Arranging for another shipment of school supplies to a local school in Guatemala City and a tour of the first chapel built in Guatemala

Today we accompanied Julio Alvarado to a storage area that is in the first chapel built in Guatemala City.  In the storage room were boxes of school kits to be delivered today to a local school. We did not go to the school today but just had them delivered.  We also toured the Chapel and facilities that is the first built here in Guatemala over 60 years ago.  They keep the building spotless and in good repair.

Each box contains 40 school kits

School kits

 Closer look at the school kits which include pencils, notepads, crayons and sharpeners

 Elder B helping to load boxes into the truck

 Julio took us through the meeting house to view the well kept facility

 Cultural hall which included the stage for plays that are performed by church members

 Relief Society Emblem in Relief Society Room

Relief Society Room

Kitchen in the building where meals are prepared in the building for various functions.

Sunday March 2, 2014 Stake Conference at the Guatemala City Stake.

This is where we sat at Stake Conference. It gives you an idea on how modern the inside is.

Front of the Stake Center just after conference. This was very well attended.

The members congregate outside the Stake Center. Very friendly people.

Family riding home on the family motorcycle with all smiles

Another view of the stake center and its grounds.

Even though I am still getting over a cold I was able to attend a Stake Conference Meeting. Fortunately for me they had English translation with a headset.  I am not fluent in Spanish so I was happy to have this device to help me understand and feel of the spirit of the meeting.



The LDS Church partners with a local Radio Station to help an elementary school in Antigua with school supplies

 Children at the elementary school receiving their school supplies

 Delighted young man opening his packets

Julio Alvarado of Public Affairs helping the local radio station hand out school supplies.

It was a pleasure to accompany Brother Alvarado with this combined effort to reach out to an elementary school in Antigua, a city about an hour a way from Guatemala City to hand out School Supply kits to these children at their school.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe and participate helping out where ever needed and to combine our efforts with other organizations that believe the same way. 

The children were very excited to get these supplies.  You would have thought it was Christmas morning as they opened their packets with pencils, paper, rulers, books and other forms of supplies.  It was a great experience to see the joy on their faces.  This was February 21st 2014


The following pictures were added a little later for  further enjoyment.

We are here, February 21, 2014

We have been here five days in Guatemala City and we are acclimating well.  Our two bedroom, two bath apartment is quite modern and fully equipped. Hot water in sinks and shower and for the washing machine as well.

Today we visited an elementary school with children ages 4 to 10.  There were 50 in attendance.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints partnered with a radio station to supply the students with school kits for which they were all grateful.  They opened with delight the packets and exclaimed excitement over books and pencils, rulers and all other important school materials.  We took lots of pictures and I will post them as soon as I acquire my cell phone service.

The children are beautiful and sweet and smiled for our cameras.

Adventure is continuing

We have packed up all of our personal belongings and rented our home to a very nice man named Bryan Peacock.  We know he will take good care of our home and our furnishings. 

Our bags are packed and we will leave tomorrow morning on the St. George Shuttle to Las Vegas where son Brian and family will meet us and take us to their home for an overnight stay before we get on the plane at 6:35 in the morning and fly to Dallas Fort Worth for a five hour stay before getting on the plane in the afternoon for a four hour flight to Guatemala City, Guatemala.  We will be met by Julio Alvarado then off to a hotel for one night.  Then we will move into our apartment, which from the pictures we see looks very nice.

Looking forward to posting pictures once we get there.

Our Adventure Begins

It is January 2nd and the mission call came in late November.  We had interviewed with Elder Larsen in Salt Lake City and found that our experiences and desires to serve matched the Public Affairs division of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We are excited to serve as we had served a mission in the Philippines from January 2010 to July 2011 as Security Missionaries.  So this mission which will start February 16, 2014 will be our second mission. And our call is to Guatemala City, Guatemala.  Our responsibilities are to further the good relations throughout Central America between the church and the governments of the Central American countries.  We are to help others in other countries and that the Mormon Church is a Christian church and only want to help and be friendly to all other denominations present in the Central American countries.
Will post more later.