at the Xela Temple

This is our last week of closure while the temple gets its semi-annual maintenance. So on Wednesday we went to Quetzaltanango where the Xela temple is. (sound the X like it is sh). This temple is almost three years old. It is beautiful. We were able to do one session on Wednesday and then the next morning, Thursday, some of us did sealings and some also did inititories. When we arrived in Quetzaltanango, we went to our hotel to check in and change into our clothes to go to the temple. We ran into a few problems in the process. The streets are steep and narrow and the big bus was blocking the straight shot that we needed to get to the hotel. Some of us got out and ran inside to check in. Because of the steepness of the road up I could not shut the side door to the temple van we were in (centrifugal force). So I left the door open. President Burk inched around the big bus and tried to make the corner, but accidentally damaged the passenger door (the one I just got out of and left open). We could not shut the door after that. It had to be tied closed for the rest of our trips to the temple and back to Guatemala City. Before we left on Thursday we had to wait until the roads were cleared of the teachers strike that was going on. We were told it would not be safe to go and try to get through the teachers. They had guns and would not be afraid to use them. So we had lunch at the temple annex building and waited until the middle of the afternoon to leave when the word was that it was safe to go.

Looking out toward the central park by the hotel we stayed at in Quetzaltanango

The big bus blocking the narrow street we needed to go up to park

look how narrow the streets are

The foyer of the hotel we stayed in when we were in Quetzaltenango

The Xela Temple at night in Quetzaltenango

Those of us who when on this trip are from left to right:
Murri, Sister Cordon, Roberts, Barlows, Burks, Harris, President Galvez and Sister Guzman in front of him. The Padillas and Sister Galvez are missing from this picture.

President and Sister Burk

the Padillas also went with us but were not in the group picture because they went into town after the temple session on Thursday morning.

Volcano Fuego (which is currently active)

view of the city from the temple grounds

We are ready to go back to work at the temple. This is what we are here in Guatemala for. We will be using some of the other pictures of our trips in other blogs.