October 15th through October 21st

October 15th through October 21st:  Monday was once again shopping day.   Tuesday we had the morning shift and then in the evening we went and had dinner (at 9:30 pm) with the Tuesday afternoon shift.  They are so sweet and want to express their thanks and appreciation for our service and it gives us an opportunity to say goodbye.  

We met in the cafeteria and Sister Cristales  cooked carne asada on a grill.

The shift coordinator, Brother Cristales.

President and Sister Funes will be released with us and they were also honored.

Wednesday and Thursday we did the evening shift.  Thursday evening I did my first sealing session with stake presidents and their wives.  I have invited all the stake presidents that are close (within 2 hours) to come and do a sealing session with me as the sealer.  Next week I have a session scheduled everyday but Saturday.  Friday morning at 6:00 am we packed up the 4x4 we got from the area office and headed with the Jensons to Chulac.  Originally we were not going to be able to attend this district conference, but two weeks ago Elder Pineda changed the Coordinating Council Meeting for the South Area from the 21^st to the 28^th.  That left an opening on the 21^st to attend the conference in Chulac.  Mom was not excited to make the 7 hour drive into the Polochic mountains again.  It is a difficult drive of hours over bumpy, muddy, dirt and rock roads.  But we felt that it was meant to be, that we should attend this conference.  When I had told President Faundez, the mission president, and President Maas, the district president, that we would not be able to attend because of the CCM with Elder Pineda, they were very disappointed because they said they were planning an activity for us on the Friday before the conference.  So we left early Friday morning for Chulac.  

There has been heavy rains and many places had landslides onto the road.

Lots of wash outs and landslides on the dirt roads also.

Click below to see the videos.

Water on the road


Mud on the road

This is why the car has mud 1/2 way up the doors.

We drove many miles on muddy dirt roads.

Click below to see the videos.

Crossing streams 

The river was high

On the way, we met up with President Faundez at a gas station and we were so surprised when out of his car came a young missionary from Otavalo, Ecuador.  He had his long traditional braided hair and boy, did he bring back memories.  I served near Otavalo as a young missionary 47 years ago and I came to admire and love this group of people. When I was in Otavalo there was a small branch.  Elder Quajam told me there are now three stakes there.  Amazing! 

Elder Fernando Guajam from Otavalo, Ecuador where I served as a young missionary.

We arrived in Chulac about 1:00 pm and went straight to President Maas’ home for lunch.  They served us Kakik, which is a traditional dish here in the Polochic.  It is really turkey broth with a big piece of turkey sticking out of the bowl.  They like to add a lot of hot peppers and make it spicy.  

Lunch of Kakik at President Maas' home.

Mom has a smile, but Kakik is not her favorite.

I ate it all gone.

We then went to the chapel and they were getting ready for a cultural celebration.  They had served everyone lunch and were cleaning up from that activity.  The marimba band was starting to play music.  They young men were playing soccer on the new cement court.  

The Relief Society cleaning up from lunch.

Soccer

Click below to watch the soccer.


Soccer and Marimba music

Wonderful marimba band

Click below to hear the music.



Marimba music


More marimba music



Mom dancing

About 3:00 pm everyone moved into the cultural hall and they started the program.  Each branch provided a cultural presentation.  All of them were dances, but they had on different traditional clothes.  

The sign on the wall says: Presentation of cultural activities in the Chulac District Conference, 19 October 2018.

Lots of dancing from the youth.

Click below to see the videos.


Dancing

More dancing

There  were a few hundred who turned out for the activity.

These two stole the show.

They even changed costumes.

More dancing.

Mom showing off her dancing skills.

At the end, they called up three of the oldest men there, all of them in their seventies and then they called up me.  I am sure this was President Faundez’ idea.  Then they announced that some of the young girls wanted to dance with older men.  But only three girls came up and they chose the three old men.  Nobody wanted to dance with me.  Finally, they called up one of President Maas’ sisters and she became my partner.  Then the music started and we danced.  Looking at the video I did not do so bad.  By the end my legs were burning and I yelled “basta” which means enough.  The music soon ended and I was so relieved.  At the end they had Mom and I say a few words.

Click below to see Dad dancing.

Dad dancing

  

Mom thanking all the saints for being such great examples of sacrifice to come to the temple.

We then drove another 25 minutes up and over a mountain to Sikaab’e, a school where we would be staying.  The views from our balcony are amazing.  The hike to get to the cabins is a little tiring, but always way worth it.  

This is the view from the balcony of our cabin.  The picture doesn't take your breath away like it does in real life.

Saturday morning we drove to a new dam they have built to produce electricity and the lake that has been made behind the dam. We then got ready for the afternoon sessions of the conference.  Mom and I spoke in the adult session and then I spoke in the priesthood and relief society meeting.  They were both nice meetings and we felt the Spirit.  We got back to the school after dark.  Driving the  switch-back dirt roads in the dark (and I mean dark) is a little more challenging than during the day.  

Newly created reservoir behind the dam. 

This proud cock shared space with us at the school.

My good friend and fellow servant, Presidente Faundez

Sunday we went to the general session.  There were more than 900 in attendance.  It was an emotional talk for me as I said goodbye and at the same time tried to inspire them to keep going forward.  President Faundez changed the program and had the choir sing  the closing song and then said after the prayer everyone would stand and sing in Kekchi “Placentero nos es trabajar.”  This is a goodbye song that they always sing when a missionary is going home.  I included the translation a few weeks, but here is the last verse: 
Oh, dear brothers and sisters, farewell,
For the moment to go now impends.
If in God we by faith persevere,
Past the veil we shall still meet again,
Meet again, meet again!
Oh, dear brothers and sisters, farewell!
Meet again, meet again.
With our God in his love we shall dwell.

That made for a tough farewell.  

This is how they come to church.  Packed full.  The truck then leaves to get another group.

Sister Jenson had lots of help playing the piano

The choir. More men than women is a rarity.

Packed house

Click below to hear the song in Kekchi



"Placentero nos es Trabajar" in Kekchi 

The Faundez  are the best.

This is the mother of Angel Choc, one of the guards at the temple.  His mother made mom a purse from pop-top tabs and yarn.

We love these saints and will surely miss seeing them come to the temple.  I am so glad I have this blog, the pictures, and stories to keep these memories alive.  We then went to lunch at President Maas’ home again.  They served up fried tilapia. They taught mom how to pat the dough to make a corn tortilla--not as easy as it looks.  We had a nice lunch and then headed home.  

This is the communal kitchen and dining room.

Click below to see the lunch preparations.



Preparing for lunch.

Mom learning how to make a tortilla.

They cook over an open fire.

The fish was great.

Benjamin Poou translated for us and is a great friend.

We stopped in La Tinta and saw Sister Ponce.  She was a temple worker before her mission.  She was assigned to serve in Nicaragua, but was reassigned to the Coban mission and her mom told us before we left that she was now in La Tinta.  We got permission from President Faundez to stop and say goodbye to her.  

Coming down the mountain into the Polochic valley.

Sister Ponce in La Tinta, she was a temple worker before her mission.

We got stopped in road construction for an hour.  We were the first ones in line.  We just missed the group of cars that had gone through and it was getting dark.  We got home at 9:00 pm.  We were going to stay overnight somewhere along the way, but everyone really wanted to sleep in their own bed.  

1 hour wait for construction.  But we were the first in line.

Wow what a week.   The good-byes are bitter sweet.  The memories are unforgettable.  We feel so blessed and thankful for this opportunity to serve.  These are days never to be forgotten and it is a great day to be a missionary.