We love to see the temple and we feel so blessed to have it close here in Bogota. It is in a nice location, and many people know it because it is so beautiful and it has the angel Moroni statue on top that gets people's attention.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Flowers around the temple ground.
There are a wide variety of flowers around the temple grouds. Always so nice to see them.
Saying Good-Bye to 2011.
On Dec. 31, we were in Boyaca and found many of these dummies, or they call them dolls. These are a tradition here to make these dummies and fill them with everything you want to get ride of like old clothes, a bad letter, a big bill etc., then they fill them with fire crackers and burn them on New Year's Eve. What a good way to get rid of bad memories and get ready for a new year.
More dummies.
These dummies were sometimes women and sometimes men. They were hanging from trees, or riding a bike or just sitting by a house.
A wall of flowers.
Colombia is full of BEAUTIFUL flowers of every kind and color. On New Year's Day, we drove to San Gil to attend their church meeting in their branch. It is always a beautil ride with many interesting things to see.
His last day.
This poor animal is tied up to the killing tree. He will be slaughtered for New Year's dinner. They always tie them on a very short rope while they await their fate.
We love these little ladies.
This lady is dressed in a the typical clothes for an older lady in the pueblos of Boyca. They wear adress, a shall and always a little hat that looks like something a man would wear.
One of many Cathlic cathedrals.
In one of the little pueblos that we passed on the way to San Gil, we found this one with a beautiful stained glass window.
Harvesting the sugar cane.
While driving to San Gil, we passed this man harvesting sugar cane. They cut it by hand, and then load it on the donkey behind the sign, and then take it to be made in to panela, a type of brown sugar.
A real but tiny pineapple.
Our good friend Esperanza in our branch in San Gil, is showing a plant that she has grown with this little tiny pineapple. Sister Jenson, one of our adult missionary that has returned home, helped Esperanza plant this pineapple. We were told it is ready to eat.
Green peaches????
These green things are peaches, but they are not like Brigham City, Utah, peaches. They are green, hard, and are cling stones. We often see them along the side of the road for sale. We don't even buy them any more. The red fruit is a type of plum.
What a great support group.
These are are great office support missionaries. We have on the left Elder Machacuay and Elder Glick, the two assistants, Elder Mills, Elder Yanez, and Elder Serey our great office secretaries. In front we have Sister Henderson and Dr. Henderson that help us in the office as well and advises our medical problems as well. We love them.
Our first group to return in 2012.
Our first group of returning missionaries for 2012. We could remember well their first day in our home. The time has gone bye so fast. Starting on the left, we have Elder Medrano, Cornejo, Cevallos, Cruz, and Zamora. We wish them well.
It came to an end.
We were sorry to say Good-Bye to Elder and Sister Boulter. They were a great help to our mission. They worked in the office and kept everything in order. They returned to St. George, Utah. We miss them.
Home for Christmas.
Elder Teuquil was looking forward to returning home to spend Christmas with his family. He was happy and we are proud of his mission efforts.
English Certificate.
Elder Arraya was very proud of his English certificate. He worked hard to earn it.
Our seven Chilenos returned home.
We had seven Chilenos return home. This was a fun group for us because we knew almost every one of their home towns from the three years that we lived in Chile. We have starting on the left, Elders Ortiz, Montecino, Cea, Arraya, Vergara, Teuquil, and Lopez. They made it home before Christmas.
What a way to start the day.
We started the December 24th off by attending a baptism in the Nogal ward in the morning. These are our office secretaries and two assistants. The whole day was wonderful for our last Christmas Eve.
Our December 24th lunch.
Every year our Suba stake president hosts a Christmas lunch for all the missionaries in their stake. The missionaries love being in the Suba zone at Christmas time.
A tradional Christmas treat.
Many times during the Christmas season we were given this tradional Christmas treat. Natilla is a very stiff pudding and the little balls are like a corn meal ball that is fried. This was our before dinner appitizer at our Christmas lunch.
A new Minie Cooper for Christmas.
President Hacking looks forward to Christmas because the Suba stake president gives him a new car for Christmas every year.
Fresh watermelon on Christmas Day?
There are many things we love about Colombia, but one of our favorites is that we can eat fresh watermelon every day of the year. This is the watermelon I ate on Christmas Day. It was delicious.
A Christmas Eve to remember.
Last year, our maid Nidia, invited us to spend our last Christmas Eve of 2011 with them in their house to see what a Colombian Christmas Eve was like. For one year, we eager awaited this special invitation. The tradition in Bogota is to eat the soup Ajiaco with rice and avacado on the side. This is a yummy chicken-potatoe soup. We had the our best Christmas Eve that we have had in Colombia with Nidia and her family. We will miss them. Ajiaco is the food we will miss the most from Colombia. The tradition is to eat Ajiaco, then they wait until midnight to open their gifts, and then the fireworks begin. It sounded like the 4th of July in the US. Nidia passed out their gifts one at a time, and the family would all clap, and then after the gift was opened everyone cheered like they had just won an academy award. What a special night.
Anyone for dinner?
We will always remember our time in the home of our good friends. Nidia makes the best Ajiaco in Bogota.
A great missionary.
Daniella, age 10, is on the right, and she is a wonderful missionary. She is always inviting her friends to church and to attend church activities.
Nidia and her family.
Nidia in the middle is surounded with her wonderful family. Fernando is holding their grandson, and they have four daughters and two son in laws. This was very special for us to participate in a traditional Noche Buena (Christmas Eve).
Telling the missionaries Good-Bye.
Elder and Sister Boulter attended all our devotionals and told all the missionaries Good-Bye. They all loved the Boulters'.
A Christsmas feast.
Elder and sister Boulter on the left, and Dr. and siser Hendrson on the right, enjoyed our Christmas feast.
Our special guests.
We had special guests with us to celebrate our Christmas dinner in Bogota. On the left, we have President and sister Moreno and their daughter from the Suba Stake, and on the right, we have President and sister Santa Cruz from the Bogota Stake.
Our Christmas nativity participants.
Christmas is not Christmas without remembering the reason we are celebrate this special day. We had missionaries enact the nativity in our three devotionals.
Cucuta zone in December.
These were the Cucuta zone missionaries that attended our Christmas Devotiona.
Leaving the mission.
Elder and Sister Chalmer on left worked as missionaries with the Perpetual Education Job. They did an excellent job and have left the mission to wait until they go on another mission again with Perpetual Education Fund. We are thankful for their services. Elder and sister Peterson are on the right.
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