Fair

Small miracles  4/21/14

We were called about 7pm this evening.  The zone leaders have come up with a plan to get their church members to trust them more.  They are going to make butter finger cookies.   Well, like most missionary plans, they were missing a pan to cook them in, paper plates to serve them with, seran wrap to cover the plates, and two key ingredients:  chocolate sauce and peanut butter.  They wanted us to buy and deliver these things.  We were able to buy the plates and the wrap, but peanut butter is very hard to find here and the store we were at was out of chocolate syrup.  So, we walked to the market place, knowing fulwell we would not find these items, but we had to try.  We walked into this tiny store.  It had plastic goods, Easter baskets, all kind of very strange stuff.  We walked around to the only other isle and there on the bottom shelf were a gigantic bottle of planters peanut butter and right with the peanut butter, a gigantic bottle of chocolate sauce.  We said to each other, it's a little miricle to help the missionaries with their project.

Doctors and dentists  4/22/14

We have been given the assignment to help young members that want to go on missions to get their applications done.   We have to get there applications completed before June.   We have three: two boys and a girl.    Now, this may seem like a really simple task, but, these young people live way up in the mountains, have no money and no resources.

We have had this assignment for several weeks and have been pondering and praying about where to find a doctor and dentist that will do the exams for free or at a big discount.  And, one of the boys has major problems with his teeth.  They look like a train wreck!   And, we have a few other pre-missionaries that have completed the application and have their call but must have inoculations before they can go.  Like, yellow fever vaccine. 

Today, we were so blessed.  A friend of ours took us to her brother, a doctor, and he ageed to do the exams for free!   We found out that the local firehouse will give yellow fever shots for about $6.  (We went to our pharmacy and simply asked for yellow fever vaccine, no problem, the assistant just brought out these little viles, we could buy for about $70.)  and, we found a dentist.  So, as usual, after a trial of our faith, we were blessed.

Bargaining   4/23/14

We have picked up an intersting skill here in Guatemala, bargaining.  Almost everything we buy, we bargain for a better price.  At home, Kathy did a little bit of bargaining at TJ MAX, Gary, just hated to bargain.   Well, here we really have learned to enjoy bargaining.  People look at us as rich gringos.   We tell them right off we are very poor missionaries and we won't accept a 'tourist price".  Or, we plead with them that they must give a lower price for missionaries.   We always pay less and the whole bargaining session is great fun.  Gary is concerned, however, that, when he gets home, he will offer the clerk at walmart a lower amount then the register says.

The fair

There is a fair going on here.   It seems to be great fun for everyone.  One of our zones decided to have an activity associated with the fair, since, the stake center is virtually right next to the fair. The missionaries made cookies and popcorn and had pamphlets and Books of Mormon all displayed on tables.  The sister missioneries did face painting, they had several other games set up, and Kathy did painting.  Kathy painted a picture and we offered copies of the picture to those that would give us contact information.  Overall, the missionaries got lots of references.

Our new car is named Krueger, we love her but she is quit underpowered.  We were in a little town today that had steep hills.  We turned a tight corner and we were in front of a car.  We had to back up the hill a little ways then turn tight and go gown the hill.  We put krueger in reverse and is all she could do is groan.  No movement.  We had two big elders in the back and they got out.  Still could not move.  Finally, the big elders had to push us back up the hill.  If it were not for them, we could still be there!  We know krueger felt bad, but that is all she could do.   In the future, we will not get into places that we have to back up hills!