Learning

We have learned in the last week that when the Thunderstorms hit hard it is better just to light a candle and leave it burning, so we are not left in the dark when the electricity does go out.   We also make sure the Pila is full before the storms start at night, because it could always hit one of the water lines.  I am still having a little trouble enjoying the storms when they are hard.  They make me a little nervous.

 Elder Spradlin bought a banana tree... well one whole stem I guess you would call it, with over 120 bananas on it.  I quit counting once I figured on that many.  You have to pick them while they are still green, then you let them finish ripening inside, or in shade so they don't get dark spots.  He hung them now from the ceiling in the study/second bedroom.  I went online finally and found out that you can fry them like you would potatoes, also a good curry recipe.  This is good, because when they all ripen that will be a lot of bananas!  The bananas are a lot cheaper to buy in a huge bunch like that, we paid 40 quetzales, they offered it to us for less, but we didn't think they were being fair to themselves since they are also good friends. 

 We have started working with some of the members now on their genealogy and it is extremely exciting.  First we help them start filling out their four generation charts, then we use our laptop to help them start putting their information in the online genealogy system so they can prepare to go to the temple.  It is exciting to watch them begin their searches.  We are also working with starting several future missionary files.  We have 6 that are now in process, each at a various stage. Last week was exciting when 3 young men we had worked with all got their mission calls.  Doing a little preparation for the Q'eqchi choir that is coming from the US the end of July and also the preparation for the Dental Clinic we will be helping with about the same time.  It is great to watch so many projects unfold!  Now if I can just figure out how to upload the slideshow of Elder Spradlin and his bananas!

He Wouldn't Let Go

By Elder Spradlin
We stood there in a humble home made of sticks and boards, standing upright, held together by wire and string.  The roof over our heads was made of rusted tin and the floor under our feet was God's own good earth.  I only noticed one bed and a hammock in the single room dwelling, which housed several children and their parents.
As the early afternoon light gleamed through the cracks between the sticks and boards, the father/grandfather of this wonderful family took my hand in a farewell handshake.  He had just shared his deeply felt and beautiful testimony, as he did so I felt the spirit of the Lord flow through him.  Although I didn't understand his words, the Spirit bore witness of the words he uttered.  As we stood there holding hands he did not want to let go, and neither did I.  He and I felt the Spirit of God, the Eternal Father flow into that humble abode and into us - we did not want to let that moment go.
I don't know his name, and I didn't understand his words, but I will never forget that old gentleman and the feeling I had as we clasped hands and felt the Holy Spirit distill upon us, standing in heavenly bliss as brothers in Zion.

Learning

We were able to meet with a Brother in Guatemala City last week when we dropped off David and Michelle, he explained the program for helping people here in the Polochik start their genealogy.  It is a little more difficult here than we can imagine in the states - when a person is illiterate and quite often doesn't know their own birthdate.  We are very excited about starting to help them make and prepare their family history records.  Saturday we went to a branch activity in Telemann.  The activities and games for the children were supposed to start at 10am, many children were there but the leaders weren't quite ready yet, we have a hard time sometimes when things start an hour later than announced... so Elder Spradlin and I played jump rope, limbo and Simon says with them.  We then started teaching them how to play Red Rover, after starting it we walked off to check on how the real games were coming.  About 2 minutes later the kids all came after us and said that one young girl had said a bad word.  I walked over to her, you could tell she was frustrated and upset. I turned to everyone else and asked "Do you know that she is a princess?"  All of you are princesses and princes also.  I put my arm around her then and said very softly that she is a princess and that it is because of our Heavenly Father.  Then I said, "maybe you forgot for a minute who you really are, that happens to all of us sometimes."   Wish I had been wise enough to respond to such circumstances equally well when my own children were struggling.  We are children of a King, a loving Heavenly Father who cares about us, the problem is that sometimes we forget for a moment who we really are.