TRIP TO TAXCO

In September 2008 we had an unexpected treat. The senior couples at the Visitors Center were given three days off in a row. We all knew that we would be very busy with the upcoming Temple open house and re-dedication and would be working non-stop during this time. The director decided to give us some extra time off before the onslaught of visitors.

Janice and I decided we would like to go to Taxco, a colonial silver mining town in the state of Guerrero, so we took off early one morning. Sergio, a member who does a lot of choffering for the senior couples, drove us to the bus station on the south side of town.

Sergio and the happy campers

From there we boarded a bus for a three-hour bus ride to Taxco. The bus was very comfortable. Besides the snack that they provided we watch movie (better than the airlines). It was fun to look at some new scenery as we passed through Cuernavaca and the region to the south of there. It was mountainous country with lots of beautiful trees. The day was overcast and the clouds were fun to watch moving across the sky.

Wish that bus would get here!!

Now this is relaxing

Beautiful foliage on the way to Taxco

Our arrival in Taxco was breathtaking. The sun had come out and shone on many white buildings with red tile roofs built on steep hills. The roads are very narrow and steep. The taxis there are all Volkwagon bugs that are called vochos in Spanish. I suppose that they use vochos because the streets are too narrow for most cars. Sometimes they have to go up the hills in reverse gear so that they will have more power.

Beautiful Taxco

The windy and steep hills

We checked into our bed and breakfast that we had located online, La Casa de Palmas. We went up one of the steep hills from town and came to the entrance which was a large black gate. You entered and immediately saw an area of green grass and large palm trees (thus the name). There were also beautiful flowers and a fountain.

It had been a villa owned by the painter Clinton King. The famous muralist Diego Rivera used to stay at the house and visit with him. We actually stayed in the artist's studio which has now been made into guest quarters. It is rumored that Rivera painted a mural on a wall in the garden that is now thickly covered with ivy. It is a wonderful place. We really enjoyed staying there. It is owned by an American couple from Missouri. They come to Mexico a couple of times each year to stay. It turned out that they were there during our stay and we had a chance to visit with them.


Not so pretty on the outside

But oh once inside the gate!!

Our Balcony

A couple of views of our room

Taxco has lots of interesting things to see. One of the prettiest things we saw was the cathedral of Saint Prisca. One of the early silver barons heavily funded the construction and maintenance of the cathedral. We were really impressed.

Looking at the cathedral across the town square

View from a side street

Interior of the cathedral

Looking up in the cathedral

Taxco is full of shops that sell items made of silver. I have never seen so many jewelry stores in my life. It was interesting to see all of these items. If you have a bundle of pesos you could really pick up some neat things. It also has one of the biggest market places we have seen. It was built on multiple levels with walks winding up and down. You could buy just about anything imaginable there.

A silver store

Other various shops

One of the other things we enjoyed in Taxco was the great restaurants. In a small area in the town square there were many to chose from. During our stay we ate in a traditional Mexican restaurant, an Italian one and a wonderful natural food restaurant which had salmon to die for They were all really good.

We ate on this balcony

Another restaurant

The 16th of September is the Mexican independence day from Spain and we arrived in Taxco just before then. 2008 was a special independence day since it marked exactly 200 years since the beginning of the revolution. 2010 will be the big moment here in Mexico, since it commemorates the end of the revolution and separation from Spain. As small as Taxco is there were independence day activities going on while we were there. We got to see these activities in the town's central plaza. The town plaza (or Zocolo) is also where everyone gathered to talk. We enjoyed just sitting and watching the people.

School children after participating in a commemoration program

Locals visiting on the plaza

It was a little rainy and overcast while we were there but we didn't mind it. We also had some periods of bright sunshine. It was fun to have a break and see some of the local cultural and sites of interest and we brought back a few little trinkets to brighten our apartment and help us remember.

Reflections on the First Half

It is hard to believe that on February 12th we hit the halfway mark of our mission. In so many ways it seems like we just got here. The time has flown by and we have really enjoyed it all so far. The highlights would include:

1. Our work in the Visitors' Center. The amazing spirit and events of the open house and Temple re-dedication was truly special. We were so blessed to be here for that and to witness the effect it had not only on the investigators who went on the Temple tour, came to the Visitors Center and attended the cultural event, but also the effect it had on the members. Being able to have the Prophet in their midst was an amazing thing for them. With thousands of people going through the VC you could really feel a special spirit here. It was so wonderful to see the change on people's faces as they heard the gospel message and the words of Jesus Christ. There is always a special spirit here in the VC. Many people who come in comment on it. It is a beautiful place, one of the loveliest visitors' centers in the Church. We are so lucky to be serving here.

Earlier this year Elder Jeffrey R. Holland visited and addressed the missionaries from the four Mexico City missions. That was certainly a highlight. Recently Elder Richard Hinckley of the Seventies visited along with two other brethren from the Missionary Committee. It was so great for them to spend time in the Visitors Center and do some training with the missionaries. They also visited one of our open houses that we hold each week in the chapels throughout the area. They too felt of the spirit of this special place.

(First row left to right: Elder & Sis. Stewart, Pres. & Sis. Bulloch, Bro. Mark Lusvardi,
Elder Richard Hinckley, Elder & Sis. Garvin, Elder & Sis. Foley;
2nd & 3rd rows: Sisters assigned to the VC)

2. The wonderful people of Mexico we have met both in and out of the Church. The Mexican people are warm and open and have made us feel very welcome. The children are so beautiful and the parents are so patient with them and show such affection toward them. They are dressed so cute and it is so fun to see them when they visit the Center. We have truly enjoyed our ward here and the members. We also had a chance to teach a marriage relations class in Sunday School and felt very close to our class members.

(Just a few of many darling children who visit the Center)

3. The other senior missionaries. It has been a great experience to move into an apartment and have built-in friends. Each of the missionary couples are different but each has so much to offer and we are learning from all of them. We enjoy our combined family home evenings on Monday nights and all the outings we have taken with individual couples and as a group. It has been sad as some of those we have grown close to have left, but then we become happy again as we get to know the new ones that arrive.

(Goodbye to the Scotts, Steers and Thomas's)

(Welcome to the Brunts, the Morgans and the Stewarts.
Note that the wine really is on all the tables. We did not partake!!)

4. The young sister missionaries in the Visitors Center. We have really learned to love these sisters and are so impressed with the good work they do. It is fun to work closely with them and see them grow as they serve the Lord. We really have a chance to see that development and it is a testimony builder for us to see them overcome problems and become so much stronger. It is very hard as each one leaves but we are excited for them and what their future holds. Most of them are very close to receiving college degrees and have much to offer in their careers as well as in the Church and in marriage and families. One of our sisters recently went home and within days was working, going to school and the president of her ward primary.

(Sisters Soltero and Rodriguez)

(Sisters Herrera and Vasquez)

(Sisters Meza R [still serving] and Amaya)

(Sisters Jimenez and Salcido [still serving])

(Sisters Chico and Paredes [still serving])

(Sisters De la Cruz, Martinez and Marmolejo)

5. Mexico. We have really learned to love this country, and especially Mexico City. We have been trying to learn all we can about it and have loved getting out on our days off to learn about the culture and the people. We are so impressed with the beauty, the order, and the cleanliness of the museums here. We have seen many wonderful things and are constantly amazed at how old they are. We go to some of the ruins and stand among cities that existed in Book of Mormon times. It is awe inspiring.

(View of the Palacio de Bellas Artes from the Latin America Tower)

(View from the Basilica de Guadalupe)

Our Final Testimony

We love the Lord, we love His church and we are so blessed to be in this great calling at this time. This has been and we know will continue to be a great time for us to grow closer to the Lord and closer to each other. We want to progress in our work and be able to return home feeling that we have done all we can and have served as the Lord would want us to. We feel the day for that is coming too quickly and are already feeling how hard it will be to leave, although there will also be great joy in returning home to loved ones. The Church is true and we want our family to know how important it is in all of our lives and what joy it can bring to us as a family.

A little blurry but my first Valentine balloon (Balloons are a big thing in Mexico)

Visitors

Visits from Home


Being on a mission is wonderful in so many ways. The greatest blessings are witnessing the light of the gospel enter into someone's face, meeting so many wonderful people, learning a new culture and trying to learn a new language. These blessings also include the opportunity to see so many new and wonderful things and to feel the desire to share those things with loved ones.

In November we had our first opportunity to share some of our mission experiences. Karen Morgan, our dear friend from our home ward and her darling son Thomas, were in Mexico for a cello strings camp. Thomas, only eleven years old, is a fabulous cellist. Their schedule gave them some extra time at the beginning and end of their stay, so they spent two nights with us. Thomas favored us by playing his cello at the Visitors Center. We also all spent a day in the Zocolo and other sites in the historic center of the city. It was so much fun. We were excited for our next visitors.


We didn't have to wait too long. Just after Christmas, on December 29th, Pat, Monique and all four kids arrived here to spend eight days with us. It was so great just seeing them and having them here. It was so much fun to show them some of the places we love around the Ciudad de Mexico. We would like to tell you about them.

Monday, Day 1: Pat and family arrived early in the morning and we had bad luck finding them at the airport. We finally caught up with them at the car rental (that is another story and could take a whole blog entry). Anyway, by the time we got back to the apartment they were ready to pass out from exhaustion after the red eye flight from Los Angeles and a couple of hours at the car rental. While they slept Grandma and Grandpa went to work. That night we had a great time just visiting, catching up on news, opening our Christmas presents (thanks everyone) and eating.

Tuesday, Day 2: We were so lucky to get several days off work while Pat's family was here and this was the first of three days in a row. We started off by traveling to the pyramids at Teotihuacan. By the time we got on the road and arrived it was about lunch time and everyone was hungry. We decided we would need extra energy for all the walking and climbing, so we opted for lunch first.

The restaurant we ate at is one we had heard a lot about but had never been to. It is called the Gruta (meaning grotto or cave). It is an amazing place. The tables are located down a long flight of stairs inside a large cave. There are some natural openings that bring light in but there are also candle-like lights everywhere. The atmosphere is so fun, the service excellent and the food delicious. We all really enjoyed our stay there.

After lunch we headed across the road to the pyramids. We had been there once before but what fun to go with our family. Everyone made it up to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun which is quite a feat, Jordan counted 240+ steps. Some say that there are as many as 300, but however many they are very tall, all uneven and straight up. Afterwards we walked around and saw many of the other ruins and just had a great day.

Wednesday, Day 3: We started off the day with an early morning meeting at the Visitors Center. We meet each Wednesday morning with the other missionaries for training. We got home about 10:00, had some lunch, got ready and headed to town on our great metro system.

After one bus ride and three metros we arrived in town and went to the Bellas Artes area to see some of our favorite buildings (the Post Office, National Museum of Art, and, of course, the Bellas Artes itself). To our disappointment the Bellas Artes was closed. However, we did buy tickets to go the the night performance of the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico across the street in the Hidalgo Theatre. We had dinner in a beautiful old building called the Tile House (Casa de los Azulejos) named for all the blue tile on the facade of the building. We had good Mexican fare and then went to the ballet.

The program consisted of regional dances from many areas around Mexico. It was very fast moving and the costumes and precision of the dancing amazing. In one scene many large puppet like characters came into the audience and one of them asked Ember to dance with him. That was fun.

After the ballet we headed back to the metro and got home around 10 pm. Although it was New Year's Eve, we old folks turned in. The younger ones stayed up to greet the New Year in and some went up on the roof of our apartment building to see the fireworks across the city.

Thursday, Day 4: Today we slept in a little, visited, ate lunch and then went downtown once more. This time we went to the Zocolo and waited in a very long, hot line to take the city tour bus. Once on the bus it was actually a little cooler and we wished we had brought jackets. The tour lasts almost three hours and provides a great overview of the city and helps you to know what to go back and see.

I think everyone enjoyed the tour. We saw some really neat things. It seemed that by the end of the tour everyone was glad to get off the bus. We then headed to a VIPS resturant. Monique said that VIPs were in Spain so we thought that it would be fun to eat there. By the end of dinner we were a very tired crew and we headed back home on the metro.

Friday, Day 5: Today it was back to work for Grandma and Grandpa and off on an adventure by themselves for Patrick and his family. They now felt brave enough to try the metro alone, so they went to Chapultepec Park and Maximillian's Castle. They seemed to have a great time and did well navagating the city.

Saturday, Day 6: Today the tiredness set in for all. Grandma and Grandpa worked and Jordan and Monique headed to the temple for Jordan to do baptisms. What a neat experience for Jordan and one we know she will always remember. After lunch, Monique went to the Temple to do a session and the older kids came to the Visitors Center and watched The Testament. After they got home and Braxton woke up they had planned to go back to the park and ride the paddle boats. However, when we got home at 3:00 pm , they still hadn't left. Everyone was tired, so we decided to make it a down day. We walked to a nearby tortilleria and bought some yummy, fresh tortillas and had tacos and watched a movie and visited.

Sunday, Day 7: Today we had a quiet morning. After church, we came home and had a nice dinner. It is so fun just having them here and spending time together. It was also fun to introduce our family to so many friends at Church also.

Monday, Day 8: We were out of the apartment by 10:00 am and along with our new neighbors Dr. and Sister Brunt, we were off to Xochimilco, the Floating Gardens. The trip is no small task. It takes one bus, three metros, a light train ride and a 20 minute walk to get there. Xochimilco has a series of interconnecting canals and is in the southernmost part of the city. There are many greenhouses in the area and it is quite interesting. We went out on the canals on a large barge type boat (trajinera) with a man serving as a gondolier and guide. We spent about two hours on the water and it was really fun. All kinds of people in other boats pulled up alongside and tried to sell goods or foods of every kind. Mariachi bands also pulled up in boats to sell you their music. After we got off the boat we were all really hungry.

While walking back to the train Grandma saw a restaurant that looked quite good, so she talked everyone into trying it out. As it turned out the food was good but not the service. They brought out one plate at a time with a long pause between each one. It took a long time to feed our large group. By the time the first ones had finished they had to wait almost an hour for the last ones to be finish up.

Tuesday, Day 9: Well, this was the day for goodbyes. Pat and family got up early and cleaned our entire apartment before leaving. They certainly didn't need to do that but it was fun to see how cute those kids did their chores. It was hard to say goodbye and there were so many more things we wanted to show them, but all good things must end and we are so grateful for this fun visit. It was especially hard to say goodbye to little Braxton. We really got a chance to know him better and he was such a joy. He had grown a lot since the last time that we saw him. The little ones just change too fast.