Last Sunday

     Wow! It has been a very busy Sunday, but thank goodness we don't have a dental meeting this evening so I can send a quick email off.  I thought since it was our last Sunday here that Dad and I would be asked to give our testimonies in Sacrament meeting so I prepared something in Spanish, just in case.  And yes indeed, they called us up and I wasn't nervous because I was ready with paper in hand.  Then after the block meetings we had our last devotional to give on The Gathering.  A lot of lasts lately. But that's OK, I feel we are ending one adventure and about to embark on a new one.  We have a new missionary couple here, the Gardners. We were assigned to be their hosts, so we have been showing them around.  Today after the meetings at the CCM, the CCM President asked them to come to his office and he called them to replace us.  We are thrilled, they are perfect!  She even speaks Spanish really well, she served a mission in her younger years in Columbia, so this evening we went to their apartment to orient them and give them all our information so they would have a jumpstart on their calling.

     The guys at Tio Juan Orphanage found out that Dad and I were leaving so they invited the whole dental team to come to a home they have in the forest, kind of a cabin, and have lunch.  They also had 48 seventh graders there the same day. 

They have six horses there and this one in the picture just had this colt a few days ago.  

On the cake for the lunch, they wrote "Thank you Hogge Family".  They said that they wanted to thank our whole family for sharing us with them for the past 18 months. 

The day before Dad and I went to the Orphanage to take Leidi some flowers and thank her for all her help while we were here.  This is her with the flowers and John - Tio Juan.

     Saturday night we had our farewell party on the roof with pizza, salads and desserts.  Every time a couple goes home the Harrises write a song for them and the group sings to them.  I recorded it, but it was too large to send so I will just have to show you when we get home.  

     While driving home Friday we saw this horse along side the cow. He is kind of hidden, can you see him loaded with grass?  

And here is a bunch of colorful homes we see while driving home from Antigua and San Juan.  

The last picture is a view from our friends’ apartment looking at the spire of the temple.

     We just heard from Wesley.  Congrats!!! on your mission call Wesley!  We are super excited for you and Thanks tons for calling to let us know.  See you soon!

     See all of you soon!!!   Love, MOM/Grammy

National Museum

Hi all!

    Hope everyone had a Very nice Mother's Day.  It is officially the rainy season here and we had a heavy rain storm an hour ago that really dumped on us.  It was nice and makes me feel like the air has just been washed.

   We had two dentists volunteering at the Clinic this week.  Gary Lippencott came for a couple of days, he and his wife have their mission papers in and hope to serve here.  I think it is a pretty sure thing because if he doesn't come down here in mid-July there will only be one dentist left here for about a month and he doesn't speak Spanish.  Dr. Lippencott is an orthodontist and wanted to come for a couple days to brush up on some of his general dentist skills and see how the clinic. He and his wife will fit in perfectly, only wish we could be here to work with them for a while.

     Evan and Melanie Roundy spent the week at the clinic and stayed here in an empty apartment at Victoria Suites.  They were at the Jornada with us and have been involved with the Tio Juan Dental Clinic off and on for several years.  They plan on serving a mission here in a couple years. Evan has been a BIG help in getting funding for the Pano Dad has been trying to get.  So I had to include a picture of us and the Roundy's in front of the dental supply store, 

one of Dad and Evan in front of a cardboard cutout of the Pano 

and then we took the cutout to our clinic and took a picture of it with Dad and me.

   We went to the National Museum on Friday and took a bunch of pictures.  They have a long timeline mural of Guatemala.  I wish I would have had someone to explain it to me, but at the end there is a painting of two young men in white shirts and ties looking suspiciously like Mormon missionaries.  What do you think?  

Also, here are two pictures of things that were found at different historical sites in Guatemala.  There is a lot of history here!

   We have only one more Sunday here, where has the time gone???

Love you all!!   MOM/Grammy

Trucks & Flowers

Since half of our week was with the Jornada here, I didn't get a chance to take many pictures.  So I have sent a picture of Dad and me at the Jornada, 

a picture of a very colorful tree? not far from our apartment,

And a picture of an old truck that Dad saw the other day that has been either taken very excellent care of or has been restored.  I thought the guys might like this one.

We gave a devotional today at the CCM with the only two English speaking missionaries there.  It was more like a little discussion than a devotional but turned out OK.  Dad talked about companionship and I addressed obedience. These two Elders are really great, so we felt we were "preaching to the choir".

We have a busy week this week with two other dentists joining us. So the chairs will be full! We counted up and have only 9 days left in the clinic.  I think I am thinking about going home a little more often now than ever before as the day draws nearer.

We are doing great and keeping busy. Hope your week is busy and happy!

   

Until next week, "Carry on, carry on, carry on........."     

Love ya,  MOM/Grammy