What a marvelous 4 days we have had with all of the Mission Presidents serving in Mexico. This year we went to Villahermosa Mexico for our seminar. We had wonderful training, sweet associations, and on day three we visited Palenque, an architectural site that was awesome, awesome, awesome!
Here is our large group picture.
Here are some picture of our few days together.
This was on the bus as we arrived from the airport to the Marriott hotel.
I wish I would have called out for everyone to look up!
including meeting and welcoming the 10 new mission presidents
who were just called this past year.
We took pictures with wonderful new
associates and very dear friends, the Palmers
Our next day, we had all day training with
Elder Pieper, Elder Valenzuela and Elder Pino.
The organizers had put place-cards with
our names on them, placed where we were to sit.
We were front row, front and center. :/
good grief...
(you can see us way back in there.)
Someone caught a picture of us from behind..
Then, that same someone snapped a
quick picture as I was making a comment.
That evening, from right to left around
the table, we joined the Doman’s,
the Bennett’s, the Maucotel’s and
the Valenzuela’s for dinner.
After visiting until late, a group of us
walked through the hotel and into
the attached mall, and found the
Dairy Queen for a delicious treat!
Bob and I finally figured out, and connected with
this darling, and so sweet young lady who is
dating (and almost engaged) to our own
Elder Uribe... now Homer Uribe who was one of
our ourstanding assistants here in the mission...
and who we love so much. They met last
summer in Cancun during EFY. She works
at the Area Office in Mexico City and has been
on the committee working on this seminar.
She knew we would be there, and had
recognized us, and actually had followed us to
Dairy Queen with Homer on the phone,
too nervous to come up to us and say hello.
She finally got the courage to talk to us,
bless her heart.
She has been anxious to meet us and boy,
did we fall in love with her!
She had been snapping pictures of us throughout
the conference and sending them to Homer.
They are a darling couple and we
are excited for them.
She sent us a picture of them together.
I love them both so much.
With President and Sister Haws
and President and Sister McArthur
Next morning, was our field trip!
We took a long bus ride to Palenque!
What a day we had!
Here we are on the bus.
As we got out, it was lightly raining.
We sort of geared up for a rainy few hours...
but it cleared right up, and I guess we had bought
and carried those umbrellas for not...
We had a wonderful guide who gave us an
abundance of information!
It was so interesting.
Palenque is the site of the ruins of a Mayan city
dating back to the 7th century. It has been excavated
and restored and is now a famous archaeological
site in the state of Chiapas Mexico.
Historians have pieced together the ruling
dynasty of Palenque partially through uncovering
the hieroglyphic inscriptions on the many monuments.
The most famous ruler of Palenque was
K’inich Janaab Pakal, or Pacal the Great,
whose tomb has been found and excavated
in the Temple of the Inscriptions.
The grandson of Janaab Pakal is the most
famous of the Mayan kings, K'inich Janaab' Pakal,
also known as Pakal the Great.
He began rule at the age of 12 years after
his mother Sak Kuk resigned as queen
after three years, thus passing power on to him.
Pakal the Great reigned in Palenque
from 615 to 683,
and his mother remained an important
force for the first 25 years of his rule.
She may have ruled jointly with him.
Known as the favorite of the gods, he carried
Palenque to new levels of splendor,
in spite of having come to power when the city
was at a low point. Pakal married the
princess of Oktán, Lady Tzakbu Ajaw
(also known as Ahpo-Hel) in 624
and had at least three children.
The central complex, known as The Palace,
was enlarged and remodeled on various occasions
Thanks to the reign of these three kings,
B'aakal had a century of growing and splendor.
(I highlighted some details from google)
don't know, don't want to find out! :)
with the Palmers
..only the shadow knows what
happened within these walls...
so long ago...
I loved the little table right there.
There was moss and little plants growing
in between every brick and opening.
We all climbed to the highest point
for the picture of the day!
group one
and group two
dad running up to another part of the palace.
Check out the bats up on the ceiling.
after seeing those bats.
Put your hand in now!!
us with the Doman's
I loved this narrow hallway and
lookout openings onto the grassy courtyard.
not going to lie.. the steps were a deal.
We had lunch in this beautiful place
with President and Sister Bennett
President and Sister Pino's
us, back on the bus again.
And dinner back at the Marriott hotel
from left to right
President and Sister Haws, us
President and Sister Kimball
President and Sister Grossen
Later that night, they had a chocolate evening
where they highlighted all the Mexican chocolates.
our tasting plates
... and, of course, we had entertainment.
Our Area Presidency and their wives.
A bit later we all joined in dancing.
Beautiful few days together.
