Angeles and Us. Baptized the week before Easter
Angeles, Elder Flores and Elder MortensenEaster is a very different experience from what we are used to in the states. It is a very serious holiday, which is the culmination of the Lenten period. The whole week from Monday to Sunday is designated “Semana Santa” (Holy Week). Each day is Holy. There are no decorations in the stores, and no commercialism connected to Easter. A lot of people go on vacation, and business comes to a halt. The big stores stay open, but most small businesses shut down. There are many public displays and pageants and processions. Men punish themselves by whipping themselves until the bleed; they also carry heavy planks or cactus on their shoulders and people make and sell crowns of thorns for the sinners to wear while they parade themselves down the street. Some men have themselves tied to crosses or even nailed for three hours. There is a competition among some men to be chosen as the Christ for the local Passion Play. Some people crawl dragging a burden of some sort all the way to the church.
We saw some television shows that document this sort of celebrations and some of them went into the Churches. We saw the extravagant real gold decorations, artwork candles, and crucifixes. Some of the gold artwork was quite spectacular. We saw every phase of the Saviors last week reenacted. Some of it was quite brutal. Saturday and Sunday were quiet in the neighborhoods, except for occasional eruptions of cannon fire.
Our church services were different than we are used to also. There were no flowers, no special program from the Primary children. We saw a video in Sunday School that depicted the life and death of Christ, but I was surprised at how violent it was, and also that the end depicted the resurrection simple as the fact of the empty tomb, without the showing of the resurrected, glorified Savior.
We go to both wards in our building, the first ward, which is the more wealthy part of town, was very poorly attended, with at most two thirds, or less, of the active members present. The other ward which is more or less the working class or self employed members had an above average attendance. Both wards had the themes for talks directed toward the Savior and his mission here on earth, His death, resurrection and appearance to the Nephites here in America.
We were discussing the season with our neighbors, and they asked, “What is it about the Easter Bunny and colored eggs and candy?” To which we replied, “It’s a celebration of the sweetness and beauty of life.” I really don’t know what the Easter Bunny represents, or how he got into the celebration, but I know his presence brings a lot of sweetness to the occasion, and the eggs remind us all of the hope for new life.
All in all my feelings and emotions this Easter season are very different from those I am used to at home. The message I received is that Christ suffered and died for me and for my sins, and for the sins of all mankind. The message I’m used to is that Christ is resurrected and lives for me, and because of this all mankind will be resurrected and live. I guess I just don’t feel comfortable seeing and being reminded of all the suffering. I prefer the living resurrected Lord to the suffering dying Lord. Both messages are true, I guess it’s just a matter of perspective and what it is we care to focus on.
We saw some television shows that document this sort of celebrations and some of them went into the Churches. We saw the extravagant real gold decorations, artwork candles, and crucifixes. Some of the gold artwork was quite spectacular. We saw every phase of the Saviors last week reenacted. Some of it was quite brutal. Saturday and Sunday were quiet in the neighborhoods, except for occasional eruptions of cannon fire.
Our church services were different than we are used to also. There were no flowers, no special program from the Primary children. We saw a video in Sunday School that depicted the life and death of Christ, but I was surprised at how violent it was, and also that the end depicted the resurrection simple as the fact of the empty tomb, without the showing of the resurrected, glorified Savior.
We go to both wards in our building, the first ward, which is the more wealthy part of town, was very poorly attended, with at most two thirds, or less, of the active members present. The other ward which is more or less the working class or self employed members had an above average attendance. Both wards had the themes for talks directed toward the Savior and his mission here on earth, His death, resurrection and appearance to the Nephites here in America.
We were discussing the season with our neighbors, and they asked, “What is it about the Easter Bunny and colored eggs and candy?” To which we replied, “It’s a celebration of the sweetness and beauty of life.” I really don’t know what the Easter Bunny represents, or how he got into the celebration, but I know his presence brings a lot of sweetness to the occasion, and the eggs remind us all of the hope for new life.
All in all my feelings and emotions this Easter season are very different from those I am used to at home. The message I received is that Christ suffered and died for me and for my sins, and for the sins of all mankind. The message I’m used to is that Christ is resurrected and lives for me, and because of this all mankind will be resurrected and live. I guess I just don’t feel comfortable seeing and being reminded of all the suffering. I prefer the living resurrected Lord to the suffering dying Lord. Both messages are true, I guess it’s just a matter of perspective and what it is we care to focus on.
1 comment:
Thought I would take some time and write. Theres nothing on TV and I wanted something productive to do.
Its been a weird couple of weeks. We have not heard from Andrew now for two weeks minus 1 day. He only missed one week but all in all its two weeks without communications and we are really looking forward to hearing from him thursday. Today is Tuesday.
We know he is ok because his sisters and My dad heard from him, and Sean got a letter too. Im sure he is just really busy, he has mentioned before that he was behind in his letter writing and owed a lot of people letters and that they simply dont have time on P-day to get everything done that needs to get done. So Im glad hes writing or getting back to other people, but Its sure hard not hearing from him.
Corinne and I are doing fine. Our work is a blessing of course it takes care of us and our family. But it is also a challange. It is very hard for Corinne to leave her work at work. Not that she brings it home to me, but she cant stop thinking about it. I worry about her. She is fine but there will always be one more thing with her work and so she is always thinking aobut it. Her last job was perfect for her. Its to bad it had to end. She loved the people and at then end of the day she as done for the day. But this job requires the hardest of management skills and that is being able to simple know that some things will work themselves out and you have to abandon those things in order to do more important things. Its very hard for Corinne. She is to good for them, thats for sure. I know she works through every lunch hour and takes not breaks. She is excellent at it and they love her and so far she is doing well. But no one can keep that up forever and still be healthy.
ST Als just had a big reduction in their staff which was a scary thing. Corinnes building lost 1 person and it wasnt Corinne. Which is a good thing. We have not had a pay check from me since January so we are very dependent on Corinnes income. I has 6 great months before WMAU imploded. I made 50K in 6 months and we paid off all of our debt. We paid off our car, we bought new furniture for the front room and the TV room, All new pans for the kitchen, a new bed for Sean, (His first) he had been using a handmedown since he was born practically. We bought Corinne several new things she needed like clothing ( She always goes without) and then several other things we had just gotten by with for years line new linens, new clothes for some of the kids. We were doing well. But I had no Idea WMAU was simply going to fold. Live and learn. At least we are debt free. Without that we would be in trouble. But since we paid off our debt we can make it on Corinnes income, and that puts me in a positon where I can be in a sales positon where Im dependent of building a pipeline and still make it while Im building. Without that flexability I woul have had to take a 9 to 5 to get immediate income. This way even though I am not making much at this moment, I will be able to rebuild a practice like I had at WAMU.
Were really looking forward to summer. We are well into spring. The temp gets into the high 40s right now and it wont be long until we are into the 50s.
Corinne still loves the nursery and she has 18 kids. She will only lose 4 kids this year and by next year she will have 34 kids. And she is looking forward to it. She has the biggest class next to gosple doctrine, and it clearly makes her happy.
I have the teachers and they are a handful. Over all good boys, but still a handful. Its expecially hard because we have two families that live hand to mouth and the bishop is very clear that we can do no activities that require ANY money. And the rest of the class come from afluent families and every week basically beg or whine to go do something "fun" and they always want to follow that up with food or ice cream. Its a challange to meet their needs. The other thing that is hard for me is that Im the scoutmaster to and we go camping once a month. And again, were suppose to do that at no cost. Very hard. But the hardest part for me is that Im not a camper. Corinne and I added up all of the orders I had over the course of my militay careey and if you count every day that I was in the field in 23 years I was outside a total of more than 2500 days. Thats 7 years of camping. Id rather sleep in my own bed with my own wife. But we go camping every month. Desert camping at that.
Colie is pretty serious about this new guy she is dating. The scuttlebut is that this guy is the one. If he is or not, Corinne has me working on cleanging up the back yard because she has talked about having a backyard reception in our year for years. So we are getting ready just in case.
I dont want to get into the Bushes business much because Im sure they wrtie etc. But they are all doing really well just like you would expect, anyway. Jacob and Issac are about the opposit of what you might expect when it comes to school. Jacob seems to be doing really well and Issac is having some challanges. Noting big at all, just a little boy adjusting to new teachers and class and being gone from mom. But Jacob is doing really well. Not that he wouldnt, you would just think that Jacob, that ball of energy, might have some challanges but he is donig well. Jamie is raising money to do to the Dominican Republic on a service project of some sort. Everyone else seems to be about the same from my point of view. We love em and dont get to see them nearly as much as we'd like to so we kind of get the summary version on Sundays when we get together. Which is the highlight of my week. I personally live for Sunday afternoons when our familys get together. One of the reasons Im so looking forward to summer is that we will end up together a lot of Saturdays to when we get together to eat hotdogs and splash the water out of the pool. If we stay in Boise, it will always be with a pool because it is such a great excuse to get together the two families. Both Don and Ruthie are awesome and so is everyone else. If I ever hear anyhting else I will let you know.
I got a letter from Andrews Mission President. It was great to get. It simply said Andrew is doing great and they the President will get to see Andrew twice this week. And that Andrew got a new compainion who told the President in his weekly letters that he loved Andrew and that they were working like mad. His new comp is the elder formerly responsible for the mission fleet. He was in the mission home for 9 months and is back in the field. So that was a cool letter to get. This Thursday I will check my in box every five minutes waiting to hear from Andrew.
I have not heard from Billy in the past couple of weeks. I hear from Loran and Jen now and then. Loren was made the service manager at the HVAC place where he works. Its apparently a big company and they put the AC and heat in LDS building all over the west. He travels quite a bit and seems to be doing well. They have said that this is the best they have ever done financially which is a gigantic blessing. They love the law of tithing now that they have applied it. Both have said they are afraid not to pay it. They seem happy.
Im excited to see how well everything is going for the two of you excepting the physical challanges you are going though. I bet that now that you have a base of the language developed, that you will learn tons and tons of stuff. Not to take your minds off of the mission but can you imagain how much different the US will feel knowing Spanish. There are thousand of people here who you will be open to speak with. I am very jealous. Theres nothing like immersion for learning a language.
I dont know if I mentioned it before but our digital camera was either stolen or misplaced so I need to get a new one. When I do I will include some pictues. As Im sure youve seen I put some up of Jess and Levis place and Im trying to shame Danni and Preston into sending me some pics. They are both doing very well by the way.
We are very throughly blessed right now. More later.
Love Cordell
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