We haven't left to go to the funeral so I will add a few other things to the blog before I go. We are so touched by the kindness and graciousness of everyone. People smile first and so everyone wears a smile. Everyone says 'buenos dias" in elevators, on the street, as one walks in the morning. Yesterday we were invited to a corn festival. We are building a new chapel in a small village about 35 miles + from Guatemala City. This is where we attend church and where Brother and Sister Rabenales live, and where we are off to in just a moment. The Elder's president realized the property was just sitting vacant and decided that he should plant corn. He did this in the Spring with the help of others in this branch. They harvested the corn on Friday and the branch came and consumed it on Saturday. The word "consumed" has some energetic connotations and, yes, it was consumed. Here, as in other Latin American countries the houses are flush with the little streets, but when you go through the door you are in a little plaza where most of the life in the home goes on. Bedrooms, kitchen, etc. are placed around this square. I can't think of what this outside room is called, and there is a word, I just can't think of it right now. When we arrived a huge pot was cooking in the middle of the patio (and these people are very poor) and there were hundreds of pieces of corn that had been cooking for hours on a fire of apple wood. We took brownies and balloons and the brownies later became a hit, but the balloons were the best idea. The balloons were hung all over the patio and the children played volleyball with them for an hour. While we can't speak Spanish well enough to communicate on a social level we hugged and kissed and made faces to the children, chased around and had a great time. The ears of corn were huge and when taken out of the pot were steaming hot. They peeled the leaves off the ear and then kept them attached at the end. This was the "handle". They press fresh limes all over the ear then put a heavy salt on it and it is wonderful. They dip them in ketsup, put mayonnaise on each ear, etc. and each person must have eaten a half a dozen. (not me) I took my camera hoping to get pictures, but when I got there I realized the battery was dead. We had asked another sister from the area office who doesn't get to go out much if she wanted to go with us. She had a camera and took lots of pictures. She is going to send them to my computer so I will have something to post on the blog. We are still having trouble with our computer. I have written to so many of you, but haven't been able to send them. I send the e-mails but we can't get any further than the "send button". I can't tell you how many e-mails are sitting in the computer waiting to be sent. We haven't forgotten our friends or family, we just can't get this computer to cooperate. We love this work and we love the gospel. As we studied our Sunday School lesson in Spanish we encountered a quote by President Ezra Taft Benson. I have cut it out and will put it on our wall. "Los hombres y las mujeres que entreguen su vida a Dios descubriran que El Puede hacer mucho mas de sus vidas quo lo que ellos mismos pueden hacer. Les dara gozo, ampliara su vision, avivara su mente, fortalecera sus musculos, elevara su espiritu, multiplicara sus bendiciones, aumentara sus oportunidades, confrotara su alma, les dara amigos y paz. Quien pierda su vida al servicio de Dios encontrara la vida eterna ." 1988 "Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson" page 361. I have read this quote over and over and it is inspiring to both of us.

We love this work and it has blessed us in countless ways.