Bolivia has inhabited my dreams for the last 20 years. I had a rich and unforgettable experience serving as a missionary in Bolivia from 1977 to 1979. Then, in 1981, I had the unique opportunity of returning for a few months to do in-the-field Quechua translation work for the Church. As the intervening years have flown by, though, it has seemed that my most tangible connection with Bolivia has been through my dreams. They have often been a sweet reminder of my time there.

When the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple was originally announced in 1995 I had hoped to be able to attend the dedication. But as the construction recently neared completion, there seemed to be so many reasons not to go: work, family, expense, etc. It was also difficult to plan, because the final dedication date of April 30, 2000, was not officially announced until March 25, leaving little time to finally decide and to make travel arrangements.

After hoping and praying (and talking it over with my patient and loving wife), I decided this was a once in a lifetime experience. So, on April 2 I bit the bullet and bought my tickets. (I had hoped to be able to take my wife with me to see Bolivia. We had not planned, however, that she would be pregnant when the dedication was scheduled. Because of the rustic conditions where I planned to go, we reluctantly decided it would be best if she were not my companion on this trip.)

With these developments my heart sank and I was afraid my trip would never happen. Every day I closely monitored the Cochabamba and La Paz newspapers and the US State Department travel advisories on the Internet. I, together with many others, prayed that a spirit of peace would descend upon the country. These prayers were answered and, within a few weeks, peace and order were restored. (I am convinced the timing of this was no coincidence. It was surely the adversary's final attempt to disrupt the dedication of the temple. The open house schedule was altered slightly, but the dedication schedule went forward without modification.)

Thursday, April 20

My little family and I left Ogden, where we live, for Salt Lake around 11:00 this morning. My flight left Salt Lake at 1:00 pm. I had layovers in Atlanta and Miami. My flight to Bolivia left Miami tonight at 11:30 pm. Tomorrow morning I'll be in Bolivia! (My goals are to speak as much Quechua as possible and to share the gospel with all I meet.)

Friday, April 21

This morning at dawn we flew into La Paz. It was beautiful to see Illimani (a prominent mountain peak) from the window of the airplane in the early morning light. After a brief stop (during which I watched an American DEA agent and a crew of Bolivians have a drug sniffing dog inspect the luggage going into and coming out of the cargo bay) the flight continued on to Santa Cruz where I went through customs. I then ran through the airport like a sprinter to catch my connecting flight to Cochabamba. I had only seconds to spare. I didn't have time to change any dollars into Bolivian pesos. I hoped I wouldn't get stuck without any money. (Fortunately they have ATM machines now and I was able to get some pesos at the Cochabamba airport.)

I have never spent any time in Cochabamba before, so I am not familiar with the city. I chose to stay at the Hotel Ambassador on Calle España, which is very nice. I haven't slept for 24 hours.

I tried to take a nap at the hotel. No luck. Too much adrenaline. I got a taxi and went to the temple to attend the open house. There were literally thousands of people at the temple. The entrance line extended completely around 3 of the 4 sides of the temple gate. In line behind me was a family with a cholita grandmother, a professional looking son, and a couple of 12 or 13 year old grandsons. I started speaking Quechua and immediately attracted quite a bit of attention.

View of Cochabamba from my hotel.

The professional looking son was an attorney with Banco Mercantil in Cochabamba. He was a non-member who had brought his family to tour the temple. We discussed our belief that marriages and families can be forever, whereas other religions believe that  marriage is "until death do you part." The son asked about divorce in the scriptures. I pointed him to the scriptures that state "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" and "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." He seemed to be genuinely interested in this concept. (He was also genuinely interested that I was able to speak Quechua.) The open house included a brief video with President Hinckley explaining the purpose of our temples. We then were led through essentially all parts of the temple, with local members and missionaries acting as ushers and guides. It was thrilling to see the Indian sisters in their traditional dress acting as ushers in the temple. While going through the open house I also met a Bolivian young man who had served part of his mission in Betanzos. He is now a Bishop in Cochabamba - Bishop Riberos. He is familiar with all of the families in Betanzos. He was also involved in helping with the translation and recording of the temple ordinances into Quechua and was able to make a few trips to Salt Lake while working on this project. I also met President Rua, a stake president and the president of the temple committee, with whom I had corresponded by e-mail. He had my ticket for the temple dedication next week.

Open House Brochure

Saturday, April 22

I was up this morning at 5:15. I checked out of the hotel and took a taxi to the airport for my 7:00 am flight to Sucre. To get there from Cochabamba I had to fly back to Santa Cruz and then catch another flight to Sucre.

From the airport in Sucre I took a taxi to the area in town where buses and taxis leave to Potosí. As the taxi pulled up I was swarmed by a group of drivers all of whom wanted my business. Two of them were so aggressive that they grabbed my 2 bags from the trunk of the taxi I arrived in and started running off towards their vehicle. I hadn't even had a chance to pay my current taxi driver, but I didn't want to lose my bags, so off I went after them. They went around the corner and up a hill to their vehicle. The poor taxi driver that had dropped me off was running after me wanting payment. When he caught up I paid him (with a little extra).

The trip to Betanzos was surreal. The road (that used to be dirt, rocks, and mud) was fully paved, with white and yellow striping no less. It was a beautiful day and there were quite a few people out in their fields, harvesting potatoes and herding sheep, along the way. As we climbed to 11,000 feet and got closer to Betanzos the distinctive mountain landscape that was so familiar to me came into view and I knew I was getting close to my Bolivian home.

As we entered Betanzos I was amazed at how much it had grown and at how so many of the roads that used to be dirt and/or cobblestones were now paved. I was dropped off at the plaza and I just sat there on a bench in amazement.

After sitting and soaking in the experience for a while, I had to go see the chapel. I knew exactly where it was. We had started a building fund when I served as branch president and we were in the process of buying the land for the chapel when I came home from my mission in 1979. When I returned in 1981 the land had been purchased and, although construction of the building had not yet started, the basketball/soccer court had been installed. I walked down to the chapel from the plaza and it was a breathtaking sight. The chapel is designed for multi-stage construction. The first stage has been completed and the footings are already laid for future expansion.

I had hoped to cross paths with the missionaries but I never did find them. I did speak, however, with a young man, Marco Antonio, who is the local representative of Entel (the Bolivian phone company). Yes, in addition to paved streets Betanzos now has phone service. I asked about a place to stay in town and he directed me to the local hotel "Alojamiento Copacabana". I went there and they had a vacancy. They had a bed for $1.50 per night, or I could have the whole 3 bed room for $4.00 per night. I decided to splurge and rent the whole room for the 3 nights I would be staying.

Alojamiento Copacabana

The hotel did have one major drawback - the bathroom. It was an outdoor toilet (or lack of one) that consisted of a hole in the ground and a water bucket nearby to serve as a flushing mechanism. (Although the public transportation and communication services had improved, the plumbing obviously had not. I also had to bathe - as I was accustomed to before - from a basin.) There was also a little surprise for me in the room. Instead of chocolate mints on the pillows, there was a nice big bag of coca leaves (from which cocaine is derived) left there for me.

After getting settled in to my room I went to visit Juan and Fermina Chara. The Charas were some of the very first members in Betanzos. They were a very strong family in the Church and, in fact, one of their daughters, Rosa, served a mission. Sister Fermina Chara, the mother, was one of the sisters that spent a lot of time just sitting and speaking Quechua with me, helping me to learn the language. I wanted to visit with the Charas and also ask them if they knew anything about the Muñoz family, who used to be their next door neighbors.

(Two brothers from the Muñoz family, Paulino and Fidel, had been my counselors when I was branch president and Paulino succeeded me to become the first Bolivian president of the Betanzos branch. Another of the brothers, Felix, had helped with the Quechua translation work. When I returned to Bolivia in 1981 I stayed with the Muñoz family. I had kept in touch with them until about 10 years ago when they left Betanzos.)

A pretty young woman, Flora Chara, answered the door and told me her parents were not home. She told me she was Juan and Fermina's youngest child. I asked her how old she was and she told me she was 17. I told her who I was, that I had known her family before she was born, and that I would come back.

I walked all around Betanzos, down to the river, over to the train station, to the basketball court by the old school (there is a new school now), and by the the old house where I lived and where we conducted meetings on the second floor. The house was closed and locked up. I found the landlady, but she said the house was rented out and she could not let me in to look around. (I tried a number of times but was never able to find the renters home and was never able to get in.)

The Old Chapel

Later in the evening I returned to visit the Charas and found Sister Fermina Chara home with 3 of her grandchildren. She told me that 10 years ago they and a number of other members of the Church had been involved in a joint business venture with the Muñoz family. The business went under, the Muñoz family left Betanzos for Argentina, and the Charas and others became inactive. She did not know how to contact the Muñoz family and it was clear there were bad feelings between them. I was thrilled to see Fermina, but I was distressed by what she told me. I was also disappointed that I would not be able to see the Muñoz family. Well after dark Juan Chara arrived home from working all day in his potato fields. He is 67 now and still has to work the fields to provide for his family. The Charas graciously shared their humble supper with me - boiled potatoes eaten by hand, with manzanilla (chamomile) tea to drink. I told them they needed to return to Church and that Flora needed to be baptized. They were very receptive and assured me that even though they have not been attending Church, they have been keeping the commandments (no alcohol, etc.).

Fermina Chara

Sunday, April 23

Sunday is market day in Betanzos. Last night there were a lot of people that were arriving in town and this morning the streets are packed with buyers and sellers from all of the surrounding villages.

I went down to the chapel and the gate to the grounds was open. I went down the stairs and into the chapel. There were some of the brethren in the first room to the right, so I walked in. I immediately recognized Severino Quecaño, a brother from Tecoya (a village outside of Betanzos) that I had baptized. Severino recognized me after a couple of seconds and we had a big abrazo (hug). After that he just kept staring at me with a big grin on his face. The other brothers there were also clearly amazed that I was speaking Quechua with them. (There have not been any Quechua speaking American missionaries since I left in 1979.)

When I was a missionary I frequently went on splits with Severino and, even though he had only been a member for a short time, I would have him take the flip chart and actually give many of the discussions. When I left the mission he wanted to keep my flipchart and I gave it to him.

Severino told me that they are no longer a branch. Betanzos is now a ward and he is the Bishop. He introduced me to his counselors, Brother Mario Durán and Brother Juan Durán (father and son) also from Tecoya. They gave me a complete tour of the building, which was immaculately clean. Even the floors, that I would have expected to have some dust and dirt, were polished and shining.They told me that they had many members now, the majority of which were from Tecoya and from Lagunillas (another village over the mountain from Tecoya). They said that, unfortunately, some of the members that lived right in Betanzos, including the Charas, had become inactive.

Link to Interior of Chapel

The meetings were beginning and I dropped in on the Relief Society where one of the sisters (in pollera - a traditional large fluffed out skirt) was teaching the lesson in Quechua. We then went upstairs to attend Priesthood and Sunday School. I also finally met the 2 missionaries assigned to the Betanzos ward, Elder Harris (a Navajo from Page, Arizona) and Elder Jarvie (from Medford, Oregon). I had not been able to find them yesterday because they had been attending a conference in Sucre. Both Elders were anxious to learn some Quechua from me. Other than simple phrases they were unable to communicate.

The last time I had been in Betanzos I had been working on the translation of the Book of Mormon and it was thrilling on this trip to be able to have the Book of Mormon in my hand and to read the scriptures being discussed in the Book of Enos in Quechua. It was also an inspiration to attend sacrament meeting in this beautiful building.

Bishop Quecaño asked me to speak to the members and I was thrilled to do so. I told them that, except in my dreams and to myself, I had not spoken Quechua for 20 years. I spoke to them about the meaning of Easter Sunday and bore my testimony of the resurrection.

I was impressed with the level of the instruction at the meetings, with the participation of the class members, and with the leaders taking charge and running the meetings, all of which were conducted in Quechua. I was particularly impressed with counselor Juan Duran. He is an extremely bright individual who has a strong testimony and carries the influence of the Holy Ghost with him. (I was told that he and his wife had gone to Lima, Peru, to be sealed in the temple - but they, unknowingly, went when the temple was closed. He was excited to now have the opportunity to be sealed to his family at the Bolivia temple.)

After the sacrament meeting the Elders asked me to attend their PEC meeting and to instruct them how the meeting should be conducted. We discussed the need to have an agenda or outline and to focus their discussion and efforts on the three-fold mission of the Church: 1) Perfect the Saints; 2) Proclaim the Gospel; and 3) Redeem the Dead. We also discussed the importance of having the bishopric members conduct the meeting and be the leaders. After meetings I accompanied the Elders back to their apartment. I would have gladly taken them out to eat, but there was really nowhere to go. They told me they had recently tried one of the few pensiones (restaurants) in town and Elder Harris was sick for a week after eating there.

Betanzos Ward Bishopric (right) & Priesthood Leaders

They had decided (as we did when I was a missionary here) to cook their own meals. Today, though, they had pretty slim pickings. We ate corn on the cob and Navajo fry bread. I blessed the meal in Quechua and it tasted really good.

After eating, the Elders wanted to learn how to pray and to bear their testimonies in Quechua. I taught them for a few hours until we all got tired. They are going to Potosí tomorrow, but I promised them that I would give them another class on Tuesday morning before I leave Betanzos.

When I got back to my room at the Alojamiento Copacabana there was a dance with a live band that was just starting at a bar about a block away. I thought they would go maybe until midnight . . .

Monday, April 24

. . . The dance party lasted all night! The band would play for a while, would take a break, and then start up again. It lasted until 6:00 am!

Yesterday the Tecoya members invited me to come visit. Bishop Severino Quecaño had told me that he had to leave to work in his fields a little after 7:00, so I told him I would be at his house by 7:00 am. I got up early and was on the road to Tecoya before sunrise (a little before 6:00). The walk was beautiful. The air was crisp and clean, with the scent of eucalyptus. It brought back memories of the many times I had walked the trail to Tecoya and beyond to Quivi Quivi and Lagunillas, teaching the gospel along the way.

Click here to view a Panorama of Betanzos from the trail to Tecoya.

Twenty years ago I would have continued my hike over the mountain called Misitu (little cat) to the village on the other side, Lagunillas, where I baptized the first members from that village, the Wallpa family. Today, however, I knew I was not up to it.

The walk back to Betanzos was beautiful. Many of the people were out working in their fields or herding their sheep. The sun was now fully up and it was getting hot. One thing I had forgotten to bring was a hat and I could tell the bald spot on the top of my head was starting to burn. I fashioned a turban out of my sweatshirt and continued on my way.

I had some bottled water that didn't last very long and by the time I got to Betanzos I was parched. I bought and quickly drank 2 large bottles of Fanta (orange soda). I then went back to my room and had a bath (out of a bowl).

This afternoon I went to visit Marco Antonio at the local Entel office and had the unique experience of calling home from Betanzos. (Twenty years ago electricity was just being installed and we had to use kerosene lamps at night for light.)

Tuesday, April 25

This morning I was up and over to the Charas by 6:00 am. Although Fermina told me to be here this early to catch Juan before he left for his fields, they were still in bed. (Fermina #1 ) They were soon up, though, and had a piece of bread and manzanilla tea for me for breakfast. I prayed with the family. The two married daughters (one of which was only 3 or 4 years old when I was last here) came to see me. Fermina told me that one of their other daughters that I knew, Barbara (Wara Wara), had become ill and died 6 years ago. We talked about when the Quechua speaking missionaries were in Betanzos. The family had fond memories of all the missionaries. I invited them to return to Church and to have Flora baptized. I believe that they will.

The Chara Family Fermina #2 , Juan , Mercedes, Severina & Flora (Quechua) (Spanish)

While I was there the family had me type, on an old typewriter, an excuse for Flora to not participate in any extracurricular activities and to not go on any field trips (including a planned high school trip to Peru) because of lack of money. I made the note out for Fermina's signature, but she said she did not know how to sign her name and asked me to sign it for her. (I gave them some money to help out.)

Click here to view a 360º Panorama of Betanzos from the railroad tracks.

This afternoon I headed to Potosí by bus. As a missionary I traveled this road many times on the back of a truck. It used to be a pretty rugged dirt road. Now it is a fully paved highway, unbelievable.

Arriving in Potosí I took a taxi to the Hostal Colonial where I will be staying. Potosí itself has changed. It is noticeably larger and many of the old cobblestone roads have now been paved over.

After resting awhile, I walked around town to the various places that I had lived as a missionary. They have all changed and, frankly, they have not been kept up and looked more run down.

Potosí is over 13,000 feet in elevation and, although I was surprised that the altitude did not affect me more than it did, it did slow me down.

This evening I was able to find Brother Isaac Durán, who was a new member when I was here. We helped fellowship his family and even baptized his sister. He is a barber and now owns his own barbershop which he has named "Peluquería Nefi." Isaac is now the bishop of the 8th Ward - Cerro Rico, and has been for the last 3 years. (When I was here there were only 3 branches. They now have a stake and 8 wards.) Isaac has gone to the temple in Lima, Peru, to be sealed to his wife and family. Bishop Duran told me that many of the people that I had known in Potosí have moved, including Branch President Desiderio Rejas, the Saavedras, Juan Francisco Flores, etc. He told me that Juan Flores is now working in La Paz and returning to Potosí on the weekends (his wife works at the University in Potosí).

Bishop Isaac Durán (Spanish)

I also asked about the Oporto family that I baptized. He said that Brother Oporto, who was a miner, had died and that one of their daughters had also died. Their son, who served a mission, was now an engineer and he had moved with his family to Argentina. The only family member still here is Sister Oporto.

After a good visit with Bishop Duran I went to El Mesón Restaurant (represented to be the best in town) and had a milaneza napolitana. I haven't been sick yet - so far so good.

Wednesday, April 26

I felt good when I woke up this morning, so I decided to throw care to the wind and eat 2 salteñas (little Bolivian meat pies eaten for breakfast). They tasted really good. As I was eating them the thought crossed my mind that they tasted a little too good and that I would probably have to pay a price for enjoying them.

I went down to Tomás Frías University and looked up Juan Flores' wife, Carmela Andrade, who is a professor in the economics department. After climbing 5 flights of ancient wooden stairs, I spoke with her briefly and she gave me Juan's cell phone number. I was able to call Juan and speak with him briefly. He said he and his family are doing well. I then went by the Potosí Stake Center on Bustillos Street. (They were working on the foundations when I was last here in 1981.) It is now a beautiful building.

Potosí Stake Center

	Fortunately, the gate to the Stake Center grounds and the door to the building were both open and I let myself in. There were a number of the members refinishing the floors in the cultural hall and others, including Marcos Montaño, the Potosí Stake Executive Secretary, and Néstor Aquino, a bishop from Oruro, installing a satellite system outside. This afternoon I walked through the old neighborhoods in the upper part of the city where I had spent so much time as a missionary. The city extends much further up into the hills. I tried to find Sister Oporto, but I couldn't quite get my bearings and wasn't able to find her house.
Marcos Montaño (Spanish)	I also asked a number of people if they knew the Señora Oporto and no one did.	Bishop Néstor Aquino (Spanish)

By the time I walked back down towards the center of town it was getting dark. I dropped in again to see Bishop Duran at his barber shop.

Playing it safe, I then went back to El Mesón for dinner. This time I ordered a filet mignon and at the first bite I knew I had made a mistake. Something didn't taste right with the meat, so I didn't eat much of it.

Thursday, April 27

Not a good morning. I woke up sick today with diarrhea. Given the necessity of eating, the altitude, and the physical exertion I guess it was inevitable.

After lounging around for a while, and popping Pepto Bismol pills, I felt good enough to hit the streets again. I decided to video a walk beginning at one of the houses where I had lived on Chuquisaca Street, going down the Bule (a pedestrian walkway in downtown Potosí), and through the regular and Indian markets.

After taking some video I checked out of my hotel and got a taxi for the 3 hour trip back to Sucre. By the time I arrived there I was pretty well exhausted.

I checked into the Hostal Su Merced, which is a beautiful colonial house near the center of town that has been restored and turned into a hotel. I ordered a bowl of chicken soup (which was just what the doctor ordered) and a fruit salad and then hit the sack.

Friday, April 28

This morning I walked down to the markets here in Sucre. I had fun speaking Quechua to the people. Twenty years ago when I would pass through Sucre there were always Indians from the surrounding areas (Tarabuco) wearing their distinctive native dress with hats (based on the Spanish conquistadors helmets) and red or black ponchos. The men also wore their hair in one long braid. On this trip I only caught a glimpse of two men in their native dress.

	I came across 2 pairs of missionaries in Sucre - one pair were from Colombia and Ecuador and of the other pair another was from Colombia (Elder Vélez) and one was from Pocatello, Idaho (Elder Long). I spent most of my time in Sucre at the plaza where I just sat watching the people. There were some young men from Tarabuco and Yamparaez selling weavings that I had spoken to in the markets. They later came to the plaza, trolling for tourist customers, and when they saw me, they came to sit down and speak with me in Quechua.
Elder Long (English)	They wore regular western clothing and had short hair. I asked them why they no longer wore long hair or their traditional dress.	Elder Vélez (Spanish)

They told me that those who still wear long hair and native dress are ridiculed; so they give it up. They only dress up for the annual Phujllay (a big fiesta in Tarabuco during carnival).

I guess that progress is inevitable, but it is sad to see distinctive and honorable parts of the native cultures disappear as Bolivia becomes more developed.

I was scheduled (or so I thought) to leave Sucre this afternoon. I took a taxi to the airport, but when I checked in at the airline desk, I was told that I had not "reconfirmed" my plane ticket and that my seat was no longer reserved. As a result, I was told that I was going to be put on a waiting list.

At the airport I saw Elder Rex Pugmire and his wife who had also come to Bolivia for the dedication. Elder Pugmire had served in Sucre and had come to visit some of the members there. Elder Pugmire and his wife were smart enough to "reconfirm" their tickets and they were able to board the plane while I patiently waited with about a half dozen others hoping there would be room on the flight. There was not.

I was able, however, to get on a later flight going to Cochabamba, again through Santa Cruz. I had to upgrade to first class, though, at the exorbitant price of $12.00. So ... off I went again back to Santa Cruz for the third time in a week.

I had a layover in Santa Cruz for a couple of hours, so I got some dinner at a Subway (yes, a regular American Subway) in the airport. I then sat down by a lawyer from Santa Cruz who was going to Cochabamba and we chewed the fat about practicing law. It was interesting to hear his perspectives about practicing law in Bolivia. We shared photographs of our wives and children and I told him about the Church and the emphasis we place on families.

I finally got to Cochabamba around 9:30 pm. I took a taxi back to the Hotel Ambassador and found out that the receptionist there is a member of the Church. She is going to sing in the choir for the dedication on Sunday. She gave me a special discounted rate for the duration of my stay.

This morning I walked through the Cochabamba markets and bought some awayos (everyday weavings) to take home and wrap my new baby in. I also went to Sociedades Biblicas, which is based in Cochabamba, and bought the Bible translated into Quechua. They used to only have the New Testament (Mosoj Testamento) and portions of the Old Testament (Ñawpa Testamento), but they have now revised the former translations and have completed a translation of the entire Bible.

This evening I went to the University Stake Center on Paccieri Street, where there was supposed to be a gathering of returned missionaries. The gate was open, but there were only a few people around, including a young couple from Potosí who now live in Sucre. They were both returned missionaries and had two little children, who were with them. Some current missionaries dropped by and told us they had heard the meeting had been moved to a different chapel, so we got a taxi together and off we went.

We arrived at the other chapel and some of the members there told us that there had been a group there, but they had gone to yet another chapel. On we proceeded to the third chapel. Success! There were quite a few people at the third chapel and more arriving every minute. They were just starting a meeting with all of the returned missionaries that had come to Cochabamba for the dedication. There were also many local members in attendance.

Before long the chapel was full and the crowd extended into the overflow area of the cultural hall. I was amazed at the number of Bolivians there that were returned missionaries. There were a few American missionaries in attendance, but we were the distinct minority. (Among the missionaries that I saw that were my contemporaries were Elders Doxey, Pugmire, Schiffler, May, Dedrick, Eyre, Leavitt, and Hilton. There was also one of the first missionaries that proselyted in Cochabamba in 1964.)

One of the missionaries, that I did not recognize, but that had been in Bolivia the same time I was, went forward and bore his testimony. He invited others that were in Bolivia at the same time he was to raise their hands and then to join him on the stand. I probably wouldn't have gone up, but Elder Eyre who was sitting near me grabbed me and we went up together.

Once I was on the stand I felt that I should share my testimony with all of those present. I started to speak in Spanish but then I was prompted to speak Quechua. When I started to bear my testimony in Quechua there was a hush that came over the crowd and some of those present actually started to clap. I continued, but at times throughout my testimony the crowd kept applauding. When I concluded the whole crowd gave me an ovation. I have never witnessed something like this during a testimony meeting. Needless to say, it was one of the many highlights of my trip.

The highlights for the evening were not over, however. After the meeting a lovely young Bolivian woman came up to me. At first I didn't recognize her, but she knew me. She introduced herself as "Fani." I then knew immediately that she was Fani Muñoz, Paulino Muñoz's daughter. We gave each other a big hug. She was only 5 or 6 years old when I last saw her. She remembered how I used to play with and tease her when she was a little girl. She is now a returned missionary and married in the temple to another returned missionary from Santa Cruz, Agustín Melgar, who was with her.

Fani Muñoz (Spanish)

Fani told me that after her family left Betanzos they lived in Argentina for a while. They had all returned, however, with the exception of her Uncle Fidel and Aunt Prima, who still live in Argentina. Her parents, Paulino and Marta, and the rest of her aunts and uncles: Roberto and María, Felix and his wife, and Mario (an unmarried physician) were all living in Santa Cruz. The youngest uncle, Andrés, was attending law school (heaven help him) and living with Fani's grandmother, Viviana, in Sucre. Fani told me her grandfather, Carmelo, had died a few years ago. Fani had phone numbers for Felix and Roberto, which I eagerly wrote down. She also told me that her mother, Marta, and her grandmother, Viviana, were coming to the dedication tomorrow and that it was possible other family members would be coming also. I told Fani and her husband that I would find them tomorrow at the temple.

Agustín Melgar (Spanish)

I then caught a taxi together with Rex Pugmire and his wife. We were going to go eat ice cream with some of the other missionaries. We arrived at the ice cream place, which was near my hotel, but I decided I could not stay with them. It was getting quite late and I wanted to go back to my hotel to call Felix and Roberto to find out about them and their families and whether anyone else would be coming to Cochabamba tomorrow.

I was able to speak with both Felix and Roberto and his wife, Maria. It was such a joy to have found them and to be able to speak with them. Unfortunately, they were not coming to the dedication tomorrow. I told them, however, that I will be in the airport in Santa Cruz for a very short time on Monday morning at 7:00 am. They said they would be there to see me.

Sunday, April 30

I was up early again this morning and caught a taxi to the temple. The temple was beautiful in the early morning air. There was quite a crowd already assembled at the gate. In front of me was a Quechua couple, Brother & Sister Pablo Garcia, from Tiquipaya (a town outside of Cochabamba) and behind me was another returned missionary who was a contemporary of mine, Elder Garrard. I spent most of my time in line speaking with the couple from Tiquipaya. Brother Garcia is a Sunday School Teacher and wanted to have access to Church materials in Quechua. I told him I would try to send him some materials.

Cochabamba Bolivia Temple

The group I was with was ushered reverently into one of the instruction rooms near the baptistry. There were TVs set up all through the temple and also in the residential building on the temple grounds. While we waited for the dedication to begin, a video was shown of many of the temples with background music by the Tabernacle choir. After a short wait the TV switched to the celestial room of the temple where the dedication ceremony was to take place. The Prophet entered the room and all stood. Sister Hinckley accompanied him, as well as Elder Scott from the Quorum of 12 Apostles, and Elder Maynes of the Second Quorum of Seventy. As a first order of business President Hinckley explained the significance of the cornerstone and the ceremony of placing the cornerstone. He said there was a time capsule enclosed within the cornerstone. He then exited the celestial room and went outside to conduct the cornerstone ceremony. There were many people waiting nearby to see the Prophet and to witness this ceremony.

Dedication Ticket

The Prophet then returned to the celestial room of the temple. He said that the Bolivian people were a remnant of the House of Israel and that this day was a day of fulfillment of prophecy. He read from 2 Nephi 30:5-6:

Elder Scott then spoke. (He was the mission president in Argentina when some of the first missionaries were sent from his mission into Bolivia to proselyte). Elder Scott quoted from the Title Page of the Book of Mormon:

President Hinckley then offered the dedicatory prayer in English and Elder Scott offered the prayer in Spanish.

Elder Maynes then explained and led the Hosanna shout. What an incredible spiritual experience to be present with the Prophet and to witness this dedication!

Cochabamba Bolivia Temple

Monday, May 1

	The trip is just about over. This morning I was up early once again and took a taxi to the airport. I then flew to Santa Cruz. I was hoping to see some of the Muñoz family and they didn't let me down. Roberto Muñoz was there waiting for me. (He was a little bit heavier and older, but I recognized him immediately.) He went and got his family while I was checking in for my flight to Miami. It was so good to see him and María again. Roberto told me that Felix was coming with his family and within minutes they also arrived. We had very little time together in the airport before I had to leave.
Roberto & María Muñoz		Felix Muñoz

I had a smile on my face the whole way back home. In fact, I still can't help but smile when I think of this trip, the places I was able to visit again, all of the acquaintances I was able to renew, and the invaluable spiritual experience of witnessing the dedication of the Bolivian Temple.

I am so proud to have been called to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Bolivia, to restore them to the knowledge of their fathers, and to be a witness of them becoming a pure and a delightsome people.

08/26/2000