Bio of Walter Blanco

Married to Karen with four children: Haley 16, Andy 14, Hillary 12, Kaitlyn 10. Haley is doing very good at school and loves to spend time in looking beautiful. Andy is very good with Yu-Gi-Oh and Chess. He is very good with computers and says that he will like to be a computer game designer. Hillary is into horses since birth. She has always been around horses. She takes riding lessons and her room is full of horse pictures and books. She says that she wants to be a vet so she can work around horses. Kaitlyn is the same thing but with dogs. She has an Alaskan Malumute name Kisska that we all love very much.

Since my mission I have served in quite a few callings: Elders Quorum President, First Counselor in Bishopric, Financial Clerk, High Priest Group Leader, Scout Master and presently Teacher of the 16 year olds in Sunday School which I am enjoying a lot. Work: I studied Computer Engineering Drafting and Design. Salt Lake Community College - Electrical and Electronic Tech. I have been working for Williams Gas Pipeline for the past 13 years as an Electrical Designer.

Since my days with Elder Brett Parker as a missionary I have been running. Now after over 20 Marathons and many 5K, 10k, and 1/2 Marathons, my left knee decided it had enough. But since I refuse to slow down, I decided to take on another sport. So I've been riding bicycles. Like running, I feel I might as well give it my best shot so I am doing it seriously. I am training a lot and participating in local bike races here in the Salt Lake Valley. I am looking forward to doing a triathlon in July and combining my two sports. The only problem is that I am not very good swimmer.

Comps: Mario Jimenez, Luis Castro, Brent Jarvis, Arnoldo Castro, Miguel Araya, Timothy Wilson, Brett Parker. Areas served: Comayaguela Honduras, Chinandega Nicaragua, Liberia Costa Rica, Panama City, Comayagua Honduras, San Pedro Sula Honduras.

One mission story that I will always remember took place in Comayagua with Elder Parker. We almost lost our investigator and future member on the river while being baptized. Elder Parker was in the river ready to baptize our investigator. The current was a little strong and when Elder Parker immersed the brother, he flipped backwards and a few others on the shore had to jump into the river to catch our baptism. They did, and we later found a better and calmer part of the river to finish our baptisms without having to report any fatalities (at least he would have gone straight to heaven).

My mission was the best two years of my life. Now that I look back to all my experiences and the neat people that I met I would do it all over again without a doubt. The time will come probably sooner than expected when I will serve another mission with my wife.