BYU BASKETBALL and REVISIOT LA GRANJA

There are a few things that, as a missionary,  you know you will have to give up for a few months, the minute you decide to go on a mission.  As a fan of BYU sports, I knew that I would miss the fall season of football, and the winter of basketball, and. . . . any other sport that I sometimes follow, in all my spare time.

We had noticed, through the internet, that the BYU basketball team was  coming to Spain for some exhibition games, but had not heard when, where, or what times they would be playing.  Well , , , , ,

our mission president's wife, when she was set apart for her part of the mission, was counseled to watch over the senior missionaries.  We are so grateful for that, especially this past week.  Last Wednesday, a few minutes before 7:00, we received a call from her, telling us that the BYU basketball team was in Madrid, and that they were having a game that night, and that they were all headed out to watch, and ". . .did we want to go and watch the game with them?"  FOOLISH QUESTION!!!!!

We hustled to get ready and jump in the car and plug into our GPS (I call her our genie!!!) the address for the game.  After a wrong turn or two, we made it there a little after 8:00. (sometimes, the genie does not read my mind very well)  It seemed a little weird for us to be attending a game, in Spain, and that BYU was one of the competing teams!!  One entire end of the bleachers (they only had the bleachers on one side of the gym, a little elevated off the floor) was filled with a lot of white shirts and ties, and young missionary ladies in dresses, IF they brought one of their investigators along for the ride!!!  I think a lot of them just came to enjoy a diversion--as did a lot of us.

It was a hot summer's night, and their was no AC in the building.  In the picture below, you can see that they had opened a large 'door' at the right end of the gym, to try to alleviate the issue, but it did not help the fans much.  Hopefully, the players had it better than we did.

You can see the light from the open door, trying to make it more comfortable for the players.

Chase Fisher making a free-throw--not a common occurrence  during the Spain trip.

Kyle Collingsworth--Mr. College Triple-Double guy.

Senior Nate Austin 'coaching' young Jordan Chatman.

Coach Rose doing the coaching.

Lots of white shirts and ties and young ladies with skirts on.
We had more fans than did the home team,  But then, that happens a lot where BYU plays.

                                                                                           

One of the more important pictures of the evening!!!

Jordan Chatman's father, Jeff Chatman, played at BYU in the late 70's and early 80's (I think).   The sister of Jeff Chatman's wife lives in our home ward in Fruitland, Idaho. The Chatmans have been in our ward a couple of times, and I have taken the opportunity to  approach him and to visit with him on a couple of occasions. The Chatmans were at the ball-game in Madrid the other night, so after the game was over, I again approached them both and planted myself in front of them and asked, "If I said Fruitland, Idaho, would you know what I was talking about?"  She said,

"Are you from Fruitland?"  And he said, "I have talked with you before!"  She wanted to know if we were in the same ward as her sister.  It was fun to chat for just a minute or two before we all went down to the floor to have a group picture of both the teams and all the fans who wanted to get into the picture.  (still waiting for the people who took the photo, to send us one).

We do have this one, however, and it's not too bad.

The guy in the gray suit is our new mission president, President Pack.
He is a BYU fan, except when they play Mississippi State!

                                                     

Coach Rose presenting a special BYU shirt to JJ, President Pack's 13 year old son who eats, sleeps, and drinks basketball.

 OKAY--MYSTERY TIME!!!  I am going to post a picture.  You will get no hints, and you will have to figure out what this is.  Next blog, we'll see who comes the closest to what it really is.

                                                                             

No hints, and no sharing of ideas.

We have made a lot of new friends, especially among those senior missionaries who work at the temple.  One of those newer ones is Sister Mancini. (pronounced  Mawncheenee)  Originally from Italy, (you should love to hear her speak Spanish with her Italian accent!!!--cute!!)  and somehow ended up in San Diego, California.  She had worked in the temple there, and knows Sister Bake's father, Don Marler.  Anyway, we took her, and our office friend Lucy, out to see La Granja.  We had been there before, but they had not, so we ended up being their guides for the day.

                                                           

Sister Mancini and Sister Bake--palace in the background.

The flowers were not out on our first visit to La Granja, but, oh, what a difference the made this time. Everything was a whole lot more beautiful.

                                                                     

Every once in a while, a photographer gets lucky!!

                                                               

                                

                                                                               

                                                                                   

                                                                             

                                                                             

The camera doesn't do it justice--but you get the idea.

                                                                         

And you wonder why our kids are like they are???!!!???

                                         

On our drive home, we saw and just had to take the shot.
One of our grandsons will think it is sortta cool, I think!!

On Sunday evenings when the weather permits, the CCM (MTC) missionaries come out and stand on the steps that go into the Temple Grounds, and sing for about a half-hour, or so.  Lots of people come by.  Some stop and listen.  Others just hurry by so as to not have to feel the spirit of the place.  Lots of members also appear and enjoy the music.  Some even stand on the sidewalk, to be able to engage folks in a gospel discussion, if they will allow it.  It makes for a neat thing to do on a Sunday night.

                                           

                                                           

Sister Bake in the upper right-hand corner.
Temple missionaries in the upper left.