The Good Old Summer Time

With the arrival of November we mark the change of seasons in Guatemala from winter to summer. No Guatemala is not in the southern hemisphere, but they recognize only two seasons: winter – when it rains and summer – when it is dry. The rainy season has come to an end and the schools begin their annual vacation period. School will resume in January. “Winter” doesn't come back until May. So Christmas, New Years and Easter are all “summer” holidays here. They do not have a Thanksgiving Day.

November 1 is All Saints Day and this is the day, similar to Memorial Day in the US, when Guatemalans visit the cemeteries. They spruce up their family crypts and gather together there as families to socialize and reminisce. Another event on All Saints Day is the flying of kites, symbolizing the souls of the dead rising to Heaven.

Family crypts in the cemetery at Sumpango

Some have to settle for less elaborate resting places

The town of Sumpango, about an hour west of Guatemala City, is the kite flying capitol. They construct some of the largest and most elaborate kites. The larger ones would probably require a hurricane to fly, but they build them anyway. They do manage to get some to fly, up to maybe six feet in diameter, depending of course on the strength of the wind that day. It came to me that the large kites being unable to fly shows how hard it is for the great and the proud to make it to Heaven!

Yes - those are all kites, although the big ones will never get off the ground!

Where we live on the coastal plain summer is also “safra” which means the season of sugar cane. Most of this part of the coast is covered with cane fields once you get out of town. And many of the residents get very busy working the sugar industry, whether it is working the fields, trucking the cane to the refineries, or working the refineries. Now that the fields are drying out, the big trucks can get in and harvest the cane. Before cutting the cane, they set fire to the field to burn off the leaves, leaving only the stalks to deal with. This results in black ashes all over the ground and anything that is outside, such as our car, washer and dryer. Those who live on the edge of town and right up against the cane fields must get it much worse than we do.

This stuff can grow 12 feet high

The cutting is still done mostly with machete in hand. In order to use harvesting machines, the ground needs to be very flat and free of large rocks, which is not the case in most of the fields. Semi tractors pulling two or three huge trailers haul the cane to the refineries. This operation goes on 24/7 during the six dry months then shuts down suddenly on May 1 when most of the cane workers have to look for other work. The cut cane is left in the ground and will regrow for five years. After that it has to be dug up and new starts planted.

Young Women's Camp

We had a big surprise last Monday night Nov 5^th as we were taking an evening walk. Sister Flores was outside talking with her friend when we stopped to offer her a blanket for Young Woman’s Girls Camp. She was surprised we didn't want it ourselves. “Why would we want it?” we asked “Because won't you need it while you two are at camp with them?” WHAT?!? Apparently they expected that we were going and would give an hour presentation! Talk about a wake up call, hahaha. The counselor in the District Presidency was to have called us and he must have forgotten because when we saw him at camp he never said anything.

After searching all the Walmart's up to the Capital we finally found two sleeping bags and air mattresses at Cemaco. On the 7^th during a meeting we were told we needed a tent! Wow, the surprises just keep coming. We don't have a Cemaco here in Escuintla so we checked the two Mega Pacas (these are the local Good Wills), and they had one huge tent for $100! So we left it up to the District to find us one, which the did :)

So on Thursday Nov 8^th we woke up at 4:30 am, got ready, met at the District Center and watched them pack the two buses with all their camping gear, food, leaders and girls. We headed out for camp around 5:30 am. We arrived in the mountain area of Chimaltenango where the Church has developed a camp ground for the youth to use. Needless to say it was beautiful! I called it “parking” not camping because all the area was covered in grass! This would be the first time we actually sat on the grass since we got to Guatemala!

Loading the buses at dawn

The area was so clean and well kept, they have cedar and pine trees with orchids and Spanish moss hanging off them, covered eating area with new tables, huge bathrooms with showers, groomed trails that take you through and around the grounds. This is truly a blessing for the youth because it is the only place they can have a camping experience that is safe from robbers. It is all fenced in and has armed guards walking the perimeter.

The girls are so sweet and thankful for all of these things, they treated us with so much love and kindness. I had several girls come up to me and one spoke English and thanked us for coming. She said we were their angels and they were so happy to have us share this time with them; that truly melted my heart. The leaders were just a wonderful to us. We were told we would be fed by different branches each meal, but one sister made sure we had food served directly to us every time. I told her she was our camp mama.

Speaking of food; I was truly shocked at the amount of time spent in the preparation of their food, they would get up around 4:00 am each morning and start breakfast. The branches fed their own girls but they all had to use the same cooking area and they cooked over open fires (which they do at home). For breakfast the first morning we had scrambled eggs with sausages mixed in, re-fried black beans, rolls and bundt cake. As soon as they were done cleaning up breakfast they started on lunch! We had six sisters always cooking and they took turns having girls clean up. Incredible! Everything was made from scratch or freshly cut up, so much work for these sweet sisters.

They had five sisters from the District that were in charge of all the activities, they had them on the open area playing games, singing songs, having testimonies, they went on a hike, studied scriptures, had a talent show with each branch doing a song, instruments, play acting scripture themed stories. They also did a service project by moving a huge pile of firewood, bundle by bundle in their arms, up a steep hill to a storage location. Ralph and I did our presentation by the camp fire, it was about the traits they needed to truly be daughters of God. As they answered questions I tossed them cookies. They seemed to have fun. The highlight of the campfire was having fireworks, something we are not allowed to have in our Utah mountains! They all got sparklers to play with. They shot off several fireworks at the same time followed with the brethren shooting off fireworks. It was such fun and the girls really enjoyed it. Overall, it was a great time and we felt the love of these great people and we were truly blessed to have experienced this time with them.

The Hand of the Lord

I think that the other senior couples who serve here would agree with me that there is only one reason why we are here: because we know we are on the Lord’s errand. We are frequently reminded of this by what we experience. If not for this we would rather be back home enjoying our free time and the company of loved ones. Here are a couple of recent examples:

1. In the previous post I talked about the dentists’ visit to Santa Lucia. Let me explain how this came about. The leaders in Santa Lucia had meant to take a group of future missionaries in to Guatemala City to get passports, chest xrays (A TB test is one of the requirements to serve a mission), and to get their dental exams at the dental clinic. As it turned out, their first two tasks consumed almost the whole day and they had to miss the dental clinic. The dentists were disappointed at their appointment not being met and the leaders were unsure how they could gather the resources to make another trip in for the dental work. They asked if the dentists could make a visit to Santa Lucia, but were told that the dental schedule was filled up for many weeks into the future. So they did what Mormons do when their backs are to the wall, they fasted and prayed for a solution. Neither I nor the dentists knew how desperate they were, but the Lord knew. There was a street fair to be held on the street where the dental clinic is located. It ended up effectively blocking access to the clinic for several days. So the dentists decided that, rather than just shut down for the duration, they could go to Santa Lucia with their portable clinic. They found out later that that decision was the answer to prayers.

2. To get into our assignment here in Escuintla, we are meeting many of the new members. We know that it is easy for people to get discouraged as new members when they find that joining the Church does not remove all problems and challenges from their lives. Yesterday we went to the home of a man and his wife who joined the Church about a year ago and have been actively participating since. We were surprised to see that the branch president (the leader of the  congregation) had just arrived there too. Fortuntely the husband had just gotten home from work. As we talked to them we were surprised to have them say that they did not understand anything in the Bible or the Book of Mormon, didn’t feel any thing in their heart for the Church and had decided not to attend any more. They felt that they had agreed to join just because of the pressure applied by the young missionaries. The branch president talked to them for some time, telling them, among many other things, that he had been present when they agreed to be baptized and did not remember any coercion taking place, that they enthusiastically wanted to do so and that they had been freely participating for some time. He further told them that he had since had many experiences with them in which their joy and enthusiasm were evident. As he talked with them it bacame apparent that the root cause of their feelings was that they had seemed to expect that joining the Church would remove all problems and difficulties from their lives and when they still had them, they were losing faith. Both the branch president and we have enough experience to know that the Lord does not remove problems from our lives because that would defeat its purpose. The Lord promises to help us deal with problems, not to remove them from us. As I listened to the discussion I felt inspired to recommend that the couple read and study one particular chapter in the Book of Mormon and that we would return in a couple of days to see what they had learned from it and to answer any questions they might have. They agreed to do this. I also told them of something they didn’t realize: that the branch president and we did not discuss before hand visiting this couple, that neither of us knew that the other was coming. Yet we both showed up a their home at the same time, just as he was coming home from work and at a time when they were struggling spiritually. This was too much to be just be a coincidence, but was evidence that the Lord knew of their struggles and led both of us to show up at their home at just the right time to be able to meet with and help them. Jo still struggles to understand Spanish but somehow she knew what was being said and felt inspired to add her counsel as I translated for her. It was clear from what she said that she understood exactly what the issues were and offered her own inspired advice that fit perfectly with the situation.

It is experiences such as this, feeling close to the Lord and being part of his work, along with seeing the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the lives of others, that is the payment we receive for our work here. And it is far greater payment than money or any other earthly thing. This is why we are here.

Angels with Forceps

Among the senior missionary couples in Guatemala are three dentists and their wives, who have learned to be dental assistants to their husbands. (We are still waiting for a dentist to come along who will use her husband as her assistant!) They are such a blessing in a country with great needs for dental care. They are based out of a clinic in Guatemala City that was built with donations from a Church member but the clinic is public and is not owned by the Church. Our post back on March 17 in this blog shows some pictures of the clinic. The dentists' work includes helping young people prepare to serve missions by taking care of any dental problems they have, but most of their time is spent providing services to several orphanages in the country, so they spend a lot of time providing free services to non LDS members.

Guatemala has a socialized medicine system that provides medical services to the people at low cost but dental work is not included. It becomes a huge expense for the many Guatemalans who eke out their livings with long days of hard work.

Since it is often difficult for people from remote areas to come to Guatemala City, the dentists will pack up their portable equipment in a pair of minivans and head out to spend a few days "roughing it" in these remote areas. They set up in one of the rooms in a local Church building.

This past week they spent three days in the town of Santa Lucia, about a half hour from where we are now living, and took care of about 25 future missionaries, age 17 and up, as well as some of the members who had needs. From there they will head to Solola to do much the same thing, before heading back to home base next week.

Doc Wilcox and Deedee

Doc Johnson and Annalee

Doc Call and Leeann, assisted by a future dentist

Another satisfied customer - as you can tell from the big smile

Those long church tables get used for many things

Future clients anticipate the experience awaiting them as they  observe their friend

We paid them a visit one afternoon and marveled at how they can do such grueling work, often in an uncomfortable environment (you can see the hard plastic chairs they spend their day in), hour after hour. At this point in their careers, they could be spending their time sipping lemonade by the pool or hitting the golf course but here they are. Actually, they do get to spend an occasional day of golf, when they have time for some much-deserved R&R.

Baragwanath Blessings

Beautiful tree garden on the chapel grounds

On August 4 we got to help out at a one-day medical clinic in the town of San Andres Semetabaj. The clinic is sponsored by Baragwanath Blessings Inc., a humanitarian organization created by 19 year old Colette Ankenman of Danville, CA. You can see more of what Baragwanath is accomplishing at http://www.barablessings.com/. Colette’s mother is a pediatrician and her family spends many “vactation” days each year visiting areas where there are great health needs, such as the Mayan areas of Guatemala. Dad, a former missionary in Uruguay, comes along to serve as Spanish translator.

The Ankenmans

The San Andres Semetebaj Chapel. The canopy is a waiting area.

Jo served as greeter, clerk, and entertainer of small children

Every doctor needs a waiting room. Elder Tanner was part of the entertainment.

Anxiously waiting to see the doc

"Wow - that wasn't as bad as I expected!"

 This day they visited this small town, located on the hillside above Lake Atitlan, and set up a makeshift clinic in the small branch meetinghouse, and we, and another mission couple, got to help! From 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM the doctor saw 74 women and children,  giving them checkups, diagnosing health problems and providing counseling on diet and healthy behavior. Using donations to Baragwanath Blessings, they also provided vitamins, infant formula, oatmeal, and iodine for water treatment.

Other patients - the children also got beanies!

An Anniversary to Remember

Our house in Escuintla

It tuned out that our 38th anniversary occurred while we were moving from Guatemala City to our new area, Escuintla. On July 31 we went to the new house to clean it and then to receive many of the furnishings that the Church is providing for us. (We pay $100 per month as rental for the furnishings.) A pickup load came in the morning and we expected more coming in the afternoon. No one had come by 4:00 PM so we decided something had come up and they would not be coming till tomorrow. We took off to return to Guatemala City for our last night there. After we had gone down the road for about 20 minutes, we got a call and more furniture was there waiting to get in. So we made the next u-turn and headed back to let them in. That day we received a stove, fridge, washer, dryer, desk, armoires, beds, and chests of drawers. We had asked for two twin beds as we were not sure that the room was big enough for a kingsize. As it turned out, we could fit both twins together to make a king. But it was sure easier to get the twin beds up the steep, narrow stairs. That night we spent our last night in the Capital after packing our clothing and food in readiness for the next day.

Next day we borrowed the mission pickup to move our clothing and personal items. The couch and matching chairs arrived later in the morning. We worked to get everything in place and assemble some of the kit furniture. The cable company came and did the installation. As the house is new, they had to run cable from the pole to the roof and down through the walls. We got the house into a semi-livable state and spent our first night there. It didn’t help when Jo discovered a large cockroach on the bedroom ceiling as we were getting ready for the night. With the use of a jar and some insecticide, we got him cornered and out of action. It was amazing how much energy he still had while covered with insecticide spray. Fortunately, we have only found one other, small cockroach in the house during the first 10 days. Jo squished that one.

Living Room

The following day was our anniversary and we continued getting things put together and arranged. We had the help of one of the local branch presidents who is a Church employee in building maintenance. He helped us get the washer and dryer set up and a multitude of other challenges. That evening we spent some time shopping for a few small  items we needed and, at the end of a long day, were able to have an anniversary dinner at a really good Mexican restaurant. We reflected on how, 38 years earlier, we were doing much the same thing, after returning from our honeymoon trip, when we set up our first apartment. That time we had mostly gifts and loaners for furnishings. This month we are furnished with rented furniture that we won’t see again once we return home. Our furnishings, like the house and car, are all new since we are not replacing anyone in this assignment. That night we finally had someplace to get most of our clothing hung up or put away.

Dinette, Front Door and Kitchen with Fridge that wont fit in the Kitchen!

We brought the dining set back with us from Sololá the following Sunday. The couple there did not have room in their apartment for it.

Kitchen - believe it or not, we can work together in here.

Because the kitchen is so small, the fridge had to go in the dining area which meant there was not enough room to have the dining table out on the open floor so it is against a wall with just two chairs.

By the 10th we had our shower water heater installed and were able to take the first hot showers. We are now finally feeling like we are in our home for the next 13 months.

Learning to Drive in Guatemala

Lest you think we are picking on Guatemala, I suspect that driving is much the same in most of Latin America and other developing areas. So what I describe here may apply in many parts of the world.

When a North American first sees traffic on the roads of Guatemala it probably looks like chaos. But we have found that there actually are rules – just different ones from what we are used to. And once you get used to them, it is not so bad and there may actually be some advantages.

There are two main factors that contribute to this automotive experience: (1) The way the roads are designed (or maybe not designed) and (2) the fact that there is virtually no law enforcement.

First the road system. If you have been to Salt Lake City and seen the wide, square roads laid out true to the compass, you will not see that here! Some of the roads are laid out close to compass directions but it appears to be pure chance when they are. Still, in most of the cities and towns, the roads do follow a grid pattern, just not a very careful one. Driving the side streets is not too challenging except for the prevalence of one-way roads without much apparent rhyme or reason as to why they go the way they do. Another challenge is that there are often no street signs identifying what street you are on or are approaching, and which cross streets are one-way. We often simply try to make a turn until we see that everyone is coming towards us!

The real challenge is on main thoroughfares. This country has an aversion to left turns. Not to say there aren’t any but they are so rare as to be a novelty when you do see one. You never realize what a great invention the left turn is until you don’t have them. Most of the main highways and boulevards are divided. Now imagine what happens if there is a divider in the center of the roadway and no left turns. That’s right – you can’t turn around! This is fine if you are just passing through, but if you are going shopping, for instance, even if the store is on the right side so it is easy to get to, you can’t get back home!

Now the problem is solved somewhat by providing an occasional turnaround. But they can be very scarce. We have found some roads where you literally have to go for miles before there is an opportunity to turn around. So we just don’t go shopping at those places because it is not worth the trip. I wish I could calculate the extra gas used and time wasted simply because you can’t turn around quickly.

Another challenge for the new arrival, which we all are at some point, is the lack of helpful signage. There are some signs, indicating, for example, “the airport is this way” but once you turn down that way, don’t expect any more help such as “arrivals over here”.  Probably the most important intersection in the country, where the Pan American Highway crosses the road from Guatemala City to the coastal plain has absolutely no signs indicating where it goes or how you get there.

The Pan-American Highway, as it goes through Guatemala City, has an interesting challenge of unmarked exit only lanes. You can be driving along on what appears to be a normal through lane and suddenly you are on the other side of a divider taking you who knows where. They are hard to see coming because of the heavy traffic you are in. You have to learn these by trial and error.

So to get to someplace you have never been, studying a map ahead of time helps some, but you are almost surely going to miss some turns and get there by trial and error, simply because there are few clear markings of crossroads and no directional help getting around.

Now for the rules of the road: I’m sure somewhere there are lots of traffic laws carefully deliberated and written out by legislators, probably much like we find in the US. The Guatemalan police are simply not set up to enforce them so the drivers make up their own rules of the road. As long as you don’t hit anyone you have lots of leeway. For example, there is no speed enforcement, so you can drive as fast as you want! I like that when on the open highway. Here are some of the rules as we have learned from observation:
• The bigger you are, the more right of way you have. At the top of the food chain are the trucks and buses; pedestrians are at the bottom. Here pedestrians have to learn to be very observant, light on their feet, and weave through traffic if there is no stop light.
• Stop signs are treated like yield signs at home. If no one is coming, keep going or you may get rear-ended!
• Turn signals are used by maybe 25% of drivers. The usual way you find out that the bus next to you wants your lane is when he starts driving into it.
• Vehicle lights are optional. We have been out at night and have seen trucks, buses and motorcycles driving with no tail or brake lights. Especially fun after dark and in pouring rain. Of course there are no safety or emission inspections.
• Speaking of emissions, all of the emissions saved in the US by spending billions of dollars on special equipment are probably totally offset by just the output of this country alone. Just think of all the old cars, trucks and buses that may have never seen a tuneup and are now in need of  a ring and valve job. We always keep our A/C on recirculate so that the smoke doesn’t come into the car. Now multiply that by the rest of Latin America, Africa and Asia! You see why what North America and Europe do to curb emissions is not going to have any global effect as long as the rest of the world has no similar controls.
• Motorcycles and scooters are all over the roads, swarming like flies, and apparently have only one rule – you can drive wherever you think the motorcycle will fit.

The net effect of all this is to create a driving environment that requires constant alertness (although we occasionally see people texting in traffic, usually going about 20 MPH slower than everyone else). In the US, we put up so many safeguards that it is easy to drive along, not paying a lot of attention to what others are doing. Not so here. As we first got into this driving environment we expected to see accidents every few blocks, but, interestingly, it seems that we see fewer accidents here than we did at home. I think the requirement for drivers to be alert may actually contribute to safer driving!

If you are the kind of driver that blows a gasket when you get cut off, don’t bother driving here. This is a libertarian driving environment where it’s every man for himself. If you let 20 feet open up between you and the car in front, someone next to you will probably want to fill that space. There is no point getting angry at other drivers or you will be angry all the time. Just realize that you have to be assertive like they are and go out and fight for that patch of road in front of you. After a while you learn the game and find that it’s not so bad. I just dread the day when I have to try to adjust to US driving rules again!