The people from Polochic

On Wednesday there was a group of people who came from Polochic. They came to do temple work. A lady missionary who had served in that area here in Guatemala told them that if they would find two family names and get them ready for the temple, she would pay their way to get to the temple to do the work for them. She raised over $10,000 for these people. So they did the research and found the names of their families who had gone on before them. They not only found the two names of their ancestors but they found many names. There were about 100 who came Wednesday and stayed until Thursday. Some had to walk from their homes for several hours starting at 11:00 at night, to get to a truck which went over bad roads to take them, standing up and packed in together, to the bus which was waiting for them to leave at 3:00 a.m. They don't just come themselves, but they come as a family and they help each other out while they are here. It takes eight hours for the bus from there to Guatemala City. When they got here they stayed in temple housing here close to the temple. Polochic is North of here and South and East of Coban. On Wednesday we had 11 sisters and 12 men here for their very first time. Some of them were here to be sealed as families. There were baptisms done also. There were 24 in the nursery "Guardaria". They came to make covenants and to do work for their extended families gone before them. The main language is Quekchi, but some of them do speak Spanish. Some of the women do not read or write. Their temple recommend is signed with their thumb print.

Waiting in line to get into the temple

A group gathering after having served in the temple

Security is helping this family out with something

these two girls were having fun.

This little man was so interested in the camera, that he wanted us to keep taking pictures and letting him see them. He told us that he broke his arm playing ball.

Its like a picnic for families and friends 

 This group left on Thursday afternoon and another group came from the same area for Friday and Saturday. We had many of the other people come, that normally come. It was the last day of the month. There was standing room only.  There was a line in the rest rooms. There was a line for sessions and other things. There were baskets of clothes on top of the lockers because there were no more lockers available. There were people who had tears of joy.

Fed in the temple, now feeding him self 

A sister taking care of her sibling

One brother taking care of his brother

A father and his daughter

This little guy was not sure he wanted his picture taken

Kids enjoying a video, food and playing

A small family

A mother who already went on a session, now she is waiting for someone else to go.

Two of the buses that transported people to the temple

Notice how packed the bus is of the people. They come as families and help each other out while they attend the temple

The families are starting to exit the bus they came to the temple in

These are Guatemalan empanadas. Sister Padilla taught a couple of us how to make these on Wednesday. They are very good.

the sauce for the Guatemalan empanadas

Waiting in line to enter the temple

A couple of ladies from Polochic and their child in their native dress