Photos are coming in next post.
We love the laughing and joking in every conversation by those around us. Laughs and jokes and silly comments are part of every day, every minute discussion everywhere. We have learned a whole different kind of humor in Central America. It's sometimes difficult to hear laughter and not understand the joke, but Dean Bawden says that takes years to pick up. We hear and understand enough, though, to be delighted by the good-nature of everyone. Here is an example of the simple jokes and entertainment. We went to a farewell lunch, daybefore yesterday, for Dean and Marilyn at Appleby's. The lunch was attended by ex-mission presidents, Area personnel...all very distinguised, stake presidents, etc. I only mention this to illustrate the contrast. After lunch, a physician who is, at the moment, over all Welfare in Central America whispered something to the fellow on his right. The whisper began to go around the table to see how it came back to the original person. Didn't we all play this when we were kids? Soon they had whispers going this way and that. Everyone laughed when the whispers morphed into something completely different from the phrase as the beginning. Another example: We had a wedding shower for one of the young men who handles all communication throughout the 12 missions about a month ago. Our floor was invited. After he opened all his presents (the bride was not invited) they played "pin the veil on the bride" , and some other silly childhood games we use to play. This all occurred in the lunchroom of the office. I sometimes think we get too "grown-up" and forget the childhood delights.
Happy Halloween! Today is the "Day of the Dead", a lovely family holiday in Guatemala. It is not celebrated the same in Guatemala as it is in Mexico. This is a sweet family holiday where people visit cemetaries and lay flowers on the graves of their loved ones. Children and parents, grand-parents, aunts and uncles and cousins get together and have picnics. Special food is prepared and served. In some areas the very large kites are flown. I had many pictures last year, but the kites are flying on Sunday this year so we will not have a chance to watch them go into the air. Kites are everywhere, sold along the highways and typify the connecting of heaven and earth.
We love the laughing and joking in every conversation by those around us. Laughs and jokes and silly comments are part of every day, every minute discussion everywhere. We have learned a whole different kind of humor in Central America. It's sometimes difficult to hear laughter and not understand the joke, but Dean Bawden says that takes years to pick up. We hear and understand enough, though, to be delighted by the good-nature of everyone. Here is an example of the simple jokes and entertainment. We went to a farewell lunch, daybefore yesterday, for Dean and Marilyn at Appleby's. The lunch was attended by ex-mission presidents, Area personnel...all very distinguised, stake presidents, etc. I only mention this to illustrate the contrast. After lunch, a physician who is, at the moment, over all Welfare in Central America whispered something to the fellow on his right. The whisper began to go around the table to see how it came back to the original person. Didn't we all play this when we were kids? Soon they had whispers going this way and that. Everyone laughed when the whispers morphed into something completely different from the phrase as the beginning. Another example: We had a wedding shower for one of the young men who handles all communication throughout the 12 missions about a month ago. Our floor was invited. After he opened all his presents (the bride was not invited) they played "pin the veil on the bride" , and some other silly childhood games we use to play. This all occurred in the lunchroom of the office. I sometimes think we get too "grown-up" and forget the childhood delights.
Speaking of Dean and Marilyn Bawden, they are leaving to go home tomorrow. We love all the Senior Missionaries around us, all the people we work with, our Guatemalan friends and the friends we have in all the other countries, but the Bawdens are very special to us. Jean Bird, our dear friend from the Mt. View Ward, is related to them and spoke highly of them before we left Salt Lake to go on our mission. She was right! We have played, gone on adventures, shared service projects, worked almost side by side in the office, shared our families, driven many hundreds of miles together and we will miss them. On the other hand, we understand and look forward to our own release in the futures. That's the way of missions.
Our branch had a surprise dinner for the Bawden's last night...surprise in that they didn't know about it until few days ago. We sat out on our new lawn beside the church and enjoyed everyone's company. We are so fond of everyone. We hope and pray this little branch of the Lord's vineyard will grow and flourish.
We were invited to attend the temple with a young woman who has become a dear friend. She works on the 3rd floor of our office. She is going to Puerto Rico on her mission next week. I always say a prayer for Central America and make the time in our temple a time of focus for the missionaries and especially for the people in these countries. As I was sitting waiting for our session a thought jumped into my mind. A chorus from one of my favorite oratories, "Elijah" entered my mind. I hadn't thought of this music for awhile and yet these words just flowed into my mind. "He, watching over Israel, slumbers not nor sleeps". I think it was a reassuring answer to my prayer for Central America.
We have communicated with the people taking our place in January. They will stay with us for 5 days while we orient them. They are from Springville and they sound like wonderful people with whom we'd like to be neighbors. They will rent our apartment in the "Mormon Dorm".
We have communicated with the people taking our place in January. They will stay with us for 5 days while we orient them. They are from Springville and they sound like wonderful people with whom we'd like to be neighbors. They will rent our apartment in the "Mormon Dorm".
This season throughout Central America is my favorite. Everything cools down, and in some places, gets cold. People pull out their jackets and coats and bundle up before going outside. Everything looks greener, everything has a vibrancy and we have seen rainbows every day this week. While the rainy season is over with, the rains that come now are precious gifts. The sky changes every minute with blue skies which change to a bit of mist, then grows into a dark cloud that begins to move across the sky. One feels ahead that there will be rain in 10 minutes. As at home, it is possible to read the dramatic language of weather.
We have been hoping and praying the 5 dental chairs will arrive. They have been sitting in port in a container for a week. The port officials have promised Dean Bawden they would be here every day, but they don't come. These are the last items that need to be installed in "Dean's Dream". The clinic is just incredible. It is located in a girl's orphanage and tucked into a space which just held a lot of garbage that had accumulated over the years. Dean and Marilyn saw this space and saw the possibilities. The Bawden's have put off their departure for three weeks just waiting for the chairs, and day by day they have had to change airline tickets, but they must go tomorrow. This is the last "tooth-pick before the finished sculpture". The installers have come from Salt lake, but they too are just in a holding position. Getting through customs and other port formalities in any country is a perplexing and undependable process , and often a "cross you fingers" process. Medicines, supplies and other commodities will sit in these containers for weeks. We have had major problems with every country project we have been part of- Africa, So America...now Central America, Russia. Eventually it all arrives, but we all learn to be flexible in setting definite dates.
The days are not long enough. Yesterday, we had a Zone Leader Council Training via video-conference with one of the Honduras Missions. Preparation, phone calls, carpetas, research, correspondence with missions all contribute to busy days in our office. Time seems to stretch in remarkable ways as we get to work about 8:00 a.m. or so. We begin our work and when we think it's time for lunch we are often surprised to find that lunch hour has come and gone. It's interesting that we never know when we will be finished enough to go home. Our calling is autonomous and we decide our schedule. As the afternoon progresses, and this is so interesting, we both will know when to leave. We will look at each other and realize we both have a pause. Sometimes it's late and sometime's it's early. Sometimes we have finished something, but that moment just arrives and both of us feel it at the same time. We may not have an earthly boss, but someone is sitting over our shoulder saying, "It's time to go home".
We always pray that our family...one by one...will find someone to help each day. Smiles, service, phone-calls - are ways to serve others. We will never look at "service" quite the same way, ever again.
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