September 21st, International Day of Peace - Start with yourself.

Today is the International Day of Peace.  What can we do to observe this day when we live in a world of absolute turmoil.  Start with your own corner of the world, your home and family.  In the words of a song, "Keep the Commandments"  Keep the Commandments in this there is Safety and Peace. 

Peace Begins with Me.

September 15th Independence Day for Guatemala and most of Central America

Guatemala gained independence from Spain with the wars that ravaged much of Latin America.  In 1821 Mexico proclaimed itself an independent empire, led by General Agustin de Itrubide.  On September 15, 1821, a council of notables in Guatemala City declared independence from Spain and fromed a government that assumed jurisdiction over the entire kingdom, keeping the acting captain general, Gabino de Gainza, as the chief executive. Yet individual municipalities throughout the region, from Chiapas to Costa Rica, also assumed the right to act on their own, and several declared independence not only from Spain but from Mexico and Guatemala as well.  The government  in Guatemala, dominated by the Honduran lawyer and scholar Jose Cecilio del Valle, quickly moved to  incorporate the kingdom into Iturbide´s Mexican Empire in January 1822. Resistance from the provinces soon erupted into civil war, but before the issue was decided, Iturbide´s government collapsed.  A Central American convention declared Central America independent on July 1, 1823, and formed the United Provinces of Central America, a federation that included Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

The following pictures were taken by Hermana Lynda Hill who attended the ceremonies on the morning of September 15, 2014

 Soldiers at attention and saluting

 Bringing out the very large flag for flag raising

 Military Bank at ease

 Soldiers saluting the flag and the palace

 Street vendor selling the flags

Unfurling the flag

 

 Attaching it to the flag pole

 The flag raising

 Up she goes.

Our visit to Chimaltenango September 11th 2014 Self Sufficiency project of members of the church to do a story for Sala De Prensa

This Insignia was designed by Hermana Lynda Hill with the help of her daughter.

We were invited by Bishop Ignacio Castillo of the Chimaltenango second ward who instigated a Self Sufficiency project for the members in his ward and stake and other communities close by.  Bishop Castillo is also a church paid employee as project manager over buildings and so forth.  His driving force was to get members to do more to take care of themselves as much as possible. Fast Offering funds are being more utilized by members who are not aware of how they can provide for themselves.  So a Garden Project was started.  The are called "Huerto".  He obtained permission from church headquarters to put the garden "Huerto de la Familia" in the grassed portion of the property of the church behind the parking lot and church meeting house.  With Fast Offering funds, small plants were purchased very inexpensively from a local nursery to start the garden.  Then members and youth work the garden by planting, cultivating and harvesting.  Members help with the installing of irrigation hoses and filling the water tank and keeping the pipes in good order.  Also a big hole was dug to put organic waste for a mulch project to fertilize the garden. 

Once a week the youth after school and seminary class come and plant and cultivate and harvest the Huerto.  The youth are really happy to do this and what it teaches them is self reliance in helping their families with food.  Many of the youth are waiting for their turn to serve missions and when they return they are encouraged to return to school to learn skills to get jobs.  But they must do something to help support the family.  Learning the skills of gardening helps keep fresh wholesome food on the table and provides for proper nutrition.  All of this is helping with provident living as instructed by the Lord through the prophets.  For years now it has been strongly advised by the LDS Church to plant a garden in the back yard or potted planters as a way to not only provide for themselves for food but in case of financial need or not being able to purchase food in case of a natural disaster.  The food grown is used for themselves and then can also be sold for income.  A certain portion of the income earned can be used to repurchase more seedlings for replanting.


Bishop Castillo purchasing the seedlings for the Huerto Project


Seedlings in the back of the truck

Youth and their seminary teacher coming to the Huerto Project after school and Seminary.

Nursery where seedling plants are cultivated

Beautiful rows of  vegetables.

Me in the greenhouse

We bought some vegetables

A member is setting rows of irrigation tubing


Garden (Huerto) project worked by the members of the ward. Cabbage, cauliflower, onions, radishes, lettuce. are shown here.

Harvesting the cauliflower



Also, members and others alike are encouraged to be apart of a chicken project where chickens are raised or kept in cages for egg production.  The extra eggs not used by the family can be sold for income needed by the family.  The chickens after a certain age can be slaughtered for food or sold for food. The following pictures are those taken at the Huerto project and in the home of a member raising chickens and planting a garden.


Chickens in their cages looking very healthy.  They lay eggs for the owner and there are some for sale.

The members garden in his yard

The members home

He is really proud of his radishes

Member and his wife with two of their five crates of chickens

We are amused by the look on the chickens faces...."And what do you think you are looking at?"

Hola

Stake Conference in the Guatemala City Stake September 7th, 2014

Sunday September 7th the Stake Conference for Guatemala City Stake was held.  We sat close to the front and enjoyed the talks and Stake Choir sing in Spanish.  The choir consisted of both Guatemalan members and North American Senior Missionaries.  It was beautiful.  The talks are spoken in Spanish and for me (Kathy) it is a little difficult to follow along so gratefully the Stake has very talented members that translate for those in the congregation that are not fluent in Spanish.  I had a headset to listen to it so I didn´t miss any of the important messages.  The pictures that follow are of the floral display, choir, interpreters and of a little girl age 8 or 9 that sat next to me. This beautiful little girl, age 8 or 9 sat next to me at Conference yesterday. She was with her grandparents and I was able to exchange a few sentences in Spanish with her. I was telling her that her hair looked beautiful. Her Grandmother told me that previous to last nights hair cut, her hair reached down to her waist. So Elder B asked if he could take her picture with her new haircut with his iPad which she readily agreed. She is a beauty and very very sweet. She watched me put a stick of gum in my mouth, unbeknownst to me and then stared at me. I figured out she wanted a piece also so I offered it to her. Of course she smiled and nodded yes....unspoken language in love.

 She just had her waist length hair cut the night before. Notice in the background how they greet each other.

 Floral arrangement and choir

 Talented interpreters  

Best floral arrangement ever

What it is like here.

I have been meaning to write this here in the blog....but found other things to share....today is the day.

Like everywhere else that is not your own country, it is different.  Is that bad? No of course not.  All people here on this earth are children of our Heavenly Father.  Sometimes thinking that or looking at other people might be frightening, it is none the same…..we are sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father.

We as His children speak other languages, have food that is our own, dress in different clothing and colors, cultural differences, but we all have something in common.  First of all we want our freedom to choose and second we have a desire to believe in God…..a true God and to know that there is life after death.

This is the second time in our lives that we have lived in a developing country.  First the Philippines and now.  There are many similarities and some differences.  In my last blog while in the Philippines I wrote about what it is like there and now I will write about what it is like here.

Here in Guatemala City it is quite modern.  Skyscrapers with businesses and with apartment dwellings. Automobiles that are for the most part rather new and maintained.  They are always washing their cars or having someone do it for them. There are a ton of motorcycles…motorcycles.  There is internet and televisions, big malls, many supermarkets and our favorite a fresh produce market.  Many wonderful modern restaurants and many familiar fast food restaurants.  Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy´s, Subway (my favorite), and much more.  And the traffic is crazy but not as crazy as Manila. I don´t drive here….at least not yet.

The weather here in Guatemala City is wonderful.  They call it the Land of Eternal Spring and it is.  Temperatures range from mid-60´s to 70 something.  There is a rainy season which we are in the middle of.  When it rains it really pours.  And we love the lightning and thunder and watch the torrential rain that falls outside our picture windows in our apartment.  When we see this spectacular array of nature’s natural wonders we think, “What was it like three thousand years ago in the Book of Mormon Times?”  We imagine the ancient inhabitants hunting for food, building their dwellings, carving their “Stelas” which are the way they journalize and memorialize a famous person and his or life. Their arts and temples and traditions are so fascinating   Fills our hearts with the spirit knowing that the Book of Mormon is a history of them and their successes and failures with government and their freedoms to choose and to also follow Christ.

The colors of the artisans are not to be compared with anything else.  Central America has beautiful colors of everything they make.  Clothing, purses, tablecloths, toys and just everything.  It’s beautiful to look at but one must be careful not to buy a lot because it won´t go in your house in your own country.  Some things do….We bought a wood carving for the wall that I now we will enjoy.

In the outlying towns you see some poverty.  The homes are constructed with cement and wood and corrugated tin roofs.  Electricity strung all over the place.  Buses to bus people to work.  Motorcycles for others and many tumulos (speed bumps) to slowly go over or you will ruin your car.

We see school children going to school in uniforms and on regular yellow school buses.  The information on children being transported to the US unaccompanied we do not see.  There are 13 and a half million people that live in Guatemala alone.  50% of that are doing the best they can to improve their circumstances and those that are coming into the US or from what we understand have families already in the US or children that the government doesn´t know what to do with.  But it is a small minority compared the thriving population here.  The other 50% are top notch people and contribute so much to the growth of this country. Maybe its more like 75%.  Its what I see anyway.

When we go to church we see nicely dressed people that love being there and partaking of the Sacrament and hearing the talks and lessons given to them and their families.  We see the most beautiful temple where the church members come for temple worship.  It is all positive.  The local government recognizes the church in a positive way but as Public Affairs missionaries we keep that impression in the forefront. 

We concentrate on letting others know that the Church is there to help others in their needs….not to enable but to help them help themselves.

We work in an office where the employees are educated and know how to use computers to communicate and do their work.  Those in the outlying areas always seem to have a cell phone. Go figure.  

The country is beautiful and we are enjoying our stay and visiting many historical sites and ruins.

I have learned some Spanish and can understand a lot that is being said, but here in the office everyone speaks English to me.  I get along just fine especially when it comes to ordering my meal in a restaurant.

Oh, found another hairstylist that finally cuts my hair correctly... I am happy today.

Guatemala is Awesome!!!

August 30 to Sept 1 traveled to Honduras for Public Affairs Training

We have traveled by plane to Honduras this past weekend to participate in training of Public Affairs committees.  This has not been done before so Elder Burningham put together a power point presentation to help those in the committees to understand the plan to help Public Opinion leaders understand the church and their good doings with projects and good will amongst the people and the church.  The training's were well received and understood.  Those that attended truly understand their role as Public Affairs specialists.  They also understand now more about Sala de Prensa Mormona and will be submitting more articles all the time.  I am pleased to know Obed Carias and his dedication as a National Director for Honduras to bring it all together.  I was very pleased with Luis Vallarino from Panama last week for his hard work and dedication also.

The following are pictures taken while we were in Honduras.

 Beautiful artwork in the Hotel Copantl

 All of the flower arrangements not only artistic but they are real. Notice the round flower...thats real

 I am amazed at the size of trees I see...most several hundred years old

 Inside the lobby

Lunch Buffet

 More lunch buffet

 Love the fresh vegetables

 Old tree but so beautiful

 The prop jet we took from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula

 Another flower arrangement....gorgeous

 Fun crafts from Honduras

 Honduran Temple in Tegucigalpa Honduras

 Elder B talked our director Julio Alvarado and National Director of Public Affairs into getting a shoe shine.  I think he was remembering his youth days in Peru getting a shoe shine.

Us