May 14th through May 20th

 May 14^th through May 20^th:  Monday we picked President and Sister Hill up from the MTC at 9:00am and headed for Monterrico on the Pacific coast.  They are suppose to take an overnight break every month or so and they invited us to do something with them.  They only had 2 missionaries staying another 3 weeks, but will get a new group on Wednesday.  We went by way of the ferry down the river for the last 20 minutes.  

Our car is loaded on the ferry.

President Hill and me headed to Monterrico.

Sister Hill and mom on the other side of the ferry.

Once the car is on the ferry you can't open the front doors.  I had to climb into the back seat to get out.

Going down the river.

Click below to see the video
Going down the river.

Local wildlife.

We then tried to find our hotel and Dos Mundos (Two Worlds) a different hotel where we planned to have lunch.  We kind of got lost and drove around for almost 2 hours. We had lunch at Dos Mundos and then checked into our hotel, El Farro (the lighthouse).  You can see by the pictures that it is really nice and right on the beach.  The sound of the waves crashing on the beach was really loud as we sat at the restaurant and had appetizers.   The mosquitoes were too fierce and we ended up in the lobby playing cards. 

The pool was fantastic.

The pool was very refreshing.

The waves were crashing onto the beach.

Click below to see the waves.
The waves crashing on the beach.

Tuesday morning we rented 4 wheelers and drove up and down the beach and spent time in the pool just relaxing.  We checked out, had lunch and headed home arriving about 5:00pm.  

Breakfast in the morning sun.

Riding up and down the beach was fun.

Click below to go on a ride.
Riding down the beach.

Lunch before we head home.

It was a fun trip, but I suffered for the next few days with chigger bites on my left leg.  I only had 5 bites on my right foot, but I figure I got about 30 to 40 bites on left leg.  Mom did not want me to put the photos in, but why not be real with my diary.  

The chiggers got me again.  Sister Hill also got lots of bites.

I got lots of chigger bites, about 20 on this ankle.

Wednesday we had presidency meeting and did the afternoon shift. Another branch from Chulac in the Polochic arrived and we got all their paper work done for the three families that were going to be endowed and sealed. They also brought 28 youth to do baptisms for the dead. It was the first time to the temple for many of them.  President Maas and his family stayed at our home.  Thursday I went over early and got the 5 adult that needed to receive their endowment in the temple and then the rest to breakfast.  After breakfast, the rest of the adults came to the temple so that they could all be together for the session.  Then I got the youth into the baptistery.  

Family #1  Parents were endowed and 4 children sealed.

Family #2, both parents endowed and one little girl sealed. 

Family #3, mom endowed and little girl sealed.  The branch president was previously endowed and is standing in the middle.

The whole group from Chulac 1 branch.

28 youth came and did baptisms for the dead on 3 different days.

Friday and Saturday we had the early morning shift.  Sunday we drove to Patzicia for their stake conference.  The majority of the women still wear their traditional clothes.  It was a good conference and we got home about 2:00pm.  

Patzicia stake presidency.  R. to L. Pres. Xovin, Xicay, and Choc. I am not standing on my toes.

Very large choir that sounded good.


Click below to listen to the choir.
Choir singing.

They had 3 of these floral arrangements. 

Mom took this one as the choir walked in.

The building was packed.

You get quite a variety of dresses.

About 18 months old in huilpil and corte.

This is one of our temple workers.  It probably takes at least 3 hours by bus to get to the temple.

We got to talk to some of our kids and felt like we had had a good week. 

May 7th through May 13th

May 7^th through May 13^th: President and Sister Faundez from the Coban Mission are staying with us for a few days.  Monday he had an operation on his deviated septum and will be staying with us until he can go back to Coban on Thursday.  Tuesday we went to paint class and did the afternoon shift.  

Jake is coming along nicely.

Wednesday I spent the morning teaching Sister Faundez how to make cinnamon rolls and then we went to presidency meeting.  

The cinnamon rolls are rising. 

They are ready to eat.

Thursday we had the morning shift and Friday the afternoon shift.  

We are still trying to go to the gym at the MTC on the mornings we are not at the temple.

Flowers at the MTC.

Thursday afternoon it was announced in the Church News that the new temple president that will be replacing us is Julio Alvarado and his wife, Blanca.  He lives here in Guatemala City and has recently retired as the Area Public Affairs Director.  We are so happy that they will have a Guatemalan as temple president and he will be excellent.  He will be only the second one from Guatemala in 34 years.  His wife is one of our current temple workers and she will also be great.  Saturday we went to breakfast with President and Sister Christensen.  It was fun to talk to them about their mission and some of the challenges they are dealing with. We then took the Holmans and the Jensens shopping.  Sunday we got up and left at 6:30am in order to get to the stake conference in Antigua.  There were two sessions, one at 8:00am and the other at 11:00am.  We really enjoyed the meetings, especially because we felt the Spirit testifying of our Savior and the work we are engaged in.  After the meeting, they asked us to stay and have lunch with all the leaders. 

The choir for conference.

I love the fresh flowers.

The first session.

The second session.

President Oliva.

Lunch is served.

It is kind of sad that we finally know these great leaders and have a good relationship with them and this is the last time we will be able to be at their stake conference.  Every stake or district conference that we will go to from now on is our last one for that stake or district.  It becomes real that our time is coming to an end when they announce our replacement.  We will miss the association with all the great stake and district presidencies that we have had the honor to work with.  We will really miss the opportunity to speak and bear witness of Jesus Christ and the work we do in His temple.  We only have about 20 more conferences.  We are going to make the most of each one.  Remember, it is a great day to be a missionary.

April 30th through May 5th

April 30^th through May 5^th:  Monday we visited an iguana preserve at the hotel.  They take injured and abandoned iguanas and raise them.  

We made some new friends at the iguana preserve.

Mom wants one of these as a pet--NOT.

We then drove about 2 hours to Belize City and found Simmons BBQ and had BBQed chicken for Chris’ birthday lunch.  We drove around to get a feel for the city and to kill time until we had to be at the airport. We decided to look for Silbert and Jennifer Gordon’s house in Waze.  We took a picture and sent it to them to reassure them that things were alright.  We had talked to them the night before and they had learned that thieves had broken into his shop and tried to break into their house.  They had decided that they needed to return Belize City two weeks early from their mission.  They are the first senior missionaries from Belize to serve a mission.  They have given faithful and dedicated service in the temple and we will miss them a lot.  

Simmons BBQ

The Atlantic Ocean 

We then flew back to Guatemala City, getting home at 9:30pm.  Tuesday we got up and were at the temple at 4:00am for the Antigua stake that brought about 250 people to the temple.  It is a holiday here and the temple was very busy until noon.  It was closed in the afternoon.  President Flohr came to the temple about 9:00 am and took over so we could go to the Don Justo stake center where they were doing the second day of a three day dentist brigade.  Every three or four years, about 100 dentist and assistants, doctors and support staff come to Guatemala to help the youth prepare for their missions.  It is a well oiled machine and they treat hundreds of people each day.  I got home from Belize with a tooth ache and I went up there to talk to Elder Hogge who works in the dental clinic that the church has here in Guatemala and was there helping out. I explained that I had had a tooth ache all weekend and I had been in a lot of pain.  They decided that they would do a root canal and put me at the head of the line.  After 3 hours I was all fixed up.  This brigade was amazing. They had 4 endodontists, 5 oral surgeons, 22 regular dentists, hygienists and 4 medical doctors working and all of these people pay their own way and bring all of their supplies.  They had people cutting hair, giving eye exams, doing physicals and taking their pictures.  They even had someone making “flippers”—a temporary tooth after an extraction.  Every room of the stake center was being used: a room with 8 autoclaves, a surgery room, a recovery room, a room with backup generators.  It was like a mini hospital.  Every year they go to a different country in Central America. We feel so blessed that we got this problem resolved so quickly.  It was no coincidence that they were here when I needed a root canal. 

The glasses made me feel like a rock star.

Waiting their turn to enter the building.

Need a hair cut?

This is a really impressive operation.

3 rows of dentists cover the gym.

Surgery Room

Hard to smile after my root canal, but many thanks to Doctor Fillmore and his daughter, Emma, for fixing my tooth.  David Sheets, on the right, is the man behind this great work.

Wednesday, we had presidency meeting and worked the afternoon shift.  Thursday we worked the afternoon shift.  Friday and Saturday we worked the morning shifts.  Sunday we drove 2 hours to Guazacapan for district conference.  Elder Maravilla from Nicaragua presided and we really enjoyed the conference.  

The chapel in Guazacapan.

L to R,  district president Grajeda, mission president Shumway, and me.  We all three served in Ecuador.  2006, 1981, 1971

District Conference

In the middle is Elder Maravilla.

The district president and his family.

This brother only has one leg and I think this is his daughter giving him a ride home.

There is a lot of vegetation by the coast.

Click below to ride with us.
Driving in southern Guatemala

We got back and were able to pass by our ward and the bishopric was still there and they were kind enough to prepare the sacrament for us.  

At our ward, we ran into two returned missionaries, Sisters Meacham and Berry.

We then went to “Break the Fast” at the area office for dinner.  We talked to some of our kids.  

Break the Fast Dinner

It was a great week and we marvel at the blessings we continually receive.  Taking some words from Oliver Cowdrey, “These are days never to be forgotten."