amazing days! and Electric Skillet cake recipes!

Members from Gordon Hamms group left toy cars, necklaces and beads with us that they didnt get to give out, so yesterday we hiked back in to two homes in Seamay, not real far in distance, but in reality check -yes!  Gave the children cars and a doll and necklaces.  They were thrilled.  These two famlies appear so very happy, in their very small pole huts with tin roofs.  One family has 5 children in a two room hut - their washing area is outside.  The other family with 8 children live in about a 12x18 building with a washing area outside.  Happy, welcoming and loving.  Makes it very evident we get our priorities mixed up!  We stopped on the way back down and made necklaces with a family using the beads and ribbons we were left.  This morning we located more ribbons and visited a family to play after we taught at the school.  Love the people here andthe joy and love they share with us.  Tonight though I am very excited because I just found an electric skillet cake recipe!  Watch out next for the brownies!  Yesterday I had started filling the wash machine with water from the pila - by hand- because it is faster - had the clothes in, turned on the machine and the electricity was out!!!  By the time the electricty came on last night, the water was off!  Have to get the timing down a little bit better. 

WASPS and the polochic world view

We visited with a family in Chulak Sunday evening sitting in front of their home.  The tin roof/ceiling had two wasps nest hanging from it, grant it they were small.  The family showed them to us because all of the wasps were coming in.  We asked them if they were dangerous, because back home they sting and hurt.  They said, oh yes, if they sting you you will be up all night.  I asked  them why they had them there where the family sits and the children play...  the answer was,  they  come.  I said that in our home we have had them also, but that we kill them.  He asked me why.  I explained that they might sting the children.  He told me that yeah, one time they had a really big nest of them out there, the children were playing and they swarmed the kids and my you should have seen them run....and yet they have two wasp nests there because they come...
We went and saw a lovely family in Sepamac.  Took the bus to the end, then followed the trail down and down and down, not knowing where the family lived that we needed to find.  We would ask with my limited Q¨eqchi¨and their limited Spanish each time being told down the hill.  About 30 minutes of walking down to the bottom of the town at the end of the road outside the house was the family we had come to see.  Seemed like they were almost waiting on us by the time we got there.  We invited their 21 year old daughter to think about going on a mission.  What a beautiful day for a long hike, because when we left we found no transport back down till we had gone a very very long ways. 

turkey attack and running water

Wednesday while we were at one of the schools we teach at we walked out of the fence around the school to check a new building they are working on.  Some of the children followed us out, while outside the gate the children started provoking a huge tom turkey.  It began to try and attack the children so Elder Spradlin got between them and it and I tried to get the chldren back behind the fence.  The silly turkey was on the attack and followed us.  Elder Spradlin received a small wound on his leg before a man working on the new building made it to his rescue by grabbing the Turkey from behind by his wings and walking him back out and down the lane.  Okay, a little scary even - because this guy was huge.  Sure wish I had had pictures!  We finally got water again last night after about 4 days relying on our cystern.  Yey!  we rushed and did all of our laundry, dishes and even had hot showers.  It was great!