February 12th through February 17th

February 12^th through February 17^th:  Monday we took some of the missionaries shopping and then in the evening we had a family home evening to introduce 3 new couples and say good-bye to two couples.  We introduced and welcomed President and Sister Hill, the new MTC president, Elder and Sister Mathews, the new area medical advisor, and Brother and Sister Fajardo, a new temple missionary couple.  We said good-bye to Elder and Sister Winkfield and Elder and Sister Fisher. The Winkfield’s have been here for 18 months and the Fisher’s for 6 months.  They have both served well, been a great asset to the temple and they have blessed the lives of many members.  We will certainly miss them.  The Fajardo’s are a local couple who put their youngest son in the mission field in December.  Brother Fajardo will take the place of Elder Winkfield as one of our trainers.  

Family Home Evening.

Brother Fajardo wrote a sonnet for each of the couples who were leaving.

There is always something to eat when missionaries get together.

Tuesday we went to paint class and then did the afternoon shift.  

We are all painting a vase with a lily. 

This is what our paintings are suppose to be representing.

Mom and I enjoy this extracurricular activity. 

After our shift Tuesday night, the coordinator had a good-bye party for the Winkfield's and the Fisher's.

Wednesday we cooked all morning long and then had the Winkfield’s and the Fisher’s to a good-bye lunch.  We cooked a couple of Chinese dishes.  It is hard to say good-bye to such good missionaries.  In the afternoon we went and delivered Valentine treats to the Mission Presidents and their spouses.  It was also Sister Cluff’s birthday, so we took her a birthday gift too.  While we were visiting President and Sister Cluff, the wives of the Mission Presidency came and we all sang Happy Birthday to her.  

Birthday wishes for Sister Cluff, standing to the right of mom.

Click below to hear us sing.
Birthday Wishes to Hermana Cluff

Thursday we did the morning shift and had presidency meeting.  Friday we traded with President Funes so we would be able to go to the airport and get our son, John B, and our oldest grandson, Badger.  John B. is junior and Badger is John Badger Norman III.  Thus we need different names for each of us.  During our morning shift, I got a call from Brother Cajas at the MTC telling me that Elder Ellington was there and had fallen and had a bad cut on his arm and also a cut on his head and that he had called an ambulance.   I called President Funes and asked him to come and relieve me so I could go to see about Elder Ellington.  As I was leaving the temple, the ambulance pulled up to the temple.  I ran and jumped in and rode with them to the MTC.  Well, Elder Ellington had tripped and landed on a piece of rebar sticking out of the ground.  He was down by Paiz, a grocery store a few blocks away.  He was bleeding quite a bit, but got a taxi to take him home.  His wife didn’t know what to do, so she sent him to the MTC because they have a nurse there.  Brother Cajas is the director and when he saw his arm, he knew that he needed more than they could do there.  The ambulance service that the church has contracted with always has a MD on board.  He cleaned the wound and stitched him up right there at the MTC.  He gave him a prescription for pain and antibiotics and said that in 10 days, if he called, they would come and take out the stitches. The best part is that it was covered by the churche’s contract and he did not have to pay anything.  The pictures tell a better story.  It was a nasty puncture and gash.  

Elder Ellington's arm.

The doctor sewing him up. I told Elder Ellington that if he needed to take a day off to just ask. He didn't need to do something so extreme just to get a day off.

All sewed up and ready to go.

Friday we also visited the Fishers one last time and gave them their release certificate from the temple and  a letter for them to take to their stake president.  They go home on Saturday.

We then visited the Winkfields and did the same.  They go home on next Tuesday.  We are going to miss them both a great deal.

If after visiting the Fishers and the Winkfields and the excitement with Elder Ellington wasn’t enough, we got a text that John B. and Badger got bumped to a later flight and would not arrive until 11:30 pm.  They had a 7 hour layover in Mexico City.  So they left the airport and went to the Zocalo and saw some of the ruins there.  They got back to the airport and had just ordered dinner when a 7.2 earthquake struck. John B. was taking a drink from his soda cup and bumped into Badger and felt  like he was sick.  They heard things crashing and the floor was moving and the lights swaying.  They evacuated the airport and they had to wait outside with their soda cups and their pickup number.  They finally let them back in and they got their food and made their flight on time.  They said it was a little scary.  

Outside the airport in Mexico City with empty cups and their pick-up number.

We got back home about 12:30 am.  But all is well that ends well.  

They finally made it.

John B. likes to have his picture taken with his mouth wide open.

We also have another couple, the Lefferth’s, from Bountiful staying with us.  They are friends of our missionary couple, the Holman’s.  Saturday we tried to go to Antigua, but after more than an hour in traffic and another hour to get there, we turned around and went to the central market and did some shopping.  We got grilled chicken on the way home.  

The three John Badger Normans.

We stopped in the Cathedral which is right by the central market.

Street singers.

In the central market.  Jill, I almost got Badger to smile.

Jill, I finally got Badger to smile.  

This gal did not want her picture taken.  We bought some tortillas to go with our chicken.

Enjoying our grilled chicken.

After a nap we headed to the Guatemala City Stake Conference.  This is the first stake in Guatemala, organized more than 50 years ago.  Before the meeting, Elder Ochoa wanted to meet John B. and Badger, so I took him over to where they were sitting and introduced him to them.  He is a very kind and gracious man and always makes me feel appreciated and loved.  Mom sang in the choir.  Mom and I both had the opportunity to speak, even though we were not on the program and had been told by the stake president that we weren’t going to speak.  But Elder Ochoa changed the agenda and they announced that we would speak next.  So with no time to think, mom got up and gave a great talk about “It is never too late to change.” I then spoke about the “exceeding great and precious promises” that we receive as part of the covenants we make as we receive the ordinances of the gospel.  

Can you believe the flowers.

The choir practicing.

Click below to hear the choir practice.

Choir practice


Click below to hear the full choir.


Full Choir singing

The room filled up by the end of the meeting.

Badger and John B. had to ride in the back-back on the way home from stake conference.

It is official, Badger is taller than me.

I am going to post this on Sunday morning because we will be traveling on Monday and I won’t have a chance to post anything until we return from our trip to Tikal.  It is so great having John B. and Badger here for a visit.  It doesn’t get any better than this.   Our hearts are full and we feel so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord in our lives.  The sweet and tender experiences with the Spirit as we serve in this sacred assignment lift us and make us realize we are getting much more out of this than we are giving.