This one is of a family group the Teziutlán Stake organized on August 9, 2009 in the pueblo Vega de a la Torre. Mom and I went up there, about two hours north of Veracruz. I have a special interest there. Every time I drive through the Spirit tells me that we need to do something in this place. Pres. Hurtado, the stake president, and I have talked. I am not authorized to assign missionaries to Vega because it is not a branch. The location is over an hour from the nearest church unit. There are about 40 members there, the new 11 day old babe in arms being the latest addition. Missionaries were last here about 9 or 10 years ago. There has never been a branch. The group was shut down about 5 or 6 years ago because the high councilor assigned to work with the group had a dream that he was to take one of the local women to wife. That didn't go over very well with anyone. Too many of the people in the dream were already married--like all of them. But, that is over, and we are back, this time for keeps. The stake president is working on applying for branch status and we hope to have that approval in a short time. Then, I will send two excellent missionaries there and we will light it up!

We met in the house of Sis. Salas. Ten of the people in the picture live in the town. The younger adult, kneeling in the front, is Pres. Hurtado. He is a wonder. Sister Salas is the lady in the center in the back. Her daughters, Sandra and Someone, flank Mom and I. To the left of Sister Salas is the group leader Miguel Angel Cabreras. To his left is old Bro. Silvestre. Next to him is a young man, 15, who received the Aaronic Priesthood today and was ordained a teacher. The missionary is Elder Norcross from Vermont.

An interesting note is this. Phil Somerhalder was a counselor in our YSA ward bishopric in California. His son, Aaron, was one of the last missionaries to serve here in Vega de a la Torre years ago. Four of the people in the foto remember him.