Mission Experiences in Guatemala: 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.