PRECIO DE GRINGO

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So, there is a thing down here about buying.  If you are from the USA and white the price goes up a lot.   Well, we have been shopping enough that when we ask for the price, we also say "no precio de gringo" .  We do a lot of bargaining, and, we get the price down but it probably is still higher than a local would get.  Anyway, we needed to buy a hat for Gary to sleep in.  Yes, to sleep in. There is a picture included.  Well, Kathy is getting very "vicious" at bargaining.  She found a hat for Gary in a little shop.  The clerk was a young man.  Kathy asked the price.   The young man told her Q3.  Kathy got very upset at the price and countered with Q2.   She miss understood the price.  He said "tres quetzales" but she heard "treinta quetzales".  A difference of 3 to 30.   Kathy was "hard barganing" over About 30 cents.  We all got a great laugh out of it!

We visited a liittle town Evan further in the mountains.  We usually have lolly-pops with us in case we meet missionaries or little kids.  So, in this little town, we parked by a house and several kids and a mom were looking at us (after all, we are white and twice their size)  we talked to them for a few minutes and Gary brought out of his bag some lolly pops for the kids.  We handed them around and the mom said "santa clause"  and she pointed to Gary's white hair and round tummy!! We gave lolly-pops to the mother and grand mother.

We drive and walk around looking for missionaries.  It is important that they know we are here for their support and to let them know that someone cares about what they are doing.  We were walking along and we met a pair of elders.  They said that they were looking to buy a kit, they had an appointment later in the day.  (They really should be talking and helping every one they meet)   So, here comes a man loaded with kits.  The four of us begin talking to him.  Kathy asked the man if he belonged to a church.  He said no.  She said, pointing to her plack, this is a really good church and these elders will tell you all about it and the we left, leaving the elders to do their job.

Believe it or not besides our work to watch after and take care of the missionaries, we are doing missionary work our selves.  We have failed miserably through out our life with missionary work.  One of our friends didn't talk to us for a few years after we talked to him about the church.  We watched a relative throw the Book of Mormon in the garbage can while leaving their house.   And on and on.  So here we are on a full time mission!  We usually have a few hours in the afternoon to ourselves.  We walk around the marketplace, buy a few things, and say hello but that was about it.  We decided to implement what we learned in conference:  pray for a missionary experience, prepare yourself such that you are able to have the Holy Ghost with you, and go around doing good.  And, The Lord will bring people to you, or lead you to the people, that will listen to your message.   We have tried to prepare ourselves by praying really a lot, studying the scriptures, and being obedient (this one is difficult).  And, we walk around being nice, saying hello, helping when we can.   And, we have four people that we have made friends with and, one may actually be taught by the missionaries.  ( our Spanish is doing ok but not quit ready for us to solo in a teaching meeting).  We can't believe that we actually had a missionary experience!

Here is Gary modeling his sleeping hat

Here we are in our Halloween costumes

OUR FRIENDS

We had our day all planned out.  We finally had a little time to catch up on a few things.   We planned on visiting a missionary house and give them a little message and some goodies and check on their needs.  (We visit missionary house two or three time a week.)   Then, we planned on using the extra time to walk around taking to people and do a little shopping.  Fat chance.   We made these plans the night before, we went to bed looking forward to an easier day.   So, we were awakened by a call. It was two elders with a bed bug problem.  They asked if tomorrow we could wash their sheets and bring them some bug spray.  We finished this call and got another.  It was sister missionaries.  They had seen the same man several times today, he was old  had grey hair and long side burns.  They were scared he was following them.   Well, we drive around every day and we see the same people every day.  It's a small town.  But, never second guess a sister, so we said we would take them to their first appointment and we would search around for the guy.  Now we were awake, and the thought came to mind that we received four new missionaries and they were probably freezing, so, tomorrow we would buy some blankets for them.  That was the end of our plans for a "free" day.  This kind of thing is typical every day, but, we love it.

One day a few days ago, we started our day and every thing was going bad:  we heard water running and when we came out into the main room, the other bathroom was flooded and the water was running through the house like a river.   We shut water off to the toilet and cleaned up.  Kathy got into the shower and the power went out in part of the house including the little heater at the end off the shower head.   Freezing cold water came out and that was the end of Kathy's shower.   Also, we were both still sick.  We pulled ourselves together and went to a zone meeting.  A few days before we attended a zone meeting and understood the Spanish quite well.  Not this day, we could not understand a thing.  We were severely depressed.  Kathy wanted to catch a plane home.  Gary said that we should not get on a plan today the way things were going.  Well, we had made friends with a lady and her three children.  We would talk to here several times a week.  We would bring her lunch now and then.  (she is poor).  One time she was not in her little shop and was not there for many days.  We were worried.   The lady in the shop next to hers said that her daughter was ill.   So, this "hard" day, we were walking along in town and Kathy got a tap on the shoulder. We turned around, and there was our friend.  She broke into tears.  Her six year old daughter had died.  Kathy and her hugged and cried for along time.  Kathy was whispering to her and told her we were sent here to share with her the message of eternal life. She said this in good Spanish. We said we would meet her tomorrow and bring the missionaries ( yes we are missionaries, but, we needed missionaries that can speak good Spanish).  We did meet with her and found out where her area is.  And, today, we got a call from a pair of excellent elders.  This lady lives in their area.  So, things are moving along for missionary lessons for our friend.   We don't know if she will get baptized, but, we know that The Lord wanted us to get the missionaries for her,  and, someone else was really trying hard to keep us from doing this.

Here is a picture of a friend of ours.  He is placed by his mom around town to get donations and has a little bag around his neck for the money.  He is severely CP.  He cannot hold the bag or talk or walk, but he has a great spirit and he feels ours.   When we approach him he gets a gigantic grin.   He starts grinning when we are some distance away.  He feels our spirit and we feel his.  We have a special place in our heart for people with CP.

THE RESULTS OF DISOBEDIENCE

We have mentioned before that we have a mission rule not to drink Coca-Cola.   Several years ago missionaries were drinking nothing but Coca-Cola  and getting dehydrated.  So the mission president made this rule.  Well we heard that the new president might drink a coke now and then.  The rule however has not been repealed.  Against Kathy's advice Gary decided to have a Pepsi or Coke now and then.  Kathy told him he shouldn't be disobedient or he would pay the consequences.  Gary repented but was too late.   His punishment came as a really bad case of the flue.  The flu here is called Gripe.   Up to now we have avoided catching this bad flue.  During Gary's sickness a friend called.  Kathy told her that Gary was sick with the flu.  The friend said well it must be a punishment for him drinking Coke!  Gary will never again be disobedient.

We got a call from a missionary about a week or so ago.  The missionary said that one of the elders had passed out and they can't wake him.  We asked if he was breathing.  They said maybe!   We rushed over to pick him up.  He is a big boy and it took four of us to get him in the car.  He was breathing, but out cold with his eyes open!  We were terrified, we pleaded with heavenly that he would be ok.  The elders had already given him a blessing.  We got him to the hospital and after about two hours he woke up.  He said he was having a bad head ache.  (His main concern was that he would miss general conference).  His blood test and other basic test came out normal.  The doctor wrote a prescription for a tomography of his head.  This procedure costs quit a bit and needed approval from the president.   We kept close watch over him for two days and we finally got approval.  We got the tomography and took the pictures to the doc.  It turns out he had a very bad sinus infection.  We got him on strong meds and he has been ok.   Another direct answer to prayers.

Several times a week we walk through the town park.   Here, each town has a "parque".  There is a large Catholic church with a large patio in front.  The patio is surrounded with markets and vendors.  We walk through saying hello and talking to people when we can.  We saw a young man in a wheel chair.  As we approached him he gave a gigantic grin.  He has CP and can't talk and barely move.  He has a bag on his lap for donations.  He reminded us of our grandson, who has since passed away.  He had extreme PC.  Every time we visited him, he would great us with excitement and a gigantic grin.  So now, every time we visit the park, we find our friend, we can feel his spirit and we know he can feel ours.  We found and older lady with the same problem.  It is the highlight of our week to visit our friends and give them a little money.  It is comforting to us that we know that our friends, and our grandson, will some day be  renewed with wonderful bodies!

Here is a picture of our little English speaking group watching general conference.

And here is Kathy having received "goodies" from home

THE BLACK MOLD MIRACLE

It is cold here and Gary needs a sweater.   We shopped and shopped but we surprisingly found out that Gary is too big.   We walk to a place that sells used clothing.  Gary asks for a sweater and the guy starts laughing!!   I assume we are known here as the giant white people.  We were driving several blocks from our house and stopped to talk to the men in the water bottle truck.  We asked them if they would deliver and begin trying to tell them where are house is.  But, of course they knew. ( there are no addresses here).   We are going to call for take out pizza and just say, bring it to the house of the white giants.

Gary has parasites again.   We had to take in a sample to get tested.  Gary didn't think he had them again.  Kathy did and she won the bet.  So, Gary brought two samples in.  The real one in a little bag.  And, another fake black bag with three, one pound bags of beans in it.  (See picture)  We entered the lab, told them we needed a lab test for parasites.  The lady asked for a sample, and, Gary brought out the fake bag!!  After an aukward pause of silence, we thought the lady was going to pass out, we brought out the real one, and, we had a great big laugh!

A few days ago, we got a call from a missionary.  He said that his companion had passed out from excruciating chest pain.  They gave him a blessing and he woke up, but, with terrible pain and he could hardly breath.  We all thought "heart attack"!   They got him to the hospital and the doctor did all kinds of tests, and they came back normal!!    He did not have a heart attack and the doctor had no idea what was wrong.  Well, he got better.  So, after a night in the hospital, we took him home.  After a few hours the pain came back worse than ever.  Back to the hospital, more tests, every thing was normal but he was in horrible pain.  It was unbearable to watch him go through this.  We said a very fervent prayer that The Lord would show us what was wrong so that we could help him.  After a few hours he got better again.   An elder that was with us said "he gets better in the hospital and worse at home.  When we took him home, his room smelled musty like mold".  We told the elder that if mold was the cause we would buy him dinner (he loves to eat).   We researched black mold on the Internet and found that the symptoms were exactly as our sick missionary had.  In fact, black mold is very dangerous (it emits spores into the air).  We have to say again that prayers are answered!  However, the answer may come by means you may not expect.

LECHE DE CABRA

Every day a lady with two goats comes by our house.   We had no idea where she was going, but, then we found out.  She has plastic drinking cups on a string, and, if someone wants a hit, she milks a goat into a cup!   Yuk, a little to close to "nature" for us.

Included is a picture of a statue in our town.  If you look close, he is tilting.  We wondered why they made him that way.  Maybe the thing he is carrying in his left hand is very heavy, or, his left leg is short, or, maybe when whatever he did that made him famous, his left foot was in a hole.   After some thought, we decided that the earthquake of last November did it.

A missionary from the USA called us and said that his companion from Nicaragua was having problems.  He was fasting every few days, and, not eating much in between, and, continually out of money.   We visited them and talked to the one with problems.  He said he as not feeling well and he would start eating.  We gave him some meds and checked back in a few days to see how he was.  He was getting worse.  After a few more talks with him we decided to call our mission nurse to tell her the situation.  She said that they would have to get him therapy and so on.  This would end up probably ruining his mission.  We were really concerned.  This situation was going on for several weeks, and, all this time his companion never gave up on him.   By the way, the companion with the problem is a great missionary!  Finally, we get a call from the USA companion.   He had at long last gotten the real problem out of his companion.   IT turns out that in Nicaragua, you have to sign a contract with the church to pay the monthly mission cost, and recently, his non member parents told him they were not going to pay anymore.  So, this young man was starving himself to pay the debt.  We thought there were a few lessons from this event:   First, the courage of the USA companion to not give up on his partner is amazing.   He could of easily told us that he needed a new companion now!  Or, he could have said bad things about him to get him out, but no!  Second, the love that missionaries have for each other is something we would never have believed.   And, third, the determination of the missionary with the problem to "pay the church" was tipical of a great missionary.  The mission president will handle his problem.

By the way, the USA missionary is really prepared for marriage!

We have been here for several weeks and have had no communication with the president.  Kathy thought this was not right, and Gary said that we were doing our job and it was ok.  So, a few days ago Kathy woke up from her nights sleep and told Gary he had to email the president.  Gary, knowing that very often, Kathy gets the insperation to guide us through our problems, he wrote an email telling the president what we have been doing.   Well, the president came up here to conference with our missionaries and told them all kind of great things about us and that they could trust us!

We need to always remember to listen to our spouse!

Gary with our friends

PARALLELS

We have stayed in our house all day to day.   We have a little flue, called gripa here,  so, we stayed home.  We think the terrifying events of this past week ( high centered car by the edge of a cliff, and, the earthquake) has lowed our immunity.  Also, the water to the house has been on for just a few minutes then off.   The shower water heater is a device on the shower head.  It only heats up when there is a fairly good flow.  So, we wait around for the water to build up, run for the shower, scrub real fast, and get out.  We always end up getting the cold water, and here in the mountains, it is really cold.  But, we get along ok and just say to our selves like all the missionaries do, "that's Guatemala".

We had our 50th anniversary a few days ago.  We worked in the morning then we shopped and shopped around town.  We wanted to get something to remember this anniversary, so, we found a little on man that makes rings, and got a little gold ring for Kathy, the man in graves on the inside with our names and the date, here is the ring:

Gary got a gift also:

The most interesting gift of the day was the earthquake.   Last year, they had a bad one here that did lots of damage, so, that gave a lot of meaning to this one,  we had such a great day, we got our gifts, and, Gary got a hand made sweater ( he is too big for any pre-made sweaters we could find ) that cost about $20.  We had take-out Chinese food and we were sitting at the table eating and complimenting ourselves for such a great day, and then, the house started to shake.  Now, we lived in California for many years and experienced lots of earthquakes, one rocked us so bad that we could not get out of our water bed because it was waving back and forth.  But, all these earthquakes lasted for only a few seconds.  This one went on and on a started to worsen.  The fact that we are in a total concrete and cinder block house begin to worry us.  It finally ended, and, we spent most the night tracking Down missionaries.   Everyone was OK, a wonderful blessing.   That was our anniversary.  We reflected on this event, and thought that this is a graphic lesson about our total dependence on our Heavenly Father.   We were thinking how we had mastered the day, and, God showed us who was in charge.

After our scary situation in the mountains, we were hesitant to go back up, but, what do you do when you get bucked off a horse..  So, up we went.  This time we prayed at every split in the road, and, every near vertical hill, and we made it back and forth.  A major blessing.  At the top, there is a little town with 4 missionaries.  The town and the surrounding views are breath taking!  We thought that it was a little like reaching heaven.  Then,  we carried this theme a little further:  Our fear of beginning the trip must be similar to our feelings just before we come to this world, knowing it is the right thing to do, but, also, understanding the great risk to our salvation.  Our trip through life is dangerous similar to this trip.  There are many "Y's" in the trip that require correct decisions.  The wrong choice could be disastrous.  And, the trip does not get easier it is hard all the way, in fact, it gets harder just before the end.  However, when we safely arrive, it is all worth it.

This horse delivers its load all by itself.  We felt a little like this horse:  doing our job all a lone with a gigantic load, but stopping now and then for a little snack.

THE MENNONITE MIRACLE

Well, here we are I'm the mountains.  We have been living in a hotel for six days.  The house we are supposed to rent is a new house, small, but we like it, but, no electricity and no kitchen.  The electricity  is supposed to be ready by tomorrow, then, maybe we can move in.  A sink is also supposed to be installed.    However, we are kind of having an ok time in the hotel.  We are friends with the maids and there is a fairly good restaurant downstairs.  The only slight problem is that being senior missionaries we pay for almost everything our selves, so, we have to move real soon!

Our responsibility is sort of gone up really a lot.   We never thought our mission would be like this.  We had dreams of showing people through a visiter center that gets one or two visitors a day.   Now, we have been cast into the mountains, it is freezing, we have no warm clothes, there are no normal markets, and, we have 50 missionaries we are responsible for!  We keep buying blankets for ourselves, but, we have been interviewing missionaries in there houses, and, some are so cold, we give our blankets away!  And, every church event we attend,  they ask us to talk!  We get another time to make fools of our selves with our really bad Spanish!

In our old place, where is was really warm, we made friends with this little family next door.  The little two year old girl really liked us.   We would give her little treats now and then.  So, we moved and some missionaries moved into our house.  We got a call from the mom of this little girl.  The girl ran to the mom and said.  "Gringos have moved into their house"   I guess we got beyond the gringo barrier.  

Gary got into big trouble again.   For some reason Kathy's hair is thinning a bit on top.  It may be because of the Guatemalan hair dye she used.  Anyway, Gary thought she would feel better if he called her "captain Picard" from star freak.   It did not go over well.   Especially when he would not move the car until she pointed her hand forward the front and said "engage".

Ok, so, we have missionaries even higher on the mountains in a little place called Rio Blanco.  These missionaries have been sort of ignored since the ride up is a dirt scary roads.  Of course, we are going to do our job right, so, we took off in our Toyota corolla to Rio Blanco. The road is terrible, big holes, washed out in many places, seemingly straight up or straight down.  We finally got there In about an hour.   We had a wonderful experience there.  Two branches, really run well, and what a wonderful spirit.  Of course, we had to give a short talk.  Well, on our way to the car, there was a little mentally challenged boy.  Kathy stopped and played with him for a while, then got into the car and started to cry!  We took of, and after about 20 minutes of driving, we realized we took the Wrong road. The road was terrifying.  We tried to turn around and got the car high centered. Cliffs up on one side and down on the other.  We were really scarred and said a fervent prayer.  Well, down the road came three cars, SUV's, full of Mennonite families.  They pulled us out and helped us out of there.  There are some important principles we learned.   We always say a prayer before we take off in the car, this time we did not because Kathy was so upset.  After we got back to the hotel, we realized that missionaries are always under attack by the adversary, and prayer is our main defense.  By our praying before we drive, we have experienced miracles, saving our lives.  We missed this time and almost lost it.  However, our prayer for help was immediately answered.  We were taught a big lesson.   

Please read 2 Nephi 32:8-9.

Some mountain pictures: