Utatlan Devotional, Iximche, Las Colinas

 

Dear Family and Friends:
    Well, with the holidays and our trips, the blog entries will not be weekly till we return to the temple and our normal schedule in January. So don't get worried that something is wrong.  We are just playing during our Temple closure.
     On Tuesday Dec. 16th, we had an amazing evening in the Temple.  Usually on a Tuesday evening we have 4 or 5 sessions.  But this evening, we had 7 sessions, 4 completely filled and the other 3 with the overflow.  What a wonderful way to start the Christmas holiday.  You never know if people will stop coming because of the holidays and the holiday traffic but we have had a wonderful two weeks as the temple has been filled.  What a great place to spend the Christmas season.  We were open on the 23rd and the people came.  It was great.  We are closed today the 24th and the 25th and will be back in the temple on the 26th and 27th. 
     On Sunday the 21st, the Temple Presidency was invited to a 5 year anniversary celebration in the Utatlan Stake.

                                                         President and Hermana Burk
This stake has been coming to the Temple every Tuesday evening for 5 years, never missing a week.  They are supposed to get there for the 7:00 session, our last in the evenings, but they are always late so it is a late evening for us but they bring such a wonderful spirit.  We are so thankful for their dedication.  The Temple Presidency had to speak and I was asked on Tuesday if I would sing "Abide with Me".  When we arrived, I was asked to sing another hymn and Lon volunteered to sing with me.   Thankfully it was one that we had sung before, "I Need Thee Every Hour".   It was a two hour devotional and then we were surprised with a full meal.

 We were served tamales and rolls.  We had ponche to drink, their version of hot apple cider made with a dozen fruits, and cake.

 They pulled out a table for the Stake Presidency and us but everyone else ate with their plates on their laps.  The first man here is Hermano Falabella, the high counselor over this 5 year project.

Elder Gardner was here in Guatemala City 50 years ago as a young missionary.  He and his companion were the Elders that brought the Gospel to the Falabella family.  He and his wife were invited to this celebration also and Elder Gardner also had to talk.  Hermana Gardner played the piano for us to sing.



                               

Los Thompson, Los Roberts, Los Burk, Stake President Flores, Hermano Falabella, 2nd Counselor in the Stake Presidency, Hermano Martinez.    As we ate, President Flores told us some of the stories of the individual people who sacrifice so much to get to the temple each week.  We had a wonderful evening.

     On Monday the 22nd, the missionaries headed out on a paseo to visit two places that we had not seen. 

Roberts, Burbidges, Thompsons, Hna. Caballeros, Hna. Guzman, Gardners, Eberharts, Wilsons, Barneys, Brubakers, Allreds and the Burks.  We took the Presidents van, the CCM van and the Burbidges van in order to get us all in.   It took about two hours to get to the Ruines Iximche.

     Iximche was founded in 1478 by the Kaqchikeles, a Mayan tribe.  It was called the first capital of Guatemala.  By 1530 it was abandoned as the Spaniards conquered Guatemala.  The park is still used today by the Kaqchikeles for religious celebrations. 

 We crawled up and down the rock foundations that are all that is left of the huge city.

This park is still used today by the Kaqchikeles for their religious rites.  It is called Xukulb'al.

They burn a lot of candles and chickens and smoke a lot of cigars in the ceremonies.

The entire rock formation is used on all sides.  We were fascinated with the clean, modern bathrooms that are provided here at the ceremonial site.

                                                                      Senorita's

                                                                     Senor's

It was fun to be out of the city and away from the traffic and enjoy the fresh air.  It was a beautiful day.  We left here and headed to Las Colinas.

 

This is the 300 acre church camp that is used for scouts, young women, Soy (EFY) and family reunions.  The Soy camps had just ended.  They bring in youth from 16-18 for a week at a time.  They had 700 one week, 900 the next, and had just ended their Soy campouts with over 700 youth.  The church provides tents, cots, sleeping bags, and blankets.

 They are taking down the tents as the season is over.  These are the boys tents, in one area

 These are the rows of the girls tents.  Each tent has a cover over them to protect them from the rains.

 

The church has really spared nothing here.  They have beautiful restrooms and showers.

  The camp has soccer fields, basket ball courts, and an outdoor ampa theatre.

There are 4 or 5 of these big pavilions provided for eating.  We had a family cater a dinner for us.

We had home made tortillas, chicken, rice, veg salad and orchata to drink.  The youth that come to camp have to earn 200 Quetzales ($27.00), the Stake adds in another 200 and the wards have to add another 200Q.  So it costs each youth about $80.00 to attend a week of camp.  On the last night of camp, they have a formal dance for the youth.  This camp is really beautiful.  We walked around and enjoyed another beautiful area away from the hustle and bustle, the sounds and smells of the city.

     As we drove through the little cities, we enjoyed the local people.

 We had a wonderful paseo and got to visit some of our Heavenly Father's beautiful creations here in Guatemala. 
     Let me introduce you to Hermano Hugo Anaya in full military dress with Elder Gardner.

This is the day of his daughter's sealing.  Hno. Anaya is one of our coordinators in the Temple.  He is a real military man who lost his hand in the war.  He has no regard for a woman or her opinion.  He and I don't see eye to eye very often and he hates to have to do what I suggest.  But that is just how he is and we still love and appreciate him, just not how he acts some days.  In fact, this day, his wife was stuck in traffic and was late for the wedding.  He wanted us to go ahead without her.  We made sure that everything went real slow so that she made it to her daughter's sealing.  This is a tradition that the church is trying to teach the people to change.  A husband is not the ruler in the family, he and his wife are partners and they should treat each other with respect and love.  It will come in the next generations, not in the older generation. 

     Well, I think I have bored you long enough with this blog.  We had a fun week.  We send you our love and hope that you enjoy your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We are so thankful for our Savior, His birth, His life, His teachings, and His love for us.  Love Lon and Nancy, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma