August 1, 2009
Dear Family,
I am long overdue in writing a letter. There are so many different things I could write about. July was a busy month. We just celebrated Spencer’s birthday this week. I got up before 5 AM to make his favorite omlete and fried potatoes for a breakfast in bed. I also made two Texas Sheet Cakes, because we had Zone Conference on his birthday. We shared birthday cake with about 40 people. It was fun. We had Elder Falebello and his wife at Zone Conference. He is a new member of the first quorum of 70’s and a counselor in our Area Presidency.
Here’s a brief recap of some of our major activities.
CUNORI: Our classes are now being held in the brand new building—yes, the same one there was a demonstration over a few months ago. It is nice—but we are on the west side and there is a bright afternoon sun for the 4:00 class. In Spencer’s class room there are four ceiling fans installed and none in mine. It was a mistake—there were supposed to be two in each room and there is no more money. Hmmm. I have nothing more to say… 
Attendance has dropped because the administration doesn’t have any consequences for those who choose to not attend classes that are “obligatorio”. Some days it is very discouraging.
Esquipulas Branch: Some weekends it seems that we are making a difference. But it is difficult to assess. Attendance at Sacrament Meeting isn’t bad, but probably 50% leave after that meeting. So it is pretty dismal by the time we get to Relief Society and Priesthood. Last week, we had about 6-7 people in each of those meetings. Very sad for the members and the leaders. It still baffles me when we meet in homes where there is a great spirit, good lessons, good participation, good music, but it doesn’t carry over to good attendance. What to do, what to do…
Linda Vista Ward (Chiquimula): One of the really great things the new bishopric has done is to organize temple trips. Many youth have attended the temple and many adults have taken family names and participated in all areas of the ordinances. The couple Spencer taught for Temple Preparation are scheduled for their endowments and wedding on November 7th. Happy times. The members are doing better on HT and VT also. So there is progress. I love our Gospel Doctrine teacher. Oscar Garcia speaks slowly and enunciates clearly. I understand everything he says (unless it is a new vocabulary word). The new Bishop speaks rapidly and hardly opens his mouth at all. Even Spencer can’t understand him. I can’t believe his wife even knows what he is talking about! When he is talking I find myself completely zoning out. I need to work on that—but it is a big challenge. In RS it varies a lot. I understand the lessons—but I’ve read them in advance. General chatter is a challenge to follow.
Classes at the church: Spencer passed his advanced students over to my advanced class and started a new beginning class at 6:00. It hasn’t really taken off yet, but there is a greater need in that area, so I’m sure it will grow as word gets around. My kids’ class is great. We are now working out of Book One of the Side by Side series. We still have lots of learning activities and music. I have been very blessed. When I create my plan, I will plan one activity, but when I get there, through pure inspiration and help from Holy Ghost or unseen angels, I will have sudden insights that I should present the material in a different way. I always switch and every time those have been some of the most successful activities. I am almost left speechless sometimes but the help I receive. I am humble and very grateful for these experiences.
Our Temple experiences: We have filled out applications to be veil workers at the temple. Each time we attend we do a little better at remembering and once we are approved and set apart, we can study the cards. I can do it all now—until the very last part. Then I need help. This morning it was rewarding and amusing because I was comfortable (well, sort of) up to that point in the veil ceremony and then needed help. When I went thru the veil, the beautiful Guatemalteco brother hung onto my hand, beaming at me, and said (in Spanish), “Your Spanish is excellent!” That was the rewarding part. The amusing part is that, even without seeing me, he knew I was not a native, so it couldn’t have been quite that excellent. But I am getting there!
Weather: Two words only “hot” and “dry”. Corn patches are drying up and dying everywhere. That is going to create a major hardship for the natives. Corn is their staple food. The weather is uncomfortable and inconvenient for us. It is a tragedy for them.
Interesting tidbit: I had been curious about where the continental divide is in this country, since it is bordered by both oceans. No one knew what I was asking about. But in Tourist Book it shows the topographical lay of the land and refers to the Atlantic basin and Pacific, so I think I found the info—the continental divide runs east and west in Guatemala. ??? You have to remember that it borders with Mexico a lot on the west as well as north and Belize on the east. The northern part of Guatemala drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Of course the southern part drains to the Pacific. I was so surprised!!
Interesting Differences in Church operations: (1) One surprise is that the church buys very, very few hymn books. All of the members are expected to buy/bring their own. They decorate them with lots of stickers of Christ and things like that so they will be easy to distinguish if they get mixed up. In El Teatro Ward where there are pews, there aren’t even holders provided for the song books. (2) In nine months (yup—we are half way through) I have never heard a speaker introduced as being a High Counselor or representative of the Stake President. I can’t explain that one at all. (3) All adults are encouraged to attend Institute Class—not just Young Adults. (4) Baptismal clothes are sometimes difficult to come by. In some places the missionaries have bought white pants at thrift stores and/or used their own shirts. (5) Few members have cars. Middle aged women arrive driving motos. The Stake President comes to church on his moto—wearing white socks and black shoes! It’s going to take years to re-convince Spencer that that just shouldn’t be done! (6) Members don’t understand the importance of modesty—or wearing dresses. Some of the women I have seen in dresses at times come to church in jeans and spaghetti strap tops that are cut really, really low. Those who have been endowed often have safety pins to try to hold together the top of their blouses because it is so difficult to find a blouse that isn’t cut to reveal a lot of skin! (7) There is no Bishops’ Storehouse (of course) but also no expectation of/or provision for commodities. Almost everyone is poor and does without—often going hungry. It is just a part of life. Americans are spoiled and have way too much of a sense of entitlement. It is good I was a RS president before coming here, because I might not be very understanding of the complaints I often heard, if I had seen/known the members here earlier.
I have one story to illustrate my last point. The Branch President told about his first Sunday in his new calling. His family had no money and no food. They hadn’t eaten since early on Saturday. After church he sent his family home and suggested his wife ask the closest little tienda owner if she could “borrow” some rice and beans. When he arrived home later, he walked in to the smell of chicken and rice cooking and he thought “What has she done?!” She explained that when she arrived home there was a box of food sitting on the door step. They never knew who left it. Can you imagine the American members going to a leader like that and saying “Can we get a food order?” Many Americans waste more in a week than some of these families have to eat. They live on corn tortillas and black beans.
Last night at Casa de Huespedes I was visiting with a young couple. They were part of an excursion that had come from Honduras. It was about a 12 hour bus ride. Their stake had rented four buses. They came on Wednesday and they were going home on Saturday. There were seven sealings from their stake on Thursday and Friday—including this young couple who were newlyweds as of the day before—but the housing for excursions has separate rooms for the men and the women. I hope Casa de Huespedes found them a room—but I wasn’t brave enough to ask.  The young groom (Elder Aguilar) was just released from the Guatemala North mission in October and served among the Quiche with Daniel Garvin (Michele and Craig’s son). What a small world we have in the church. I think the other sealings were family units—because I noticed lots of little kids in their group.
Our trip to the temple yesterday and today was memorable. I lost my phone in the taxi ride from the terminal to the temple. The security personnel at the temple helped us call the bus lines and the taxi. We reached the taxi driver in less than an hour. He had found it, but it had already been sold on the street and the memory chip removed. Sigh. We had lots of saldo (minutes) on it too!
Tuli and Cesar have moved to an apartment about 10 minutes from the temple. She picked me up to run some errands before we came home. She was going to drive us to the bus terminal, but when we returned to pick Spencer up at Casa de Huespedes, we saw a member of our ward (a former missionary in Alan’s mission) and he had a bus of people from the other ward here. They had room and were leaving within a half hour, so we were able to ride home with them. What a blessing. Some of the money saved can go toward the purchase of a new phone!
This letter is longer than I planned. I wish I could sit down and visit with you and get/give lots of hugs. Sometimes I miss you so much I feel a deep hunger in the pit of my stomach and a hole in my heart. But we are glad to have the health to answer the call of the prophet and serve the Lord as missionaries.
Love,
Mom/Grandma/Jeanine