puzzles and fun

Elder Spradlin has been working jigsaw puzzles, or as said in Spanish, rompe cabezas. We were doing little ones with children, then we got a large one and he started it. The fun is that now we have a couple of young girls and their families who have showed up at the house to help him work on it, they have also each taken home larger puzzles and are working on them in their homes. It has become such a fun activity and something they can't get here. We are spending more and more time with our neighbor family behind us, they came over for dinner along with the Elders the night before last and I made everyone biscuits and gravy. We are going to meet with them with the Elders on Saturday morning so they can learn more about the church. The mom and I have gone walking a couple of times and she has shown me new trails, introduced me to new families, showed me a cinnamon tree and keeps pointing out the edible plants around us as we walk. She also has shown me a couple to steer clear of!

Yesterday morning we visited a clinic here for undernourished children sponsored by Charity Anywhere. They teach the moms, weigh the children and help with formula and a drink called Incaparina. One of the worker's daughters was there, a lovely girl aged 13 and we visited with her, she was working on her English and wanted us to help her remember the song “Row, Row, Row your Boat” that the Kekchi Choir had taught at her school when they were here. We went back up later in the day and took her one of the 100 piece puzzles to try!

This morning we get to help some of the missionaries in the area with their English, I started doing a short class with them before their District meetings once a week. It gives us a chance to check in with them and make sure everyone is doing alright. One of our Elders had an eye infection yesterday, luckily I had drops already here at the house I could give him, from when I had one a couple of weeks ago.

Rainy season is in full swing, hard rains most nights causing some landslides on the roads. Usually they are able to clear them out pretty quickly, but does make us a little nervous. The internet is also running a little slow because of the cloud cover, but will try and see how many pictures I can get to load! Finishing up a few missionary file submissions this week, before the mission divides this Sunday. Making sure they are all the way through the Mission level and up to the Area Office. Kind of fun, these missionaries who submit from one mission and by the time they go out will be leaving from a different one because of the division.

Zone conferences

Love Zone Conferences! Will also admit that I loved the hot showers at the hotel in Coban while we were there! One of the classes was on how we teach with questions and an Elder presented a good question: “What would we have Christ help us with in our life?” Then of course since prayer is not just about asking, but about change and growth - what are we willing to do to change? The conferences were a much needed lift after having experienced a death and a funeral, and knowing of at least three more in the same weekend.

Our District here in Senahu sang for one of the conferences and I played for them and helped the sisters, since there are only two sisters here plus me and 8 elders. My throat was bothering me the day of the practice and I was a little bit concerned. Felt it a miracle that my voice did fine, but within an hour of leaving the conference I started coughing and lost my voice! The conferences were wonderful and also hard, knowing that it was the last conferences with President and Sister Watts. Our mission divides next weekend and we will be in the new Coban mission with President and Sister Curtiss. The Gospel is spreading and it is a marvelous privilege to be part of the Lord's work.

I am now learning the gift of silence due to my laryngitis. My wonderful neighbor brought me up lemons today from her tree when she found I didn't have any. I love the friendships we are making here and the hugs and joy we share with these amazing people.

We were very blessed to get back up the mountain on the way back from Coban, there was a mud slide across the road that they had just gotten moved enough for us to get through. We heard this evening that another one had happened last night and closed the road back up again. Guess it is okay we stayed here today with me not having any voice!   

The harder moment

Tears of sorrow we know will someday be replaced by tears of joy. Last Thursday we met a family who had a 5 year old daughter that was suffering from malnutrition, not sure why she was malnourished, had been suffering from some illness that the Doctors could not place. Charity Anywhere was here and helped get the family the vitamins the Doctor had prescribed, plus Incaparina (a protein drink) and powdered milk to help the little one. We went to check on how the family was doing this afternoon only to find out the little girl died Sunday morning. Our heart breaks for this sweet family and the mother's arms who are empty. Our hearts break for all of the other mothers here whose children are sick or die and they do not know how to help them.  This is one of the harder parts of our mission.

Anyone want a baby?

On our way back from Poptun Sunday we were able to stop and see some waterfalls called los Conchos de Chahal and they were amazing! I love the beautiful little breaks we get - and the inspiring view right out the window of our house.

There was a group of Americans here this week doing service work that we got to work with. It was very hectic, but amazing seeing all that was accomplished. We were able to work quite a bit with the Physical Therapist and Rosie gained some much needed tools from her – she should be crawling soon. We are still hoping and praying that her eye surgery goes through the end of this month when they are supposed to be putting in lens implants.

A very funny conversation happened in the market, the Sister we were working with from the US was looking for a toy to take back to her one year old, I asked one of our K'eqchi' sisters where she should look, she understood me to be saying the sister was looking for a baby – and told me her cousin had one! Nothing like giving away your relatives!

 This was a week so busy it is hard to even cut it down to report size! Walking through the market one afternoon Elder Spradlin saw one of our brothers with a cut finger and brought my attention to it. I called to him and took him over to the side and started pulling out my med kit- then we realized how bad it really was and convinced him to go to the medical clinic! Was NOT a minor cut, but his finger split open from a chair falling and mashing it! We went to take our little neighbor to the dental /vision clinic the Americans were doing- flouride treatments and handing out glasses, Planning on helping but we were running late and when we got there and walked in they had only one Flouride Treatment left -and were able to use it on her. While there for the clinic the Branch Pres. Asked me about an undernourished little girl in his branch, so we were able to help get her in contact with the leader of the group who also sponsors a program here for malnourished children here in Senahu.

We hit our 19 month mark today, means we head stateside in only 4 months. Time goes so fast sometimes!

Challenges and Blessings

I shall list the blessings first so you know that I am not complaining, because the challenges this past week were definitely at times challenging!

1. We were able to hand out ties to many brethren at District conference in Chulac and visit also with President and Sister Watts and Elder Lopez and his wife from the Seventy. Just so happens that the Lopez's daughter will be going to the same mission as Amber this fall!
2. When I entered the Sister's meeting of District conference, I was surprised, by the District President, to be given the opportunity to do a Primary for all of the children -while the adult Priesthood and Relief Society meetings went on. We had about 50 children with me and all in K'ekchi'. Elder Spradlin was busy working crowd control in the hallways!
3. Helped a family fill out their paperwork to go and be sealed together in the temple this week.
4. Helped two future missionaries with their mission files.
5. Played with amazing children as we walked through a very poor neighborhood, sang a song and played a game at each home, the children there then followed us on to the next home … By the end we had 20 children with us singing I am a Child of God in Kekchi, and their parents participating and encouraging them on.
6. Had visits from leaders from two different Branches in our home and gave them ties and shirts
7. The Senahu District missionaries all came to lunch yesterday, there were 8 of them, plus two little neighborhood girls helped me fix the meal and they enjoyed the spaghetti also. One of the Elder's family had sent a cake mix and a brownie mix for his birthday – so strawberry cake was the dessert!
8. We are still healthy and fine and grateful to be a part of Heavenly Father's work here in the Polochic!

Now for the challenges...

We came home from the states to a huge bug invasion. But we have battled ferociously, took everything out of the cabinets in the kitchen and sprayed down every feasible piece of furniture. Washed everything in the kitchen down with disinfectant. Again our new neighborhood girlfriend came to help us in the battle! We also made cookies to share .

Rainy season has started and when we got home from the church finally on Sunday evening our house was flooded. Water standing in the majority of the rooms, some places about 3 inches deep. Again our sweet neighborhood girl and her cousin showed up right as we started with our brooms. They ran for more brooms and helped us sweep out all the water. We finally reached our Landlord and he came as we were finishing, looks like there is a drain system around the house, the tubes though that take the water away had been clogged with leaves- so the only place the water had to go was over and into the house. Funny blessings in it though, we had the computer with us so it was dry. The desk was soaked – everything on it EXCEPT my journal. The spare bed that belongs to our landlord was soaked, but the bed we sleep on was dry. Sure glad we don't have carpet.

Last night after a super busy day with the missionaries we were able to eat a romantic dinner – cheese, crackers and apple slices, by candlelight, even watched a movie on the compute using the batteries. Oh yes, the electricity did finally come back on about the end of supper. Glad I bought cheese and apples in the capitol!

There was no ground beef available in the market, but I still had three pounds saved in the freezer so the spaghetti for the Elders was a big hit. Food storage is always important!

After being almost convinced that we had conquered the bugs I reached in my bag yesterday morning to bring out the present we were taking to Rosie for her One Year birthday, pulling it out, there was a huge spider on it! I jumped. Last night though as we were in the front room having scripture study Elder Spradlin noticed a few bugs on the wall near the ceiling, next to the front door. Went for the bug spray and sprayed them. This morning we discovered more than a hundred dead and dying wasps and bugs on the floor inside and outside the front door. Apparently he hit an unseen nest. Sure glad he did!

We are still laughing at the challenges, grateful for the adventure. Blessed to be Here, Now and feeling the protection and guidance of our loving Heavenly Father.