Chichi & Xela

     We were able to take a little trip this last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to see some of the country in Guatemala.  We headed northwest to a little town called Chichicastenango, where they have a pretty good sized market on Thursdays and Sundays. A guide found us as we pulled into town so we hired him for a few hours to show us around.  We spent some time in the market, had some lunch and then went to the Cemetery there.  We had heard how colorful it was, and it was! So I have added two pictures of it for you to see. 

You can also look up online to see the many colors there. They bury their dead four or five deep in the ground and then about that many on top of the ground.  A family will buy a piece of ground and have a mausoleum built there. Our guide explained that the first person to die determines the color the mausoleum will be painted.  If they die on Sunday it is painted yellow, Monday is blue, Saturday is white, Friday is Red. There are other colors also.  I have read that in other cemeteries it might be a little different, they might paint them the favorite color instead of referring to the day they passed away.

    Quetzaltenango or Xela, pronounced Shayla, was the next city we went to. It is the second largest city in Guatemala and also has a temple.  We spent the night there then went to the temple the next morning. 

That afternoon we saw some sites of this city.  The other two cemetery pictures are from here.  

They must grown cacao trees around here because there are several little chocolate factories. We stopped in one and bought a cinnamon chocolate brick that you make hot chocolate with. From there we went south toward the coast to the area of Retalhuleu. It is about 40 miles from the water and is hot and humid, about 95 degrees.  The countryside was beautiful getting there.  It is a very agricultural area taken care of with manual labor. 

 This picture of the patchwork of different produce being grown is on a hillside a ways away from the town. 

The picture of the woman was very typical of what we see except the bundles on their heads are usually much larger. 

The men and women pack firewood around on their backs.  I wasn't sure about taking this man's picture because sometimes they don't want their picture taken, but as he saw us he waved and I took that as an OK, so I clicked the picture as we drove by.

   The market was closing up as we were there in Chichi and the people were taking down their stalls and packing the goods in large bags and packing them off on their backs. To help with the balance and weight they attach a strap around their forehead. I was lucky enough to catch a picture.

    Some of the area we drove through is what you would expect to see when you hear of the jungles of Guatemala, thick, green and lush hillsides that looked like tropical forests.  That is probably what they were.  Some of the roads were very good ones, others not so good with lots of potholes.  It was a fun weekend, just us and one other couple.  We have several other places on the list to see while we are here.  Tikal is one of those and is an area up north with some really neat ruins.  Watch for it in a future email from us here is Guate! 

   At the moment we are having a thunderstorm here with a LOT of rain, maybe this is the beginning of the rainy season I keep hearing about.  We shall see.

Dad, me and the guide in Chichi. 

Dad with one of our little patients at the Clinic. She is one of our little patitos or little ducklings.  Such little dolls, everyone of them so cute! 

 May the Lord be with all of you always.

Love, MOM...Grammy

Our New Apartment

    OK,  We have been in the new apartment for a couple weeks and I promised a few pictures of the place.  Here they are...  We have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a larger living room, kitchen and dining area, a little "family room", a laundry room and a "maid's quarters", which consists of a small bedroom large enough for a single bed and nightstand and a very small bathroom.  When Doug was here he claimed that bathroom, but it is so small when you open the door it hits the sink and can't go any further so we took the door off the bathroom and just used the door to the bedroom as the bathroom door.  Also, this little black item (keyboard) came with the apartment!! I am so excited to spend some time with it!  Also, I didn't mention that we are the librarians of the library for the Senior Missionaries.  It is in our living room and consists of books, some DVD's and CD's and several how to learn Spanish books.  We are hoping some of all this will rub off on us.

  Tomorrow is Labor Day here in Guatemala so we have the day off from the clinic.  It will be catch up day, go to the grocery store and the "green market" where we get fruits and vegetables from the locals, and whatever else needs to get done.

  Jolynn has found a buyer for Grandpa Van's home.  We are going through the paperwork now and they are trying to finalize things by mid May.  It seems a little weird having it sell so soon, but I did say my goodbyes when I was there last.  Maybe it is better I won't see it empty.  

  Tomorrow is a new month.  Probably the last month of school for all you kids in school. Spring vacation is coming!!!

Love you!!!!    MOM & Grammy

Happy Easter all you cute little peeps!!

  We hope you have all had a nice Easter.  Easter has been a little different here.  The week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is called Semana Santa and is a big holiday the whole week long.  No school and many businesses are closed especially the last few days of the week. All week they are closing off different roads and making what they call "alfombras" in the streets.  They are designs made of colored saw dust and flowers, which take a lot of time to do, then they have a procession or parade down that street over the alfombras.  The procession has to do with the crucifixion.  I have sent a couple pictures of some alfombras we saw in Antiqua this week and people making them.    

   No Easter bunnies or candy down here for us or even a special Easter program at church.  Our ward was trying to have a ward choir do a couple of special numbers for this Sunday but that didn't happen.  I am pretty sure one of the speakers talked about the Resurrection, but my Spanish isn't good enough to really understand what they are saying in church yet.

   When we hiked Pacaya last week there are several little children wanting to sell you a walking stick at the beginning of the trail for 10 Quets or about $1.20.  After you return from the hike they are there to gladly reclaim them.  This is a picture of the little boy Dad gave his stick back to after trying to negotiate a resale.

   We had a fun and busy week last week with Doug Gray, his granddaughter Desi, her husband Matt, and her brother Matthew.  While in Antiqua we found probably one of the nicest McDonald's I have ever seen.  This store has touch screens when you walk in the door to order from, seating inside and out, a courtyard with a fountain and a play area for the kids.  It even sells cheesecake!  

   I lost my voice for a couple days and had a little cold this week.  Some kind soul left me a bag of cough drops on my door last night anonymously. We are so lucky to be serving here with such neat, loving people!

   I would love to know what you all did this year for Spring break. It sounds like the Edwards family had fun on their camping trip. 

   MARTIN and LAREN...We hope you had a really great birthday all week long!  We were thinking of you and think of you quite often.  Happy 19th!! We love you both!  Keep up the good work.

   ETHAN!!!   HAPPY 13th Birthday this week.  I would love to hear how you spent your special day on Tuesday.  I think you probably have school that day, don't you?  Are you still playing the saxophone? Love you always!!

Have a nice week everyone and I hope we can all have the reason we celebrate Easter still in our minds and hearts throughout the week.

     Love to all!   Grammy, MOM

Pictures of the floats, I call them, in the processions this week.  They are carried by people through the streets and the people pay to do it.  They look pretty heavy.

Palm Sunday

Hola All!!

     It is Palm Sunday and the start of Semana Santa, which translated literally is Saint Week.  Not sure exactly what it means, but it is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter.  They decorate the streets with pictures made of colored sawdust, so today it was quite a challenge getting to church.  They block off streets to do this and we never know which ones it will be so it took an hour to get to church today, usually only about 15 minutes.  After the street is decorated they have a procession or parade over it.  I am not sure what it is but on Friday we are going to Antiqua to see the processions there.  It is going to be a really packed town and they don't let cars in so a bunch of us are going to go in a bus. We have been warned of pic pockets so I am not taking much with me.

    Doug Gray and his grandkids, Des, Matt and Des's husband Matt are here this week.  We hiked the volcano Pacaya yesterday and today they went to Break the Fast with us. Tomorrow they are going to the dental clinic to help with exams and work on some future missionaries. Then Tuesday we can't see any kids because of Semana Santa week, they are all out of school, so we are going to see some of Guatemala for two days.  Thursday we check out the new missionaries at the CCM (MTC) and Friday we go to Antiqua.  Saturday they fly home.

    Last Thursday & Friday we moved into a new apartment in the same building. It is a bit bigger and we have a few sliding doors and a balcony which we are really enjoying.  I will send some pictures later.

   I have to send you some random pictures I have been collecting.  Larry with some of the Los Patitos (Little Duckings), or little kids from the Muni school at the Clinic, a fun lunch to make with a couple of tortillas, a statue of Nephi (at least that is what we call him) in front of the zoo, a picture of a bird and a faucet.  It is an ad about saving water they have here, and I really like the picture.

    Thanks so much for your emails, it is so great to open the computer and find one or two there. We love your pictures also, here or on the digital screen.  We love and miss you all and so appreciate your prayers and loving support.  Aren't families wonderful!!!

    

  Have a great week and enjoy Easter and why we really celebrate it.  Have you all seen the video's on the churches site "Prince of Peace"?  

Later,     Love MOM, Grammy

Doug and Larry

Nephi