I realize that the blog reads backwards, with the most recent blog at the top. If anyone reads this blog, and as a reference for my own journal, I will have to keep this in mind.
How to begin? Our days are packed with many activities. The ideas that come to us are amazing even to us. Where do these ideas come from? We finish one big project and we think of another one. These ideas come from the Lord, as well as the knowledge of the process needed in carrying out and completing the projects. We are truly instruments in His hand.
One of our nurses, Hermana Despain, in El Salvador has been a fabulous contact and her networking has kept us in touch with El Salvador missionaries. We have wanted to see her and talk with her, but as this is another country, our chance for an immediate meeting was remote. We will go there for zone conferences, but that might not have been for awhile. Thursday, the Security Specialists for CA asked us to go with them to the groundbreaking ceremony for the New El Salvador temple. We immediately called Hermana Despain to see if she and the Mission President and his wife could meet with us for dinner at the hotel and go over the medical issues of the Oeste/Belize Mission. They were excited about the meeting and so were we. It is important to know that the Mission President's wife, throughout the church, has the job of the health of missionaries in her mission. This is a huge job, and she accomplishes this with the help of a nurse who works part time as a nurse and part time as a tracting missionary. Hermana Despain is a young woman who just finished her nursing degree at Westminster College. These people are the first line of defense for the missionary health issues. Kim is the last line of defense, but he depends on these people for the information he requires. With this information he can assemble, analyze and report on the various mission medical issues the Church needs each month. The mission nurses stay in contact with Kim on difficult problems.
We left Guatemala City about 5:00 in the morning and got to our beautiful "wow" hotel about 11;00. We were not invited to the ceremony, but we planned to go anyway. As insignificant as these details sound they are not, as the events of the day proceeded. While in the lobby, as we checked in, two men came over to talk to us. They saw our black name tags and, as it turned out, we found they were the managing director and international director of a large humanitarian foundation. We talked and laughed and Kim and I told them that we had a dream that we wanted a thousand pair of reading glasses by Spring. Joe and Lori have already sent a 140 pair and that is a good beginning. We have no idea how we will get the rest, but we know we will, somehow. The trick is to get them here. The only way they can come into the country is in personal luggage. Well, back to the story. The day was beautiful, San Salvadore, the capital city is modern and certainly rooted in this new century. We took an umbrella to the site, which by the way is absolutely gorgeous, and as we arrived and walked to the site, noticed black clouds forming overhead. We were there an hour early so enjoyed the practice of the choir. Hermana Despain was the soloist and has a riviting soprano voice. She and the 17 year old son of one of the Seventies in CA sang together.
People were coming up the slope and wearing their best clothes, spike heels, beautiful jewelry, gorgeous and glowing. About 15 minutes before the ceremony it began to rain. Huge drops like hail drilled into us. Just as we began the earth under our feet began to turn to mud. There were umbrellas all over in all colors; but in about 1/2 hour the unbrellas themselves began to condense and rain on all of us underneath. Everything went on as planned: talks by the Area Presidency, Mission Presidents, choir, soloists, groundbreaking...etc., all under rain, thunder and lightning. As soon as everything was over, the rain stopped, birds began to sing, insects chirped and flew around, as though the rain were the most natural thing in the world. And, I suppose it was. Everyone was covered in mud from head to toe, but everyone was happy and enthusiastic. The first song was "Come, Come Ye Saints", and no one could complain after singing the words to that song. We were so wet, and our shoes (four days later are still wet)and anything leather soaked. Here we were, slmost on the equator and we were so cold we could hardly speak. We got back to the hotel and our "small" dinner party we were hosting turned into a big one. Fifteen people came. The mission president, his wife and our three nurses were there, but we also invited the men from the humanitarian agency, one of the Area Presidency and his wife (friends of Paul and Ann), two brethren from the church in charge of the architecture and funding of the temple and the security people fromthe Area Office. Now this may sound mundane, but there was a special spirit at that long table as we laughed talked about medical issues, reviewed personal efforts in the church, and just talked. As we walked back to our room, the managing director of the humanitarian foundation looked at Kim and said, "you will get your reading glasses".
It took me an hour of soaking in the hottest tub to finally ward off hypothermia. We had to wear wet clothes until we got home on Sunday to Guatemala.
The border from El Salvadore and Guatemala is like going through a time machine. Guatemala still has a foot in the last century, El Salvadore has too, but the city of San Salvadore is modern, clean, no guns, two and three lane highways. We saw many colorful birds, finally, and watched from our balcony and counted different species of birds. We see few in Guatemala.
We heard two stories in Sacrament Meeting I would like to to pass on. We went to a ward in San Salvador and were so impressed by the sizee of the ward and energy of the members. The theme of the Sacrament Meeting was music. All this was in Spanish and some of the talk I understood, but much was explained to me afterwards. A young woman spoke and in her talk said that her mother was not a talker and she spent her life with a mother who did not speak. But, she said, "She sang!" And as she grew up she and her mother communicated by singing. Music is part of her soul and she thanks her mother for this gift. She played the viola for all the songs that day in church, including the sacrament song. The way she held the viola, cradled it, dusted it, tuned it and carefully put it in the case between songs illustrated her reverence for music. My heart was so touched.
A young couple sat in front of us and we were there early enough to talk for awhile. They spoke little English and we speak next to no Spanish, but we understood each other. She is due to have her first baby - a girl sometime this week and they are so excited. When I asked her whether or not she had picked a name for her little girl she told me that the little girl had picked her own name. I didn't understand, but she told me that when she was 14 she had a dream. In the dream, there was a little girl who told her the name she would have on earth. This young woman looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "this baby is the little girl from my dream".
Experiences and stories abound!
This morning, Monday, we finally got in contact with the International Lion's Club Guatemala Chapter (at least one of them). Their international mission is vision. We observed them do a vision clinic in Lima, Peru and were so impressed. We have been wanting to volunteer as long as we have been in Guatemala but have been to busy to find a chapter. Today we did and we will help them with vision projects. Even if we just help them line the children up to enter various clinics we can at least do that.
This has been a week of music. We went to the Symphony last Thursday and heard the National Orchestra of Mexico play. A guest artist played the Tchai....Violin Concerto. This was first tier concert and was fabulous. This was the first concert I have ever been to where the orchestra had to play three encores. They have a neat tradition here. At the conclusion of all their symphony concerts they have little containers of local chocolate in tiny packages. As one leaves the concert everyone gets a small chocolate...this chocolate is a specialty of Guatemala. This tradition is such a gracious sort of thing, just a little thing, that makes the concerts special.
Tonight, our family home evening group had a marimba group(the national instrument of Guatemala) play a recital ( I guess you would call it) in the home of one of the Area Specialists. No one reads music, but everyone...from tiny children up...are taught to play the Marimba. Marimbas are like violins and constructed with all the miraculous sounding boards a violin has. The group tonight used a 50 year old marimba (three players on a single marimba) that was such a beautiful instrument built in dark wood and covered with elaborate carvings. The drummer, who stroked his drums softly and balanced perfectly with the marimba was incredible. The men were all dressed in suits and ties and all were over 50.
We are going to the temple tomorrow mornng, and who knows what will happen in the office tomorrow. We have many projects, but other things keep popping up and we never run out of things to do. We love your e-mails and letters. We live for them, thrive on them...thanks for keeping in touch with us.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
nifty fifty anniversary
We were sitting at opposite ends of the office, both working on our separate computers when an e-mail flashed on my screen with a "Happy Anniversary!". It took me a minute to figure out who the e-mail was from and I laughed when I turned around and Kim was laughing at me with that Taylor "glint" in his eyes.
We went to the roof tonight and spent our 50th wedding anniversary all by ourselves on a beautiful foggy, rainy night; looking in all directions over a city we have come to love. The fog drifted around us, the streets were wet and reflected the automobile lights in that certain refracted light one sees during a drizzling rain.
We finished another very important project tonight and gave a copy to our Area President AFTER we had sent it, so we hope he will approve. We didn't want to wait until next week, as this week-end is an incredible event for El Salvadore and the whole Area Presidency is there. They are breaking ground for their temple, and the people of El Savador truly deserve it. They come by the busloads to our temple, they are faithful, beautiful people. There is such excitement in El Salvadore and it will be a wonderful event. Not many people are going from Guatemala as the President doesn't want the crowd to be Guatemelan. We are going with the Security people, but we will stand way back and not intrude. We are not going for this event, but rather, to meet with the Mission nurse and the Mission President and his wife. We will take them to dinner and discuss medical issues of the mission over dinner. We are leaving at 5:30 Saturday morning and be back Sunday night, fairly early. It is a four or five hour drive and will require passport checks, etc. We also go back to a country using dollars instead of the local currency.
We got a school picture from Morgan, a drawing from Tim and Charlie, and everyone in our office wants to know from whom those wonderful things came. We love sharing our family, and hearing about other's families. These pictures are on my office wall just above my computer where I do most of my work.
Just one story, our of many, but we were at the Central Mission Office doing a clinic this afternoon. The elders take turns coming into the office to enter data in the computer. This companionship is often there when we are and they are delightful. They told us, today, that peopole do not smile on the buses. They are very crowded, dirty, and a huge hazard on the roads, but they do serve a purpose. This is the only transportation a good part of the population can afford. The elders say they get on the bus and try to make every one smile or laugh. They "work the bus" trying to "spread joy". This is not a joke to them, they are serious about laughter. They do not try to spread the gospel, but they want to make people smile about something...as much of their life might be difficult. Both of them have contagious smiles and it would be next to impossible not to smile back. What a delightful philosophy and it reminds me of a special family story about my dad that everyone already knows about.
We are sitting in our clean, tidy apartment in a country we never thought we would visit, and feeling gratefulfor each other, for the memories we have shared and for the life we have lived (with its challenges and successes). To be able to close the door of our office and bow our heads in prayer to help us with a momentary challenge or pray for our family-which we often do when we feel a prompting-is an incredible blessing. We love our family and we are so proud of them. We admire them so, and respect them all for the decisions they make.
It has been a nifty-fifty!
We went to the roof tonight and spent our 50th wedding anniversary all by ourselves on a beautiful foggy, rainy night; looking in all directions over a city we have come to love. The fog drifted around us, the streets were wet and reflected the automobile lights in that certain refracted light one sees during a drizzling rain.
We finished another very important project tonight and gave a copy to our Area President AFTER we had sent it, so we hope he will approve. We didn't want to wait until next week, as this week-end is an incredible event for El Salvadore and the whole Area Presidency is there. They are breaking ground for their temple, and the people of El Savador truly deserve it. They come by the busloads to our temple, they are faithful, beautiful people. There is such excitement in El Salvadore and it will be a wonderful event. Not many people are going from Guatemala as the President doesn't want the crowd to be Guatemelan. We are going with the Security people, but we will stand way back and not intrude. We are not going for this event, but rather, to meet with the Mission nurse and the Mission President and his wife. We will take them to dinner and discuss medical issues of the mission over dinner. We are leaving at 5:30 Saturday morning and be back Sunday night, fairly early. It is a four or five hour drive and will require passport checks, etc. We also go back to a country using dollars instead of the local currency.
We got a school picture from Morgan, a drawing from Tim and Charlie, and everyone in our office wants to know from whom those wonderful things came. We love sharing our family, and hearing about other's families. These pictures are on my office wall just above my computer where I do most of my work.
Just one story, our of many, but we were at the Central Mission Office doing a clinic this afternoon. The elders take turns coming into the office to enter data in the computer. This companionship is often there when we are and they are delightful. They told us, today, that peopole do not smile on the buses. They are very crowded, dirty, and a huge hazard on the roads, but they do serve a purpose. This is the only transportation a good part of the population can afford. The elders say they get on the bus and try to make every one smile or laugh. They "work the bus" trying to "spread joy". This is not a joke to them, they are serious about laughter. They do not try to spread the gospel, but they want to make people smile about something...as much of their life might be difficult. Both of them have contagious smiles and it would be next to impossible not to smile back. What a delightful philosophy and it reminds me of a special family story about my dad that everyone already knows about.
We are sitting in our clean, tidy apartment in a country we never thought we would visit, and feeling gratefulfor each other, for the memories we have shared and for the life we have lived (with its challenges and successes). To be able to close the door of our office and bow our heads in prayer to help us with a momentary challenge or pray for our family-which we often do when we feel a prompting-is an incredible blessing. We love our family and we are so proud of them. We admire them so, and respect them all for the decisions they make.
It has been a nifty-fifty!
Monday, September 15, 2008
we still can't believe it...
It was a three day holiday in Guatemala, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, celebrating Guatemala's independence from Spain, and also its independence from other states in Central America. So, it was Independence Day! We have been all over the last three days, and seen the celebrations from the big city of Guatemala Ciudad to the smallest villages in the south-east of Guatemala. It has been a whirlwind trip and we are still on visual and audio overload trying to sort out all of the beautiful things we have seen and done. Guatemala is unlike any other country in Central America, even the world, perhaps, because of it's incredible diversity. Not only is the geology, topography, flora and fauna spectacular throughout the country, but the culture is different everywhere we go. From small villages to slums of the small port cities along the Atlantic coast; from wonderful, smiling helpful people to hostile groups, we have experienced a wide spectrum of living styles this long weekend.
The Bawdens, humanitarian missionaries, invited us to go with them. Dean speaks fluent Spanish, and for that we have been exceedingly grateful. We left at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and drove for five hours to a beautiful place called Lake Isabel. This is a fresh water lake and in size it is next largest to Lake Nicaragua, which is the largest lake anywhere in Central America (perhaps most of South America). It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a large river named Rio Dulce. This lake was crucial to transporting fruit from the West Coast to the Atlantic Coast and then on to North America. I have been reading about the banana and pineapple exports and the history of the companies who have made Guatemala the unique country it is today, and so it was with great interest that we visited this lake. We stayed in a hotel called the Mansion House and it was situated right on the south end of the lake where the river begins its journey to the Atlantic. If any of our family or friends come to Guatemala it will be the first thing we do for them. We had our own small boat with driver. We spent the next four or five hours going down and up, the river. We went through mangrove swamps with massive trees with their roots sunk in water, seen many acres..many, many areas of quiet, backwash waters covered with water lilies, looking for alligators (didn't see any), and gazing in wonder at the forest beside us. There are little tiny homes here and there, and on the mouth of the river where it empties into the ocean is the village of Livingston which figures in the history of Guatemal. The only way to this village is by boat. We stopped and walked around and shopped in the little tiendas. Saw the first dogfight I have seen in many years, and it was scary. This was more of a Carribean village and quite different in layout from other villages. There were lots of little lanes, no main street that I could see; whereas most of the Guatemalan villages have one street, essentially, with the main road being the action center of the village. This is not true for the cities, as they have massive neighborhoods and shopping areas, historic sites, and many other modern things like "traffic" and large buildings. That is quite different from the small towns.
Our hotel was old fashioned and quite lovely. It can't compare to the modern day Marriot's and other fancy hotels, but it was beautiful and full of families with children of all ages. It was a destination place, not a place where you come and leave the next day. That night, after dinner, I had a hankering for M and Ms, and casually mentioned it to Hermana Bawden. Her husband overheard me and insisted we go into Rio Dulce to look for chocolate. This is a noisy, crowded little town, and as in most small towns, everyone is outside in the streets. Food was cooking everywhere, music was playing, colors, designs, inventory of all kinds(from tourist things to vegetables and household goods) all were crowded onto both sides of the street.President Clarke told us "not to do stupid stuff"...his words exactly. This little trip for chocolate wasn't exactly wise and we will do better from now on. This, by the way, wasn't the only marginal thing we did. But, at any rate, Brother Bawden - taller by a foot than anyone around him, went from stall to stall looking for M and Ms. Everyone was in a festive mood, partly because of the holiday, and it turned out to be lots of fun. We didn't give away any Books of Mormon, however.
The next day we went to Point Barrios, the only deep water port in Central America, and which also figured in the history of Guatemala. The landscape is beautiful, and as in North America, elevation dictates the type of plant life, so is it here. We went from flat lands to forest, to what might be called jungle, to river lands and on to the ocean.
We got lost in the slum area of Port Barrios and somehow found our way out with the help of some kind people. I guess we weren't really lost, but the main road was not where we thought it was. That was the other dumb thing we did, as we went up and down little lanes that reminded us of the outskirts of Lima. People looked at our car and the people in it with suspicion and unsmiling faces, and in one group, perhaps some hostility. We shouldn't have been there and we will be wiser next time.
We were glad to be back at the hotel. This morning we checked out after a sumptious breakfast and drove to the ruins of _____________. This was a connecting city of a string of cities in AD 700 to 800. We saw huge stele, a ball field with massive steps on one end in laid out in pyramidal fashion. We have seen stele in museums here, but these were the first we have seen in the actual site. These were Maya cities...but with great Olmec influence. The Omecs seem to be, to me at least, sort of a mystery civilization. The artistic and architectural influence seemed to sprout from the Olmecs and flourished in Mayan and Aztec cultures.
It was so hot that we were soaked. All three days were hot like this and I understand now, for the first time, the wisdom of drinking water constantly. In all this humidity, dyhydration is a real problem.
As we went through small towns all over this part of Guatemala we were constantly in little traffic jams as each little city had parades. The parades consisted of three or four trucks with "queens" in pretty dresses sitting in the back, school children walking, balloons, and in one city an actual drum band with uniforms that someone must have donated, happy parents watching their children, and flags everywhere. The parades would go a block or two then turn around and come back. Then when they had come to the starting place they would turn around and repeat the same distance. It was a simple and humble celebration which reminded me of the fourth of July parades our Primary used to have many years ago. Torch runners were everwhere, from the Port Cities all the way to the West coast. We saw many torch runners and each had a coterie of runners with them.
It is a nice quiet evening and we thought it a perfect time to catch up on our blog. While this posting has been a travelogue, I must say that the work is going well. We see the hand of the Lord every single day as we find a way to do tasks that were troubling and confusing. Answers to problems have fallen in our lap as we pray for guidance. We actually finished three huge projects this last week in addition to our regular tasks. We will now get ready to visit missions throughout Central America. The CCM (missionary training center) remains a place of wonder for us. And as we have visited the homes many of these missionaries have come from we feel even more wonder at the blessings the gospel brings into the lives of these people. The Perpetual Education Fund has got to be one of the most incredible blessings for people throughout the world. I had no idea of its scope and how it makes possible a better life for many people who have little future. Without it, missionaries who come from these very poor situations would have to go home after their missions and go right back into subsistence living. With this opportunity to learn new skills, many Latin missionaries will have a different future than their parents ever dreamed of for their sons and daughters.
The vision and the ability to carry those visions is one of the miracles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Power and Authority of the church changes lives in a way I have never imagined before. The simplicity of procedures and the respect the church has for the cultures in Central America is different from anything I have seen anywhere else. The church works in a ways that never conflict with politics, tradition, etc. School desks here, an irrigation project there, agronomists teaching people how to fertilize fields, setting up little industries in small villages; all of these projects are designed to not drain a penny from the economy, but to teach skills that will assist the economy of a region. It seems as though it is a gentle system of encouragement. It is difficult to explain and I guess one has to see it to understand it.
There have been many experiences this last week: a small dinner in our apartment - "chili on your lap" party for two sisters who just moved next door to us, a dinner down-town for the family of those who were killed in the airplane crash some weeks ago. The Bawdens and the Taylors hosted this dinner and we had a large group. It was difficult to see the stuggles of these teen-age children, but the Bawdens have arranged for them to meet with Elder Falabella, one of the Area Presidency for an interview. He is a family friend and hopefully will be able to counsel the children and help them get on with their lives. I have given Daniel (17) a copy of Elizabeth Ballentyne's composition for a solo male voice. He is going to learn it and sing it for groups. We have also given a copy to Carlos Rebanales who is a musician and does choirs all over. If someone ever reads our blog, perhaps you could let Elizabeth know how much everyone has loved this piece of music, and furthermore, how it has become a blessing in one young man's life. This music was written for the Aaronic Priesthood, but it has a meaning far beyond that here in Guatemala.
Enough for now! This has been a great week of learning. The only thing we haven't done is testify. That will be our goal for this week.
The Bawdens, humanitarian missionaries, invited us to go with them. Dean speaks fluent Spanish, and for that we have been exceedingly grateful. We left at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and drove for five hours to a beautiful place called Lake Isabel. This is a fresh water lake and in size it is next largest to Lake Nicaragua, which is the largest lake anywhere in Central America (perhaps most of South America). It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a large river named Rio Dulce. This lake was crucial to transporting fruit from the West Coast to the Atlantic Coast and then on to North America. I have been reading about the banana and pineapple exports and the history of the companies who have made Guatemala the unique country it is today, and so it was with great interest that we visited this lake. We stayed in a hotel called the Mansion House and it was situated right on the south end of the lake where the river begins its journey to the Atlantic. If any of our family or friends come to Guatemala it will be the first thing we do for them. We had our own small boat with driver. We spent the next four or five hours going down and up, the river. We went through mangrove swamps with massive trees with their roots sunk in water, seen many acres..many, many areas of quiet, backwash waters covered with water lilies, looking for alligators (didn't see any), and gazing in wonder at the forest beside us. There are little tiny homes here and there, and on the mouth of the river where it empties into the ocean is the village of Livingston which figures in the history of Guatemal. The only way to this village is by boat. We stopped and walked around and shopped in the little tiendas. Saw the first dogfight I have seen in many years, and it was scary. This was more of a Carribean village and quite different in layout from other villages. There were lots of little lanes, no main street that I could see; whereas most of the Guatemalan villages have one street, essentially, with the main road being the action center of the village. This is not true for the cities, as they have massive neighborhoods and shopping areas, historic sites, and many other modern things like "traffic" and large buildings. That is quite different from the small towns.
Our hotel was old fashioned and quite lovely. It can't compare to the modern day Marriot's and other fancy hotels, but it was beautiful and full of families with children of all ages. It was a destination place, not a place where you come and leave the next day. That night, after dinner, I had a hankering for M and Ms, and casually mentioned it to Hermana Bawden. Her husband overheard me and insisted we go into Rio Dulce to look for chocolate. This is a noisy, crowded little town, and as in most small towns, everyone is outside in the streets. Food was cooking everywhere, music was playing, colors, designs, inventory of all kinds(from tourist things to vegetables and household goods) all were crowded onto both sides of the street.President Clarke told us "not to do stupid stuff"...his words exactly. This little trip for chocolate wasn't exactly wise and we will do better from now on. This, by the way, wasn't the only marginal thing we did. But, at any rate, Brother Bawden - taller by a foot than anyone around him, went from stall to stall looking for M and Ms. Everyone was in a festive mood, partly because of the holiday, and it turned out to be lots of fun. We didn't give away any Books of Mormon, however.
The next day we went to Point Barrios, the only deep water port in Central America, and which also figured in the history of Guatemala. The landscape is beautiful, and as in North America, elevation dictates the type of plant life, so is it here. We went from flat lands to forest, to what might be called jungle, to river lands and on to the ocean.
We got lost in the slum area of Port Barrios and somehow found our way out with the help of some kind people. I guess we weren't really lost, but the main road was not where we thought it was. That was the other dumb thing we did, as we went up and down little lanes that reminded us of the outskirts of Lima. People looked at our car and the people in it with suspicion and unsmiling faces, and in one group, perhaps some hostility. We shouldn't have been there and we will be wiser next time.
We were glad to be back at the hotel. This morning we checked out after a sumptious breakfast and drove to the ruins of _____________. This was a connecting city of a string of cities in AD 700 to 800. We saw huge stele, a ball field with massive steps on one end in laid out in pyramidal fashion. We have seen stele in museums here, but these were the first we have seen in the actual site. These were Maya cities...but with great Olmec influence. The Omecs seem to be, to me at least, sort of a mystery civilization. The artistic and architectural influence seemed to sprout from the Olmecs and flourished in Mayan and Aztec cultures.
It was so hot that we were soaked. All three days were hot like this and I understand now, for the first time, the wisdom of drinking water constantly. In all this humidity, dyhydration is a real problem.
As we went through small towns all over this part of Guatemala we were constantly in little traffic jams as each little city had parades. The parades consisted of three or four trucks with "queens" in pretty dresses sitting in the back, school children walking, balloons, and in one city an actual drum band with uniforms that someone must have donated, happy parents watching their children, and flags everywhere. The parades would go a block or two then turn around and come back. Then when they had come to the starting place they would turn around and repeat the same distance. It was a simple and humble celebration which reminded me of the fourth of July parades our Primary used to have many years ago. Torch runners were everwhere, from the Port Cities all the way to the West coast. We saw many torch runners and each had a coterie of runners with them.
It is a nice quiet evening and we thought it a perfect time to catch up on our blog. While this posting has been a travelogue, I must say that the work is going well. We see the hand of the Lord every single day as we find a way to do tasks that were troubling and confusing. Answers to problems have fallen in our lap as we pray for guidance. We actually finished three huge projects this last week in addition to our regular tasks. We will now get ready to visit missions throughout Central America. The CCM (missionary training center) remains a place of wonder for us. And as we have visited the homes many of these missionaries have come from we feel even more wonder at the blessings the gospel brings into the lives of these people. The Perpetual Education Fund has got to be one of the most incredible blessings for people throughout the world. I had no idea of its scope and how it makes possible a better life for many people who have little future. Without it, missionaries who come from these very poor situations would have to go home after their missions and go right back into subsistence living. With this opportunity to learn new skills, many Latin missionaries will have a different future than their parents ever dreamed of for their sons and daughters.
The vision and the ability to carry those visions is one of the miracles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Power and Authority of the church changes lives in a way I have never imagined before. The simplicity of procedures and the respect the church has for the cultures in Central America is different from anything I have seen anywhere else. The church works in a ways that never conflict with politics, tradition, etc. School desks here, an irrigation project there, agronomists teaching people how to fertilize fields, setting up little industries in small villages; all of these projects are designed to not drain a penny from the economy, but to teach skills that will assist the economy of a region. It seems as though it is a gentle system of encouragement. It is difficult to explain and I guess one has to see it to understand it.
There have been many experiences this last week: a small dinner in our apartment - "chili on your lap" party for two sisters who just moved next door to us, a dinner down-town for the family of those who were killed in the airplane crash some weeks ago. The Bawdens and the Taylors hosted this dinner and we had a large group. It was difficult to see the stuggles of these teen-age children, but the Bawdens have arranged for them to meet with Elder Falabella, one of the Area Presidency for an interview. He is a family friend and hopefully will be able to counsel the children and help them get on with their lives. I have given Daniel (17) a copy of Elizabeth Ballentyne's composition for a solo male voice. He is going to learn it and sing it for groups. We have also given a copy to Carlos Rebanales who is a musician and does choirs all over. If someone ever reads our blog, perhaps you could let Elizabeth know how much everyone has loved this piece of music, and furthermore, how it has become a blessing in one young man's life. This music was written for the Aaronic Priesthood, but it has a meaning far beyond that here in Guatemala.
Enough for now! This has been a great week of learning. The only thing we haven't done is testify. That will be our goal for this week.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Dad bore his testimony in Spanish this morning. I was so proud of him! I was ready to bear my testimony, as well, but the line was way too long. Half the audience came to the stand. The new missionaries are dynamic. They arranged rides for half the congregation. I don't know where they got the money and/or the rides. I am amazed at their ingenuity. Dad's lecture on Friday went very well. We added some new things and took out some of the old. We will still continue modifying it each time we do it. Some things work, some things don't; and each group seems to have a different dynamic.
We stayed home on Saturday glued to the computer as we watched Jeff's run. James started, but due to a pretty uncomfortble medical situation, dropped out at the beginning. Jeff ran 62 miles but the altitude gave him a great deal of trouble. We are so proud of both of our runners. They work hard, set goals and do their best to achieve their goals. Dad and I fasted for them and knew they had angels helping them make the decisions they did. Wisdom is a gift beyond compare and to LISTEN to promptings is the factor that drives wisdom.
This is a pretty active seniors social group. It seems that there is one event after another and all require food. I am making Becky's fudge as we just can't get the handle on our oven. Now it doesn't cook at a high enough temp. Before, it was just the opposite.
Monday! We have a huge list of projects we need to finish, continue or begin. We can't seem to catch up.
We stayed home on Saturday glued to the computer as we watched Jeff's run. James started, but due to a pretty uncomfortble medical situation, dropped out at the beginning. Jeff ran 62 miles but the altitude gave him a great deal of trouble. We are so proud of both of our runners. They work hard, set goals and do their best to achieve their goals. Dad and I fasted for them and knew they had angels helping them make the decisions they did. Wisdom is a gift beyond compare and to LISTEN to promptings is the factor that drives wisdom.
This is a pretty active seniors social group. It seems that there is one event after another and all require food. I am making Becky's fudge as we just can't get the handle on our oven. Now it doesn't cook at a high enough temp. Before, it was just the opposite.
Monday! We have a huge list of projects we need to finish, continue or begin. We can't seem to catch up.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Continuing..
We had an interview in the CCM with some instructors who will help us in the lecture on Friday so we were late in leaving Guatemala City, but we finally left about 11:00. The security missionaries, the humanitarian missionaries and the medical missionaries (us), 6 of us, were crammed into a 4 X 4. On the way to Quetzeltenango we went to Lake Atitlan and villages and markets which sell the most amazing fruits and vegetables. Thousands of these tiny vendors and markets line the highways throughout these high mountain valleys. These are not for tourists, but for the people who live nearby. These people live on what they grow, and if there is anything left over they might buy a shirt or some shoes in a market in a bigger city. The markets are all sizes. There are little vendors that might have 4 two liter containers of root-beer, orange, pineapple juice and that is all they have to sell. Some little vendors or markets sell a few handbags or hats. Some markets have a clump of bananas, which grow everywhere here, and a few carrots. Some markets are huge with every kind of fruit arranged on tables set up right on the highway. These highlands are ringed by volcanic mountains and weathered hills. In the middle of two volcanoes, in a delta valley about 8,000 feet, lies a lake many people believe to be the 'waters of Mormon". I feel as though I am in a time warp and can see Alma fleeing from the priests of Noah. Suddenly the words "up" and "down" in the Book of Mormon are not puzzling to me. To me, up always meant North and down meant South. I suddenly understand. I don't think this is the meaning of these descriptions as this is a land of ups and downs. This lake is huge and very beautiful. To see a lake like this that is empty of boats and waterskiers is culture shock. We saw a few fishing boats, but this lake is so still that it reflects the mountains around it. The landscape is spectacular and our ears popped continually as we drove up and down, up and down through all elevations more than once. I am not sure how high we were in elevation, but when we finally got to Questzt. (about 4 hours away - toward the West) it was late, late afternoon. We got lost a few times before we found our Hotel situated right on the main Plaza of the old city. Our hotel was old, but beautiful.
This was pure pleasure, as we explored and drove, but now we had to get down to business. The Mission President invited us to come to breakfast at 7:30. The mission home is beautiful with landscaped gardens all around it. There was a "geranium tree"...yes, a very large bush, in the front yard. It was about 20 feet high and, perhaps, 20-30 feet in around, and it was covered in hundreds of red geranium blossoms. The young sister missionaries who were the nurses for the mission were also invited for breakfast we were able to discuss many medical issues as well as examining and discussing their "first aid kits". We were astonished at the kits they had developed. They had a member who made the little pouches and they had everythng a missionary might want except anti-biotic ointment. We have been trying to research sources of anti-biotic ointment but all the quantities we could find were way to pricey. The sisters told us where they bought the materials for the kits and after breakfast took me to the little "farmicia" who supplied the missionaries with medicines they need. We finally found a small tube, just exactly what we wanted, in the back of the shop.
If we had sent the materials to the missions yesterday as we had hoped we would have missed this opportunity to see these "botoquins", and this inventory is exactly what the some of the missions are lacking. We thought we had a lot of information, but this was a gold mine. Thank goodness, we had to wait. The miracle doesn't end here, however.
After breakfast we connected to the Bawdens and saw an incredible dental clinic set up in the Stake house. There were at least 20 chairs set up for surgery, wisdom teeth removal, dental fillings, etc. They saw about 450 pre-Latin missionaries in two days. Dentists and equipment had come from the US for just this purpose and everything will be whisked away tomorrow.
We went with the US group to visit two homes way out, many miles, in the middle of cornfields. The group had many supplies to deposit. The qualifications for the recipients of these supplies was that they had to be members in good standing, and they must have been members for many years. These people lived in tiny mud homes (and how these people got to church was never explained to me) without running water or any amenities at all. These were Indian people and they had nothing. We dropped off the supplies, sang a couple of Primary songs, and the Stake President gave the small house a Melchizedek Priesthood Blessing. The children and parents sang the songs along with us. Some of these people actually have temple recommends. We didn't know before, but the director of this project told us that most of the Latin missionaries in the CCM came from homes just like these. We had no idea! We will regard these young men and women with awe, as we see them tomorrow. We have a group of 80+, the largest group ever, who are just beginning their 3 weeks at the Mission Home. Many of these young men and women have never seen anything like the small allowance they get to pay for their food. Much of it is sent back to their parents leaving the companioship with little to eat.
We went back to the mission home for lunch which the Mission President and his wife had set up in the back yard. While there, the daughter put together 3 kits for all of us to put in our cars at home. She did this at her own initiative. She also suggested that we work on a project for all the senior missionaries in the mission and supply all the cars the senior missionaries drove with first aid kits. Then she told us that the man who made the pouches was a member and suggested that we hire him to make the pounches. These pouches, which were very well made, was his sole source of income. Suddenly, we saw a vision of how we could help this member and provide many kits. We will put together an initiative, and hopefully, we will figure out a way to accomplish a project like this. It was a 16 year old girl who brought this to our attention.
When we left we had to get through a labyrinthian maze of streets to get to the main highway. As we left Quatzeltenango, a car pulled up beside us. It was the mission president, his wife and two children. They laughed and honked and told us they had been following us to make sure we were on the correct road. President Loranzano and his family were approachable, funny, insightful and thoroughly spontaneous. We can see why the missionaries love them.
We drove home through the lowlands toward the coast and back to Guatemala City. As we approached the city we could see bright orange lava flowing out of a vent from one of the volcanoes. If we had to punctuate our trip...this was the exclamation mark.
This was pure pleasure, as we explored and drove, but now we had to get down to business. The Mission President invited us to come to breakfast at 7:30. The mission home is beautiful with landscaped gardens all around it. There was a "geranium tree"...yes, a very large bush, in the front yard. It was about 20 feet high and, perhaps, 20-30 feet in around, and it was covered in hundreds of red geranium blossoms. The young sister missionaries who were the nurses for the mission were also invited for breakfast we were able to discuss many medical issues as well as examining and discussing their "first aid kits". We were astonished at the kits they had developed. They had a member who made the little pouches and they had everythng a missionary might want except anti-biotic ointment. We have been trying to research sources of anti-biotic ointment but all the quantities we could find were way to pricey. The sisters told us where they bought the materials for the kits and after breakfast took me to the little "farmicia" who supplied the missionaries with medicines they need. We finally found a small tube, just exactly what we wanted, in the back of the shop.
If we had sent the materials to the missions yesterday as we had hoped we would have missed this opportunity to see these "botoquins", and this inventory is exactly what the some of the missions are lacking. We thought we had a lot of information, but this was a gold mine. Thank goodness, we had to wait. The miracle doesn't end here, however.
After breakfast we connected to the Bawdens and saw an incredible dental clinic set up in the Stake house. There were at least 20 chairs set up for surgery, wisdom teeth removal, dental fillings, etc. They saw about 450 pre-Latin missionaries in two days. Dentists and equipment had come from the US for just this purpose and everything will be whisked away tomorrow.
We went with the US group to visit two homes way out, many miles, in the middle of cornfields. The group had many supplies to deposit. The qualifications for the recipients of these supplies was that they had to be members in good standing, and they must have been members for many years. These people lived in tiny mud homes (and how these people got to church was never explained to me) without running water or any amenities at all. These were Indian people and they had nothing. We dropped off the supplies, sang a couple of Primary songs, and the Stake President gave the small house a Melchizedek Priesthood Blessing. The children and parents sang the songs along with us. Some of these people actually have temple recommends. We didn't know before, but the director of this project told us that most of the Latin missionaries in the CCM came from homes just like these. We had no idea! We will regard these young men and women with awe, as we see them tomorrow. We have a group of 80+, the largest group ever, who are just beginning their 3 weeks at the Mission Home. Many of these young men and women have never seen anything like the small allowance they get to pay for their food. Much of it is sent back to their parents leaving the companioship with little to eat.
We went back to the mission home for lunch which the Mission President and his wife had set up in the back yard. While there, the daughter put together 3 kits for all of us to put in our cars at home. She did this at her own initiative. She also suggested that we work on a project for all the senior missionaries in the mission and supply all the cars the senior missionaries drove with first aid kits. Then she told us that the man who made the pouches was a member and suggested that we hire him to make the pounches. These pouches, which were very well made, was his sole source of income. Suddenly, we saw a vision of how we could help this member and provide many kits. We will put together an initiative, and hopefully, we will figure out a way to accomplish a project like this. It was a 16 year old girl who brought this to our attention.
When we left we had to get through a labyrinthian maze of streets to get to the main highway. As we left Quatzeltenango, a car pulled up beside us. It was the mission president, his wife and two children. They laughed and honked and told us they had been following us to make sure we were on the correct road. President Loranzano and his family were approachable, funny, insightful and thoroughly spontaneous. We can see why the missionaries love them.
We drove home through the lowlands toward the coast and back to Guatemala City. As we approached the city we could see bright orange lava flowing out of a vent from one of the volcanoes. If we had to punctuate our trip...this was the exclamation mark.
An incredible 2 days -
Another miracle!! We have been disappointed in the delay of medical material we have labored over, not being ready to go to the 12 missions. We have worked and worked and for some reason we have faced obstacles at every turn. Now we know why and we are so relieved that we hadn't sent the pouches. This has been such an amazing two days and it is difficult to believe that we have been able to compact so many experiences in 36 hours. We were able to go to the 2nd largest city in Guatemala, way up in the volcanic rim of mountain valleys. Quezteltango was never leveled by earthquakes and has a mix of Spanish and Indian style buildings that date from the 15th century. It is my favorite city so far. It is a very large city, but the streets are cobblestone and they are very narrow. The buildings, most of them small, are right on the street with a narrow sidewalk between the front door and the curb. Everyone wears their native dress and the colors, and especially the patterns in the cloth are absolutely riviting. This trip was made possible by Dean and Marilyn Bawden, humanitarian missionaries. They were going and invited us to go with them. We thought this a perfect chance to meet the Mission President and the nurses and review medical issues with them. We called before we left to see if an interview was possible. It was, and they were eager to meet with us. I will get to the "miracle" part in a minute, which by the way, is something the 16 year old daughter of the Mission President suggested.
Quetzaltenango (tenango means "village" and many towns end with "tenango")
Quetzaltenango (tenango means "village" and many towns end with "tenango")
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Continuing..
It seems as though there are obstacles every time we turn around, for example, we have all the information on various medical issues to go to each mission in Central America. We were all ready to send it and found that part of this package cannot be sent for various reasons. So now we are back on square one...maybe square two. We feel momentarily discouraged, but for some reason we soon feel comforted and ideas around the problem seem to occur to us. Again, these are not our ideas, we are sure.
On Saturday we went to Antigua, the first capitol of Guatemala. Some 50 years ago it was leveled by an earthquake. The larger buildings are still in ruins, but the smaller homes and buildings are intact. The streets are cobblestones and it is "the place" to visit in Guatemala. Each little house is now a shop where artisans or vendors show their wares. These items are generally the very best. Everywhere we went people would tell us they knew a Mormon. One man told us he had been baptized in Massachussets, but he hasn't been to church since. Everyone was very kind to the people who wore the black nametags. We went to a small jade factory and I bought a necklace and earrings. This city sits in an ancient caldera and is surrounded by lush green hills. If someone could tell Glen and Enid Cox our blog address they might enjoy reading about the textiles. The weavings are bright and colorful and are constructed in many shapes and sizes. Whatever you might want, for whatever size table you have, there is a tablecloth that will fit, and everything is reasonable priced. The clothes we see people wearing are patterned according to the town or lineage, and we see these clothes worn everywhere. Many of the textiles are woven in these same patterns, although they are not generally sold as clothing, rather they are table cloths, runners, etc.
We are going to Quatzeltenango tomorrow to meet the medical specialists. This is the 2nd biggest city in Guatemala and is located about 4 hours away. We will come back on Thursday evening. We are driving with the Bawdens so we will be passengers rather than the driver. Last night we had a Family Home Evening dinner to honor a couple who is leaving for medical reasons. I was assigned the flowers. I was able to purchase for about 14 dollars the most incredible flowers. I had a huge bouquet of birds of paradise, greenery, gerbera daisies, baby breath and some kind of lily and was able to have flowers on each table, the huge arrangment and flowers left over to give away. All the members of the Area Presidency were there as well as three mission presidents. As they spoke to the group there was such a feeling of confidence in the work conveyed by these men. It was sort of like listening to conference. Whenever we are in a group with the Area Presidency the men wear suits and the women wear their best. And it is something that feels "just right". These men have such an aura that seems to invite us to do our very best. There is no question in my mind that these are men like Nephi, Moroni, Helaman, and I realize now, that Paul Koelliker is doing just as these men are doing, and we feel very blessed to have Paul and Ann as a good friends. The same spirit must prevail all over the world and it gives us incredible comfort to know the earth is remains in its orbit and all will be well as long as there are leaders such as these to guide the church.
We are so grateful for the opportunities we have had the last two months. We wonder how we could be so blessed by the example of others. Some of the greatest people are the least in money, opportunity, experience; and yet they are the pillars of these small wards and branches. Zion is growing!
We were asked to come back to the Marroquin family's home on Tusday (today) so we could learn how to make tortillas. After work, the Bawdens and the Taylors drove to their home. Our Branch is 40 km away from the city and their home is even further than that. This little town of El Fiscal is down through a canyon and the street, the only street, wanders about 5 km. through the gully/canyon. Since I described the home I will just mention the tortilla lesson we had. Sister Marraquin grinds her corn (her husband grows all the corn) once ever week in a common mill. They soak it in lye to soften the hard coat on this field corn. With that meal they make everything they eat. She had made a soft dough that sort of felt like bisquik. She had a fire under a large flat pan. She and her daughter showed us how to make a flour ball, shape it and pat it from one hand to another until it was round and ready to put on the stove. There is no grease and it sizzles like a pancake (and browns just like a pancake). These tortillas have a little cavity in the middle where we put crema and pureed black beans. We made 40-50 of these torntillas and then we sat down with the family and ate them. The same mosca were still there, along with a wild rainstorm.
On Saturday we went to Antigua, the first capitol of Guatemala. Some 50 years ago it was leveled by an earthquake. The larger buildings are still in ruins, but the smaller homes and buildings are intact. The streets are cobblestones and it is "the place" to visit in Guatemala. Each little house is now a shop where artisans or vendors show their wares. These items are generally the very best. Everywhere we went people would tell us they knew a Mormon. One man told us he had been baptized in Massachussets, but he hasn't been to church since. Everyone was very kind to the people who wore the black nametags. We went to a small jade factory and I bought a necklace and earrings. This city sits in an ancient caldera and is surrounded by lush green hills. If someone could tell Glen and Enid Cox our blog address they might enjoy reading about the textiles. The weavings are bright and colorful and are constructed in many shapes and sizes. Whatever you might want, for whatever size table you have, there is a tablecloth that will fit, and everything is reasonable priced. The clothes we see people wearing are patterned according to the town or lineage, and we see these clothes worn everywhere. Many of the textiles are woven in these same patterns, although they are not generally sold as clothing, rather they are table cloths, runners, etc.
We are going to Quatzeltenango tomorrow to meet the medical specialists. This is the 2nd biggest city in Guatemala and is located about 4 hours away. We will come back on Thursday evening. We are driving with the Bawdens so we will be passengers rather than the driver. Last night we had a Family Home Evening dinner to honor a couple who is leaving for medical reasons. I was assigned the flowers. I was able to purchase for about 14 dollars the most incredible flowers. I had a huge bouquet of birds of paradise, greenery, gerbera daisies, baby breath and some kind of lily and was able to have flowers on each table, the huge arrangment and flowers left over to give away. All the members of the Area Presidency were there as well as three mission presidents. As they spoke to the group there was such a feeling of confidence in the work conveyed by these men. It was sort of like listening to conference. Whenever we are in a group with the Area Presidency the men wear suits and the women wear their best. And it is something that feels "just right". These men have such an aura that seems to invite us to do our very best. There is no question in my mind that these are men like Nephi, Moroni, Helaman, and I realize now, that Paul Koelliker is doing just as these men are doing, and we feel very blessed to have Paul and Ann as a good friends. The same spirit must prevail all over the world and it gives us incredible comfort to know the earth is remains in its orbit and all will be well as long as there are leaders such as these to guide the church.
We are so grateful for the opportunities we have had the last two months. We wonder how we could be so blessed by the example of others. Some of the greatest people are the least in money, opportunity, experience; and yet they are the pillars of these small wards and branches. Zion is growing!
We were asked to come back to the Marroquin family's home on Tusday (today) so we could learn how to make tortillas. After work, the Bawdens and the Taylors drove to their home. Our Branch is 40 km away from the city and their home is even further than that. This little town of El Fiscal is down through a canyon and the street, the only street, wanders about 5 km. through the gully/canyon. Since I described the home I will just mention the tortilla lesson we had. Sister Marraquin grinds her corn (her husband grows all the corn) once ever week in a common mill. They soak it in lye to soften the hard coat on this field corn. With that meal they make everything they eat. She had made a soft dough that sort of felt like bisquik. She had a fire under a large flat pan. She and her daughter showed us how to make a flour ball, shape it and pat it from one hand to another until it was round and ready to put on the stove. There is no grease and it sizzles like a pancake (and browns just like a pancake). These tortillas have a little cavity in the middle where we put crema and pureed black beans. We made 40-50 of these torntillas and then we sat down with the family and ate them. The same mosca were still there, along with a wild rainstorm.
We were invited to a home back in the hills for Sunday dinner. These people belong to our branch and have been so gracious to us. They don't speak English and we don't speak any Spanish they can understand. Textbook Spanish doesn't work, at least not ours. Fortunately the other North American couple in our branch were also invited and Dean Bawden speaks flawlessly. He served a mission nearly 40 years ago, and he was able to translate for us. Jean Bird will know this couple as they are related-Hannah and Natalie lived with them for some time. We have learned to love these people and their energy and enthusiasm has tutored us as we have tried to learn our job. They were also invited and we were very grateful. This dear family from our Branch has very little by our standards, but by their neighbors...perhaps they are doing OK. What they lack in the comforts we enjoy at home is made up by warmth. The homes are right on the street, but as you go through the door you step into a small plaza where most of the living occurs. These people still cook on an open fire stove. This home is where we had the alota festival I spoke about in the post a week or so ago. There were millions of flies, no running water, a struggling garden, and yet there were millions of hugs. The little boys: 14 and 10 reminds of Tim and Charlie and they have adopted us. Gershon doesn't read and we don't know how to help him as yet. He is 10. Carlos talks a mile a minute and we can't understand him well enough to give him a thoughtful reply. Nevertheless, he (and his family) have opened their home, and it is a humble home, without any apologies to these "have it all" North American missionaries. EVERYTHING is made of corn: drink, breads, salads, etc. Corn is the staple diet for Latin Americans. One of the boys doesn't come to Primary and we made him promise to come next week. The daughter (and mother of Gershon) is not a member and we told her we would bring a Spanish Book of Mormon to her on Tuesday. She wants to read it. More about this later. It was a wonderful experience to share a Sunday afternoon with such a great family.
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