11th Week—November 21-November 27, 2011



Our good friends that we are working with--Jose and Maria Guzman and their son.
Thanksgiving night 2011 at their home in Los Angeles .

A friend, Jasmine and Jeanette Guzman.

Luciano and Maria Mendoza

 A couple with great faith--very humble good people.

6th Ward Thanksgiving dinner--Dale with Victoria and Jaime Olasaba family.

Thanksgiving Week

          Our week started off with a Family Home Evening with the Morans.  They had some bad news.  Freddy, the dad lost his part time job washing dishes when he cut his finger very deeply and had to go to the emergency room.  Before he left the restaurant, his boss fired him and refused to pay the medical bills.  Freddy isn’t covered by workman’s compensation because he has no “papers.”  His boss has even refused to pay him for the two weeks of work he has coming.  These illegal immigrants are treated so badly.  I wish someone would come up with an equitable solution for their problem.  Little Freddy seemed to enjoy the game we made up for him.  They all love Marshmallow Krispy treats.  They came to church Tuesday and Sunday so that is good.

          We met again with Victoria Olasaba and her husband, Jaime.  He seems to be enjoying reading the Book of Mormon with us (really Dale).  He seems to be quite interested but he still says he isn‘t ready for the missionary lessons. 

          We met with the Mendoza Family.  They are such stalwarts to the church.  They live in very humble circumstances but they are great examples of enduring to the end.  They are temple workers and they want so badly to serve a mission.  They figure if they save for 5 years, they will be able to go. 

          We met with the Elder Filiaga and Elder Winterrose to teach the Ramirez sisters 3 times this week.  I previously called them cousins but found out since then, they are sisters.  They are planning on being baptized Sunday.  Evelyn invited us for fish and salad.  It was actually really good.  The fish was tilapia and it was way overcooked but that is better than raw. 

          Thanksgiving Day we left the apartment about 8 a.m. and drove to the L.A. Temple Visitors Center.  As we drove down Wilshire Blvd. we were astounded—very few cars on the streets.  We never thought we would ever see this in L.A.  We made it there and were way early.  It was a very quiet morning.  Between 9 and 3 we had 23 visitors.  All except 4 people were “regulars.”  Some very lonesome people come to the visitors center to “visit” several times a week.  We feel so sorry that the people at the visitors center are their support system.  We know them by name and they talk and talk.  The sisters are so good to them.  Again, we all have been so blessed all our lives. 

          Earlier in the day the Guzmans invited us for Thanksgiving dinner that night at 7 p.m.  Since we didn’t think we would get a traditional Thanksgiving dinner we ate at the Sizzler at 4.  That was a mistake.  We were still very full by 7.  They had their 3 children home for the holidays and two couple friends from the ward.  It was a lot of fun and delicious.  They had two turkeys—one was roasted and the other was deep fat fried.  They were so good.  They had a sausage dressing, carrots, green beans, candied yams, rolls, mashed potato salad (It is mashed potatoes and applesauce and it is served cold.)  Dale and I put gravy on ours and I am sure they thought we were nuts.  It tasted good anyway. For dessert there was Pumpkin Pie.  They also had a warm apple drink with lots of cut up fruit—it was very good.  All in all it turned out to be a great Thanksgiving.