We began telephone calls to the workers who were supposed to show up at 4:30 A.M. on Tuesday. Since then we have done some office work, visited around the apartments and worked on family history.
Until Sunday, April 26 we were still hoping that Gary, Diana and Karl would be able to visit us the first week in May, but they wisely decided not to come. The airlines were accommodating to travelers who needed to postpone flights, so we still hope to see them soon.
Our History of the "Swine Flu" OutbreakMay 6, 2009 We can probably close this chapter, since today businesses were open. We went downtown to pay business taxes and send our tithing to the Dublan Ward. Gerhard had some German handwriting pages to put in plastic and while that was being done he visited with the men who run the paper store, Amado and Jorge. They have friends who are in the Brisas "parroquia" and last Christmas Jorge was impressed by the missionary sisters who sang "villancicos" at their home. The Washington Post today reported one case of swine flu in Yucatán, 3 in Quintana Roo, and one suspected in Campeche. This weak virus may still have outbreaks, expecially in countries that are having winter weather, but lt will not track cases any more. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/health/swineflu/map.html The temple began again with two sessions this evening and baptisms. Gerhard had to run over and open up the hot water for the baptismal font. Best of all -- Gary, Diana and Karl have rescheduled their trip to Mexico for June 13-26. We hope nothing else comes up to change the plans.
May 5, 2009 Elsewhere in the world, Cinco de Mayo parades and Mexican music filled streets and people were happy. 
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040503/images/metro_cinco.jpg In Mérida there were no parades and subdued people walked the streets and did essential business wearing face masks, hoping to avoid infection from a stray flu virus.
May 4, 2009 Mexico's health secretary says most businesses will reopen Wednesday nationwide, citing ebb in the swine flu outbreak. Health Secretary Jose Cordova says most economic activity will resume Wednesday, ending a five-day closure of nonessential businesses to stop the spread of the new virus. Cordova says Mexico has confirmed 727 cases, including 26 deaths. Mexico City Marcelo Ebrard says cafes, museums and libraries will reopen this week but that health officials need to finish inspecting schools before students can return to class. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090504/ap_on_he_me/lt_med_swine_flu_mexico
Sis. Oropeza arrived first, then Elder and Sis. Smith, and then Sis. Dyer and we began at 10:00o A.M. Gerhard conducted and offered the opening prayer. Elder Smith chose the opening hymn "El alba ya rompe" ("The Daydawn is Breaking"). We were accompanied by Windows Mediaplayer courtesy of lds.org. so the music sounded pretty good.
Even though Bishop Hatch of the Dublan Ward had emailed ward members authorizing them to have the sacrament prepared and served under the direction of the Melchizedek priesthood in the home, we hadn't received authorization from our bishop here, Bp. Padrón of the Centro Ward. Instead we watched the video of "The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd" which was even more meaningful as we have been at many sites where the carvings are similar and we could imagine the events taking place.
We also had a testimony meeting with everyone participating. Pres. Dyer and Pres. Oropeza were at an 8:00 A.M. meeting with a stake president to encourage the stake to support the temple schedule and provide opportunities for members to participate in all ordinances, but they returned in time for testimonies. The closing hymn was #5, "High on the Mountain Top," and Sister Oropeza offered the closing prayer. The Dyers shared how special that hymn was for them, since the words were written by an ancestor of Sis. Dyer who had been with the Saints in Nauvoo, and they had used it with their missionaries when presiding over the mission in Puerto Rico.
Even in tribulation (or maybe especially at those times), the gospel provides us a framework for peace and hope and love. We realized that with our different personalities and church experience, we are united in our desire to serve the Lord and do His will. These experiences are part of our mortal schooling and if we are humble and prayerful, He will make up what we are not able to do.
Gerhard had an evening meeting with ward leaders where he showed that the youth are leading the way, almost doubling the number of proxy baptisms over two years ago, so the future generation is coming on strong! His message was to help those who are not receiving the individual benefit of frequent temple attendance, rather than seeking to make records.
We received phone calls from Katherine and Elena with news of their families, so felt very blessed 0n this Sabbath day.
May 1, 2009. The Church announced that it is delaying sending missionaries to Mexico just now. New missionaries assigned to Mexico are staying stateside at the training center in Provo for now. Mexico-based church missionaries are reported to be safe.
April 30, 2009 The death toll in Mexico is believed to be 160. President Felipe Calderon asked Mexicans to stay at home, saying their houses were the safest place to be. All nonessential private businesses must also close for that period but essential services like transport, supermarkets, trash collection, hospitals will remain open. Vital services like police agencies and airports would remain open, as would crucial economic services like telecommunications, pharmacies and public transportation.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30487509/
The Mexican Secretariat for Communications and Transportation has announced enhanced health screening for all international passengers departing Mexico from the following six airports: Mexico City (Benito Juarez), Guadalajara, Monterrey, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta. Any passengers displaying obvious flu-like symptoms may have their temperature taken by health officials; tests for the H1N1 virus may then be administered to those with fevers. Passengers with high temperatures or testing positive for the H1N1 virus will be denied boarding. All passengers should allow ample time for any delays the new health screening may add to the check-in process at the airport.
The Dyers hosted a barbeque at their apartment and also invited the Mortensons and the Verlindens, so we had a very congenial afternoon. Pres. Dyer was cooking the chicken on their new grill, and I happened to come out just as Elder Smith snapped the picture.
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April 29, 2009 On Wednesday, the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to the second-highest level, meaning it believes a global outbreak of the disease is imminent.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu
El próximo domingo, todo varón digno que tenga el Sacerdocio de Melquisedec, esta autorizado para dirigir una reunión sacramental en su propio hogar con su familia. La reunión debe enfocarse en enseñar los principios del evangelio. El poseedor del sacerdocio puede preparar y bendecir la santa cena siguiendo la oración sacramental en D y C 20. http://www.estacacoloniadublan.blogspot.com/
April 28, 2009 Update on Flu Outbreak in Mexico - Mexico City Closes Most Public Establishments; State Department updates Travel Alert for Mexico U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Mexico City should be aware that on Tuesday, April 28, 2009,the Mayor of Mexico City ordered the closure of all establishments where large numbers of the public gather until May 6, including restaurants, bars, discos, night clubs, cinemas, movie theaters, theaters, gyms, and convention centers.
Because of potential disruptions in shopping patterns, the U.S. Embassy is advising its employees and U.S. citizens traveling or resident in Mexico to consider stockpiling two-weeks of emergency supplies such as food, water, infant formula and medicines, as well as to verify the availability of cash or credit cards.
April 27, 2009 The swine flu epidemic entered a dangerous new phase Monday as the death toll climbed in Mexico and the number of suspected cases there and in the United States nearly doubled. The World Health Organization raised its alert level but stopped short of declaring a global emergency. The WHO raised the alert level to Phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country.
Authorities announced Monday the cancellation of the annual Cinco de Mayo parade, in which people in period costumes celebrate Mexican troops' defeat of a French army on May 5, 1862. The national labor umbrella group announced the cancellation of Mexico City's traditional May 1 parade and the National Institute of Anthropology and History said all of its 116 museums nationwide would be closed until further notice.
As if the country did not have enough to deal with, Cordova's comments were briefly interrupted by a 5.6-magnitude earthquake in southern Mexico that rattled already jittery nerves and sent mask-wearing office workers into the streets of the capital.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/27/swine-flu-us-advises-agai_n_191852.html
The state government of Veracruz in eastern Mexico has confirmed one case of swine flu in the village of La Gloria with the sufferer named locally as a four-year-old boy, Edgar Hernández Hernández.
The federal government said tonight that he tested positive for the same strain of the virus which has claimed lives in Mexico. The boy's case earlier this month came amid an outbreak of respiratory illness in the area in which around 400 people requested medical help. The boy was treated in hospital and survived. But two babies from the same village died during the outbreak. Sufferers complained of symptoms including fever, severe cough, and large amounts of phlegm.
Early today the US owner of an industrial pig production facility around 12 miles from La Gloria said it had found no clinical signs or symptoms of swine flu in its herd or Mexican employees. The world's biggest pig meat producer, Virginia-based Smithfield. "According to state agents of the Mexican social security institute, the vector of this outbreak are the clouds of flies that come out of the hog barns, and the waste lagoons into which the Mexican-US company spews tons of excrement," reported Mexico City newspaper La Jornada .http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/27/swine-flu-search-outbreak-source
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