December 5th through December 11th

December 5^th through December 11^th:  Monday we went shopping early and then we drove all the North American missionaries and the Soto’s to Antigua.  We visited the ruins of La Recolección which is a former church and monastery of the Order of the Recollects. It was built in the early 1700’s and destroyed by earthquakes during the 1700’s.  We did some shopping and had a nice lunch.  

This is the volcano Agua (Water).  Antigua sits at the base of this volcano.

Here we all are at the ruins of the Recoleccion church and monastary. L to R Price's, Winkfields's, Hurst's, Norman's, May's and the Soto's.

The ruins are quite impressive.

With massive pieces of masonry laying around everywhere.

It is interesting what is still standing and what is not.

I have decided I need a selfie stick.  Mom says she will buy me one for Christmas.

Everything was built with brick masonry, even the ceilings.

It was a very large complex of buildings.

You can see how thick the walls were.

The contrast of the ruins and the green grass and trees make for a beautiful setting.

This is where we ate lunch.  Another old convent.

Just waiting for lunch.

There is serious shopping that one can do in Antigua.

Monday evening President Rosales took all of us downtown to see the main plaza which has been transformed into a Christmas Festival for the weeks leading up to Christmas.  

On our way downtown, we stopped at the Plaza Espana.

There were a lot of people enjoying the evening.

These three were on stilts and added to the festivities. 

I'm so lucky that she said yes some 43 years ago. 

The National Palace.

There is an ice rink in the distance and the Cathedral.

What Christmas festival would not be complete without a tubing hill.

During the week we did our shifts in the temple and when not in the temple took Oscar and Carmen different places in the city.  On Thursday the Hurst’s drove them to Lake Atitlan.  

One morning we took the Soto's to the relief map.

One of our shopping trips took us to Megapaca and I found a license plate from Idaho.  So random.

Mom trying to find a bargain in Megapaca.

We had a large group from Senahu in the temple again this week.  We trained some of their leaders to help us with the ordinances in Kekchi.  It was a joy to have them and help them enjoy the temple in their native language.  

This is one of the families from Senahu.

More of the members from Senahu.

Thursday evening President and Sister Faundez came to stay with us also.  They wanted to support the people and leaders from Senahu.  Senahu is a district and part of the Coban mission where President Faundez presides.  Saturday morning mom taught Sister Soto and Sister Faundez how to make pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes.  

You can see that Sister Soto is enjoying one of the freshly made cupcakes. 

In the evening, after our shift, we went to the ward and enjoyed a nice dinner and a Christmas program complete with the children of the ward acting out the Christmas story.  It was so cute. 

Christmas dinner at the ward.

Elder May and the Soto's at dinner Saturday night.

The Price's and the Winkfield's.

Although the Primary is small, this pageant had it all: wise men, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, and of course baby Jesus.

So adorable.

We enjoyed the program very much.

Sunday morning we said good-bye to the Soto’s.  They are good friends from Bolivia and it was so nice to have them stay with us and be able to reconnect with them.  We loved our time in Bolivia and the many friends we made while there.  

Mom and Carmen Sunday morning as we said good-bye.

We went to the Montserrat stake conference where Elder Ochoa and Elder Camay presided and reorganized the stake presidency.  We had the opportunity to speak and bear our testimonies.  The outgoing stake president is our good friend and co-worker in the temple, Brother Oscar Abadillo.  He is our temple recorder and has been a stake president for a little more than 9 years.  He is a good man and we enjoy our association with him and his wife.  

Packed house for conference.

The choir at conference was exceptional.

Click below to hear the choir.Montserrat Stake Conference Choir

Click above to hear the choir.

Mom, now ex-president and Sister Abadillo, and some old man.

In the evening we, via Face Time, got to see all of our children and grandchildren do a gift exchange at Kate’s new house.  We love that they will get together and enjoy dinner once a month and carry on some family traditions even though we are so far away. May the Spirit of this Christmas season fill your hearts and may you enjoy the peace and love that our Father in Heaven and His son Jesus Christ send to us not only at this season but always is our Christmas wish for each of you.

November 28th through December 4th

November 28^th through December 4^th:  Monday we started off our week with a trip to the dental clinic where Mom found out that she needed a root amputation.  She saw Elder Sanford at the district conference in Santa Lucia on Sunday and showed him an abscess on her gum and he said she had better get into the clinic right away.  So after x-rays on Monday morning, we scheduled her amputation for the next day.  

Elder and Sister Sanford and Mom at the Dental Clinic.

We then went home and got ready for Thanksgiving dinner for 24 of our closest friends. We are cooking the turkey and making the gravy and a green bean casserole.  The dinner was delicious and I have only gained back 4 pounds of the 47 I have lost.  I did not hold back and even had pumpkin pie.  I will get back on the diet after Christmas.  

The tables are set for our Thanksgiving dinner (4 days late).

Mom and Sister May.  Who thinks mom needs to buy an outfit like Sister May's?

Only Sister Fillmore would look up, everyone else was too busy loading up their plate.

L to R, President and Sister Rosales, Mom, Sister and Elder Price, Elder and Sister Winkfield, Sister and Elder Hurst, and Sister and President Morris (MTC president).

L to R, Brother and Sister Reyna, the daughter of the Madrid's, Sister Dennis, the new MTC nurse, Sister and Elder May, Sister and Elder Fillmore, President and Sister Funes, and Sister and Brother Madrid.

Tuesday we went back to the dental clinic and Mom did have ½ of her tooth removed.  Dr/Elder Sanford has done this procedure many times before, but he will finish his mission next week.  Even though her mouth didn’t hurt at the time, she felt impressed to talk to him at the conference.  We are so grateful for his kindness and expertise.   She will need a new crown once the bone heals.  This will make the third crown for this tooth.  I’m sure that it is the most expensive tooth in her mouth.  She is a trooper and she did our shift in the afternoon. 

This is what your jaw looks like after a root amputation. She had to have 1/2 of the tooth removed.

Wednesday mom went to the water color class that Sister Smith does for all the North American sisters who are here in Guatemala. She really enjoys the sisterhood and the class.  

They worked on a Christmas theme for  Mom's water color class.

We had a large group from Senahu at the temple for 3 days this last week and it was so fun to have them with us.  Many of the women don’t speak or understand Spanish, so finding enough workers who could speak Kekchi was a challenge, but it is such a joy to see how they love the temple.  It has been two years since they have been able to afford to come to the temple.  President Rosales, who served his mission in the Polochic, speaks Kekchi and he officiated for the sealing of 5 families on the first day they were here. They invited me to their conference in two weeks.  Saturday morning we left for the district conference in Puerto Barrios.  Puerto Barrios is a port city on the Caribbean side of Guatemala, just below Belize.  It took us 5 ½ hours to get there.  We found the chapel and our hotel with the help of Lola, the GPS girl in my phone.  Oh how we would be lost without her help.  We had time for lunch and then went to the adult session of the conference.  We both had the opportunity to speak and we felt good about our talks.  It wasn’t a huge crowd because some of the branches are two hours away and they can only afford to rent a bus and come for the Sunday session.  

This is Brother and Sister Miranda,  he is the son of one of our temple sealers and  was made a counselor in the new district presidency at the district conference in Puerto Barrios.

Afterward, we went and had dinner at Pollo Campero, the Guatemalan version of KFC, and then a quick trip to Megapaca.  I found nothing.  

After the afternoon session, mom did a little Christmas shopping at the Megapaca in Puerto Barrios.

I have now been corrected. The saying goes, "There is only do or do not, there is no try."

Sunday we both spoke in the general session and there was a nice Spirit in the meeting.  

View from the restaurant at our hotel in Puerto Barrios.

Typical Guatemalan breakfast.  Fried plantains, beans, a piece of cheese., a roll or tortilla and scrambled eggs. 

These were artificial flowers, but they sure were pretty.

Choir made up of the young men and women from the District.

District Conference is over and they all stack the chairs before they leave.

We got on the road at 12:30pm and wanted to make it back to Guatemala City before it got dark.  We made it in 5 hours and shortly after we arrived home, the missionaries got back from their “break the fast” dinner and they brought with them Brother and Sister Soto from Bolivia.  Saturday night I had Elder Hurst go and pick them up at the airport for me.  They will be staying with us for a week.  Pictures next week.  

The ride home, mostly on a two lane road with lots of vegetation on both sides. Very pretty country-side.

Many times it was a canopy of trees we were driving through.

We got stuck in heavy traffic going through the road construction between El Rancho and Guatemala City.  45 minute delay.

We then watched the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional.  Well, they watched it and I fell asleep.  Mom finally got me in bed at nine and I was up at 2:30am.  Seven hours of sleep is perfect.  I was really tired from the driving and I just crashed.  It was a great week and we are so blessed to have such wonderful experiences and to be able to be with the saints and speak and testify of the divinity of the Savior and this latter-day work.