Nov. 6-12, 2017 - Outdoor Map, Crazy Address, Molar Pulled, Conversion Story, Guatemalan Conference

Larry’s strange Monday day off

While Babette and the other temple missionaries visited the tourist city Antigua, for the second time, on our Monday day off, I, Larry, had to see a dentist about pain in a molar. The dental missionaries’ clinic is located near a huge city park containing a gigantic outdoor “Relief Map of Guatemala.” I took a taxi to it at 10:30 am (the first taxi ride I’ve taken alone here). My dental appointment was at 1 pm. I had lots of time to see this marvel. 

 

Lots of walking around

At 11 am, after viewing the Relief Map, I started walking to the clinic which had an address of 6-96 7A Avenida. I had been told that the clinic was 4 or 5 blocks away from the map, so I was confident I was going the right way. When I got to that location (about 9 blocks away) there was no clinic. The clinic was supposed to be easy to find: white stucco with a painting of Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. I had seen it once when we picked up a missionary from there. So I went looking around for the Disney characters for an hour, without any luck. I decided to walk back to the Relief Map and start over. By this time it was 12:30 pm. After wandering around for 15 minutes, I stopped a well-dressed man on the boulevard and asked for his help. I had him read the locating description I had been sent from the clinic. He suggested a road I should try. He had guessed correctly. It turned out that I could have seen the dental clinic from the Map! I got there exactly on time. (See Larry’s graphic of his peculiar adventure.) But questions swirled in my mind.... How can two locations in the same city zone have the same address? The clinic’s address should be something like 9-96 11 Avenida! Why didn’t the locating description say they were just across the road, instead of “near”? Near could be 4-5 blocks away. There were no street signs anywhere around there. I had to assume where the boulevard Simeón Cañas ended (which was part of the locating instructions). I had assumed incorrectly. 

Larry had a fall...

Larry was bruised in his jaw area. 

Larry was diagnosed as having an acromioclavicular joint separation. The diagnosers were Tim and Nancy Fisher, fellow temple missionaries. Tim is a former ski hill emergency medical technician. He had seen this injury many times before. Nancy is a nurse and former sufferer of  an AC  joint injury. An AC joint separation is a very frequent injury among physically active people. It also occurs among certain old folks who fall off chairs after becoming woozy from loss of blood due to the extraction of a difficult molar by a dentist. 

In this injury, the clavicle (collar bone) separates from the scapula (shoulder blade). Most AC injuries don't require surgery.  Most patients recover with full function of the shoulder. The period of disability and discomfort ranges from a few days to 12 weeks depending on the severity of the separation. Larry returned to work at the temple after only two days. “I could raise my arm to the square again, so I figured I could work again in the temple.” He continued taking acetaminophen for pain and wearing a sling however. 

A Thrilling Reunion with a 

Family Baptized 41 Years Ago

The following was written by Nancy Fisher, following the October, 2017, General Conference of the LDS Church. Nancy, with her husband, Tim, are senior missionaries from Alpine, Utah, assigned to work in the Guatemala City Temple, with us Jensons. The family name Boj (an indigenous Maya name) is pronounced in the following way. The Bo part of the name is pronounced “Boe,” as it would be in Spanish.  The j in the name gets a very breathy sound like the ch in the German word “ach.” 

Conference weekend was one of the few weekends that the temple was closed, which gave us an extra day to venture out.  We decided to be courageous and drive the 5 hour drive to the last town Tim served in before he returned home from his mission.  

Tim reached out to a very special family, Timoteo and Eva Boj, that he and his companion (Elder Berrios) had taught and baptized 41 years ago (first picture). We arranged to visit the Boj family at their home in Quetzaltenango (also nicknamed "Xela", pronounced -"Shayla") between sessions of Saturday conference.

Not quite knowing what to expect, and, with my limited Spanish, I was a bit apprehensive but excited.  What we did know, prior to our arrival, was that the father of this family had framed our temple wedding invitation we sent them 41 years prior.  It had hung on his bedroom wall all these many years. We gave them a more recent picture too that he immediately put next to it. Tim was taken back to 41 years ago where he knocked on this same door to call on Brother Boj and his family. (Three of their eight children, Sandra, Obdulio, and Rudy, in their teens, were already members of the church). 

  The Boj family in 1976.

Apparently, for a few years, missionaries had been trying to get in to share their message with the parents, but Brother Boj would sneak out the back door when the missionaries arrived.  His little girls, Yolanda, Veronica, and Ingrid would always answer. They would run and tell their dad who was at the door.  This was his cue to leave the premises!

So one evening, Tim decided he would be creative in his door approach to the Boj family.  As they were walking up the street to visit this family, he asked a stranger on the street if he would go and knock on Timoteo Boj's door and ask for him. He told the stranger they wanted to surprise this "old friend" that they haven't seen in a long time (which was true) and that his little girls would answer.  The stranger could leave after the little girls went to get their father and the missionaries would step in his place.  The plan worked perfectly.  Hermano Boj was too polite to refuse the handshake of these two Elders, he invited them in, and that was the very beginning of an eternal family. 

One of the little girls said the prayer that night, as they always did when the Elders visited, but this was the first time their Father had knelt down with his family and heard their sincere prayer asking; "Heavenly Father, please bless our father to stop hardening his heart and to repent of his sins and be baptized".  Tim feels it was the prayers of a child that touched this good man's heart.  If we all could become as little children we could change the world.  A few months later, this man and his wife Eva were baptized. Within a year, Brother Timoteo Boj baptized his twin girls when they turned eight, the same ones that had prayed so sincerely for their father to join the church. Edwin and Elvis, the other two brothers, were also baptized.

We arrived at the house and waited in their "parlor" as Yolanda went to get her parents, who are now 84 years old.  Hermano Boj was in his suit, wearing a white shirt and tie, and Hermana Boj was in her very best Guatemalan Corte and Huipil (traditional handmade skirt and blouse).

We were told he was so excited he could hardly sleep in anticipation of meeting Elder Fisher again.  The smiles on their faces, all of them including Tim's, reminded me of D&C 18:15 "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" I cried.  

It took all I had to keep from sobbing at this touching show of appreciation for the missionary who brought their family the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and as a result, afforded them the unspeakable joy of being together forever.  

Part of the Boj family today. 

All 8 children in the Boj family have been sealed in the temple. Three of the sons served missions and all four sons have served as Bishops. Many children, spouses, and grandchildren have served as missionaries, bishops and in branch, mission, relief society, and stake presidencies.  

They showed us a slide presentation of their family over the years.  The first slide was of the sealing of Brother and Sister Boj and their children in the Arizona Temple, four years after their baptism in 1980.  Overlayed on this picture were the words, "Gracias Elder Fisher, Salvando Cuatro Generaciones".  "Thank you Elder Fisher, Saving Four Generations."  

Sister Fisher with Hermana Boj

This wonderful and faithful Boj family is a great testimony to us of the hand of the Lord in their lives and the truthfulness of the gospel.  Once the seed was planted, the Lord did a mighty work with their righteous hearts and desires and His harvest has continued through four generations.

We saw the world famous

   Kaye Starr Singers 

from Layton, Utah

We who wanted translation to English moved to the Primary room. 

The following are Larry’s notes...

M Russell Ballard

     of the Quorum of the Twelve

I have been in your beautiful country many times. 

Sequoia trees are the largest and oldest in the world. One tree was only 50 years old but died. Should have lived for 1,000 years. Why? Aquifer moved due to construction of a building. Christ is OUR source of living water. Keep close to Him.

There is nothing wrong with asking questions about the Church. We should help people get answers — from the Scriptures and prophets, rather than from the Internet. We have nothing in our history that we need to hide. Help people repent and receive the full joy of the gospel. 

Commit to contact just ONE person to present the gospel to by Christmas, as a gift to our Saviour on His birthday. The ultimate goal is to get them to the temple. In Guatemala that is either the temple in Guatemala City or in Quetzaltenango. 

Ulisses Soares

     of the presidency of Seventy, a native of Brazil (spoke in Spanish)

To the youth of Guatemala: you are the best generation we’ve ever had in the Church. I was impressed with you when I visited with you in your country. Satan is trying very hard to lead you away from your goodness, just as is described in Lehi’s dream of the iron rod. Become strong like Captain Moroni. If all of you did this, the very foundation of hell would be shaken. Do the following... 1. Listen to your parents. They have valuable experience to pass on to you. 2. Listen to the prophets. 3. Study the Scriptures. 4. Get fully active in the Church. 5. Get to know Christ.  Not easy, but very rewarding.

Reyna Aburto 

     of the general presidency of the Relief Society, a native of Nicaragua (spoke in Spanish)

Guatemala is the Land of Eternal Spring. We too can always be eternally vibrant. 

My oldest son served in Guatemala. Thank you for feeding him good meals and for loving him. His apartment was next to the ward Relief Society president. Her husband was not member and kept his distance from the missionaries when they visited. One day he began to secretly read the Scriptures but could not understand them. So he surprised everyone by asking the missionaries to teach him. He is now a stake president. 

Stay close to Christ, who is the fount of eternal hope and vitality. 

Kevin R Duncan 

     of the Seventy, a former area president of Central America, based in Guatemala (spoke in Spanish)

Guatemala is a land of many volcanos. Mount Agua is beautifully shaped like a volcano on the outside but dormant: nothing is going on inside. Mount Fuego, on the other hand, is not as beautiful but is active. People are like Agua and Fuego. Which one are we? 

On one occasion, some non-members, including atheists and self-described Christians — read a page from the Book of Mormon.  Good reactions. Some had never read any kind of Scripture, but found value in what was on the page. We Latter-Day Saints should value more the Book of Mormon.