After planning a lot of family activities for the summer after our anticipated release the end of June, we received news that our replacements won't be arriving until September. The other area medical advisor and the mental health advisor don't speak Spanish. As of July 1, half the mission presidents are from Latin America and don't speak much English and over half of the missionaries are from Latin America. Given that, we felt that the care of the missionaries would suffer if we left before the new people arrived, so we agreed to stay on until they arrive and we can orient them. We are a little disappointed to miss the summer activities, but feel that the Lord will bless our family in some way for the sacrifice.
A couple of weeks ago, Patsy and I visited the children's cancer hospital and gave away some beautiful dolls that some ladies sent down to us. We also gave out a bunch of stuffed bears.
After we got home, we noticed pain and itching on our legs and realized that we'd gotten a number of flea bites. Patsy had about 15 and I had about five. In his writings, the apostle Paul brags about being imprisoned and beaten for the gospel's sake. All we can brag about is being flea bitten for the gospel's sake.
As senior couples we are allowed an overnight trip once a quarter. This time we took a big loop through the mountainous north western part of Guatemala, visiting Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, Santa Rosa del Quiche, Chicastenango and back to the capital. 50 years ago I remember going to El Quiche to give the sacament to a few members there. The road was dirt and the road was narrow enough that the bus had to back around some of the tight corners. The road is paved now and a lot straighter.
The catheral at Santa Rosa del Quiche
Pure adobe building. Basically a do it yourself building. If they have money, they plaster
over the adobe so the rain doesn't soften the wall. Of course this type of construction
does not do well in an earthquake.
We continue delivering the baby kits to rural government hospitals. Patsy and I had dropped off a hundred kits at two hospitals. Her sister Melanie Wolfley's family came down to visit us for a week and helped us assemble some more kits. The Wolfleys helped us distruibute them at the hospital in Chimaltenango, a small city north and west of Guatemala City. The mothers are always very grateful for the gifts for their babies and it is truly gratifying to give them out.
Baby Melanie and grown Melanie
After delivering the kits we continued on to Lake Atitlan with the Wolfleys. The MTC president and his wife were also at the lake with their family and we were able to spend some time with them. After exploring the fabulous gardens at Hotel Atitlan, the next day we took the boat to San Juan de la Laguna. We visited a co-op that spins, dyes and weaves cotton that they harvest from trees here. We also visited a bee keeping exhibit and a chocolate factory. After a little training, Connor is considering new vocational opportunities.
Connor spinning cotton thread by hand
Cathedral in San Juan de la Laguna. Big earthquake about 30 years ago took down most of the old cathedral, the left front wall is the original.
Patsy on the boat
The first day the Wolfleys were here we climbed the shoulder of the volcano Pacaya. The lava comes out the side of the mountain and pushes rocks away which slide down and create a plume of dust.
The volcano was also smoking a little from the top.
The Pacaya Hikers
Wolfleys went to Tikal and Yaxha. They went to the sunrise and sunset tours, saw [and heard] howler monkeys [check out the howler monkey videos on YouTube], coatis, birds and the Peten rainforest.
Sunday Melanie, a school teacher, had brought down books to give to the primary kids in our branch. Daughter Jenna, who served in Uruguay, read a couple of books to them in Spanish and we gave them the books and some treats Patsy had prepared.
After the program with the Primary kids we went back home, fed the Wolfleys some of Patsy's great chicken tortilla soup, took them to the airport and sent them off for their cheap flight adventure. They got a great price which required driving from Layton to Las Vegas and having a 15 hour layover in Mexico City. Sometimes you get what you pay for.
