December in Guatemala City 2010
For some reason here in Guatemala the schools are closed through the months of November and December. So, those become VERY busy months at the Temple. Every other day Bus Loads of people keep coming from Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, y Guatemala. They just keep coming and coming! Sometimes these people are on the buses for 12-24 hours. Now these people come in SCHOOL Buses that are NOT comfortable at all. They come with cool boxes full of food for the time they are here. They sleep in rooms that have six sets of bunk beds in the rooms and one small bathroom. There is one Kitchen down stairs where everyone can come and fix their own food. They all seem to share and have a GREAT time.
Today is Dec. 22, 2010 and the place is still full. The Temple will be closed Dec.24th and the 25th. It will open back up Monday the 27th. This Temple is usually NOT open on Mondays but for this month because of how many come, it is open on Mondays. All this will slow way down come January 15th, when school starts up again. They bring the whole family, tiny babies to teenagers. They get up at 4:30 every morning and are at the Temple doors at 5:30 every morning! They do Inititories, Baptisms for the Dead, Sealings, Session after session. It is AMAZING!!! The whole family participates!!! Sometimes they even bring their own workers! These are DEDICATED people!! I get so sad when I think that we can't even get to our Temple at home which is only a 10 minute car ride from our front door.
Last week Denton was Officiating in a session with 31 Sisters, all from up in the mountains,
(Little Indians) probably 4' tall. I was working with him. Now, you must remember that these rooms are very small and are ment to hold only 27 people. Well, we still needed a Witness couple and some men for a Prayer Circle. So, we have got to fit more people in this tiny room. They find us 4 men from the same Tribe and we get started. A few of the Sisters have forgotten some things and when I take them out to help them, it turns out one is Blind and deaf! I wonder why is she even here? Another sister is in the same condition, but she isn't blind and I let them know that I will help them at the veil so not to worry. As they were all dressed in their white clothing I looked at them all and they looked like angles! Their hands were rough, their faces wrinkled and you could tell that they have had a life of hard work! But these are Heavenly Fathers children and He loves them so much. Some, in my opinion, had no real understanding of why they were there or really understood what they were doing. All they knew is that they felt soooo very good just being there! Working here in the Gutemala Temple has been such a WONDERFUL opportunity for Denton and me
