Don and Virginia Cazier Family Forum

Titanium resurrection

2012-02-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

I am happy to report that evidently there is life after bilateral knee replacement after all! It's not something one would do as recreation, but in order to be able to participate in real recreation more fully afterwards. Surgery was done on January 24th. After three days I was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for a week, and I cam home last night (February 4). Healing is coming along nicely, and each day it is a little easier, though complete recovery will be a matter of additional weeks and months and lots of exercise and therapy.

About a day after surgery, with legs in a "CPM" machine which moves them slowly back and forth to help them not stiffen up more than necessary.
After twelve days, the incision is healing nicely, and due to the good work of the surgeon and the use of glue rather than stitches or staples on the outside, the scar will be almost unnoticeable eventually.

Back home with the walker they gave me.

Using walking stick rather than walker. Note our vegetable garden in pots!

En garde!

Camping in the Weston wilderness

2012-01-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

The Martin Luther King holiday weekend provided an opportunity for Sean's and Regina's family to come down from Tampa for a couple of days and for the Boixes and Watsons and ourselves to join them in a Saturday night campout at Markham Park, just 3 1/2 miles from our home. It was the chilliest night of the week, but it made the campfire seem that much better. With all of us having church at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, it gave us time to get home and ready with plenty of time to spare. Photos follow:

Boix and Adib kids fix themselves food

Congregating by campfire
Alexa loving lantern; Watsons on right

Friendly fire fends off freezing

Kylie Watson finds camping fare similar to that at home.

Bryanna Boix, AnnaSophia Adib, Leila Boix

Another shot to prove Virginia was there

Kids especially enjoy camping.

Cuties on scooters

Cyrus Adib contemplates escape route

Ravenous ravens

Home again!

2011-12-23T08:48:00.001-08:00

November 30th concluded a wonderful phase of our lives as we returned from our mission in Guatemala to spend the next 18 months at home and visiting kids and grandkids, take care of needed dental and medical appointments, arrange for a double knee replacement in January, and take an exotic trip or two prior to our going back to Guatemala in June, 2013, for another mission in the area offices. The following are a few photos, probably of greater interest to family than anyone else.

Name tags removed, following release from mission.

Anya Adib at Westonn Regional Park
Debbi and Kylie at park

Our home in Weston, with our new Hyundai Accent

Belated Thanksgiving dinner

Kids' corner of belated Thanksgiving dinner

Leila Boix with kitten

Bryanna and Leila Boix on Silver

Boix bunch at Disney World

Kathi and Braxton at Disney World

Aren't these guys too old for the merry-go-round?

At least these guys aren't!

More Disney World

Lion in safari at Animal Kingdom

Safari so good

More safari

And more. Virginia says we don't have to go to Africa now. It really was a good one.

Adibs in front of their home in Valrico

Kylie Watson (on right)

Did you know there were llamas at the stable?

At Egyptian Museum in London

Again

Tower of Power at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Dallin and his two younger sisters thought it was great!

Assyrian depiction of conquest of Lachish in Israel

Egyptian plaque. Colors are original.

Assyrian statue

Virginia with David's family in Godmanchester

Old church in Godmanchester

Ashley on train to London

Entrance to British Museum

Lukey and Joey at Winter Wonderland

Our favorite exhibit at the museum (the one on the bottom--not on the top)

Innovative bed base in David's and Amy's home

David's and Amy's home in Godmanchester

Family fun

David and Amy and part of family in Godmanchester

Family soccer

Going to Christmas Eve program at centuries old Godmanchester church

Steeple of church

Interior of church. Virginia on far left. It was chilly!

Stained glass window

David's family in Godmanchester church

Below is brief video with bells playing

Lukey plays Santa

Joey enjoying karaoke
Dallin demonstrates wrestling moves

December 24, when David's family opened gifts, since Christmas came on a Sunday

Lyndsey, Lukey, and David

Dallin, Ashley, Amy, and Sydney

Quetzaltenango Temple open house

2011-11-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

Last week Virginia and I were privileged to go to Quetzaltenango for four days during the VIP tours for the temple open house. The original idea was that since all the Area Presidency would be there and would want to have their weekly presidency meeting, they would need the executive secretary there to take minutes, but it expanded into an invitation to stay to see if we could be helpful leading some of the tours for special guests. We did get to lead a couple of tours, but we preferred thereafter to defer to the local Guatemalan leaders, who were very well prepared to give the tours and who would be less likely to give the impression that somehow it is a North American church. Like second string football players, we were always "on the bench," suited up and ready to go into the game if needed, but were quite happy that another pair of guides always made it back from a previous tour just before we were to be called to go.

The temple is beautiful, and members and non-members alike are excited for the opportunity of touring it prior to its dedication. Lots of prominent people have already gone through, and we have had very favorable write-ups in both the Quetzaltenango and Guatemala City newspapers. The president-elect of the country was slated to tour it on Friday with his prospective cabinet members. I assume it happened but have not heard any details. Saturday they had over 20,000 people show up, including over 100 buses! Unfortunately, they were able to move only about 15,000 of them through the temple. I hope the others were all locals who can come back. And we thought we were busy during the Panama Temple open house when we had 6000 in one day! They were much better staffed there in Quetzaltenango than we were able to be with our more limited personnel resources in Panama, and things are going very well. I'm getting copied on the daily attendance reports and most relevant comments from visitors. Such comments as the following from non-LDS visitors have been typical:

"Thanks for inviting me. It was marvelous! I felt God in the entire church and in the entire tour I felt full of the Holy Spirit."

"I have no words to express the thrill and the peace that little by little overcame me until I was moved to tears. Thank you for the opportunity. Congratulations on the temple, which is most impressive."

A 7 year old girl wrote: "I liked the baptism room, the bride's room, and the celestial room. I felt happy and peaceful. I want to come again."

"A piece of heave on earth."

"The temple is very beautiful. I never dreamed I would ever be in a place so lovely."

"Now I have an idea of what heaven is like and how we'll be received."

"I wanted to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

"This is the happiest day of my life because of this tour."

"I forgot all my sorrows."

"This is the first time in my life I have felt peace."

"I'd like to learn more about Joseph Smith and the other prophet."

"I want to be a member of this church."

"This was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life."

"It was very beautiful, and I'd like to be a member."

Maybe the funniest comment (not intended to be so) was from a visitor who said the only additional thing he'd like to have seen would have been a picture of the Virgin Mary!

Following are a few photos of the temple and of our trip:

With the canopies up to protect visitors from either sun or rain while they wait.

Room in the guest house where we sat for most of two days with other guides, waiting for the next tour.

Shot of the guest house from in front of the temple, with volcano in the background

Young people waiting to put on shoe covers for visitors

Virginia with local sister in typical hand-embroidered dress

Vendors hitch a free ride on the way back to Guatemala City

Lady with baby strapped onto back

Place where road was washed out on way back from Quetzaltenango. We understand several cars plunged some 150 meters down when they didn't see it after it first sank in the night following heavy rains.

This and the following photos are from the Church web page but are put here for your viewing convenience.

Instruction room with lovely murals

Celestia room

Sealing room

Recommend desk

Baptistry

Another shot of baptistry

Detail on wall. I understand the green stone is jade.

Detail of table

Mission Presidents' Seminar

2011-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

October 25-28 we enjoyed another mission presidents' seminar with the Area Presidency, DTA, area medical advisor, and wives at the Hotel La Reunion near Antigua. The property includes a world class golf course amid scenery which would be hard to beat. It was, as always, a spiritual treat, with a little fun mixed in. Photos follow. To see more detail, click on any of the photos.

Mission presidents, Area Presidency, and others at mission presidents' seminar at La Reunion, near Antigua Guatemala. Note smoking volcano in the background. One morning it let out a loud bang, which sounded like thunder. The next day we heard it making a low rumble before it launched smoke and ash into the air. At night those watching reported a bright glow and flowing lava.

Mission presidents' seminar

Area Presidency and executive secretary and wives

Buggy ride in Antigua

In old convent in Antigua

Virginia leading music to let the group hear the echo effect in a room in old convent

At largest fountain in Central America, outside the La Merced church in Antigua

In Hotel Santo Domingo in Antigua, a converted convent, where we had dinner.

A couple of the brethren hamming it up at dinner in Santo Domingo.

Soup served in squash

Scenery at Hotel La Reunion

Virginia enjoys back patio at our hotel room. (Note private pool for each room!)

Ladies using their heads to sell fruit

Volcano framed in arch in Antigua

Virginia on roof dining area at the Posada de Don Rodrigo

Marimbas entertain the group at lunch at the Posada de Don Rodrigo in Antigua

Painting of quetzal at Posada de Don Rodrigo

Below: A short video of marimba players

Quetzaltenango Temple

2011-09-19T19:35:00.001-07:00

For our 48th anniversary Virginia and I went with a bus load of senior missionary friends to Quetzaltenango for a private tour of the new temple, compliments of Duane and Suzanne Cheney, who were in charge of its construction and who were gracious enough to agree to show us through. They also built the Panama, Costa Rica, and Venezuela temples, and Duane grew up in Virginia's ward in Idaho. They gave us a lovely tour of both the temple and the adjoining guest house. Afterwards we went to our favorite Quetzaltenango Restaurant, the Woon Kooc, for more than anyone could eat Chinese food. Here are a few photos.

The newly-weds, more in love than ever

Zoomed in view of the temple from the road across the valley. It can be seen from miles away.

View of Quetzaltenango from the temple site

The guest house, with accommodations for a fair number of out-of-town patrons in addition to temple workers.

Shot of the temple without people in the foreground

Painting in the guest house. Presumably Alma at the Waters of Mormon. Other paintings follow. There were some lovely ones in the temple, too, including original paintings, but we could not take pictures inside.

Missionaries with more zeal than wisdom--What are they doing out in the boondocks rather than working in a center of strength?

Jesus teaching his disciples

Temple of Solomon

Moroni

Lehi's dream

Away to Huehue with the Hue Hues

2011-08-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Huehuetenango, we are told, literally means "the place of the "huehues," or ancient ones. So, as the title of this post suggests, we made a trip there August 28-29 with other senior missionary couples. The main purpose was to see the head of the San Juan River, which some have made a good case for being the "head of the Sidon River" spoken of five times in the Book of Mormon as being a major landmark. It's enough of a landmark today that it gets on highway maps, as rather than start out as little springs oozing from the ground and gradually becoming a trickle, then an ever larger stream, this river springs right out of the ground with amazing volume, as the pictures and video on this post will show.

Accompanying us were President and Sister Clate Mask, formerly of the 2nd Quorum of Seventy and currently Guatemala City Temple president, who served his first mission as a young man in Guatemala, had a career in CES, and has had a long interest in Book of Mormon geography. President Mask is the grandson of Andres C. Gonzalez, the first full time full-blooded Mexican missionary, about a hundred years ago. Gonzalez is the author of Hymn 88 in the Spanish hymn book, "Placentero Nos Es Trabajar," the third verse of which is more poignant when one realizes he wrote it (somewhat of a farewell to mortality) when he was a prisoner as a missionary and had been told he was to be executed. President Mask's version of part of the story, if I can remember it correctly, is worth repeating briefly: Gonzalez and his companion were arrested in Mexico City and charged as being spies for the revolutionaries--supposedly affiliated with one faction or another. They were placed before a firing squad, and heard "Ready, aim..." before he remembered having just read the words of Abinad in Mosiah 13:3--and he said, in effect, "Stop!" You cannot kill me, because I have not yet delivered the message I have for President Madero" (the president of the country). Somehow they decided to take him to see the president, just in case. They told the president about the Book of Mormon, and he was fascinated. Both he and his vice-president wanted copies. It was even better when it came out that Madero was from the same small town as Gonzalez, and in fact Gonzalez' father had been a beloved school teacher of Madero! Needless to say, the execution was not carried out.

President Mask told of having a similar experience of his own as a young missionary in El Salvador, when a man pulled a gun on him and his companion and told them he was going to kill them. He cocked the revolver and was about to pull the trigger when Mask, remembering his grandfather's story, said essentially the same thing: "Stop! You cannot kill me, because I have not given you the message I was sent to give you." He went on to say they were representatives of Jesus Christ, who would be mad if he killed his representatives. They talked on at some length until Mask's senior companion eventually said he had to go and said, "Goodbye sir." Elder Mask explained he couldn't leave his companion and quickly followed. Evidently the man with the gun was either sufficiently impressed with their courage or astonished by their approach that at any rate he didn't shoot them after all!

Our first stop was for sacrament meeting in the indigenous town of Patzicia. We met in a lovely stake center built on the same site where an earlier chapel was destroyed by an earthquake in 1976, which killed some 30,000 nationwide. President Monson has twice told the story of an Elder Randy Ellsworth who was pinned to the stage by a heavy concrete beam which fell on him. The branch president, Pablo Choc, who had lost his own wife and two children in the quake, went under the stage and cut out Elder Ellsworth with a saw. Elder Ellsworth survived to return to finish his mission in Guatemala and, through his faith, was able to walk again without canes.

President Mask knew Pablo Choc well and recently had the privilege of sealing him to his parents just before he passed away. President Mask told of how Pablo became discouraged following the death of several of his family in the earthquake and got to the point that he prayed the Lord to take him. But he had a dream (or vision) of President Spencer W. Kimball telling him to get up and go forward, as people needed him. He never evidenced discouragement again.

We were also told the story of a Daniel Mich, the first branch president in Patzicia, who during a time that the native people were being severely persecuted by the government and army spent two years in hiding in the mountains and another two years in jail, when they caught him. He had a dream of a white haired man who told him to follow him, and when the missionaries eventually met him and taught him, he recognized the picture they showed him of David O. McKay!

We were impressed by the great spirit in the meeting we attended in Patzicia. The indigenous brethren were almost all dressed in suits and ties, and most of the ladies in colorful native dress. The sacrament was prepared early and everyone was seated on the stand early. The talks were well prepared and given with enthusiasm. One was by a humble corn farmer, but who by serving a mission had gained an enviable polish and self-confidence and enthusiasm. (I thought it fun that the closing hymn was "We are sowing, daily sowing...!") They talked about upcoming temple excursions where they would leave early in the morning on a bus for the temple. They announced meetings for those interested in the Perpetual Education Fund. I have never felt more profoundly the ongoing fulfillment of the prophecy that the Lamanites would blossom as the rose. Though I had never attended there before, I felt much more at home than I feel in our own home ward in Weston, Florida.

Outside view of the Patzicia chapel.

Some of the Patzicia Relief Society sisters

Primary kids being friendly to the visitors

Our bus and my favorite passenger in front of the chapel

President Mask giving us a great fireside talk in our hotel in Huehuetenango

President Mask sharing his wisdom and knowledge with us on the bus

Our hotel in Huehuetenango--the Hotel Ruinas Restort--a nice, modern facility

Store we saw in Huehuetenango, evidence of member enterprise. There are two stakes in the Huehuetenango area.

Huehuetenango is at a pass on ancient trade routes and is near the west end of an east-west mountain chain, the Cuchamatanes Mountains, that are the best candidate to be the "narrow strip of wilderness" that separated the Land of Nephi from the Land of Zarahemla.

Rock slides on the road toward the Rio San Juan threatened to keep our bus from proceeding, until a group of us decided to take matters into our own hands (including yours truly, in the blue shirt). It turned out it was more seriously blocked further up the road, so we had to backtrack and go an alternate route anyway.

Scenery along the way.

Market scene in the town of Aguacatan, where the Rio San Juan originates.

More scenery

Still more. Note the tile roofs on the houses. Most houses had this type of roof prior to the 1976 earthquake, which accounted for much of the death toll. Most have now been replaced with corrugated metal.

Fruit stand in Aguacatan

Poster advertising eye exams by a medical specialist for the exorbitant price of Q10--or about $1.25.

Here it is--where the Rio San Juan bubbles--or even gushes--out of the ground. Click on the video below to get the full effect.

Another shot. Note the quantity of water downstream!

A scenic view from the side. Also, note the water in the background!

Looking downstream--a pretty good quantity of water to have just come up out of the ground!

"Welcome to the San Juan River"

One more view

And another

And another. (We're glad we didn't have to pay for developing all the pictures we took!)

Note the ruins. Also the old buildings behind us! This is the rebuilt city of Zaculeu, inhabited as early as 250 A.D. but largely dating from about 1000 A.D.

View from on top of one of the pyramids.

Now how do I get down?

Looking east toward the mountains

View to the north

Map showing ancient trade routes originating in the Zaculeu area (just outside of Huehuetenango). Click on the video below to see the San Juan River.

Florida Fun and a Wilde Time in Colorado

2011-07-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

We greatly enjoyed a two week leave of absence from our mission to participate in a family reunion in Orlando, Florida, and to spend a week with our daughter Laurie Wilde and her family in Colorado, where Laurie gave birth via C-section to another lovely daughter the day we arrived. We are grateful for the more relaxed rules for senior missionaries concerning home visits. We are now back in Guatemala for another four months prior to returning home for 18 months, after which we hope to come back to Guatemala for one more mission doing the same thing we're doing now in the area offices. The following are a few photos:

The 53 of us who were able to attend, including 10 of our 12 children

Beauty and the beast

The old guy isn't really quite as crippled as he looks in this photo!

Directing a treasure hunt for the grandkids

Virginia holding Kylie Watson (look at the red hair!)

Virginia and our oldest daughter, Ginette Burrows

Virginia holding Joey

Virginia with grandchild #57, Sabrina Dawn Wilde

Changing of the guard

2011-07-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

For those who have trouble sleeping, we present the highlights of our missionary service since we last wrote include, in no special order:

The departure of Area President Elder Don R. Clarke and his wife Mary Anne. The Clarkes had been here five years and are headed to Salt Lake City, where as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy Elder Clarke will work with the Missionary Department. We were part of three farewell events with the Clarkes--one a Monday evening dinner and program with senior missionaries at which we sang some silly home-made lyrics to the tunes of Allá en el Rancho Grande, Adios Muchachos, and Cielito Lindo; another event for employees and stake presidents at a local chapel, with an elaborate program; and a lunch with just the Clarkes, Elders Falabella and Martino, Virginia and I, and the two secretaries who work with the Area Presidency. The Martinos are also gone for the month of July, and one of the secretaries is taking vacation time, so it's quieter than usual around the area offices.
The departure of seven of our fourteen mission presidents and the arrival of seven new ones. We had a one day seminar for the new mission presidents and their wives a week ago.
A lot of recent stake youth activities for which I've had some responsibilities as a counselor in the branch presidency--mainly to help arrange transportation (including in our car) and to help chaperone.
My call to continue serving as a counselor in the branch presidency, but with a new branch president, this time a North American brother who is a military advisor to the Guatemalan military, attached to the US embassy.
Chartering a bus to the El Salvador Temple open house last Monday. It was a very nice experience, despite its taking us about seven hours to get there, due to a nearly two hour wait for an accident to be cleared and a one hour wait to get business attended to at the immigration offices on both sides of the border. The El Salvador Temple is lovely, and seems larger than the Panama Temple, though the ordinance rooms are no more spacious. They are running a lot more people through the open house than we did in Panama, though I think we may have got more comment cards filled out with more referrals, as we were more aggressive in inviting people to write something. Behind the recommend desk in the El Salvador Temple is a very lovely original painting of the Savior with one arm around a Lamanite child and the other around a Nephite child. I hope they print it in a magazine eventually.
Continuing to work with missionary applications (mainly Virginia), agendas, minutes, applications to the First Presidency, recommendations for new bishops and boundary changes, reports, answering emails, etc., etc., which has enough variety to it that one is never bored.
Teaching an institute class in English to about 40 returned missionaries who are in an intensive English language course at an institution called FUNVAL, sponsored by an LDS foundation. A local call center hopes to hire all of their graduates. It's fun to have such a large class and to have them as interested and attentive as they are, though the language at times is a bit of a barrier--especially for those with only a month or so at FUNVAL. Virginia interviews the students individually for about twenty minutes (3 per week) to give them additional conversation practice while I'm teaching the others.
Reading (a little at a time) the book A Land of Promise and Prophecy: Elder A. Theodore Tuttle in South America, published by the BYU Religious Studies Center. As I worked for over a year in Elder Tuttle's office, it was fun to relive experiences from my first mission.
Getting regularly humbled in my 5 a.m. racquetball outings, though I must mention that I actually won the last game we played yesterday, which must make me ever so briefly the reigning champion (until Friday).
Following with interest the beginnings of the 2012 presidential campaign, hoping that Mitt Romney continues to do well. At the very least, with both him and Jon Huntsman in the race, there should be a lot of attention focused on the Church for a while!
Following with at least minor interest the current Guatemalan election campaigns, which are even less civilized than those in the US. Thus far there have been some thirty violent attacks on candidates at various levels. Two candidates for the mayor of a nearby town (Santa Catarina Pinula) have already been murdered (one in a barbershop while Sister Clarke was shopping in the adjoining grocery store, a mile from our place, where we also shop). A third candidate for the office has been arrested for the murder of both. At the presidential level, the wife of the current president divorced him to try to circumvent the law which prohibits a close relative of the incumbent from running, but the supreme electoral court has invalidated her candidacy. She of course is appealing. But she was a fairly distant second in the polls to a former military general, who promises a tough stance against crime but who himself is widely suspected of complicity in some of the massacres which occurred during the country's 36 year civil war. Another eight to ten candidates split the rest of the prospective electorate. Unlike the US, which has two major and rather permanent parties, Guatemala has multiple ad hoc parties, generally springing up for just an election or two. No party in Guatemala has ever won the presidency more than once. They have a preliminary round of elections in September, with runoffs as needed in November. Demonstrations, traffic disruptions, etc., are routine, in addition to the lamentable violence. It should make for an interesting next few months.
Getting to baptize a new convert sister in our branch, probably because she didn't know anyone else's name, and getting to attend the baptism of our office shoe shine boy, Marcos, whom Elder Clarke baptized.

Here are a few photos, representative of recent activities:

Santa Fe youth and leaders prior to talent show performance

Santa Fe youth and leaders enjoying a pizza lunch at youth conference activity

Baptism in Santa Fe

Baptism of Marcos Tojin, who started by shining shoes for area office personnel

Celestial room of the San Salvador Temple

San Salvador Temple

This is the only one I took, as it was starting to rain. The other two above are from the Internet.

Good Friday in Antigua and other recent activities

2011-04-22T17:23:00.001-07:00

With other senior missionary couples we took an excursion to the city of Antigua (Guatemala) on Good Friday, to see the world-famous "carpets" made of colored sawdust and sand, pine needles, flowers, fruit, baked goods, and other materials. Many were made the evening before, but a rain during the night washed them away, so many were still under construction (or reconstruction) when we arrived. We arranged for a bus and a guide, and had reservations for both breakfast and lunch at a popular restaurant with great atmosphere (and with seriously inflated prices for the occasion). Between the two meals we walked around the streets and saw dozens of carpets. After lunch we saw a major religious procession pass over the top of the carpets, destroying them in the process (which is the expectation). Photos follow, with a few shots at the end taken at our recent mission presidents' seminar and our recent area council meeting.

Breakfast on the terraza at the restaurant of the Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo, which occupies a 315 year old property with lovely colonial patios and gardens, one of which is seen in the background. Virginia is under the white hat. On the left are the Curtisses, who are serving currently very effectively as humanitarian missionaries and who will be finishing soon, taking a few months off, and then have been invited to take our place as area executive secretary and assistant when we leave the end of November. She is Guatemalan, and he speaks very good Spanish and is very organized and proactive. They will be great.

Another view of the patio.

Carpet under construction

Another

And another

Completed carpet. Most of those that follow are completed. Click on them to see a larger image with more detail.

Our group ran into Elder and Sister Clarke and Elder and Sister Martino (of the Area Presidency), who had come separately, without our knowing they were going to do so. It just shows you never know who you might run into at any given moment!

Note the cute little kids who are dressed for participation in the procession.

Note the chili peppers!

Lady with a good head for the food business!

In the foreground are loaves of bread baked in the shape of crocodiles!

Bible and hands baked out of bread dough

Beginning of the procession

Men and boys carry the "float" with Jesus

Girls and women carry Mary

The cleanup crew right behind

More cleanup immediately after the procession.

Not connected with the preceding, but a real funeral procession as we waited for our bus

Area Presidency (Enrique R. Falabella, Don R. Clarke, and James B. Martino), with executive secretary

Area Presidency, Area Seventies, and office secretaries

Taken at the mission presidents' seminar. Area Presidency and Elder and Sister Hinckley are in front. We are in second row on left.

Interim mission presidents seminar with the Hinckleys

2011-04-09T19:34:00.001-07:00

We just completed an enjoyable and profitable two days with mission presidents and their wives at the interim mission presidents seminar here in Guatemala City. In prior years the mission presidents and wives both came to the November seminar but only the presidents came to the interim seminar in the spring, but this year both were invited. Featured visitors were Elder Richard G. Hinckley and his wife. Elder Hinckley has served for six years with the Seventy and for the last four years has been managing director of the Missionary Department, but he is turning seventy exactly one week after I do, so this is his last mission presidents seminar. His release will be announced in October. He took the whole day yesterday to instruct presidents concerning a new training program which will be inaugurated in August for new missionaries and their trainers. It includes an extra hour of companionship study per day for the first twelve weeks, with a structured curriculum. For those learning a new language, that will mean a total of four hours per day of study.

Today’s instruction was by the Area Presidency. You may have noted that Elder Clarke was sustained as a new member of the First Quorum of the Seventy at conference, which means the Church will be able to take advantage of his great talents for another five years. He’ll be leaving in July and will be working with the Missionary Department. We’ll miss Elder Clarke. He is very well regarded by the leaders in Salt Lake, and Elder Hinckley was applauding the fact that he’ll be working with the Missionary Department. We just got back from a nice dinner at the Clarkes’ place for the Area Presidency and wives and the Hinckleys. It was fun hearing a few stories of Elder Hinckley’s dad (President Gordon B. Hinckley). For the visually oriented, here are a few photos:

Elder Richard G. Hinckley at mission presidents seminar

Again

Elder James B. Martino addressing mission presidents and wives at the local CCM (MTC)

Entrance to the Guatemala City CCM (MTC)

Virginia and others about to enter the local CCM (MTC)

Izapa Outing

2011-03-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

March 25 we left with about 34 other senior missionaries and others with President and Sister Mask of the Guatemala City Temple for a quick two day trip to Izapa and points of interest on the way, especially those which could have possible relationship to the Book of Mormon. President Mask served his first mission in Guatemala (as did his wife), and during his career with CES he continued his interest in the country and in Book of Mormon geography. His proposals sometimes differ from those of John Sorenson, author of "An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon," but they often coincide with proposals made by other Book of Mormon students. Pictoral highlights of the trip follow:

Virginia at Los Aposentos, a somewhat unpretentious recreational area south of Chimaltenango, where springs come out of the ground. President Mask suggests this as a possible site for the Waters of Mormon. We had previously been partial to the Lake Atitlan idea, but President Mask makes a plausible case for its not being that far away. It was obviously close enough that those who wanted to find Alma to listen to him were able to do so. Los Aposentos is a couple of days journey from Guatemala City, the probable City of Nephi, whereas Lake Atitlan would be about a week away.

Another shot at Los Aposentos. The water is not quite so pure and beautiful today as it is in Mormon's description.
Beautiful scene outside the Hotel Atitlan (on the shores of Lake Atitlan), where we stopped for lunch. The flowers are pretty, too.

Shot of the valley of Totonicapan, from the highway leading to Quetzaltenango. This valley is a candidate to have been the Valley of Amulon spoken of in the Book of Mormon.

Closeup of the farmer on the hillside near Totonicapan

Looking to the other side of the highway we see the valley of Quetzaltenango--possibly the site of the Valley of Alma, which was one day north of Helam.

Mostly completed temple of Quetzaltenango

Our tour group in front of the temple. Next to Virginia (on the right) is Duane Cheney, the construction supervisor. He also built the Panama Temple as well as a couple of others. He is from Virginia's ward in Heyburn, Idaho.

View of Quetzaltenango from the temple site. The temple is wonderfully and prominently located on a hillside on the west side of town.

Ladies doing wash at public "laundromat" near temple in Quetzaltenango.

Valley of Almolonga, south of Quetzaltenango, proposed as a possible site of the city of Helam, where Alma's people lived until discovered by the Lamanites and Amulonites.

Fruit stands on the road from Quetzaltenango to Retalhuleu

Our guide sharing bananas purchased from one of the fruit stands. The whole stalk (part of which has been taken off already) cost only a couple of dollars.

Entrance to Izapa. President Mask and some others feel this could be the location of Lehi's first landing as well as the later Bountiful to which the Savior came as recorded in 3 Nephi 11. We had previously visited the site in 1985, 1986, and 1988 with family members and friends only to see Stela 5, sometimes called the "Lehi Stone," and which some feel may represent the vision of the tree of life as recorded in 1 Nephi 8. It is incredible to us to think that we hadn't been back for 23 years, yet it seemed like it was yesterday.

Ceremonial site (post-Classic) on the east side of the road. We didn't spend too much time here.

Of greatest interest in this part of Izapa is this stone showing a man in a boat. On an earlier visit I had joked that it must be Lehi. It turns out there is a higher possibility of that being true than we had ever supposed. There is evidence that the stone is out of place, probably having been brought from the "Group A" collection where the "Lehi Stone" is located.

We're now on the trail to "Group A." Notice how green and lush everything is. The Mayans have a tradition that they came across the sea from a place they called something like "Bountiful" and called their new settlement in the New World by the same name.

Cacao pods

Houses along the trail seemed to be competing with each other to see who could have the brightest colors. Here is the purple entry. A blue one was across the trail.

Here's a green one.

Here's one with both orange and green.

Here's the famous Stela 5, or "Lehi Stone." Is has eroded further since our last visit. Those wanting to study its detail will want to consult either earlier photos or drawings made of the carving.

Our group, with Virginia in the middle, in front of Stela 5. The protective roof is a bit bigger than it was when we were last there. It is too bad it was not installed many years earlier.

Looking north from Stela 5 to the rest of the "Group A" area, with mounds and stelae on all sides.

Pretty flowers on the trail on the way back.

Group B, which we didn't know anything about on previous visits and to which we never took our family. It turns out to be a fascinating temple complex, with three levels corresponding to the three sections of the Temple of Solomon and to the three levels of glory represented in LDS temples. It turns out to have been laid out with the same cubit measurement as was used in Solomon's temple, if I understand correctly. Some propose that this could be the temple site to which Jesus appeared following his resurrection.

Mango tree in area of temple complex

Human form protruding from the mouth of a creature which has characteristics both of a serpent and a jaguar. The flying serpent in scripture was a symbol for Christ. Some ask if this could be a representation of new birth (resurrection) through the Savior.

Finally, we stopped at the museum in Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa on the way back to Guatemala City and saw the fiberglass replica of Stela 21 that we've featured on this blog before, but we didn't have time to go see the stone itself in the cane field this time. President Mask feels this is a very significant artifact, depicting the birth of the seven tribes referred to in Mayan legends and which may correspond to the same seven groups mentioned in Jacob 1:13 and several other places in LDS scripture. The red arrow points to a symbol for a flint knife. "Flint" in Hebrew is said to be something like "Zoram." There is a possibility that the jawbone on the chest of the main character from which the seven tribes are springing is intended to be a name glyph for "Lehi," which is what "jawbone" sounds like in Hebrew. Underneath the flint glyph is one of a bat, and it is interesting that men in the Lake Atitlan area continue to wear jackets with the emblem of a bat on the back.

Those wanting any in-depth discussion of Izapa or other aspects of Book of Mormon geography or archaeology will, of course, want to consult the scholarly writings which can be found by doing a Google search for the same. We make no pretense to having any expertise in the field, but we do have an ongoing amateur interest in the subject, and we were grateful for the two day trip we enjoyed courtesy of the Masks.

Comings and goings

2011-03-10T17:58:00.001-08:00

This week we were favored with a visit from Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, General Primary President, and Sister Barbara Thompson, Second Counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency of the Church. Both had training meetings Saturday with Primary and Relief Society workers, respectively, and Virginia and I attended Sister Wixom's session, given that Virginia is a counselor in the Primary and I'm the branch presidency counselor who advises Primary. We stayed for the fireside the two had for all sisters (and a few stray brethren), transmitted to the chapel we were in from another chapel in town via satellite. It was also carried to stake centers throughout the area in the same way. Monday evening we were able to have both sisters at the senior couples' family home evening dinner and program at the Clarkes' and Martino's patio.

Sister Wixom speaking to the family home evening group, with Sister Thompson seated.

The evening also served as a farewell for Elder and Sister Hatch, who were completing their mission. They lived across the hall from us and were an inspiration to all of us young 'uns, in that they were willing to come on a regular proselyting and member support mission when both were about 15 years older than most senior missionaries. (He's 82 and she's 80.) He worked hard at learning Spanish and gathered more referrals for the young missionaries to teach than all the rest of us put together. He is a former mission president and temple president and regional representative. This was the fourth mission for both as a couple. The above photo isn't the most flattering one we've ever seen of Sister Hatch, but both she and her husband have such a great sense of humor that they'll probably just laugh when they see it. Elder Clarke is paying tribute to them here, with Elder Martino looking on.

Virginia prepares to sing "As Sisters in Zion" with the other senior sisters from our apartments.

Featured February Functions and Fun

2011-02-24T17:52:00.000-08:00

We thought those in the grip of winter in the US would enjoy seeing the view from our office window. These beautiful blue trees are blooming in great profusion throughout the city.

The following is a partial photographic record of enjoyable events during the month of February. As usual, the photos give a distorted view of what a typical day in our mission life would be, but readers could take only so many photos of us busy at the computer or attending meetings. The next photo is of Virginia at an old sugar refinery and home owned by the well-to-do non-LDS brother of one of our senior missionaries, who generously offered to let the senior missionaries have a Valentine's Day barbecue and social at his estate about an hour south of Guatemala City on February 12. I had pictures of the meal, the dancing afterwards, and the marimba band they had hired for our entertainment, but all but the following photo got accidentally lost when I unsuccessfully tried to send them wirelessly from my Blackberry to my computer and deleted them before confirming that they had arrived.

Above: Virginia at Valentine's Day party at estate in Palin

We recently found a place to purchase wheat--a very large operation covering much of a city block. We bought 5 bags of 100 pounds each, sold one bag to another couple, and gave away about 150 lbs to branch members last Saturday at a Relief Society activity where they learned to seal items for food storage in mylar bags, and where we gave a lesson and handouts and demonstrations on how to use wheat (which is virtually unknown here, except for using flour purchased in the store). We made pancakes and gave them a taste of a ground pork and wheat berry concoction I invented (with onions, tomatoes, celery, pepper, seasonings, and a touch of jalapeño). Most pretended they liked it.

We've also had three baptisms in our branch since the first of the year. Here is the first.

Here is the third, whose baptism occurred last Saturday just before our wheat activity.

Last Monday evening's senior couples' family home evening included a mariachi band the hosts hired for our entertainment. It brought back some great memories of our three years in Mexico.

This week we have had the privilege of helping host Matt Heiss, who works for the Church Historical Department in Salt Lake City and who is here for a seminar with country historians from throughout Central America tomorrow and Saturday. We got to take him to lunch on Tuesday at the restaurant in the artisan's market near the airport and talked this lady into letting us take her picture while weaving.

Yesterday Matt (Brother Heiss) had a free day, and in the afternoon we took him to Antigua for lunch and to see the sites. He also happens to be one of my former institute students from Fremont, California, from about 35 years ago. Here he and Virginia stand in front of the La Merced chapel in Antigua.

Virginia and Matt in the ruins of the main cathedral, destroyed in the earthquake of 1773.

Today we took Matt to see the Church's new welfare center in what used to be the institute of religion building, where I had my office during our mission of 2004-2006. This was our first look at it since remodeling was completed in January. It is marvelously transformed--and all for the better, as the building was always under utilized. The following photos will show some of the highlights of the new operation, which combines a bishop's storehouse with the employment center, the Perpetual Educational Fund offices, the PEF call center, the humanitarian welfare offices, and a remaining corner used by the institute of religion. It was a beehive of activity. As we were leaving, a group of returning missionaries entered to begin a two day course on employment and goal setting they all receive before returning to their homes.

The reception area, with a sign featuring the various aspects of Church welfare.

The kitchen area, where a senior sister missionary is preparing to teach a group how to make empanadas as a way of supplementing their income.

The checkout counter at the bishop's storehouse section.

Beans with the Church label at the bishop's storehouse

Empanada recipe with suggestions on how to market them

Section of bishop's storehouse where they pack grains and other foods purchased in bulk into smaller bags for distribution.

Second level, with employment offices on the right and PEF offices on the left, with space in the middle for students or job seekers to fill out applications, etc. Classes can also be held here.

PEF offices on the left

Available job listing

Employment office where those needing work can look at available jobs online and fill out applications.

PEF call center where volunteers call Perpetual Education Fund participants to monitor their progress and provide support and sometimes remind them that payments are due!

Photos of volunteers from PEF call centers throughout Central America

Display in the reception area with quotation from D&C 49:24--"and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose."

Offices of director and assistant

Shot of table in reception area. Six tables have literature about the various facets of Church welfare. Recipients of assistance attend a class each time they visit dedicated to some aspect of self-reliance.

Another shot of the reception area

Wonderful week with seven general authorities

2011-01-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

From January 14 through the 22nd we were privileged to enjoy the visit of Elders M. Russell Ballard and D. Todd Christofferson of the Council of the Twelve, Elder Jay E. Jensen, of the presidency of the Seventy, and Bishop H. David Burton, the Presiding Bishop of the Church, all of whom came for the Central America Area annual area review and to conduct priesthood leadership meetings in two locations in Honduras as well as in Guatemala City and Managua, Nicaragua. In between the two weekends of priesthood leadership conferences, the brethren spoke at numerous firesides and other meetings and also, with the participation of the Area Presidency, conducted special stake meetings (similar to stake conferences) in a total of twelve stakes. It was mentioned that this could be the first time in the history of the Church that seven general authorities have been in the same place at the same time outside of the U.S., though I think there may have been times in the earliest days when there were as many or more in Great Britain at the same time.

I had the privilege of being heavily involved in helping prepare agendas and other materials prior to their arrival, but my role while they were here was primarily to take minutes of selected meetings and afterwards to help consolidate a multi-page list of action items for follow up and training of Area Seventies, mission presidents, and stake and district presidents. Virginia and I got to go to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where I took minutes of the priesthood leadership meeting there and where we were able to attend a special stake meeting the following day where Elder Ballard spoke. The following Monday through Wednesday we got to be at a lovely golf resort outside of Antigua, Guatemala, called La Reunion, where we had two days of meetings and a half day of recreation. One highlight was to be in a three hour meeting with just the seven general authorites and myself, in my capacity of area executive secretary. Tuesday evening we got to attend a fireside at which Elder Christofferson spoke.

Later in the week we were in two other firesides with Elder Ballard (one with Elder Burton present), and I was in two other meetings at which I took minutes--one with district and mission presidents from Guatemala City, and the other a priesthood leadership meeting in Guatemala City on Saturday. We had some wonderful spiritual experiences with all of these brethren--especially with Elder Ballard, as we were with him the most. We were delighted to renew our acquaintence with Elder Christofferson, who had been our Area President during our first year in Mexico, and with Elder Jensen, who visited our institute in Hayward, California, when he was one of the leaders of CES. His brother, as some of our children may remember, was Alma Jensen, who was first a member of our stake presidency in the Fremont Stake and later the stake patriarch, who gave blessings to several of our children. I had met Elder Ballard before in Atlanta, but only briefly. This was our first association with Bishop Burton.

All seven of these brethren, including our Area Presidency, remind me of the Savior's declaration that "ye shall know them by their fruits." All are great leaders and great speakers, and we were much uplifted and edified by the experience and feel very blessed to have been part of the area review and related activities. Following are a few photos of some of the activities. It was not appropriate to take pictures inside the chapels, of course, and photos can't depict the spiritual depth of these men or the inspiration of hearing them speak, but they may convey a sense of the physical surroundings, at least. Click on any of them for a larger image.

A visit to the future Tegucigalpa, Honduras Temple. On the left is Elder Jensen, next to him is the project manager, then Elder Ballard, Elder Clarke, and, I think, Elder Laboriel, an Area Seventy.
A better view of the temple construction but a more distant view of the visitors. I'm the one who didn't notice everyone else had his vest closed up!

We saw the special stake meeting in the Tegucigalpa Stake via closed circuit TV, as by the time we arrived all the seats in the main chapel area were full, but at least we were able to get a picture here that we couldn't have taken in the chapel itself.

Closed circuit transmission in Tegucigalpa

Elder Ballard shaking hands after the special stake meeting.

View of the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa from our hotel balcony at the Marriott.

Looking the other direction from our hotel balcony (and using a bit of a zoom), you can see the Tegucigalpa cathedral. Just below it, you can see the institute of religion (right under the KFC sign), next to which the temple originally was to have been built. But the Catholic folks were understandably a bit opposed to having it so near their cathedral, and fortunately an even better site was found across town.

Photo of the visiting authorities, the Area Presidency, and some of the support staff during the area review meetings at La Reunion. Monday morning they met with the Area Presidency and the Area Seventies. Monday afternoon was dedicated to reports from the DTA (Director of Temporal Affairs) and his department managers. Tuesday morning was with just the Area Presidency. The visitors were most complimentary of the work done by the Area Presidency and others in the area. They unanimously agreed they had never participated in a better area review nor seen an area that was doing so well in virtually every measurable area, with steady increases in attendance, in baptisms, in number of missionaries being sent out, and in many innovating things the Area Presidency is doing to improve the Church in Central America. These include prefabricated buildings which can be built quite inexpensively for areas which don't qualify for a regular building but where available rental facilities are inadequate; a pocket planner for returned missionaries; use of videoconference technology; innovative humanitarian projects; development of a consolidated welfare center in what used to be the institute building where I was officed on our previous Guatemalan mission; programs to teach English to missionaries and others; and much more, in addition to giving superb leadership to the standard programs.

Meeting room at La Reunion prior to the meeting with the Area Seventies.

Dinner at La Reunion. L to R: Caziers, Jensens, Burtons, Martinos, Falabellas, Christoffersons, Clarkes, Elder Ballard, Luis Ochoa (translator)

Volcano smoking next to La Reunion.

Outdoor dining area at La Reunion, next to our meeting room.

Patio of our room at La Reunion, with our very own small swimming pool. (All rooms had them.) Golf course is in the background.

Inside of our room. I should mention that the Church gets a very good rate at this facility, compared to the list price. Otherwise, the Brethren would never have agreed to stay here.

View of what La Reunion specializes in--its golf course. Bishop Burton said he had played at Pebble Beach and a lot of other golf courses around the world, but never at one as fine as this.

View of another volcano and moon at sunset at La Reunion

Virginia with volcano in the background

We got to drive golf carts to get to our rooms from the meeting/dining area. Virginia can now say she has driven in Guatemala!

Wednesday morning Elders Jensen, Martino, Ballard, and Burton got to enjoy a round of golf. Elder Clarke is greeting them.

Tuesday afternoon the group went with the temple president and former general authority Clate Mask to see a museum in Santa Lucia and see a large stone he feels has special significance. In the evening the brethren spoke at well-attended firesides in two nearby districts. Left to right are President Mask, Elder Ballard, and Virginia.

Across from the small museum was a quaint old church, with a lovely young lady in front.

Seven current and one former general authority next to the stone at Santa Lucia, Guatemala.

Shot of the group from behind the stone. Virginia is on the far right carrying an umbrella for the sun. The physical facilities men had made a "road" through the sugar cane field to get us as near as possible and had made a sawdust path to keep the visitors' shoes as clean as possible as they walked from the buses to the stone.

Elders Christofferson and Ballard

The stone, which President Mask believes could have name glyphs for both "Lehi" and "Zoram" and depict the descent of seven tribes from a common ancestor. The Book of Mormon speaks in several places of seven groups (as does the D&C). See Jacob 1:13, for example. So do Mayan traditions.

Deacons at the Santa Lucia chapel shined our shoes prior to the fireside as a service project for their Duty to God award.

Wednesday morning those who opted not to go golfing got to go on a canopy ride. Here is Elder Christofferson in flight.

Yours truly with Elder Christofferson, Elder Clarke, and Elder Falabella. The video below of one of my rides was taken by Elder Falabella

More merriment

2010-12-12T18:12:00.001-08:00

Among this week's highlights was the annual Christmas party for the local Church employees. Here are a few photos:

The program began with some lovely Christmas music.
Elder Clarke shared an inspirational message.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch, followed by karaoke. (No, I didn't win!) We were privileged to have Elder and Sister Falabella at our table.

A mariachi band helps celebrate Elder Clarke's birthday, which would be a couple of days later when he would be out of town.

Holiday happenings

2010-12-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

This may be a post that will grow over the next 2-3 weeks unless we think of another title, but we'll post a few recent photos now, including some of our trip back from the mission presidents' seminar, a couple of our Thanksgiving dinner with the other senior couples, a couple from a Christmas dinner with the local stake presidents and wives, and a miscellaneous shot or two.

Where a section of water-logged mountain slid down onto the road.

Mountain road washed out by heavy rains a couple of months ago.

Foot bridge where people could cross even though vehicles couldn't for a while. Buses could drop passengers at one end and other buses could pick them up at the other.

Another shot of the foot bridge, and efforts to fill in the washed out area.

Thanksgiving dinner for senior couples at the Clarkes' and Martino's apartment's covered patio area.

Another shot of the same. Virginia is in the red dress in the middle.

Donald and Goliath. (Isn't that the name of the Bible story?) I'm the short, pudgy one. "Goliath" is a visual aid Elder Clarke had made for a big youth conference presentation he had to give.

At annual Christmas dinner for Guatemala City stake presidents with the Area Presidency. This was the first major event we attended when we came down a year ago for training, so we've now been at this for a year. Less than one more year to go. Mixed feelings.

A look at the decorations and entertainment at the Christmas dinner for the stake presidents.

Family home evening with Virginia participating in a double quartet

Family home evening, ready to play the bells. (Elder and Sister Clarke in front.)

Mission Presidents' Seminar with Panajachel Photos and Santiago Sights

2010-11-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

From November 16-19 we were privileged to participate in the annual mission presidents' seminar, held this time at the Hotel Atitlan in Panajachel, on the shores of Lake Atitlan. In addition to the 15 mission presidents (including the MTC president) and their wives, participants included the Area Presidency and wives, Elder Lynn Robbins of the Seventy and his wife, the DTA and his wife, the area medical advisor and his wife, two translators, and Virginia and me. My role prior to the seminar was to put together the agenda and binder with related materials and to prepare the name cards to sit on the table in front of each participant. During the seminar it was to take minutes. Afterwards it was to do up a two page summary of major points needing ongoing emphasis and follow up. There was a support staff from the travel office, physical facilities office, and technical support office who were very helpful with the physical arrangements but did not participate in the meetings other than as observers and facilitators of the equipment, room arrangements, etc. There was much good instruction along with some free time for recreational and social activities. Following are some photos from the week's events. Clicking on any one will give you a larger size photo.

Dinner on the lawn down by the lake on our first night. Photo taken by Elder Falabella.

Clarkes and Robbins dancing following dinner.

Fireworks paid for by Elder Martino as part of a 60th birthday celebration for his wife.

Seminar setup

Elder Clarke instructing at seminar

Elder Robbins instructing at seminar

Virginia leading the music

Virginia accompanying Sister Torres as she sings "If You Could Hie to Kolob"

Waterfall in nature preserve nearby where if Alma didn't perform his baptisms, he should have!

Crossing the stream on nature trail above the waterfall

Thatched roof of meeting room

Hotel Atitlan, where we stayed. Note beautiful gardens.

Another shot of gardens

Another

And one more

Virginia and me in native attire

Virginia in native attire

Mission presidents and Area Presidency in native attire

Sisters in native attire

Boat which would take the group to Santiago Atitlan, across the lake

Clarkes dance to music on the boat

Young man with heavy load at dock in Santiago

Another

Boy with load of sticks in Santiago

Note how much the lake has risen!

Group of indigenous women in colorful clothing at dock in Santiago

Women with a lot on her mind at Santiago dock

San Pedro volcano near Santiago

Group photo taken by professional photographer.

Busy and happy

2010-11-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

It’s been a busy week or so, but that’s what makes it so rewarding. We get to the office before 7:00 each day, and Friday we left at 8:00 p.m. Today we got away at 6:00 p.m. Part of the unusually busy schedule has been due to preparations for this week’s mission presidents’ seminar, which runs from tomorrow through Friday out at Lake Atitlan. I’ve had binders to put together with lots of reports, charts, and other materials, along with fancy name cards to design and print to slip into plastic holders to sit on the tables. But it’s also been a busy time of year in other ways. Last Wednesday I had meetings beginning at 6:00 a.m., with the last ending at 6:00 p.m. I did get a few hours free in the afternoon, but Elder Clarke didn’t have more than a half hour break between meetings all day long. We started with our monthly area council meeting with the Area Seventies (in person and by videoconference). We then had an unusually long Area Presidency meeting, including meeting with our area DTA (Director of Temporal Affairs) and the properties manager to discuss plans for buildings in the area for next year. In the afternoon Elder Clarke was in a governmental relations meeting and then in a PEF videoconference. At 5 p.m. the Area Presidency and Virginia and I were in a videoconference with people from the Church History Department in Salt Lake City to receive instruction about how to compile the annual area history, which is another of my responsibilities.

Thursday we had a meeting in the morning with the DTA and the travel department manager to begin preliminary plans for the annual area review and priesthood leadership conferences in January. This year we’ll have Elders Ballard and Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Jay Jensen of the Seventy, and Bishop David Burton, Presiding Bishop, all coming. At noon I taught my weekly institute class. In the late afternoon we had our monthly videoconference with Elders Christofferson and Clayton in Salt Lake. Afterwards we went by invitation to be part of the 80th birthday celebration for Sister Hatch, who with her 82 year old husband lives across the hall from us. Elder Hatch very generously invited all the couples in the apartment complex plus the Area Presidency, MTC president and wife, temple president and wife, and others to a fancy restaurant. Their six children flew in for the occasion. I'm posting a fairly fuzzy picture of the group, but it gives you the idea.

Friday I met with the Area Presidency again to finalize goals for the coming three years as part of the annual area plan which must be submitted soon. I’m responsible for updating it, assembling the various components from the various department heads, and putting it into a cohesive whole, both in English and Spanish. Saturday we enjoyed the transmission from Salt Lake that many of you will also have seen concerning the new handbooks and the role of councils in the Church. Elder Lynn Robbins and his wife saw it with us, as they had arrived early for the mission presidents’ seminar, flying overnight from Chile for that purpose. In the evening Virginia and I enjoyed being invited to dinner with the Area Presidency and the Robbins.

Sunday, in addition to our normal 7:00-2:00 meetings and responsibilities (including the Primary sacrament program, for which Virginia was largely responsible), we represented the branch presidency and Primary presidency at the stake’s annual Priesthood Preview for 11 year old boys. We then went to the apartment of one of the local mission presidents, where Virginia practiced accompanying the president’s wife, who will be singing a solo at the upcoming seminar. Today, in addition to updating lots of charts with newly obtained statistics, I was part of an area audit committee meeting. All of this is on top of the most time-consuming tasks, which for Virginia are entering and/or translating missionary applications and sending out calls and for me are responding to unnumbered emails, special projects, phone calls, minutes, agendas, etc. But we’ve never had more fun on a mission, and it’s hard to realize that it’s nearly half over.

I’m enjoying playing racquetball again after about a month’s absence from the sport, as my former opponents were all taking time off for various aches and pains. But my current one needs to be broken down a bit more, as he’s regularly beating me now. I may not be having as much satisfaction in vanquishing the foe, but I’m getting a lot better exercise than I was getting previously. My current partner is a year younger and evidently used to be VERY good, having played almost daily for some 35 years. Now he’s just pretty good—but that’s good enough to get the job done most of the time.

I must mention a couple of new electronic discoveries that I’m enjoying. You may be aware of Dropbox, where we have stored many of our favorite files and memories. But a similar program called SugarSync gives you 5 GB of free storage, so between the two of them I now have almost all of my valuable files backed up and synchronized automatically between my various computers, except for my photos and videos, which I have at MyFamily.com. The other discovery is a program called TeamViewer, which you can install on two different computers and with which you can access the files on the other computer from wherever you might be. For example, from home now I can access all of the files on my office computer, including the entire large network drive I use there. So no matter what time I come home, I can continue working on office things from home, if necessary, and out at Lake Atitlan this week I should be able to keep tabs on all the emails that come in to the office and access any files I need to respond to them. What a great time to live! Here are a few photos for your enjoyment:

View from Elder Falabella's office.

View of the local artificial Christmas tree from the 5th floor (ours) of the area offices.

Elder and Sister Hatch on her 80th birthday, with other senior couples and dignitaries present.

Watching the recorded telecast from Salt Lake. Elder Lynn Robbins and his wife are in the middle right.

Sumpango excursion and other recent sights

2010-11-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

November 1 is a national holiday in Guatemala (All Saints' Day), and nowhere is it more enthusiastically celebrated than in Supango, an indigenous community about 45 minutes west of Guatemala City, where enormous kites are built and some of them are flown to scare away evil spirits from the nearby cemetery and to carry messages to their departed loved ones. The senior missionaries and others chartered a bus to take us out to see the event today. Among the group were Elder and Sister Martino, two mission presidents and their wives, and the MTC president and his wife. We left at 7 a.m. to avoid the heavier traffic forecast for later in the day, as tens of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) descended on the normally sleepy little town. Photos follow of this and of other recent events in our missionary lives. Click on any photo to see it in larger size.

The biggest kites in the back are probably 50 feet across and are not intended to fly. Others 20 feet or so high will, though we left before the 2:00-4:00 p.m. scheduled flying of those in order to beat the traffic out of the area. We did see some 6-10 foot ones flying, incuding the two in the air in this photo.

Close up of the row of large kites. Only one or two were standing upright when we arrived, but by noon they all were.

Elder Paul Hatch, age 82, lives across the hall from us and is, with his nearly 80 year old wife, an inspiration to us all. He was president of the Los Angeles Temple, a mission president, a regional representative, and served another mission somewhere else. They are here now as regular proselyting missionaries, and Elder Hatch in particular has spared no efforts to learn Spanish. Here he is contacting some strangers about the Church and will most likely be turning their names and addresses over to the mission president for follow up. He is fearless and very effective.

Yours truly and his true love

Again. Note the volcano in between the two large kites.

Large kite under construction

The police were well prepared to deal with malefactors.

Close up of one of the large kites

Walking from the kite flying area down to the Sumpango cemetery. Note the kite being carried toward us by children in the middle. Kiosks on both sides of the road have been set up to sell all kinds of merchandise, with an emphasis on food and drink.

Kites being carried up to the launching area

Tombs and graves in the cemetery are decorated much like we would on Memorial Day, but fancier.

Children fly small kites in the cemetery.

Beauty among the tombs (and in front of them)

Indigenous lady in colorful dress uses her head.

Another

The street was even more crowded going back to the kite area.

Little salesgirl makes her pitch to Virginia. (She bought several small balls from her for the Primary nursery.)

Large kite of different design

Another large kite

Family flies kite at cliff.

The "Volcano of Water" near Antigua

Another view of the same

Scene at a recent Church-sponsored "Feria de Negocios" (Business fair--an exhibition of the wares of Guatemalan LDS small business owners and entrepreneurs). The idea was to show others what they could do by going into business for themselves and to increase exposure for those participating in the fair and permit them to sell a good bit of merchandise.

Virginia happifying makers and vendors of scripture covers with their largest sale of the two day event

The "Morcaff" table--selling "Mormon coffee," something like Postum.

More vendors

Virginia with the girl who makes and sells the small Book of Mormon figuerines that we gave each of our children after our last mission here.

Pig not enjoying himself as much as other participants

Elder Don R. Clarke, Area President, instructing at recent area council meeting with our eight Area Seventies.

A "pittaya" fruit from the outside. We discovered it for the first time when Ginette and her family came to visit in July and found it for sale recently in our local supermarket. It comes from a type of cactus.

The inside of the pittaya--tastes something like a kiwi.

Videoconference report to the Quorum of the Twelve

2010-09-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today I had the interesting experience of being a "fly on the wall," so to speak, during a meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The occasion was an annual report by the Central America Area presidency to the Twelve, the Presidency of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric via videoconference. I was not on camera, but I did get to watch from just off-camera, and I had been involved in helping edit the script, helping put together the PowerPoint presentation with photos and graphs, and helping with several rehearsals. During Elder Falabella's absence I even got to read his part during rehearsals, and once I got to additionally read the part of Jorge Duran, our DTA (Director of Temporal Affairs). Following today's formal presentation, the Brethren were very complimentary of the work being done by our Area Presidency. Elder Packer said at the end, "It doesn't get any better than this!" And Elder Perry sought out Elder Christofferson (our first contact with the Quorum of the Twelve) afterwards to convey his congratulations and compliments. The entire project has taken significant time over the past four months, with multiple revisions, and it is good to have it behind us for this year. Following are a few photos of the event:

L to R: Jorge Duran, Elder Falabella, Elder Clarke, Elder Martino, just before the videoconference

View of the room during the videoconference. On top on the right is a TV hooked up to a computer with teleprompter software to scroll the script, the pace of which is controlled by the brother in the background from our technical support department. The computer on the right is controlling the PowerPoint presentation, which we saw on another TV but which those in Salt Lake saw on a movie screen. They also saw our Area Presidency on another large screen, and we saw them on the TV in the middle, and saw our own group on a small inset screen.

Another view of the room setup. You can see the TV on the right where we saw the PowerPoint presentation that was being shown in Salt Lake. If you look very carefully, you may be able to identify the bald-headed guy in the lower left of the screen, with his gorgeous wife in the red dress. On the screen on the left you can see Elder Packer and Elder Perry.

Closeup of Elders Packer and Perry, with the small inset screen showing what they were seeing in Salt Lake of our Area Presidency as they gave their presentation.

Elders Oaks and Ballard in the foreground.

Elders Scott and Hales

Elder Cook and Elder Christofferson, who introduced the Area Presidency.

Patient Virginia and other recent photos

2010-08-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

Most readers of this blog know that Virginia has always been patient in one sense. If not, she would undoubtedly have left long ago! But today she became a dental patient of Elder (Dr.) and Sister Tobler, a senior missionary couple, who took us up to the dental clinic at which they work downtown at the Tio Juan orphanage. The Church has installed some excellent equipment in the clinic, which the orphanage allowed them to set up in return for the dental missionaries' providing free dental care to the orphans. The missionaries also work on prospective and current full time missionaries, including those coming through the local missionary training center. We were quite impressed with the excellent facilities, which may be the best in all of Guatemala City. Here are a few photos, along with photos of other recent typical activities.

The courtyard of the Tio Juan orphanage, taken from near the entrance to the dental clinic.

Entrance to the dental clinic inside the orphanage compound.

Elder and Sister Tobler in front of the dental clinic. They live in the same apartment building as we do and attend the same branch on Sundays. They previously served a dental mission in Cambodia. They came down not knowing Spanish, but they are doing very well at learning it. She teaches a Primary class and he is branch executive secretary.

Inside the dental clinic--about six state of the art chairs and equipment.

Dr. Tobler putting protective covering on Virginia prior to taking xray.

Examining Virginia looking for cause of sensitivity to cold in one tooth.

Virginia in Primary class. She had just given out the gospel art books to all of the children.

Virginia singing with group at farewell dinner for departing senior missionaries.

During family home evening video at our apartment.

Virginia playing the piano at Monday morning devotional for area office employees. Elder Martino was to give the spiritual thought that day.

A couple of pictures for your enjoyment

2010-08-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

David Sheets (owner of Emergency Essentials) took the following photo of the Central America Area presidency and their happy executive secretary in the patio of our office building. It looks like a jungle! Click on the photo for a larger view.

The following is a photo Elder Clarke shared of his successful fishing trip to Wyoming in July. It took him an hour to land this large trout with a fly rod.

Burrows visit. Guardian angel worked overtime.

2010-07-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

We’ve had a great visit from Ginette, David, and their four youngest boys, with several evidences of the hand of the Lord to acknowledge with gratitude. We were initially disappointed when the Burrows were bumped from their Wednesday (July 7) flight, but by having them come Thursday instead, we were able to have a bigger and better car in which to transport them, and we were able to rearrange the itinerary so that they didn’t miss anything on our planned itinerary but Chichicastenango. In the 11 days they were here we got to take them to Panajachel (Lake Atitlan), Copan (Honduras), Tikal and nearby sites, and Rio Dulce. They also got to attend our little branch twice on Sundays.

The biggest miracle occurred while we drove to Lake Atitlan. As we were going uphill on what I thought was a four lane divided highway, I pulled into the left lane to pass a slow truck, only to find a large semi truck heading straight toward us downhill at a fair rate of speed, as we were on a portion of the highway where oncoming traffic had been diverted onto our side of the road because of landslides, and I somehow had not noticed. Slowing down was not an adecuate solution, as the truck I was passing was going too slow. Through divine intervention, I’m sure, there was barely room for all three of us, with my squeezing as close to the truck in the right lane as I could, and the oncoming truck whizzing by us, missing us by inches.

Another minor miracle occurred while driving north toward the Peten, when we hit a large pothole in the road, which apparently damaged a shock absorber or something similar, as it rattled ominously the rest of the trip, but the car still drove well enough to get us to Tikal and back.

We were also blessed with exceedingly good weather most of the time, getting a little wet only as we left the nature reserve in Panajachel and yesterday as we were in the zoo and had a reenactment of the Noah and the ark story (with approximately the same amount of rain and same number of animals.)

The following are a sample of photos taken during our travels:

Max plays with baby coatimundi which a little girl in a canoe on Rio Dulce let him handle.

Eli and Sam with new friends in Primary. It didn't matter that they couldn't speak each others' languages.

Coatimundi in Tikal

Fierce mountain lion encountered in the Peten. (Okay--it was in a zoo.)

In front of Temple 1 in Tikal

An alarmed Eli gets his ears boxed in Copan.

At Copan

Tepescuintle in Copan

Beatiful macaw in Copan

In Antigua

At Lake Atitlan

On Lake Atitlan

With indigenous lady in Santiago Atitlan

In front of most impressive temple in all of Guatemala

Excursion to Panajachel and Santiago Atitlan

2010-06-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 4, 2010 we left for an overnight trip to Panajachel, on the shores of Lake Atitlan, with a couple of temporary legal interns working in the area office, Seth Finlinson and Heath Becker. Seth was one of our missionaries in Mexico City back in 1998-99. The weather forecast was a 95% probability of rain both Friday and Saturday, and coming on top of last week's serious rain and flooding from Tropical Storm Agatha, we weren't sure how the trip would turn out, but the forecast for the following weekend didn't look any better, so we ventured forth, with Elder Clarke's blessing to leave a couple of hours early from the office.

The trip which usually can be done easily in three hours took a bit over four hours this time, due to mud slides covering half of the highway in many places, and due to a very slow detour we had to take for unexplained reasons to get through Chimaltenango. Happily, the rain (and darkness) held off until about the last half hour of the trip, but it was a bit interesting winding our way around blocked traffic on narrow streets in Solola and then proceeding down the steep, windy, mountain road from Solola to Panajachel in the rain, fog, and dark, with some of the 15 mud slides from the week before still covering parts of the road. We were glad to have travelled the route on multiple occasions before, which gave us some sense of security knowing approximately where we were and what was ahead. It was good to get into town and check into our hotel, which we had been correctly confident would have lots of empty rooms even without our having made advance reservations, since a lot of potential tourists were still under the impression that one couldn't or shouldn't travel to the area due to the storm damage.

The next day's 95% rain probability turned out instead to be a nice, partly sunny day, resulting in a couple of us getting an unexpected sunburn as we traveled across the lake to the picturesque indigenous village of Santiago Atitlan and later visited the nature preserve near Panajachel. The following are selected pictures of the weekend's activities (and one from the previous weekend). They aren't always in chronological order, but probably no one but us would know or care.

This one has nothing directly to do with our trip to Lake Atitlan, but we thought it was a fun picture of Elder Clarke talking on two cell phones at once a week earlier. I think the conversation had something to do with the area's response to the damage from Tropical Storm Agatha, and it seemed symbolic of Elder Clarke's ability to do multiple things at once.

Here's a scene on the road between Solola and Panajachel, where mud and rocks still partially covered the road. We didn't particularly notice it in the dark on the way down, but we had to stop here on the way home to allow oncoming traffic to pass.

The Hotel El Chaparral, where we stayed for $22 per room.

2nd floor of the hotel

Again

Boat ride across Lake Atitlan

Where Virginia made a purchase at indigenous market in Santiago Atitlan

Virginia on the "virg" of making another purchase

Chapel in Santiago Atitlan, with volcano in background.

Volcano as seen from boat on Lake Atitlan

Local fishermen

Ladies doing their Saturday wash in the lake

Another fisherman

Sacks of carrots on highway ready to be taken to market

Man with load of wood on his back in Santiago

Man with load of avocados (I think) in Santiago

Note man with colorful pants on right on street in Santiago

Public transportation in Santiago

Market scene in Santiago. Note man in colorful pants.

Another market scene

Another Santiago scene at the central plaza

Man carrying box with plants on his back

Waterfall in nature reserve near Lake Atitlan, thought by some to be a likely site for the Waters of Mormon. I've always said that if Alma didn't baptize here, he should have! The place even bears some resemblance to Arnold Frieberg's painting. (What more proof would you want?)

Virginia on hanging bridge in front of waterfall. Since she won't let overweight relatives by marriage on such bridges at the same time she is crossing, it afforded an opportunity to take her picture while I waited.

Pizote or cuatimundi in the nature reserve, waiting for someone to toss him another banana

Steps leading up to the plaza in front of the Catholic church in Santiago. Sign threatens a Q100 fine for urinating in that spot.

Pretty butterfly on wall by the steps in the preceding photo. We hope he can read.

One of several landslide photos on the main highway between Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango. This normally four lane highway is cut down to two in many places now.

Another landslide photo

And another

One of the bigger ones

One more

Beautiful green hill with crops growing

Can you guess?

A flourishing cabbage patch prior to the storm

One of our wetter spots on the road. It was about a foot deep when we drove down on Friday and a little less by Saturday.

All in all it was a great trip, and we felt very blessed by the weather. And it was good to get to check out the hotel where the Burrows will be staying with us in one more month!

Volcano Pacaya Erupts

2010-05-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 27, 2010, we had a little out of the ordinary excitement when Pacaya, about 17 miles south of us and the most active volcano in Guatemala, exploded and covered the city in ash. A mild earthquake we felt earlier in the day may or may not have been related. About 7 p.m. we heard what we thought was thunder, but another senior missionary called a bit later to tell us that the "thunder" was really the volcanic explosion. School was cancelled for Friday and the airport is still closed as of Saturday, which necessitated rerouting Russel T. Osguthorpe, General Sunday School President, and Adrian Ochoa, a counselor in the General Young Men's Presidency, to El Salvador rather than Guatemala City. Someone was assigned to meet them in El Salvador this morning and drive them back to Guatemala City, where they will begin a 9 day tour of Central America, holding multiple training meetings for leaders and teachers, missionary meetings, and firesides.

We didn't take the above photo but downloaded it from a news report on the Internet.

This is what the entrance to our apartment building looked like about an hour after the explosion. The airport, about a half mile west of us, averaged an inch of ash on the runway.

Cars were covered on Thursday with ash and splattered again on Friday by a mixture of ash and rain.

A pile of ash scraped off the road.

Another pile, a half block from our office.

More of the same.

Scene from our office window, where a worker is cleaning ash off the roof and sacking it up.

In front of our apartment building, where ash has been cleaned off the stairs and sidewalk.

More photos from El Mirador trip

2010-04-20T19:07:00.001-07:00

Most of the best El Mirador photos, and the write up about our trip, are on the previous blog, but one of the group took the following additional photos, which I thought might be worth saving and sharing. Remember, you can see a larger version of any of the photos by clicking on it.

Dinner at the hotel Casona del Lago in Flores, where we had our Area Council meetings on Sunday. The four closest are me, Elder Falabella, David Sheets, and Elder Clarke.
Helicopter landing site in clearing in jungle.

Getting around on the motorized "mules," which made Monday's exploration of El Mirador much easier, or at least enabled us to see much more. Drivers are Richard Hansen and David Sheets.

The floor is part of the original Mayan "highway." These connected the various cities in the Mirador Basin, and major sites within cities. They were quite wide and elevated and smooth.

Area Presidency and executive secretary

Area Presidency and Area Seventies

Descending El Tigre, the 2nd largest pyramid in El Mirador, after sunset and with the aid of a rope.

Our dining area, open on all sides, but with a roof for protection during the rainy season.

Intrepid cook scrambles eggs for breakfast.

Hiking along the path which leads from El Mirador to the nearest town, some twenty miles away.

Another monkey overhead

More Memories from Mission and El Mirador

2010-04-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

This past week has been filled with memorable experiences—mostly good, but a few sad. The good have included a great two day mission presidents’ seminar, an equally good area council meeting with the Area Seventies, and an unforgettable trip to the spectacular ruins of El Mirador with the Area Presidency and Area Seventies. On the sad side have been a number of reported criminal assaults. Just over a week ago a former Area Seventy (who was currently a bishop and an elected government official in Honduras) was killed about thirty miles from Guatemala City when he and his family were stopped by armed bandits while on their way to the temple. It occurred about 7:30 p.m.—not a good time to be driving on remote roads. The funerals for him were Friday and Saturday, and we had to make some adjustments to the mission presidents’ seminar agenda due to the fact that Elder Falabella went to the funeral in Honduras to represent the Area Presidency. Our three Area Seventies from Honduras all went to the same funeral, so attendance was limited at the meeting we had Saturday with both the mission presidents and the Area Seventies. The day after Brother Jarr was killed, we got a report that another Church member in Guatemala had been shot and killed outside his store. He had two kids in the mission field. One of our Area Seventies from Honduras, while he was in Salt Lake for additional meetings following general conference, had to return early as his wife and two children had surprised burglars in their home and had been tied up and abused a bit as the burglars took all they could from the house. Then this week we learned that a couple of office elders from the Guatemala City South Mission were robbed less than a mile from our apartment after they had withdrawn nearly $2000 from the bank and were on their way back to the office in their car. Either someone had seen them put the money in their backpack or someone working for the bank was an accomplice, as when the elders stopped at a stop light, armed men came up to them and told them to give them the backpack with the money in it. Fortunately, the elders lost no more than the money. On the bright side, of course, every day there are far more people in Guatemala and other Central American countries who are not robbed or killed than are, but it’s unfortunate that there is as much crime as there is. The latest report from the Church Security people indicates that Mexican drug gangs are expanding into the weaker Central American countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

But back to more pleasant topics. Our mission presidents’ seminar began Friday with a temple session, to which Virginia, Sister Clarke, and the wives of the local mission presidents were also invited. It was almost like a family reunion at the temple, as we got to see our Panama Mission president, President Madrigal once again, along with the three of the twelve mission presidents who were CES men with whom I had worked on the last Guatemala Mission. A counselor in the temple presidency was also a CES man at that time, and we saw still another former CES man in the temple. We also saw two brethren we had known in the Piedra Parada Branch when we were here before. After the temple session we had meetings with the mission presidents the rest of Friday. We started with them again at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, with the available Area Seventies joining us from 11:00 to 1:00. Saturday evening we had the privilege of hosting the Area Seventy from Panama in our home.

Sunday morning early the Area Presidency and Area Seventies left for Flores, in northern Guatemala, where we had Area Council meetings all day Sunday.

Monday we all left by helicopter for a two day tour of El Mirador, compliments of Brother David Sheets, owner of Emergency Essentials. May I digress a moment to say a little about Brother Sheets. I had assumed he must have served his mission in Central America to have such an interest in it, but it turns out he served in Scotland and Ireland. But he speaks excellent Spanish for one who didn’t learn it as a child or as a missionary. His interest in Central America began some ten years ago when Hurricane Mitch devastated large areas of Honduras, and the Sheets family and others of their friends came down to help build houses. Since then Brother Sheets has basically retired from day-to-day involvement in his business, turning it over to others to manage, and has worked virtually full time in humanitarian projects in Central America at his own expense. One of his major initiatives has been to organize dental “brigades” for prospective missionaries, as dental care here is often marginal at best, and many practicing “dentists” have not even been to dental school. He has a volunteer group of 101 dentists, doctors, nurses, and lab technicians coming down to Nicaragua this coming week at their own expense to treat some 500 young men and women there. (Brother Sheets finances the equipment, and other related expenses.) They help the young people fill out missionary papers, give them medical exams, including lab tests, and perform any needed dental work on them. The large influx of missionary applications we received in January and February was due in large part to a similar brigade they conducted in El Salvador in November. Anyway, Brother Sheets has become good friends with all the Area Seventies in the process of his service and felt a strong feeling that he needed to give them the opportunity to get acquainted with the significant part of their cultural heritage that El Mirador represents, so he most generously paid for the flights to Flores as well as the helicopter transportation to El Mirador. And he paid for Richard Hansen, the director of the El Mirador Basin project to fly down to serve as our guide.

I’ve previously mentioned a bit about El Mirador, but for those who didn’t read my earlier post, I’ll repeat some here. El Mirador has the distinction of being one of the oldest and by far the largest ancient Mayan site, dating from about 800 B.C.—hundreds of years before Tikal and most of the better known sites in both Guatemala and Mexico. It took Brother Hansen some twenty years to convince the “experts” that it was as old as it is, as he was still a comparative beginner when he found preclassic pottery on top of some of the sites, clear evidence of their antiquity. El Mirador has three pyramids larger than anything in Tikal. In fact, you could fit the entire central plaza of Tikal, with temples 1 and 2 and the buildings in between, inside El Tigre, the second largest pyramid of El Mirador. The largest one, named La Danta, is larger in volume (if not in height) than the largest pyramid of Egypt, and thus is the largest ever discovered in the world. And El Mirador is just one of the 51 ancient cities in the Mirador Basin that Richard Hansen has mapped during his 30 years of working there (4-5 months per year). There are another two hundred, at least, in the basin that he hasn’t even had time to explore. In fact, he learned of another on the day we were there, with some 1000 small buildings around a larger center. There were about a million people living in the basin in its heyday. The site also features the oldest known Mayan writing in existence, from about 200 A.D., which we got to see but which no one can read. Back in 1982 Brother Hansen discovered an ancient codex, by far the oldest Mayan codex in existence, but the following year a looter stole it and had the whole incalculably valuable document turn to dust in his backpack. El Mirador is in a lush jungle setting, about 20 miles from the nearest town. If you don’t go by helicopter, access is by foot, along a jungle trail. (We hiked along it about 4-6 miles and back to see some tombs on Tuesday.) It was still the dry season, and moderately warm, so the jungle didn’t look as lush on our visit as it will in another couple of months, but it was more comfortable to visit without having to contend with the mud.

Among the interesting features of the jungle, in addition to the archaeological sites, are:

• Jaguars. They are very difficult to see, but we did get to smell one. Their urine smalls much like a skunk. Richard Hansen has seen only five during his thirty years of working at the site. But they are three times as numerous in the El Mirador basin as they are in the Amazon basin.

• Monkeys. We saw several groups, and we heard a bunch of nearby howler monkeys at 3:00 a.m., who wanted to make sure their presence was known. A couple of the Area Seventies from Honduras, who had never heard howler monkeys before, were quite certain it was a menacing jaguar and were more than a little apprehensive when they went to report it!

• Snakes, including the fer de lance, one of the world’s most poisonous. Richard Hansen says that he’s never had one of his workers get bitten by one of them, though he’s had a couple of close calls of his own when he almost stepped on one. Our guide from our last visit to El Mirador says he’s killed several with his machete.

• Toucans, parrots, and other beautiful birds, more often seen than heard.

• Wild oscellated turkeys—very pretty birds.

• Wild pigs. Some of our group got to see some.

• Tapirs. We didn’t see any, but they are allegedly there, the largest animal in the jungle.

• Tarantulas. We saw a large wasp hauling one away that it had stung.

• Other colorful bugs and caterpillars.

• Orchids in large numbers, though not blooming at the time of year we were there.

• Other exotic plants, including vanilla plants, ceiba trees (with very dangerous looking thorns on their trunks when they are young), and another tree capable of giving you third degree burns if you touch it. It even emits an “aura” that can make one sick if he spends much time close to it.

A word or two more now about Richard Hansen. I’ve previously mentioned that he and I grew up in the same ward near Rupert, Idaho, where Richard still lives. He’s twelve years younger than I am, however, and I wasn’t paying much attention to the seven year olds when I left on my mission at 19. Richard is a professor of archaeology at Idaho State University, in Pocatello. He has become very prominent in the field. He is to be the keynote speaker at the world’s fair in Shanghai, China, this year, and he’s working on a book about El Mirador. He loves El Mirador with a passion and is very zealous about the need to protect and preserve it for future generations. He hopes to see the day when there may be a small train bringing passengers to a future eco-lodge in the park, but he’s adamantly opposed to highways and the kind of commercial exploitation they would bring. He has support from government leaders in Guatemala and from prominent people and organizations around the globe, who help finance the work. Mel Gibson, of Hollywood fame, is chairman of his board of directors. It was very generous of Richard to give the time he did to be with us. Not only was his expertise invaluable in helping us know what we were seeing, but he allowed part of our group to stay in his bungalow, which actually has showers and flush toilets, and others of us to stay in tents with cots and foam mattresses, so we didn’t have to rough it as much at night as we might have expected. We were able to prepare our meals in a roofed area with a big wood stove that he uses for his workmen. (He’ll have several hundred working from about June through October, when the rain brings enough water to support the needs of the workers.) I was in charge of making the arrangements for the tour, including the food. I almost had my three dozen eggs in my computer case taken away from me in the airport, but they ultimately had mercy on me. (I did have to give up my camping tool and insect repellent, however, which I had forgotten to take out of my carry-on luggage, but I was able to reclaim them after getting back to the city.) David Sheets generously brought along freeze dried food from his business for our Monday night dinner, and I brought two suitcases full of food and drink for other meals, not counting a large cooler full of bottled water and other boxes with the same that we purchased from the hotel in Flores to take with us.
Another great thing Richard Hansen did for us was to let us use his two small motorized vehicles (“mules”) to get around, which enabled us to see much more than we could have on foot. We did, however walk about eight miles on Tuesday morning, and we climbed a number of pyramids, so it’s not as though we didn’t get any physical exercise out of it.

Another highlight was a special testimony meeting we held Tuesday morning at the site of some large burial vaults. Richard has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon, though he’s not sure what relationship El Mirador may have had to it. He does say, however, that certainly the Alma’s and Helaman’s and Moroni’s of the Book of Mormon would have known about El Mirador, whether it was a Nephite City or a Lamanite City or neither, as it was easily the largest ancient civilization in the area and fits the time period of the Book of Mormon.

When we flew back to Flores from El Mirador, the weather still looked fine. We had appreciated that it had been a bit overcast to keep it from getting warmer than it did, but we had no idea that a major storm was raging in Guatemala City that would delay our getting back. We were supposed to have flown back at 7:35 p.m., arriving at 8:40, but the plane couldn’t leave from Guatemala City for Flores due to the storm. Some of our group got to go on a flight which had been diverted to Flores from Tegucigalpa because of the same storm. Three of our group decided to stay another night in Flores, as they didn’t want to be driving to their homes outside of Guatemala City on potentially dangerous roads at midnight. But I and the brother staying at our home wouldn’t have to drive on dangerous roads, so we waited for the flight, which finally got us back to the city at midnight and into bed by 12:40. Four hours later I was up to take our guest to the airport for his flight back to Panama, but it was with wonderful memories of the previous several days.

The following are a few of my favorite photos of the several events:

Mission Presidents' seminar, April 9, 2010.
Videoconference hookup permitted us to interact with a couple of missionaries in Costa Rica during the mission presidents' seminar.

Dinner Friday evening with Area Presidency and mission presidents.

Area Council meeting with Area Presidency and Area Seventies in Flores on Sunday, April 11, 2010.

Lunch in hotel in Flores at Area Council meeting.

Helicopter arriving in Flores to pick us up on Monday morning

On board. Pilot on right and mechanic on left try to figure out why a warning light won't go off.

The elevated line of trees is an ancient and very large Mayan highway. These connected the major cities in the area.

Approaching El Mirador from the air. The "mountains" are really pyramids.

Our landing strip in the jungle

Group in front of our helicopter, after we all arrived

Elder Falabella kicking soccer ball on what must be the most remote soccer field in the world.

One of the two motorized "mules" which transported us from one place to the next for much of Monday.

Richard Hansen, director of the Mirador Basin Project, talking about the area.

Beginning the climb up La Danta, the largest pyramid ever discovered and still largely covered by vegetation.

Beginning the next level of the climb

Still more climbing

The top of the La Danta pyramid and the most excavated part

The last leg of the climb to the top of La Danta, with a wooden staircase

La Danta as seen from the top of El Tigre. Everything seen in the photo is part of the pyramid.

The whole group on top of La Danta

David Sheets and Richard Hansen, who made our trip possible, on top of La Danta

At the base of the last section of La Danta

A metate, or stone for grinding corn, near the top of La Danta

Seven of the eight Area Seventies (one didn't climb this particular pyramid), the Area Presidency, and the area executive secretary

Elder Martino enjoying a moment of rest.

Elder Clarke doing the same.

Group in front of recently discovered original carvings of scenes from the Mayan book the Popul Vu, which until these discoveries was thought by many to be unreliable as it was thought to have been influenced by Spanish conquistadores. This shows that the book is truly Mayan and very ancient. Note the depiction of the flying serpent at the top.

Close up of one of the twins from the Popul Vu, carrying the rescued head of his father. This is considered one of the great recent archaeological finds in all the world.

El Tigre, the second largest pyramid in El Mirador, as seen from the top of La Danta with a zoom lens.

Yours truly on top of El Tigre.

Group on top of El Tigre

The peaks in the background are temples from the ancient city of Nakbé, as seen from the top of El Tigre.

Pretty sunset from the top of the El Tigre Pyramid. The photo doesn't do it justice.

Temple of the Jaguar's Paw (Brother Hansen tells of having swept up on top in preparation for the visit of some dignitaries and finding when he went back fresh jaguar tracks going up and down the temple stairs!) The door leads to tunnels where one can see another older temple inside this one, with original color on the walls.

Original paint on wall inside tunnel of the Temple of the Jaguar's Paw

Inside ancient tombs some 4 miles down the path toward civilization.

David Sheets rounding the corner in tunnel in tombs.

Elder Falabella emerges from tunnel leading to ancient tombs.

Testimony meeting at tombs

Richard Hansen shares his feelings in testimony meeting.

Climbing up the Pyramid of the Monkeys, 3rd largest in El Mirador. I was grateful for the walking stick Elder Falabella gave me.

On top of the Pyramid of the Monkeys

Coming down the Pyramid of the Monkeys

Pyramid of the Lion

Elder Pedro Abularach plays Tarzan.

One of the many monkeys we were privileged to see

Young ceiba tree with imposing thorns.

Open air but roofed dining area where we ate

Wood stove where we cooked dinner and breakfast

Trip to Chichicastenango and Quiche

2010-04-02T15:48:00.001-07:00

With the area presidency all in Salt Lake City for conference, and with the area office closed the last three days of the week for Holy Week, it seemed a good opportunity to take a long contemplated trip to Chichicastenango on a market day. Chichicastenango is a highland Maya city about a half hour or so from the turnoff to Lake Atitlan. It is accessed by going over lots of speed bumps through little villages and down steep and very windy mountain roads and up similar ones on the other side of the valley. Chichicastenango claims to have the largest and most vibrant native market of any city in North or Central America, and maybe in all of the Americas. Normally the market day is on Thursday, but on Easter week they move it to Wednesdays. We went with an Elder and Sister Blackburn, another senior missionary couple who live in the same building we do. We stayed at a little hotel that turned out to be owned by a Church member, though we didn't know it when we made reservations. We were happy that our GPS took us right to the door, as Chichicastenango is a bit confusing with its narrow, often one way streets. We enjoyed seeing the market, eating at a couple of typical restaurants, and taking a hike up a hill south of town to see the site of Pascual Abaj, where there is an ancient carved face at which some of today's Maya still worship and offer sacrifices. On Thursday we drove to the town of Santa Cruz del Quiche (or simply Quiche), about twelve miles north over other windy and sometimes steep and mountainous roads. Our GPS has never heard of Quiche, and didn't even have the road shown a few miles out of Chichicastenango, but we arrived without any problem. We happened to find it was market day in Quiche, so we got to see an even more typical and less touristy market. (The market at Chichicastenango is partly designed for the tourist trade, and at every step someone is trying to sell you something, whereas in Quiche nobody tried to sell us anything.) Friday, being Good Friday, we got to see a few of the "carpets" which the locals make out of leaves, sand, and sometimes vegetables and fruit on the streets, over which religious processions will subsequently pass. The biggest challenge of the trip may have been getting out of town, as we opted to leave right when a religious procession was coming down the main street leading out of town, so we had to find an alternate route along narrow streets better suited to one-way traffic, but on which out of necessity traffic was moving in both directions today. Following are multiple photos and a few videos of some of our favorite sights. Click on any of the photos to see them in larger size.

Eating "pulique," a typical dish served especially at Easter time. It is a type of thick soup with rice and either beef or chicken. Pretty good. We are in a little restaurant owned by a fellow named Tomas, whose establishment was recommended to us by our hotel owner, who is his friend.
This is Tomas, the restaurant owner, dressed up in his festive costume and posing with us.

Typical Chichicastenango market scene, with child on her mother's back.

The San Tomas church in Chicastenango on market day.

Another market scene in front of the church steps

More market

Another child on his mother's back

"Cofrades," or church elders, emerging from the church. There is an interesting mix of Catholicism and paganism (remants of the Mayan religion) which goes on here and which is tolerated by the Catholic Church.

Setting up and taking down the market stalls means moving a lot of heavy stuff with human labor.

Another child on the back of probably his sister.

Taking down his part of the market

More of the same

Young boy carrying heavy load as market closes down.

Main street through Chichicastenango. Note lady with load on her head and colorful bus, with not much room for other vehicles to pass on the right.

Sign on bus says "There is no love like the love of God." Many buses in Guatemala have religious messages on them.

Two full sacks of potatoes on this man's back.

Shrine with fruit and vegetable offerings set up in courtyard of the Hotel Santo Tomas, the nicest one in town (not where we stayed).

Here is our hotel, the Hotel Chalet. It had no parking, and the street in front is too narrow to leave the car parked on it, so we were directed to a private parking garage a couple of blocks away.

More manual labor.

In front of a noted arch in Chichicastenango

Funeral procession in Chichicastenango.

Colorful cemetery in Chichicastenango.

On top of a hill south of town, in front of the ceremonial site of Pascual Abaj

Luis Ignacio, the half brother of our hotel owner, Manuel Toll, performing Mayan ceremonies at Pascual Abaj. (Scanned from postcard bought in his store at the base of the hill.)

A representation of the folk saint Maximon, who is venerated in various villages in the western highlands of Guatemala. He represents something between St. Peter and Judas Iscariot, with probably more in common with the latter than the former. He is placated with gifts of cigars or alcohol and is particularly in evidence at Easter time. We were invited to make a cash donation in return for the privilege of photographing him.

Virginia with the Blackburns on the steps of the main church in Quiche.

Procession going on in Quiche.

LDS chapel in Quiche. We ran into a local member during lunch, who assured us that the branch is thriving.

Adobe home between Chichicastenango and Quiche

Another adobe home on the same road

LDS chapel in Chichicastenango. It is smaller than the one in Quiche, and the branch is reportedly struggling, though Chichicastenango itself is significantly larger than Quiche.

Little girl carrying her littler sister in Chichicastenango.

Representation of Maximon on the steps of the Santo Tomas church in Chichicastenango on Good Friday. The sign is in English and invites people to donate a coin or two to "Judas." The idea seems to be to placate a bully who might do you harm, not to seek blessings at the hands of one with power to grant favors.

"Carpet" under construction on Good Friday morning on street in Chichicastenango.

Another carpet in Chichicastenango.

Religious procession on the main highway between Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango. "Carpets" were build on this stretch of the road (going through a little village), and the road which was normally two lanes in each direction became one lane in each direction to accommodate the procession.

Carpets being built on the main highway.

More of the same.

Market in Quiche. Not wanting to be too obtrusive, I didn't always get great shots as I held a small video camera down below my belt and tried to aim. This and other shots from Quiche were taken off the video.

Another market scene in Quiche. Note that the women's blouses in Quiche are generally different from those in Chichicastenango, and were especially pretty.

Buying meat at the market.

Pigs feet for sale.

More Quiche blouses

Typical Quiche market scene

Another

Going home from the market in Quiche

Scene on main square in Quiche. Note the little red taxi or "Tuk Tuk." The four of us rode in one of these from downtown Chichchicastenango to the hill where we climbed to the ceremonial site of Pascual Abaj.

Mother and son heading home from the market

Man and wife in Quiche

Meat and dry beans, etc., for sale at market in Quiche

Below are three short videos. One is of the cofrades (church or village elders) coming out of the Santo Tomas church in Chichicastenango. One is of a procession in Chichicastenango, and one is of a procession in Quiche. (The slow one is Chichi and the fast one is Quiche.)

El Salvador Training Trip

2010-03-01T19:14:00.001-08:00

This first photo has nothing to do with our trip to El Salvador, but it is a typical picture of the very colorful public buses in Guatemala, and is typical of the more open religious expressing which is seen here, as opposed to the US. If you click on the photo, you may be able to pick out that the sign on the back of the bus says, "Dios nos acompañe"--God be with us.

The next photo shows Virginia, President Guillermo Alvarez, Pati de Alvarez, and Percy Santizo, with whom we enjoyed the trip to El Salvador. Several of us are eating the most typical of all Salvadoreñan foods--pupusas, a sort of thick fried tortilla filled with beans, or cheese, or meat.

The above photo and the one which follows show what our training meeting looked like. We had sixteen stake presidents and their clerks present to learn how to use the online missionary application system. Pati is leading the discussion. You can see Virginia in the next photo looking over a paper missionary application that a stake president had given her and which she wanted to look over for completeness before the stake president got away.

The above photo, as well as the one below, show the progress of the construction on the El Salvador Temple. It will be lovely when completed.

Weekend in Quetzaltenango

2010-02-21T17:02:00.001-08:00

Virginia and I had the opportunity this weekend to drive to Quetzaltenango, where I was assigned to take minutes at a priesthood leadership conference for stake and district presidencies and bishops and branch presidents, under the direction of Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Don R. Clarke, our area president, and Elder I. Poloski Cordon, a local area Seventy also participated. It was a very good meeting, as the one in Guatemala City the week before had been. To avoid driving back in the dark (which is not recommended), we stayed overnight in a hotel and went to sacrament meeting Sunday morning in one of the Quetzaltenango wards. We recently got an upgraded GPS map program for Guatemala, which was quite helpful on the trip. We also had the opportunity to see some sights both in Quetzaltenango and in Panajachel (on the shores of Lake Atitlan, where we stopped for lunch). The following are some of those photos, for your viewing pleasure. You can click on any of them to enlarge them.

Virginia in front of the future Quetzaltenango Temple. It will be twice the size of the Guatemala City Temple, and it's coming along nicely on schedule, unlike the Panama City Temple which was always behind schedule due to the different work ethic in that country.

This is a picture from four years ago when ground was broken for a CES addition to the Minerva Ward chapel in Quetzaltenango. Our mission ended before we got to see it completed, but today we got to see it up close and rejoice that it's serving well the purpose for which it was intended.

The Minerva Ward chapel, about a mile from the temple. Note the CES additionin back.

Don in front of the CES addition to the Minerva chapel

Entry to the CES wing of the Minerva chapel, with signs promoting seminary and institute

If you click on the above photo you'll better distinguish the "Deseret" sign advertising a kitchen furniture business owned by local Quetzaltenango members.

A faithful elderly woman in traditional dress dusts the pews prior to the start of sacrament meeting.

We were impressed that 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting the pianist was in position and the Aaronic Priesthood young men were getting the sacrament prepared early.

This photo and the next several which follow show indigenous women in their brightly colored traditional dress. The photos would have been even better if we hadn't been taking them through the car window as we drove past at normal speeds.

Virginia with an attractive quetzal plaque at the Hotel Bella Luna, where we stayed.

Virginia at the restaurant in Panajachel

Girl in colorful dress behind Don at restaurant

Man in traditional dress, including a sort of "skirt" and brightly colored pants

Another man with the "skirt" but not the pants, carrying a load of wood.

Brightly colored moto taxis

Cemetery in Solola (near Panajachel), with brightly colored tombs