Week 1 in Guatemala - Aug 16-27, 2017 - Apartment, Barrio, Setting Apart, Other Missionaries

 Moving in Saturday

We like our apartment. The kitchen was well furnished with cutlery, etc. we have to wash dishes by hand. We miss our invection oven that heats water to boiling in a couple of minutes instead of 10 minutes. Our wifi works as well as it did in Calgary. Our TV isn't hooked up. Maybe that's intended. Our small stacked washer and dryer takes at least twice as long to do their jobs. We enjoy the two skylights that let us know when 6 am and 6 pm have occurred. We have great landscaping. We will see greenery everywhere, all year around. 

Yes, we are safe in our apartment....

Church in Spanish

The meetinghouse we attend is just behind the temple. We are in the Vista Hermosa Ward (“Barrio” in Spanish). I understood about 70% of what I heard in Sacrament Meeting, 50% in Sunday School, and 85% in high priests. I was reluctant to say anything in Spanish. I did have an introduction and testimony ready to read  if called upon. Fellow Temple workers Bryce Holman and Tim Fisher, with whom I came to Guatemala, from Salt Lake, didn't hesitate to make comments in the High Priest meeting. After the closing, I told everyone, in Spanish, that President Thomas S. Monson was turning 90 years old tomorrow. 

Babette had earphones for a translation, but didn't use them much. She chose to see how she could understand. She knew the topics that were addressed. She went to the English speaking Sunday School class. 

I was impressed with the quality of those who addressed us: intelligent men and women with strong testimonies. Very few of Mayan descent in this Vista Hermosa ward. 

Tuesday

Set apart & serving begins

Tuesday, just before the beginning of our first shift, from 2 to 10 pm, Temple President John Norman put his hands on our heads, separately, and set us apart as ordinance workers in the Guatemala City Temple.  It was heartfelt and inspiring. He blessed us to be able to learn Spanish and memorize the ordinances quickly in that language. And to love the people that come to the temple. 

The Temple President's blessing worked in regard to memorizing the ordinances in Spanish. By the end of the week, I had performed them all and didn't sneak too many peaks at the study cards in Initiatory. Babette still is to serve in Initiatories. 

Some Calgary temple procedures cannot be implemented in the much smaller Guatemala City Temple. Only one man and one woman run the sessions. The shift schedule is put together after they know who shows up for their shift. Not every one has a car to drive. Area-wise this city's metro is as large as Calgary but has 5 million residents. 

I am very impressed with the high quality of workers that do serve. Workers and patrons greet themselves with an embrace and sometimes a kiss, even men to men. It will take a while for Babette and I to get used to that! 

We serve 5 days a week (Tuesday through Saturday). It will take some getting used to. I haven't worked full time repetitive shifts in more than 30 years. My bedtime is midnight now instead of 8 pm. 

Friday

Met with other senior missionaries

We met with all the Americans down here on missions. The area president, Elder Adrian Ochoa, spoke to us. He counseled us to put our spouses first and not be weary of working hard. The Lord is developing us into being even better people. We had lunch there. Elder Ochoa said that in the last 20 years, the number of missions and stakes in Central America has doubled and there are now 6 temples instead of one. 

We had our group photo taken. Here is copy of a copy....