April 4 - April 10

 It is hard to get any pictures from the temple, so most of the pictures are on our "adventures" outside the temple.  I got my hair done for the first time since coming to Guatemala.  Angelina did a good job and actually massaged my head during the shampoo.  It felt great.  She is just down the road and really handy.

 We went for our morning walk with the missionaries and went a different way.  We came upon this playground.  The slide is cement and the teeter totter has old tires to cushion you when you come down.

You see a lot of young and older ladies carrying baskets on their heads.  Kayla says it is a lot easier to carry heavy things that way.  I think I'd like to try.

 We visited the relief map of Guatemala.  It was huge.  This monument depicts the man who surveyed everything.

 In front of the monument.  Sister Norman, Sister May, Sister Price, Elder May, Dale, Linda, Sister Hurst, Elder Hurst and Elder Price.  President Norman took the picture.

 Dale looking over the map.  It was interesting to see the large range of volcanoes on the south side where Guatemala City is.

 This is a part of the volcano range with the coast (where MaKayla is) off to the right and the ocean beyond.

There are so many signs that tell where things are, but they are hard to see.  We saw some places where Nicholas served as well and many of the missionaries with us traveled to Tical and went through the Coban area.  It was nice to finally get a perspective of the country - very mountainous in the south and quite flat up north.

We were very busy at the temple this week.  We didn't get home most nights until around 10:00.  Saturday, there were over 1200 ordinances done in our small temple.  There were 4 buses that came and brought a lot of people.  Some of the sessions were packed and there were about 15 own endowments.  When we came in, there were hardly any dresses left in the roperia for the patrons.  So those who work in the laundry were very busy washing and drying clothes.  

This week I met a sister whose face lighted up when she saw my name.  She was excited to tell me that she knew Hermana Dibb (Kayla).  She was in her ward in San Lucas.  Also, I visited with a young temple worker who did splits with Kayla while she was on her mission.  We had the opportunity to meet Nicholas' mission president as well.  So we have been lucky to meet some people who know and love our grandchildren who have been here.

At church today, we met Elder Kevin Duncan and his wife and girls.  He spoke in General Conference about forgiveness and is the Central American Area President.  We found out that he is in our ward -  so we may see him again.  It was a beautiful, sunny, day today and we feel blessed to be able to serve here.

 

Week of March 28 - April 3

 We found out that Hermana Dibb would be transferred on Tuesday, so we called her mission president, President Markham this morning to see if there was a time when we could see her and take her and her companion to lunch.

 He told us that he may be able to work it out and then told Kayla to call us to see if we could make arrangements.  She was busy and didn't call, but when he called the president back, he gave Dale Kayla's cell number.

 We called, made arrangements for the Temple President, President and Sister Norman and Dawn and Eldon Hurst to take us to San Lucas after our time in the city.  Dale, Linda, Hermana Dibb, Sister and President Norman, Hermana Ziga (from Mexico and Kayla's companion) and Sister Hurst. 

 Kayla and Hermana Ziga at the table in the restaurant.

 After eating and visiting, Hermana Dibb directed us up some small, narrow, streets to see the countryside and where the women was their clothes in a big pool.  They had us drop them off up there so that they could visit members and new converts and say goodbye since Kayla will be transferred tomorrow.

We had to find our own way out to the main road after dropping the missionaries off.  We took a wrong turn and ended up on this narrow, dirt road.  But "Lola" our GPS lady finally got us back on track and we made it home safely.  Kayla is doing great, looks great and shared some sweet experiences with us about little miracles that happen regularly.  She is truly an instrument in the hands of the Lord to bring joy to people who love her.  We could only spend about and hour and a half with her, but it was such a joy for us.

 This is the sidewalk in front of our house.  There is a Catholic school behind us and our entrance is up by the dark pink tree.  The bushes on the sidewalk are topiary rooster and hen.  Kind of fun.

 These two pictures show plants in our front yard.  They are really colorful and makes the setting for our place very nice.

 

On Friday, I had a chance to go to a municipal maternity hospital and distribute some "baby care" kits that the missionaries had put together.  Sister Done, a missionary in the area office, has a grant from the Church's humanitarian department to put together little kits for these mothers.  There were 3 floors with 5 or 6 rooms on each floor where 6 to 8 beds were situated in the ward.  They each had a chair to sit on when nursing their baby.  You can see the little kit we gave them.  It included a onesey (sp), a receiving blanket, sox, a little knitted hat, and a bar of ivory soap.  We had 100 kits when we went and came home with 8 left.  We also went into delivery and gave kits to the mothers in labor and who were actually delivering behind a large curtain. There were about 6 beds behind the curtain.  It was a typical Latin American Hospital for the common people. Some of these mothers take their babies home in newspaper, so these kits help a little.  They had incubators and a intensive care unit for the babies.  Luckily, we didn't have any mothers who had lost their babies this time.  So it was a very happy time.  It makes you realize how blessed we are to have the conveniences that we do and to realize that our Heavenly Father loves all His children no matter what their circumstances.

Saturday and Sunday - April 2 and 3

General Conference was wonderful.  We watched each session and then spent time with the other missionaries at President Norman's house for dinner.  The men all went to the CCM for the priesthood session and then came back and we had rootbeer floats.  What a great 2 days to feast upon the words of our prophets and apostles.  We love it.  Especially grateful for the talks about temple work.

 Dad and I on our way to Church on Sunday.  Fun hills behind us. 

 East dinner at Victoria Suites in Guatemala City.  There are several missionary couples serving in many different capacities in the Central American area.

 Cute treats to bring home from the dinner.  M & M's in the bottom of the glass with cupcakes and frosting on top.

 A plant that grows on the wall around our apartment.  You can't get it off - it is stuck tight.

We made a trek downtown today to Mercado Central on Monday.  Lots of fun things to look at and buy.

 Some pictures of our chapel on Sunday after our Church meetings.  Linda gave the opening prayer and Dale gave the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting.

Get together at Victoria Suites before Women's Conference

On Saturday afternoon after our shift at the temple, went to Victoria Suites and had  a "favorite things party" for the sisters on Saturday before the General Women's Conference.  The men joined us for a pot luck dinner and then we watched conference while some of the men watched NCAA basketball. The view from the roof top patio is amazing.

March 22 - 25, 2016

This is what we see from our front door - the Angel Moroni through the trees.

We have gone on a walk every morning with some of the other missionaries.  Elder Dibb, Hermana Dawn Hurst, Elder Gary Allred, and Elder Eldon Hurst.  Coming back from our walk (3 1/2 miles) we went over a bridge (built by the Church) that crosses a busy road, and took a picture of the temple from the top.  There are a lot of beautiful flowering trees and interesting evergreen trees, too.

Our apartment in Guatemala City.

We made it to Guatemala, arriving at 5:30 a.m.  The recorder from the temple met us at the airport and brought us to the apartment.  The following pictures show a little about what is looks like.  It is beautiful here.  The weather is nice and the flowering trees are in bloom.  Our apartment was loaded with food and new appliances, bedding, towels, and dishes.  The missionaries have made us feel very welcome.