September 17th through September 23rd

 September 17^th through September 23^rd: Monday we took our three North American couples grocery shopping.  We also made a stop at the dollar store.  While we were waiting for the Andersons to finish up at the dollar store, we found a community "outhouse" with a double-decker 12 hole potty.  The things that we all find funny are starting to show that we have been away a long time.  

The Holmans and the Jenson sitting on the community outhouse.  Ok, so maybe it was just a planter box.

We had a family home evening and welcomed the Andersons.  We are so glad to have them here.  Elder Mask gave a lesson on the history of the church in Guatemala.  He served as the temple president 6 years ago.  He had a lot of old pictures of some of the first members here.  

Anthon and Dianne Anderson, our new senior missionary couple.

Elder Mask at Family Home Evening.

More of our Family Home Evening group.

Tuesday we went to paint class.  When we got to the temple for our afternoon shift, Brother Carranza told us that he had been to see the cultural minister and he will have to take all our paintings back next week to be photographed and certified so that we can take them out of the country.  

I am feeling better about Luke.  But I am scared to have to finish him without the help of Jill, our art teacher.

So on Wednesday we had to go back to Jill Smith’s to pick up our in-progress paintings and tell her that we have to stop our classes. After next Tuesday, we can’t alter the paintings because they have to be the same as the photographs.  We worked Wednesday afternoon.  Thursday we had presidency meeting and then worked the afternoon shift.  Friday we switched to the morning shift.  Friday evening we went to dinner with President and Sister Hill from the MTC.  

Dinner with the Hills is always a lot of fun.

They will not be able to attend the dinner we are going to have for all the mission presidents, their wives, and the Alvarados, our new temple president and matron next month.  Saturday I got mom up at 2:45 am so she could wash her hair and we could get to the temple by 4:00 am for the morning shift.   The temple was busy and when the temple is busy the shift goes by fast.  Saturday we went and got a card printed to give to friends and workers that indicates our contact information so we can stay in touch with the many people we have come to love and appreciate.  

Mom and I at the temple.  This is the picture we used for the card we had printed.

The card we had printed.

I got to watch the BYU game in the evening.  Sunday we first went to a combined sacrament meeting for the La Leyenda and Villas wards.  A year ago they divided into two wards and this was a meeting to remember and see old friends.  We were asked to speak.  

Mom with new friends at the Leyenda ward.

The chapel is always the nicest building on the street.

After sacrament meeting that had some refreshments for everyone.

We got home and fixed dinner and then we drove 90 minutes to the south to Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa where we spoke at a fireside for all the adults in that district.  

The Primary children in Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa were having a choir practice.

It took us just over 2 hours to get home in a rain storm.  There is always a lot of traffic coming back into the city from the coast.  We stayed very busy this last week trying to get things ready to go home.  We got my passport certified by an attorney, Brother Carranza has everything under control for our paintings, and we found my National Identity Number.  We don’t know what else will come up, but we are ready to press forward with the paper work. We have just 5 weeks left and it seems that it is going even faster than before, if that could be possible.  Our blessings are many and we are so thankful for the wonderful memories we will take home of this sacred time spent serving in the House of the Lord.