilyn was the director and Elder Koerper played the piano. We were sad when Sister Zapata had to leave before the program as she had been practicing with the sisters and really wanted to be here but Elder Koerper from Kentucky did a wonderful job with the piano.

 

 Well we are now here in December..we have a Christmas Tree thanks to the Zapatas and the Yates before them. While waking back from the market the other day we noticed a Poinsettia plant in full bloom.

The plant was a small tree..anyway the owner was outside and broke off a couple of branches and told us to go home and stick them in the dirt and they would grow. We tried to tell him we live in an apartment but it didn't matter he just wanted to give them to us. He said his mother had planted the tree from a stick years ago. Then he introduced us to his 98 year young mother. They were both just so nice and welcoming. They knew who we were because of our name tags and were familiar with the church and missionaries here. They were such nice people...wish we had had the camera with us.
We planted the branches in our pot of dirt...but they aren't doing too well!