We were told yesterday of a family with an 18 year old daughter who is very sick, so we went to visit the family. When we got there the daughter was in the middle of a convulsive seizure, arching her back, arm going stiff, then slumping, then going back into arched position and thrashing. The family was all around holding onto her and praying/screaming, and trying to put scriptures on her chest. She mainly appeared unconscious during the episode, which continued several minutes after we got there. The room was hot with all the people surrounding her, I asked for a small bowl of cool water and began bathing her face and arms, that helped them back up a little and quit grabbing at her. The convulsion passed, she came to and then after speaking laid down to sleep. They told us she had started having the convulsions earlier in the week and when they took her to the Medical Clinic after the first one the Doctor said there was nothing wrong with her. I think that may be because of how they explained it, and she appears perfectly normal in between the seizures. They decided that since the Doctor didn't find anything wrong with her, that an evil spirit is trying to possess her. I can see after having been there why they might tag it that way, looked kind of like an epileptic seizure, and scary to watch.

We came straight home and I got on the computer to do some research on what some of the causes are for seizures and what you need to do to diagnose. There is no diagnostic equipment here, like MRI or EEG, but Coban has it about 4 hours away. We called their Branch President and told him what we had found and he went over to meet us there to talk to them. We wanted to make sure they understand because some of the family don't understand Spanish very well and we were fighting against tradition, to try and help them realize she needed medical attention. She was fine as we were sitting there and we discussed it, with her sweet little one year old girl laughing and playing. They said they will think about it and decide by Monday, but you could tell they were doubtful. We left and went to visit another family, when we passed down the trail close to their home about an hour later we heard them all yelling again and I guess praying, it sounded like someone had died- or something. I was pretty sure she was in the middle of another seizure, but with nothing more we could do we walked on by, and I felt horrid. Hoping strongly that today they get her some help and that they can find a solution, it is hard to feel so helpless.

On the other hand we had an amazing caldo with one family yesterday and another family we visited just found out the wife is pregnant. We went to Poptun District earlier in the week and were able to do a training with the District Leadership there focused on missionary work, and the importance of the members doing missionary work, with the full-time missionaries helping them. We also got to work with a lot of the missionaries on a variety of issues like housing and English. Very grateful that none of them called this week due to sickness, and those that had been ill are all doing better.   

Highlights

When you wake up at three in the morning and can't sleep there is always something that needs to be done.  Luckily with this happening this morning I also found that the Internet was working, we had difficulty all week long to get signal for using it to communicate.  

Some Days are highlights of your lifetime and this week we participated in the Highlights of many people's lives. We helped set up, play for, then helped serve the food after the wedding of one of our young returned missionaries on Wednesday.  We took the youth from the group of Americans to sing and play with children, then one day to learn how to make tortillas.  Saturday though is one of those days that needs a special star. We delivered a Mission Call to a future missionary on our way to a baptismal service in Sajonte. This baptism was unique in many ways, but mainly because it was the beginning baptisms for a community and 32 people were baptized. To accommodate so many people Baptisms were held inside the church and outside in a portable font on the Basketball/Soccer court. The new members are from Saranch, a community about two hours by foot trail, or 45 minutes in truck - away from the nearest LDS chapel in Sajonte. where a Pastor and his congregation in a community about 2 hours from the church in Sajonte became unhappy with the doctrines and workings of the church there, a member of his congregation is LDS, but because of distance was only able to get to the church in Sajonte about once a month, the rest of the time attending this other group. He suggested they learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and then passed on a referral to the Elders and they began teaching the families, walking over to the community with other members three times a week. There are several other families in the community waiting to hear the discussions, but Saturday there were 32 prepared for baptism which is definitely a momentous occasion.

Earlier in the week, in order to level out perhaps the joys and difficulties of the week I had the opportunity to scream like a girl. The slug on the couch I easily dealt with, but then I saw a snake rapidly leaving the kitchen in front of me, I actually let out what Harold called a real "Girl Scream" The snake was bigger than the last one we found and wasn't poisonous, but we waited until it was dead to try and find that out.  

The joy of little things

There is a humanitarian group in this week that we are helping out with some and that is always a lot of fun. Took a group of their youth out to visit in the neighborhoods to sing and play with the children. It is so much fun watching them interact with all of our “kids”! There is such a special feeling as we walk down the streets or trails here and people call out to us, or those passing greet and hug us. They have all become such a part of our lives as we talk, joke, laugh and share together. We stopped by one home to visit last week and the kids were in front rolling down the lawn and playing like we did as kids, we got them doing wheelbarrow races together and then they tried doing 3-legged races while we all applauded their amazing feats. Another member told us they had some beans for us from their harvest and so we went and sat together in front of their home shelling beans together and visiting. Sometimes being Senior Missionaries is a completely different type of mission as the younger missionaries as we work supporting and loving our members.

This morning we get to work with the missionaries on their English, plus one of the Branch Presidents called us last night and asked us to help with a wedding at the church today. The Gringos are still here, so we may work with them some also this afternoon in between helping prepare for the wedding and the real wedding time this evening.

Father blesses us in so many many ways, it is hard to imagine or even explain sometimes.  We went to a branch Sunday that, when we first came to our mission, the mission President didn’t realize there was still a group there, even though they had a lovely Church Building.  We found out there were about 5 members still somewhat active and that it had once been a very strong branch.  There are missionaries working there now, and Sunday when we visited them they hit a new high for the year of 58 members in the Sacrament Meeting!

 I love days that are full, I love having this privilege of serving here in Guatemala.