Guatemala City Temple Trip

If you had asked me in early November if I would travel to Guatemala within a month and call the 4 days spent traveling & being there a highlight of my life - I would have laughed, and said, "No way!"  Well - I was wrong!!!  Learning to take each day and each opportunity that comes along is a great lesson I am learning - finally.  =)  Here's the story.......

What causes 53 people in Belize to arise before daylight and travel to the country's border, to then board a bus and travel 12+ hours to Guatemala City and spend 2 days participating in ordinances for themselves or their ancestors, and then climb back on the bus to travel back home the 12+ hours?  A belief in and desire for their family to share in the blessings of being united in the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be "together forever."  For my friends who want to know why I believe in temple work and attend a temple wherever I can, here are some pictures (inside and outside of my church's temples), brief explanations & video that will give you succinct, accurate information.

Why Mormons Build Temples:   http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?autoplay=true&index=3&locale=0&sourceId=387b747631f92210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

More pictures & explanations:  http://www.lds.org/church/temples/why-we-build-temples?lang=eng

What happens in temples?  http://www.lds.org/church/temples/why-we-build-temples/what-happens-in-temples?lang=eng

Inside the temple:  http://www.lds.org/church/temples/why-we-build-temples/inside-the-temple?lang=eng

Gallery of temples around the world - if you want to see if there's one near you or anywhere you can imagine in the world!  http://www.lds.org/church/temples/gallery?lang=eng

MY PART OF THE STORY:  When Martin & I attended church the first week in Belize, we learned that the temple district we belong to is the Guatemala City Temple; and our district had a temple trip planned in less than a month.  We decided to attend, since we hadn't been able to attend the temple since late September.  Barely knowing how we'd get to the border (we were told NOT to leave our truck parked there - it wouldn't be safe), we still felt the need to pay our bus & room expenses and commit to going.  As it worked out, we met the senior missionary couple, the Mendenhall's from Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, who serve in 2 cities here in Belize - Belmopan (where we attend) and Dangriga.  They were planning to go & knew of a member who lived closer to the border where we could carpool together & then part the truck during our absence.  

We left Tuesday afternoon, 12/3/13 for Belmopan, to spend the night there, pick up Mendenhalls at 4:45 AM & drive to San Ignacio (12/4/13) to meet the other senior missionary couple going on the trip, the McLaughlins.  (Side note:  Missionaries in our church pay their own way to serve on their mission.  Senior couples serve for 18 months.  Young men serve for 2 years and young women serve for 18 months - wherever they are asked to go!)  After arriving at the border, going through Immigration & Customs, we joined with all those gathered to travel, pack our luggage on top of the bus & start our journey.  Two buses - ours contained 27 people, the other 26.

   Our bus driver says he always drives for the church on these trips - I guess he likes us!  =) 

             Note the young boy who looks like he is sitting on air - off to the left of the double seats.  He is sitting on a smaller seat that folds down from the bigger, softer seats.  Three cheers for kids who took those seats!  =)

                     Meet Eve Woods!  She is so full of excitement & nearly gave herself a heart attack on this morning.  When she showed her passport to the Immigration agent, she was told it had expired!  She hadn't thought to look at it in her excitement to go to the temple. =/  Tender Mercy:  Cezar Polito, also on our trip, works at this particular border for Immigration, and he was able to help her get through the red tape so she could make the trip!  Coincidence?  I think not!  

                           Typical view out the window as we traveled.  So many hills & mountains - we were constantly going up, down, over, and around them.  Very few stretches of straight road in Guatemala.  If the Stripling Warriors in the Book of Mormon lived in this area I know why they were exceptionally fit!  =) 

                            The Sweet River - it seems like a huge lake that narrows at this point for the bridge.  Large sail boats in the marina, so it has to be a deep channel.

                         More grassland than tropical rain forest in this part of the country now.  

                     Stopping for lunch - yes, you noticed it.  Most of the women traveled in a dress!  

                     Arrived at the outskirts of Guatemala City at 6:30 pm - traveling on roads like this throughout the city for about an hour.  We do suspect our driver was lost briefly, as we went through the same round-about twice!  =)

                     There it is!  I watched the driver looking through the trees for several miles before we arrived.  He was looking for Angel Moroni - great landmark!  =)

                Waiting for our room assignments.  This building was previously used for missionary dorms and is now available for groups who travel long distances and stay overnight.

 Waiting for dinner - these kids were gems!  No whining or crying - just full of smiles & hugs.

                   Pot luck - our dinner was left-over snacks from the day & 2 homemade tamales.  They wrap them in banana leaves & warm them up in a skillet.  Another lady made a whole sack of sandwiches she had brought & shared with everyone.  Plenty to go around for all.

                                                          Sharing the kitchen

                           Eduardo Gutierrez - best smile, great worker!  He and his brother, Sergio, always tease Martin & me whenever we are around them.  All our clothes were majorly wrinkled due to the humid weather, & I watched most of the youth do their own ironing, too.

                          Beautiful grounds around the temple.  It is always so calm & 
                                          peaceful walking around the temple. 

Eve attended the temple for the first time.  Received her Endowment - which you can read about in the "What Happens In Temples" link near the beginning.

 This temple functions mostly in Spanish but there were enough of us from our group who spoke English that they held 2 Endowment sessions - one in each language.  Afterwards we all went outside to take pictures, walk around the grounds and share the joy of the day. 

 Angel and Ingrid Laazaro with the Mendenhalls.  They both received their Endowment and their 4 teenage children were with them in the temple for their family to be sealed for eternity.  See link "What Happens in Temples" and "Inside the Temple."  I shared a room with Ingrid & her daughter, Consuelo while at the temple.  She speaks very little English & I, very little Spanish.  Consuelo translated for us.  It was sweet to share with her the joy of this trip - to have her family all there & united in their desires for being together forever.  
  

                       Something about looking up to see Angel Moroni atop the temple spire!

Walked down the street from the temple looking for a place to eat.  Don Carnitos won!  Great meat with guacamole & cilantro sauce, plus water - all for $10.81 (American - wow)!!!!!

              Main street adjacent the temple.  We walked anywhere we wanted to go for meals.    

                                         More flowers around the temple grounds

                                 Walkway at the rear of the temple to a chapel used by the local area residents for church.  The missionaries also hold classes, so they walk from their building past the temple several times a day. 

  

      Picture taken from a bridge built over the main street for people to more easily cross the street.  Cars & buses on the street go whizzing by so fast & honk at just about everything!  =) 

One homeowner's creative security gate w/ bougainvillea growing around the security wires!  Took a walk in a neighborhood a block beyond the main street.  Very nice neighborhood yet these areas all have thick walls with security wires or gates with locks.  People don't seem to freak about it - it's just a way of life for them.

                                      Plants & flowers grow EVERYWHERE here!  =)

Major attention to details, details, details

                                      Going across the main street over the bridge.

 Neighborhood behind the temple grounds.  Notice the hills!  They are everywhere!  Our walk was up/down/around - more hills.  Elevation of Guatemala City is 4897 feet above sea level.  The air was perfect for us - probably mid-70's and light humidity - so we LOVED it!  =)

Return trip was on Saturday 12/7/13 - another 12+ hours but again - I didn't hear anyone complain!  =)

New friends - Laazaro Family - Angel Jr, Herlyss, Osbel (Brian), Ingrid, Consuelo, Angel Sr.  Father is a banana farm laborer, so yes, they are dirt poor monetarily but they make up with their genuine love of one another & all those around them.  I was impressed with Ingrid's sweet prayer at her bedside the night we arrived in Guatemala City - knowing that her whole family had made this special trip to attend the temple to be sealed together for eternity.  In talking with Brian & Consuelo during the few days we were together, I learned they ride the bus for 2 hours on Sunday to get to church - that's a commitment!!!

I need to learn Spanish so I can speak with more of the people here.  Plus, I'd love to return to Guatemala and most people here only speak Spanish.  We did always find someone in the restaurants where we went who could understand enough of what we wanted so we were fine but it would be so much better to speak 'their' language.  I needed a haircut so I ventured into a beauty shop while in Guatemala City.  The universal language of cutting is the first 2 fingers making the "scissors" motion - but after that we were stuck! =)  How was the beautician to know what I wanted?  At that point, I figured - I'd either walk out with a trim, an extreme "new look" - one of the stylists had the hair over the eye/long on one side and short/boy-cut on the other side OR just a bad haircut I'd need to "grow out."  Fortunately, the stylist had just cut a lady's hair quite similar to my cut, so I pointed to her & nodded "yes."  All turned out well - I'm good to go another 5-6 weeks until I need my next haircut.  Not sure what I'm going to do at that point.  Martin?  NOT  =)

This experience seemed almost surreal.  The workers in the temple reminded me of the workers we know in the Denver Temple.  The sweet, quiet, tiny lady who whispered every word; the 'go-getter' who was ready to help everyone; the gentleman who was so friendly & helpful as we arrived at the front desk - the warmth of the gospel is the same around the world and in whatever language it is spoken.  I am very grateful to have had this opportunity!