castles and waterfalls

Last Thursday we were able to work in El Estor with the Branch President, Primary President and the Relief Society President.  Some problems they have here we don´t even think about before we get to work with the members.  The Primary president wanted help with her music, she had the CD with music and the book but couldnt figure out how the songs worked.  Once I listened to it once I realized why, how does a person know what the intro music is and where it starts if no one has ever shown you!  The Branch had recieved the book for George Albert Smith and the one about being a Daughter of God in the same box, so many of the branches thought the Relief Society lessons all came from the Daughter of God book, not the lesson manual on George Albert Smith, makes sense.  Plus then you have the problem that the books are all written in Spanish, but many of the sisters only speak Kekchi.  Thursday night we spent at a hotel across from the church in El Estor and then took Friday to play a little.  We saw the Castle at Rio Dulce, and went to a swimming area that had a waterfall that was beautiful off of a hot sulphur spring coming down into a cold creek.  The water alternated between cold and hot.  Getting ready to show David and MIchelle around when they get here next week!  We just hope the rain doesnt close our road.  On Saturday we were at the District Conference in Chulak and had a few minutes to speak with Elder Martino from the Area Presidency, we talked about how it is hard to measure success here, and whether we are accomplishing anything that will make a lasting difference for the saints.  He told us what we count is in the hearts we touch each day.  I really liked and treasured his comment and support.  We have started to try and work with the leaders here in Senahu on geneology also, so that is a new exciting addition to the things we enjoy.  We will be going back up to Chulac this Wednesday to work more on some future Missionary files.

La Tinta and Birthdays

One of our little boys up the hill had his 7th birthday last week, we made him and his brother a race track from the left over packing cardboard that our Dryer had come in.  They were thrilled.  It is always amazing to us to see their smiles and receive their loving hugs.  They knew that we were coming, and were outside waiting for us when we got there.  On the way back we visited with another family up on the same mountain. and their Grandfather shared a powerful testimony that was wonderful to hear and share.  Saturday we worked in La Tinta with the elders and had more of an adventure that we expected - we went out and visited a sister on the other side of the two rivers.  That means getting there we crossed by little decrepit canoes, climbed a rock wall... and came back on swinging bridges!  Not what we normally do in a days travel.  We went up to San Francisco for Church on Sunday and met with the saints there, it is hard to describe their building, at least from an American perspective.  Wood building with cracks between the boards.  Dirt floor, windows but no glass, and a tin roof.  The primary met in a tin lean to outside the main room.  Doesnt matter how fancy the building, the Spirit and the message are the same. We sang, read and shared the gospel together, I love the faith and love of our members. 

Conference and Nature

It was a very busy weekend!  Saturday morning Elder Spradlin was asked to baptize a young boy 15 minutes before the baptism was supposed to start!  AFter the baptism we went down to Sacsuha for the District Conference where Elder Abulurach area president and member of the 70 presided.  Great meetngs.  Of course Sunday was Mother´s Day and had lovely messages or calls from my children.  Harold made me a checkerboard and that was super exciting -Phase 10 was getting a little old!  There are beautiful flowering trees that bloom along the roads, some we have been watching were bright yellow and this weekend were some new ones that were bright pink and beautiful.  Other nature facts, the people here were burning a lot of their fields to get the rain to come, it worked, the rains started Sunday and have been great in cooling down the temperature.  Saturday night when we got home there was this high pitch sound in the Dining room, sounded like it was coming from some sort of animal on the tin roof.  Harold hit the roof and it stopped for just a second then came right back.  It was really high pitched and loud, enough to run us out of the house.  I went down to the Landlord, we live in the back of his house, and asked him to come help us.  He walked in, heard it, and said oh its a ¨Gria¨ or some such...  He walks into the dining room and looks down on the floor and points to a little bug, looks kind of like a beetle.  We step on it and glorious silence.  Silly little bug.  When the rains are hitting hard on the tin roof, we almost get to use hand signals in most parts of the house,  but we are very grateful to be IN the house when they start!!!!.

Sacaj Waterfall, San Francisco Caldo, La Tinta,

It was one very busy week!  We got to see the giant waterfall at Sacaj, the roads had been worked on a lot, but were still on the just passable side.  Dont want to imagine doing that one in the rainy season!  Took the missionaries up with us to their aea, then we also worked in San Francisco and met the group leader, they are not yet a Branch.  We were at a family´s home where we had made an appointment to go out making visits with their son.  He had gone out to help with the planting though.  Ended up eating Caldo with them and all of the planters, and visiting - gratefully one of the Planters was their group leader.  Came back by Seramac and met with the Branch President there.  He had been out in the fields up on the mountain working, so we helped his wife shuck corn while waiting for him to get back.  Have meetings to go back and work again with both groups.  We were able to go to La Tinta also last week and worked with the missionaries there. 
Dr. Drake is doing a wonderful job helping the hospital in La Tinta getting some much needed equipment.  The hospital had a flood in 2010 and in 2011 and even though it is till in operation, a lot of their basic equipmet isnt functioning.  They service the whole Polochic valley, so it is a little scary.  The kitchen for the hospital - only had one stove functioning and the oven on it didn´t work.  The Laundry was having to hand wash their clothes because the washer took too much water, the dryer wasnt working right so they were drying them on the clotheslines.  That is not counting stuff like hospital equipment.  Dr. Drake got them first a computer system, a huge fridge, a microwave, a washer and dryer.  Next month they are receiving things for the Lab, like a new microscope.  Then the best is in three months when they will be getting a state of the art x-ray machine.  Still the need is unbelievable in tht hospital.  There was a sister there in the maternity ward who has some sort of a problem, she had come in from Chulac which was about a 3hour drive.  The Doctor said she needed an ultrasound, and she was having to wait 2 days just to get the ultrasound so they can diagnose the problem. 
Sunday we worked in Canlun where they just got a new branch president.  But they dont have presidencies yet for the different organizations - so we worked with Primary, Young Womens, and luckily brought material they were able to used for Priesthood.  Crazy wonderful day!
It gets really hot here in the daytime now, very grateful when the breeze starts and the evenings cool off, at leat up here in Senahu!