A Great Day - Sunday, August 29, 2010

We came up short on our spring-like weather today. Yesterday was perfect and today there is a chill in the air that reminds us that we can't shed our coats just yet. It was nippy outside!

Rich left ahead of me again today as he had to run some things off for his Sunday School class. Knowing that this was the fifth Sunday and the Priesthood and Relief Society would be meeting together, I knew we would be meeting in the cultural hall. I got there with only minutes to spare and after shaking hands and greeting the sisters with a hug, I found my place next to Rich.

The Young Women's President, Carla, was the teacher for today's lesson, and her message was on being united. At first, Rich thought it was the second lesson in the marriage manual which was what he prepared for today, but as the lesson went on, he determined it was not. We were wondering why Carla was the teacher and wasn't in Young Womens??

During the class, Elder Peterson came to get me and told me that Ana Caycho wanted to speak to me out in the hall. Odd! I left with him and when I got there, she presented me with a homemade torta for our anniversary. She saw our wedding picture that Rich posted on Facebook -- which Melissa posted on our blog. I went back in the meeting to get Rich to come out with his camera so we could take a picture.

Ana's daughter, Guissela, was there too, but had to go to Primary, so her son Joey came by and he joined the picture. That was so sweet of Ana and Guissela to remember us. We really like this family and enjoyed our Sunday meal that we had with them several weeks ago. I was glad we had a fridge close by in the office where I could store the cake until church was over.

Sunday School went well with three couples attending our marriage class. The lesson was on the steps to take in a marriage to make the husband and wife more united. The Saracho's three year old daughter was in and out of the room crying and needing attention. She doesn't stay in Primary and wanders the halls and finds her mom and puts up a fuss every week. Running up in front in Sacrament meeting and sometimes on the stand with potato chips in hand causes her mother to chase her weekly. Elder Kroff handled the disruptions calmly, not batting an eye.

A dinner invitation was extended to us last Sunday to join the Gimenez family after church today. He is the bishop of the San Fernando ward and this was the third time we have been invited to eat with them. The Assistants were invited too, plus the Cutti family. Brother Cutti is a counselor to Bishop Gimenez, and his wife, Janet, is from Perú. She helped with the cooking.

In the photo joining us on the front row are Sister Gimenez, son Martin, then Juan, Janet, and Natalia Cutti. Back row has Elders Lowry and Valente, Veronica and Alejandro Gimenez with baby Agustine, Bishop Gimenez and Elder Lazo.

For dinner we had a delicious roast with onions and peppers, scalloped potatoes, chicken and rice, tossed salad. It was maravilloso (wonderful). That's my new word I'm learning and it requires practicing.

The San Fernando cathedral, Nuestra Señora De Aranzazu, was the site for a community cultural event tonight. Every three or four months some event is sponsored by the city of San Fernando, and various churches and locations around the area that have room for public seating are selected. Our Stake Center is a preferred location. This time an organ recital was held in the cathedral featuring the refurbished organ that hasn't been played for fifty years.

Ana Maragliano and Beatriz Posebón are two of the organizers of these events. Ana is a member of the San Fernando ward who also speaks pretty good English, and is heavily involved in the cultural side of things. We call her the "Maxine Grimm" of San Fernando. (Tooele people will understand). Today, as she was leaving Sacrament meeting and we were going in, she gave us a copy of the program and invited us to attend.

When we walked in, the greeter handing out programs asked if we were invited by someone. At first we couldn't remember Ana's name, and the lady asked Rich if he was "someone important from the United States." We laughed! He told her we were missionaries for the Mormon church. Then she said, "Oh, then you know Ana" and she ushered us to the second row up front.

Rich went out to wait for the Gimenez' as we told them at dinner that we would sit with them. They had VIP seats too. In the announcements, they recognized the Ambassador to Hungary which was sitting on the front row ahead of us. How about that!!

The pipe organ was in a balcony at the rear of the cathedral, so there was a camera taking the picture of the organist which was projected to a screen on the floor level at the front of the church. Also on the program was a chorus with soloists and a small orchestra. The organist was Enrique Rimoldi and he was excellent, maravilloso, and impressive. He was a clergyman of some sort.

The choir and stringed orchestra came down from the balcony at one point to perform. I was attracted to the lady conductor who was throwing her body around as she really got "into" the music.

The final selection was Handel's Messiah which rocked the room. The singers and organist got a standing ovation, and Ana was near tears when we went up to speak to her. She was thrilled at the crowd and how well everything went, and seemed pleased we all came. WE were the ones pleased, however.

We walked the ten blocks back home facing the cold wind. As soon as we opened up our computer, our girls skyped us. Melissa is in Tooele for a few days, so tonight we were able to talk to both at the same time. Mekhi starts kindergarten on Tuesday, so we are excited to see how he does on day one. Having our grandsons start school has made us a little homesick as we miss them so and want to be there for this new experience in their lives.

It's been a great Sunday.