Oaxaca City Temple

Temple #92

Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico

May 4, 2018

     We were going to Oaxaca and we were so excited! When Ivy's parents said they wanted to come visit us in Mexico they only had two requests; they wanted to go to a beach and they wanted to go to Oaxaca. They had been there once before and loved it and so wanted to go back. 

     We got into Oaxaca super late as we had done in Monterrey. We rented a car because it was cheaper and easier than using a taxi or Uber a couple times. Oaxaca was also a smaller town and so it was easy to drive around. We drove to our quaint hotel and all slept great. 

     In the morning we drove to the temple. It was small and we nearly drove passed it because it was hard to see as it was tucked away in some trees. 

     The Oaxaca temple is a small cookie cutter temple. It has palm trees and flowers surrounding it and so is very pretty as always. We went inside and did initiatories, but in Spanish of course. Afterwards we all met in the Celestial room and enjoyed the peace there. We whispered quietly and talked about the initiatories and if we had learned anything. We always try and learn something new every time we go to the temple and we usually do, even if it's just something simple. 

     Darcy and Vera have been working in the Salt Lake City Temple lately and so have been memorizing what they have to do, so it was fun for them hearing it and practicing it all in their minds, although it was in Spanish. 

     After the temple we went to the quaint and fun downtown of Oaxaca. It's simple and not very crowded which is nice and why we liked it. We took some pictures, shopped around and the ladies bought some souvenirs while I bought a tómale. We then went into the cathedral there in the center of town. Nearly everything on the inside is completely covered in gold leaf and so was amazing. The difference we feel though inside cathedrals compared to the temples is drastic. In the temples we feel clean, peaceful and holy. In cathedrals we may be in awe at the architecture, the gold, the statues and the grandiose of the building, but that is all we feel. 

      We then ate some tlayudas, a highly recommended food in Oaxaca state and city. They are common there but not really in any other state. They are basically giant quesadillas with beans, Oaxaca cheese (a type of string cheese) and cabbage inside grilled over a fire. They are delicious and one of my favorite Mexicans meals. 

     We then went to the airport after downtown. We didn't have much time there because of our flights, which had been cancelled and changed and we had to rebook new flights, but we were fine with it and made it work. We had a blast and a great time there and couldn't wait for our next destination in Guatemala!