December 12th through December 18th

From our trip to Antigua last week, this is a store that sells typical Guatemalan sweets.  It has been in business since 1872. 

December 12th through December 18th:  Monday we had a group of children come to family home evening to sing Christmas songs for our FHE group. They were from the Alameda stake. They were so cute and did a great job. Then the May's did the lesson for their last FHE. They leave this week. We will miss them a lot. Not only their help in the temple, but also their friendship. We will be down to 3 couples when they leave. (Hint Hint) 

Children's choir for Family Home Evening.

The choir was accompanied by violins,
 piano and guitars.

Click below to hear the children.

The Children's choir singing

Click above to hear the children

The May's last Family Home Evening.

Sister Rosales made this cake for FHE.  It had a filling kind of like mince meat.

Wednesday, after our shift we took the May’s out to eat for their last lunch in Guatemala. They leave tomorrow.  

Good-bye lunch with the May's.
We will miss them.

Thursday we got up early and I drove the May’s to the airport.  They had 7 overweight bags.  I dropped them off and headed home.  I had just started making a radish greens and cauliflower soup when I got a call from them saying that there was a moratorium on extra bags and they could only check 2 bags each and could I please come out and get 3 of their bags.  I went back out to the airport and got the bags.  The last thing that Elder May said to me was, “Maybe we will have to fly back down here and bring you some more orange sticks.”  We will have to try and get some of Sister Price’s kids and maybe Kate and Bryce to take some extra bags back to Utah when they leave after their visits.  We then took the Winkfield’s and Sister Price to the hospital with us to hand out baby kits to the new mothers.  This was the first time for the Winkfield’s and it was an eye opener for them.  

At the hospital.

Sister Winkfield and Mom handing out the baby kits.

We handed out about 80 kits.

I was honored to officiate the sealing of these two saints from Belize.  He is a branch president there.

Friday we got up real early and got 4 crock pots of soup going and got the table set to feed the 32 temple employees, in two shifts.  We then went to our oil painting class. 

This is the new painting mom is working on.

I have done most of this painting with a pallet knife.

We got home in time to change and greet the first group.  We finished up about 2:00pm and then did our afternoon shift.  

The first group of employees.  Some came late and did not get in the picture.

The second group.

Mom with some of the Sisters from Chulac.

Members from Chulac

Members from Chulac.

Mom and the District President from Chulac, Presidente Maas.

Saturday we got up early and drove with the Hurst’s to La Tinta for the Sacsuha district conference.  

On the way to La Tinta.  If you get off the road the jungle takes over.

Everything is so green and lush.

This is how people get around in the Polochic.  This is a taxi.

We met President Faundez for lunch and then went to the church for the 2:00pm adult session.  Mom then drove Sister Faundez, her granddaughter, and Sister Hurst about an hour up the mountain to our hotel in Senahu.  

A break between the adult and priesthood sessions.

The men stayed for the priesthood session.  Mom and I both spoke in the adult session and I also spoke in the priesthood session.  Our talks were translated into Kekchi.  We got to our hotel about 8:00pm.  

Getting my shoes shined in Senahu.

Sunday morning we had to leave early about 6:45am in order to make it to the first session of conference at 8:00am.  There was a second general session at 10:30am.  Half of the branches attended the first session and then the other half the second session.  Mom and I spoke in both sessions.  

President Faundez and some other old fat guy.

The choir for the conference.

Click below to hear Silent Night in Kekchi

Silent Night in Kekchi

Click above to hear Silent Night in Kekchi

The rest of the choir.

         Click below to hear choir in Kekchi         Choir singing in Kekchi

Click above to hear choir in Kekchi

After the last session on Sunday.

The female part of the choir with mom.

Me saying good-bye to a truck load of saints.

After the last session we went to one of the other chapels and had lunch with the district presidency and the choir. 

Sunday lunch was prepared for us by the sisters of Sacsuha: a piece of chicken, some rice and potatoes.

Lunch with the choir after the conference.
None of the girls ate their chicken.  They told me they would take it home to share.

One of the family's in Sacsuha.

We then drove to Salama and checked into a hotel.  

Click below to view driving on dirt road.

Drive out of the Polochic valley.

More of my bad driving.

Click above to view driving on dirt road.

This dirt road takes more than a hour driving time.

It was only 4:30pm and we decided to drive over the mountain, about an hour, to Rabinal and visit the Call’s.  They are new member support senior missionaries and he has been made the branch president there.  We had a nice chat with them and saw their apartment and I will just say they are troopers and good sports. We had to drive back as it was getting dark and the road is narrow, and winds back and forth with steep drop-offs and no guard rails.  It is not for the faint of heart.  This was a very busy week and we felt very blessed to have been able to get so much accomplished.  That district conference was the last one for a few weeks and we are looking forward to a few not so complicated Saturdays and Sundays.  We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and this time next week we will be on our way to Tikal with our daughter Kate and our son-in-law Bryce. 

They have planted about 100 poinsettias at the temple.

Friday morning while I was sitting at the computer we had a 5.4 magnitude earthquake.  This eruption of the volcano Fuego was on November 16th 2016.  She is always spouting off.