What I have seen and heard since April 2013

While serving as a temple missionary in Guatemala starting in April of 2013, I have seen and heard:

* Beautiful people of Guatemala, both temple workers and patrons and people from other places including the United States who have come to the temple.
* Some come by air, some come by car, some come by motor cycle, and some come in the Ugly Red Buses.  They come from far and near.
* They come from Patzicia, Puerto Barrios, Rio Dulce, Belize, Santa Lucia, Escuintia, Chimalenango, Antigua, Peten, Flores, Coban, Lanquin, Izabal, Zacapa, Jalapa, Cuilapa, Polochic and Sumpango.
* Some have many transfers, bumpy roads, much traffic, 12 hour drives or more.
* Some have difficulties with their passports on their way.
* Some get shot at on their way.
* Some come without shoes.
* Some come in their traditional clothes.
* Some come with arthritic hands and they fold socks and stuff the socks into shoes.
* Some come with aching backs, legs or arms.
* Some are so short they don't see over the recommend desk or the counter.
* They come with ears that don't hear well, eyes that don't see well and mouths that only speak Quekchi or some other Mayan language. Others only speak English.
* They come not able to read or write.
* They come with their quetzals and their temple recommend in their blouse so they won't be robbed.
* Some come with heavy hearts, some come with lonely hearts, some come with sad hearts and others come with happy hearts.
* They come with their minds heavy with burdens.
* They come wanting to be understood.
* They come with many issues on their plates.
* They come with illnesses. Some are on dialyses. Some come with no legs or legs that don't work well.  Or they come with hands and arms that don't work well.
* They come with the desire to do things exactly right in the temple; with a child like attitude.
* They are kind and patient.
* They leave their beautiful children waiting outside with others watching them, while they do the work inside the temple.
* Each one is so lovable and beautiful.
They come because there is One who has suffered All these things and more. He suffered because He loves ALL people. He died that ALL might live with our Heavenly Father and Him again.

Oh Guatemala! Beautiful Guatemala! 

We will NEVER forget you. We will NEVER forget your beautiful people whom we love dearly.

Acts of kindness

During the last couple of weeks I have seen the wonderful acts of kindness. The first one was by my Friday Coordinator, Hermana Funes. One of our sisters, when assigned to do something would find out who was the coordinator. If she thought she has a bone to pick with that coordinator, she didn't want to work there because she had a notion that that person was this or was that. Hermana Funes took that person and went to the coordinator of that job and had them both apologize to each other. Then, she told them to hug and get to work. Hermana Funes showed that she was a peace maker, which is an act of kindness.

The other example of an act of kindness was one day when some of the new missionaries from the CCM "MTC", down here were attending the temple. There were two of those new missionaries who had not been to the temple yet. One of them was so bashful that she almost appeared to be afraid. I helped these two new missionaries. At the end of the session that they were on, I was assigned to be in the celestial room. The new missionary who was shy came to the door of the celestial room and stopped as if to indicate that she was not sure she should come in. I motioned for her to come in and sit on the couch. She did. Then a little while later several other missionaries on the same session came into the celestial room. One of them went over to the two young missionaries who were in the temple for their very first time. She put her arms around each one, one at a time, and told them that they were loved. A smile came on their faces. Especially the one who was so shy. I thought, "That is what Jesus would do. That is an act of kindness."

We have started packing our things to get ready to go home. It is going to be hard to say Good-bye to the people we have grown to love so much. But, we are excited to go home to see our families.

We have been dividing things up to take home, to give to one of the wards here in Guatemala, to give to other of the temple workers or to throw away.

This blue bag is completely packed. There are a few things that we don't know where we will put yet, but we are taking them home with us.

This bag is beginning to be packed with a few things. Again, there are a few things that we'll have to see where they will fit that we want to take home.

These are some things we want to give to some of the temple missionaries, if they want them.

These are some of the things we are giving to one of the wards here.

Here are some either give away or throw ways.

One thing that happened this week in a sealing session this week. Blair was in this sealing session with a young couple who had been married about four years. They asked the sealer some questions about how sealings worked for families living. One of their questions was about adoption. Blair was able to tell them about when our granddaughter Charlotte was sealed to her mom and dad, Natalie and Derek, in the Denver Temple. When he told them about that sealing, they were so happy, They were able to get thier questions answered.

How to save a parking spot

Today we had Stake Conference here in the Guatemala Stake. The choir, comprised of the Vista Hermosa ward, which is the ward we have been going to, made up the choir. We sang two songs. Because President Burk and the Thompson's were at another Stake Conference, we had to find rides for all the rest of the temple missionaries, whether or not they were singing in the choir. Thankfully, with Sister Smylie's help, we were able to accomplish that.

Two brothers in our ward. The one young man is autistic and loves to wave and shake your hand. The other young man is a fantastic person. Their mother is single and has done a fantastic job of raising these two boys. 

People coming out of stake conference

Elder and Sister Eberhard, one of the newer couple temple missionaries. They live next door to us.

Another view of people leaving stake conference

This lady and her children sat on a front row where there had been a sign that said for investigators. A set of full time young Elders sat with them. I think there was a father with them also. He might be out getting the car for them.

Karen gave us a ride to Stake Conference today. She has been a member for about nine months now. She is an architect by profession and speaks perfect English. She helped the church by making apartments out of four of the six houses that the temple owns. The Burks live in casa 5. Casa 6 is where we live, with three other apartments in it, casa 4 has four apartments and casa 3 has four apartments. Casa 2 is for people who come from a long ways and need to spend the night, either right after they get here or the next morning. 

Hermana Rosales is one of the workers on Wednesdays. Her husband was a stake president when Elder Eberhard served here in Guatemala when he was a young man.

This is how you save a parking spot on the street. You just put a potted plant where you want to park, then when you return your spot will be saved for you.

Dinner with President and Sister Burk and others

We went to a restaurant called The Grill with some of the temple missionaries. The Grill sits on the hill, of course almost everything in Guatemala sits on a hill, but we could look out over the city at our table and after we ate we went out on the roof and took pictures of each other and the city. It was a stormy night and the cloud cover was amazing. I have wanted to go to The Grill since we arrived and I saw it as we were going with the temple missionaries shopping on our shopping day, Monday.

The city of Guatemala with cloud cover

The city looks almost misty here

A little better view of the city

The clouds in this picture look like they are right on top of the buildings

A different angle of the city

Here we are on the roof at The Grill. Our shoes show up pretty good.

This picture landed in a random spot. We were walking the other day and these two boys were in our neighborhood shining shoes. We have seen them before, but today we were close enough to our apartment that we went back in and got our shoes for them to shine. The older boy is 10 years old and his younger brother is 5 years old. They did a good job with our shoes. We also gave them a container of juice just in case they were thirsty. 

The Wilsons

We can see the temple from up here.

These homes are on the hill across the street from The Grill

A closer view of the homes across the street with my zoom on the camera. They are big homes, or they are condos.

We are deciding what we would like to eat

Now we have our food. I think everyone liked what they ordered.

Sister Paniagua has a mouth full of food.

It is a common occurrence here to have the mountain side wash down from rain. It really makes the traffic jams bad.

Another view of the Guatemala City temple from above

A picture of the traffic earlier in the evening.

These are beautiful cloud formations in these two pictures

A little boy came out on the roof with a little dog that he had wrapped in a blanket. 

This is the group of us who went to eat at The Grill.
Us, Sister Paniagua in the red sweater, Wilsons are next and then the Gardners. The Gardners are the newest ones here.

Our waitress. She did a good job. She even called our taxi drivers when it was time for them to pick us up.

The Gardners

This was the traffic a couple of hours later when it was time for our taxis to pick us up.

We were invited to have dinner with President and Sister Burk as a parting gesture of good will from the temple presidency. That happened on Monday, August 25th. Because the Barlows are going home the week after us, they were also invited to attend. This is something the President does will all his departing temple missionaries. President Burk likes the restaurant Arrin Cuan because of the Marimba band that always plays there. The food was good also. We had an enjoyable time with the Burks and the Barlows. When we first arrived the first thing we noticed were the turkeys they had in a pen and we wondered if that was the main item on the menu. The Marimba music is pretty and it seems to be a favorite here in Guatemala.

The turkeys in a cage at the restaurant Arrin Cuan

some of the Marimba Band members

We had our picture taken while they were playing.

The Marimba band "Linda Guatemala" at the restaurant Arrin Cuan

Around the table are the Burks, us and the Barlows. Sister Barlow has the red hair. President Burk is in a stripped shirt that was made here in Guatemala.

Others who eat at the Arrin Cuan restaurant

We liked the head piece this lady had on her head.

Our adventures in Monjas

The 16th, 17th and 18th we were invited to go to the Padilla's home. They live in a community called Monjas which is close to Jalapa. It is about a four hour drive from Guatemala City one way to the East and a little bit South. Monja means nun, sister, female member of a religious order (especially Catholic). There is a mountain that we can see in a picture coming up in this blog showing what they say is a nun. 

The countryside is still beautiful, but this part of Guatemala is in need of rain right now. The corn fields are dry and the fields are lacking in green for the cattle in this area.

On the road to the Padilla's home.

The fields are drier than normal

The lines are not wires across the road. It's a break in the windows of the Padilla's car.

We drove by a military school. There is a military machine in the back ground. Apparently the military also learns about working in the fields to grow produce.

The volcano in the back ground makes a pretty picture.

The Padilla's daughter, Alexandria, meets us at the front gate of their home.

They built their own brick oven. Sister Padilla bakes in this oven. Not in the house. It is much like the ovens you see in some pizza restaurants.

Some more pictures of the landscapes on the way there.

The white things are cows grazing.

A lone cow going for water.

The park in the town of Jalapa

The chicken coop. These hens lay the eggs that the Padilla family sell.

A hen in the tree. Watch out below. You don't want an egg on your head. hahaha

Blair is about to show his talent in piano playing. He did play the fire engine song for them.

The Padilla's bed that they let us sleep in.

This bedroom is divided by the curtain. On the other side of the curtain is another bedroom that the grandchildren sleep in when they are visiting. The wall on the other side, half way up, is just screen. There is no wall or window. We could hear the chickens, and in the morning, the rooster.

The roof is a sheet of corrugated tin. On Saturday night it rained quite hard. I kept thinking that the rain was going to come in someplace through the tin roof. This home was Sister Padilla's mothers home. They added the bedrooms on to the back of the original house.  And Brother and Sister Padilla put the roof on. Sister Padilla inherited a lot of her mothers things which are still in the home.

A mother chicken with her babies. We heard them all night.

Alexandrea, Brother and Sister Padilla's daughter, who lives in the home while they serve in the temple, is grinding corn for the chickens to eat.

In the yard. The rooster is in the back ground.

Wait. There are two roosters.

The front room. 

The other side of the front room

The home that Sister Elda Padilla grew up in and the home they live in. Their daughter and her husband of two years, now live there until they finish their mission at the temple in December. They, the daughter and her husband, will move to their other smaller house in the same community.

Not too far away is a Hydro-power plant. There has not been much rain, so the water is very low. Much lower than normal.

Down river from the Hydro-power plant.

You can see the bridge that was a road. People can still walk across but it will not hold up cars going over it.

This is where the water usually comes into the river. The other side should be full of water.

The red building is where the maintenance people live.

There was evidence of work having been done here. (doesn't show up very well.)

The current road that cars drive on over the river. The Hydro-plant is in the background.

Here we are.

There is building in the community of Monjas

The neighborhood where the Padilla's live reminds me some what of where I grew up in Colonia Dublan.

It doesn't matter where we go, there are always ladies with baskets on their heads.

Getting in or out of the car.

More of the yard where the Padilla's live.

The field across the street is very dry.

Here I am standing by the car in front of the Padilla's home.

A home in the neighborhood.

Some more of the neighborhood.

Some more of the neighborhood.

Some neighbors

We stopped to see many of Elda Padilla's family members who live in this community. Her cousin fixes tires for his income. His wife visited with us as she talked with her cousin.

Many  homes in Guatemala are painted bright colors.

This is the grandson of Sister Padilla's cousin.

The valley has very fertile soil. 

The fields are planted with watermelon. They grow coffee in this area also.

Watermelon fields.

Pack mules in the market place.

This is another daughter of the Padilla's, with her children.

Brother and Sister Padilla's grandson.

Brother and Sister Padilla brought things for their daughter and grandchildren .

Two pretty pictures.

You can see daylight at the edge of the wall and the tin roof in the front room.

The Padilla home.

The old Ford truck that belonged to the Padilla's in their yard. The white truck belongs to their son-in-law, Tony.

The river that runs through the community of Monjas. It looks like chocolate, not water.

The amusement park by the "chocolate" river.

The building that the branch holds Sacrament meeting and Sunday School and Relief Society/Priesthood in.

Don't want to get in the way of this dog.

Brother Padilla wanted to show us this very pretty sight. It is a lake that they take the youth to for youth activities. 

It was quite the climb to get there and to get back again. It's called lake Apalh. It is very pretty up here.

The middle of the town of Monjas

At one of Sister Elda Padilla's cousins. As we were sitting there, the front door was wide open. A chicken come to the door and looked around. 

Then the chicken just walked in like it owned the place. Elda's aunt didn't say a word or even move to shew it out. We said "hello". "Well, come on in". The chicken walked right on through the room we were in and on into the adjoining room like it owned the place. We were amazed.

This little girl was sitting by Brother Ramiro Padilla. She is the daughter of Elda's cousin. What a cute pose.

and this is her older brother.

Some more children of Elda's cousins.

Across the street lived more cousins and their children.

This little guy used the bowl for his hat.

And this little girl was very shy.

Cows grazing down the street in front of the house. That reminds me of my home when I grew up in Colonia Dublan.

A neighbor is building onto their home. bricks for blinds? That is an interesting idea.

This cow just stared at me, so I took his picture. Did he think I was going to shew him away?

Tony, the Padilla's son-in-law and and the District President, brought home a roll of wipes that had been damaged by moisture. They took a saw and cut of the damaged part to be used in wiping tables and cleaning the building they held church in.

Everybody helped with the saw or holding the roll of paper.

The kitchen.  Alexandria is cooking.

A fish cooked for Sunday dinner. The other thing on the table is tortillas wrapped in a cloth.

Around the dinner table. Blair, Tony and Alexandrea, Sister Padilla and Brother Padilla. 

This mountain is where this community got its name. They call this the Monja. Sister Padilla showed me where the mountain looks like a Nun's face.

We came home from church in a Tuc Tuc.

The climb to Lake Apalh

a pretty view

The path on the way back from Lake Apalh

Lake Apalh

The fisherman has a steep descend to go fishing, and a steep climb after he catches his fish for the day.

It is very pretty up here.

Again, a lady carrying something on her head.

Sister Elda Padilla, in the red skirt and white top with her cousins. This is the same house that the chicken came to visit while we were there.

A view of the fields where the watermelon grows.

The pack mules again.