Huehuetenango

Hope everyone was able to watch conference this weekend.  We saw the morning session at the CCM then came home and watched the afternoon session in our apartment, in fact, Dad and I watched the Priesthood session together here last night.  I was trying to remember if I have ever seen all three of the First Presidency speak in the same session before, this time they were even back to back and all on the same topic!  It looked like they didn't want us to miss the major concern that they have. I definitely can work harder on that topic and I will. I am sorry it is over already, I enjoyed it.

Huehuetenanago was definitely way, way far away.  It took about six hours to get home yesterday.  It is even higher in the mountains than we are here in the city (Guate City is the same altitude as home in Providence, 5000 ft.). We wanted to stop at a lookout, the highest point in Guatemala, but it clouded over so we decided we probably couldn't see much there and changed plans.  It is alfombra time of the year again. They are the carpets they create in the middle of the streets made of colored sawdust, flowers and other things, for the large floats of Christ and Mary to be carried across.  

I took pictures of two of the floats we saw Friday night.  

Friday morning we went to a little town, Chiantla, to watch a passion play of Christ's interview with Pilate and Herod and then his crucifixion. There was a stage set up in the middle of town and it was performed outside and open to anyone who wanted to be there, there were about 5000 of us in the plaza. It was a major production, large speakers, stage, costumes etc. They had music that played for hours.  The whole thing took about 2 1/2 hours.  They did a good job, but it was quite sad to watch. At one point I thought, there were people there at that occasion 2000 years ago watching and could do nothing and here I am watching, probably just as they did. Thursday night they reenacted the last supper and Garden of Gethsemane.  I would have liked to see that, but the timing for us wasn't right.

One thing I really like about this country is how open they are about talking of God.  You ask someone how they are and they answer, "by the grace of God I am well" or something like that.  You see reference to God in stores, on cars and buses, everywhere you go. "God lives", "Life is better with Christ", to mention a couple.  There are statues of Mary and Christ in a lot of the town plazas.  We couldn't get away with that in the USA.  I will miss that here.

We stopped in a small town to see a church that is a little more ornate than the rest we have seen.  What do you think?  There are lots of Podgy Angels on the front, at least that is what the tour book called them, but I also found an upside down angel.

I have sent pictures before of a little man or women with a load of wood, branches or grass on their backs, but on this trip we saw a mom and her children all walking along a road with loads on their backs.  The littlest boy, I am guessing was four?, was carrying one little log.  We stopped the car and Dad got out and gave them all some coins and took a few pictures of them. They were all happy working together, at least they seemed that way.

Hope everyone is doing well, happy, healthy and learning something new everyday!

We love you and miss you and can't believe how much all you munchkins have grown since we have been away.

     MOM/Grammy