Hello, All --

I am a day late with the blog because we were so busy yesterday, there was no time even to choose the pictures, let alone download them or write any explanations.  However, before I tell about yesterday I want to go back to last week.

On Wednesday, December 11th, we took our dear friends and fellow-temple-missionaries, Franklin and Lilia Perez to Paprika (a restaurant downtown) for a farewell dinner.  This is what we saw as soon as we entered the restaurant.  Isn't it pretty?

 The restaurant is a two-story building,

and these are the decorations on the stairs.

I love Christmas decorations, in case you can't tell.

Here we are with our friends at the restaurant.

It was great food and we really were happy to be together,

but sad to be parting soon.  Hence the serious faces.

And the very next day (Thursday, December 12th), we had an "Open House" sort of despedida ("farewell") for Los Pérez at the Cine Center Food Court.  Here are a couple of shots of the gathering.

 Notice the stars hanging from the ceiling - quite festive, really.

This is a long view of the whole group.  

You can see Farron on the left.

The lady in the center in the pink sweater is Hermana Diaz.

She's the one who plans these things.

And one good group shot of almost-everyone.  Unfortunately several couples had already left because they had to be back up at the temple for the afternoon shift.

That was last week.  Then yesterday (Monday, December 16th) we had three celebrations in one day.  

First we went to La Colonia Hotel for the annual Christmas luncheon for all the employees at the temple. These are not missionaries or volunteer workers but rather the people who keep the temple running, and they are employees of the Church.  There is a security department (7 employees), a cleaning crew (7 employees), the laundry (3 employees), the kitchen (3 employees), the engineering department (4 employees), the hospedaje staff (3 employees), the gardening staff (4 employees), and the administration (office staff, 4) - 35 in all - and they are WONDERFUL!!

Below are two views of the front of the hotel (which was very well hidden and off the beaten path, by the way.  I guess they get their business by word of mouth, because they don't even have a sign out on the main street.)

 This is a closer shot of the front door

and the only sign we saw with their name on it.

The grounds are surprisingly extensive and they appear to have several banquet rooms.  This is the walkway leading past one of the banquet rooms and toward the one where we would be served.

They have little statues and/or carvings like this around every corner --

showing the Bolivian culture, I guess.

Still on the walkway, passing the pool and approaching our building.

This is the entrance to the banquet room we used,

but I'm standing with my back to the room 

looking out on the grounds.

And here is the room before anyone but President Jensen and the Cabreras arrived.

This is looking from the north end of the room toward the entrance.

The man in front on the right is our WONDERFUL Bishop, Angel Tarqui.

He works as one of the cleaning crew at the temple.

Here we're standing with our backs to the entrance

and looking north.

The presidency sat in the center.  Sister Jensen and President Jensen are to my right.

President and Sister Garcia are across from the Jensens.

And here's a shot of us.

We finished at the hotel about 2:00 or so.

Then at 4:00, we were invited to go down to the dining room here in the hospedaje

for the party for the employees' children.

All ages of children are invited.

Here is President Jensen with two cute little elves!

One of the elves and her sister in the Santa hat, beside the tree in the hospedaje foyer.

 Here's President Jensen

giving his welcome and brief remarks

to the families and their children.

He did a great job,

especially considering the vast

age span represented.

As soon as he finished his remarks, President Jensen (and we) had

to leave, because it was time for him to take Los Pérez to the airport.

They are the second couple to leave in the last two weeks.

It is hard to see them go! 

I forgot to post this picture on December 3rd, when the Eames left for home.

We miss them, too.

Our third celebration yesterday was our North American Family Home Evening for the month of December. December 16th just happens to be the Westovers' anniversary (their 46th this year), so we decided to go out to dinner as a group and help them celebrate.  We went to La Estancia, which is a wonderful restaurant not far from here.  They serve great steaks and have an unbeatable salad bar.  Here are the Westovers (Lynda and Glen.)

A shot of the group from the other end of the table.

There were 12 of us altogether - 6 couples.

It was a great dinner and a most enjoyable evening.

We won't have this group very long because the Crayks, the Chalmers, and the Hursts are in their last six months (or less).  It's good to make these memories while we can.

Okay, that's it for today.  Have a beautiful "week before Christmas" - be well, be safe, be happy . . . y vayan con Dios!              

Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo