They Work Out

Stopped in the pharmacy today and took a picture.

Guard shack at the back of CCA. They are in this most of the day, so if there's any trouble, they will be safe. You know, every man for himself. Those outside exercising... Just run for your life!

This is mom after I dragged her over to exercise. She's already worn out.

 



This is mom showing her displeasure with working out. (Or picture taking!) ;)

This is the rim I bent doing a 360 slam dunk. I didn't put the picture in, that's just bragging.

This is me on recumbent bike putting in many miles.



I'm pretty sure this number is two hours and thirty nine minutes, not two minutes and thirty nine seconds. Which is amazing because we worked out less than an hour. Well, I am bad with numbers.



 

This is mom pretending she's working out. You can plainly see that is not the case.

 

 

This is Dad working out. Making his body strong and healthy.

This is Mom lifting her cup of water. She gets so thirsty watching me lift weights.

Oh, I forgot this picture of me running. Mom is somewhere pouring water on herself to convince you that she is also working out. I think the pictures speak for themselves. One picture is worth a thousand words. You can plainly see this work out makes me laugh with joy. That is not a fake run, it's a joyful run. Pass these to Alicia, these must be posted to show the real truth of moms lack of effort and my going the extra mile. ;)



Noooooo! Look what they are doing to the fence around CCM court today... Green material threaded through the chain link, just like on the opposite side/shopping center. We won't be able to be entertained by the missionaries anymore... So sad! I might have to tackle the two guys doing it!

Just Another Day in Guatemala

I have to tell a humorous story... Yesterday, in the temple, I was back studying in a small space they have and I would close my eyes and try to say the words in Spanish. Of course, you can guess what happens, I doze off. I don't know how long I was snoozing before a member of presidency came to get me to do something for him, but my legs had fallen asleep and when I jumped up I couldn't walk. I was stumbling around, half asleep, trying to get going. Seriously I was like handicapped trying to follow him for thirty yards. I thought I was going to get fired on the spot for napping on the job. I wanted to tell him about the button on my back side that closes my eye lids, but he wouldn't understand.

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We had lunch at Costco.

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This is the place where Mom got her bag, they just sell through the fence to people walking by.

Distribution Center where garments cost under a dollar. Temple dresses on sale for $4.

Mom out in front of the Distribution Center. It is across from the temple.

Nice security guard at missionary training gate. All of the guards are so friendly.

Sights and Sounds of Guatemala

There are always fireworks going off, morning, noon, and night. Sounds of traffic, even at night. Sirens all day and night... I'm convinced it's pedestrians getting hit by crazy drivers. Tons of motorcycles everywhere. I saw a funny thing last night; A young couple was leaving the temple when we did, all dressed, her in heels, backpacks with their clothes, and they rode away on a cycle!

There are guards everywhere at the gas stations. They run out and pump the gas for you... Probably to prevent theft. They leave their vehicles running when they pump gas... What?! The air is like LA, smoggy and humid. Horns honking, not blasting, but tapping. Pedestrians definitely do NOT have the right of way. Example: Two older hermanas leaving the temple in a crosswalk outside the temple... Driver speeding through and honking at them for being IN the crosswalk!

Armed guards at all the little mall locations, armed guards on the block surrounding the Temple and the CCM... Those guys at least smile and wave, but the others are all business. Pedestrians scurrying across and walking along the side of the roads/freeways here, guards on the buses... Don't ride the red ones, they're dangerous!

It gets dark at 6:00pm here. Rainstorms come on quickly and pour hard, water runs in the streets. Sidewalks (or reasonable facsimiles) are few and far between and are only wide enough for one person. They are made of cobblestone, cinder block, dirt, or something resembling cement. construction is all practically done by manual labor (he is not a person) even on the highways. Big stores have a gate and you get a ticket for your car, you can't leave without giving it to the guard... Prevents car theft... Guard towers in the parking lots of big stores, like Costco.

Cute little people selling things everywhere on a little table, from their car, on a blanket on the ground, or walking around carrying their wares. Little kids are always offering to shine your shoes. Houses all the way up the mountains surrounding the city. Little shared pieces of farmland with everyone working; Kids and adults with babies playing in the shade, etc. Tons of fruits and vegetables everywhere... The CCM has tons on a "salad bar" every day all cut up.

Always a big activity from the convent and school across the street. They even have a swimming pool (how can I get in on that action?!) and there is always something going on. The nuns even wave to me when I am outside on the balcony of our apartment or when they're walking around. They wear black and white outfits and are so cute.

Something is always burning, fires everywhere in this city. The air reminds me of Girl's Camp... No permit needed. Policia drive around in small trucks, sometimes two or three together. Safety in numbers, I guess.

No hot water... I never turn on the cold and it's lukewarm, makes for a quicker shower though! If you put it on the hot setting on the washer, it dribbles and takes an hour to fill!

Construction noises inside buildings. In our building they are chipping out a tile floor in our hall, by hand! The boy knocked on our door before starting and asked if it would bother us. Heck no! It was so kind that he asked!

Hard mineral water with various colors. So add vinegar to every wash load or your whites will be dark from the water. Don't drink the water from the sink (bottled water only) and disinfect all fruits and vegetables with Clorox or disinfectant before eating. Lunch is the main meal of the day here. Businesses close from around 12:00-1:00 for lunch or maybe a siesta? We should institute that for the Nortes, that's what the Latinos call us here.

Randy says there are no brakes installed on cars in Guatemala... They don't use them!!! "Alto" means hurry through ASAP, and there are few stop lights on the highways. It's always hazy, except for a little while after rain. Delivery vans have armed guards... Yesterday, I saw an Office Depot van delivering boxes, with guard standing right at the door of the delivery holding a rifle across his chest and NO smile/greeting!

Dad's First Haircut in Guatemala

Mom: I am trying a new method of scripture study this week. I read/listen to a chapter in English on my iPad, then I switch to the Spanish version and read/listen to it in Spanish. I am recognizing more words and phrases as I do that, but it takes twice as long, so I am moving through the Book of Mormon more slowly... But whatever it takes, right?! We ventured out into the city today and found a salon (not Cultures!) and asked for a haircut for Dad. She did un perfecto job. She asked if we were from the MTC and I understood her and said, "Si." Woot woot! Also, when we came from the CCM today, there was a little "store" set up outside the gate (a table and trunk of a car). The girl was native but she went to Florida on a mission, and I got an awesome bag for 50 quetzals (divide by 8 for Norte monies). Ka-ching! Bargain! xox

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Before... She used both scissors and clippers, just like at Cultures Salon. She wanted to shampoo, but I declined. She also put paste in at the conclusion.

After... Success! 70, plus tip.

Here's the little shop... Awesome!

They didn't speak any English, but they were so sweet to us. The salon was about the size of the office and shelf area at Cultures. Two chairs, two sinks, and one waiting chair. It was clean and tidy.

Dad in his new slacks, shirt, and stain resistant tie. Notice the haircut?

P-Day

The missionari​es were playing a game of musical chairs, probably to practice their language and it started pouring, so they all went running inside! So cute!

Missionari​es playing in the POURING rain now! They are drenched!

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Facts about the Guatemala City Temple: It was dedicated in 1984 by President Hinckley and was the third Spanish speaking temple in the church. It is built on 1.4 acres of land. That is smaller than our property at home! John O Donnally, an American, who had moved to Guatemala traveled to Salt Lake City in 1946 and 1947 to plead with the first presidency for missionaries to come to Guatemala (he was 26). Four elders arrived there in 1947 and the land was dedicated for missionary work. O Donnally later became the first president of the Guatemala City Temple and his wife was the first native to be baptized into the church. There was a Civil War at the time of the dedication of the temple and President Hinckley prayed in his dedicatory prayer, "May there be peace in this land, and may it be preserved from revolution and war." In 1996, a peace accord was signed. Before 1984, the Guatemalan saints made 100's of trips by car, bus, and over many days to the Mesa Temple to participate in temple work!



Cinco de Mayo!

This is the remodel of the houses for senior missionari​es, across the street from our apartment. Those two trucks were filled by guys filling wheelbarro​ws with shovels and dumping them into the truck by hand! P.S. Notice the guard in white shirt and tie by the open gate? Yes, he's armed!

Missionari​es playing frisbee on the sport court... No​tice the one jumping down? He just scaled a fence and went on the roof to recover a frisbee!

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This is Brother and Sister Martino. He is the Area President (Head General Authority) over Central America. I said I thought he was from Guatemala, but he is from Texas and so is his wife. They were both converts to the church in their late teens or early twenties. They had been members of other church's, but Elder Martino joined the church and went on a mission. They had dated through high school but when he joined the church and went on mission she decided to find out more about these Mormons. Then she joined the church. Did you notice Mom in the background? I had to make a dash for the door to get this great photo. Museum quality, don't you think?



Here are some pictures from Sunday's Break the Fast, or Potluck.

This picture is of the Galvezes. They are from Guatemala, but now live in Kentucky. They are serving a temple mission.

This is Brother and Sister Kirk. They are the parents of Kody, the guy who rented Grandma's house. Brother Kirk is over security for the church in Guatemala.

The Catholic School across the street is having a carnival/party/dance today and American music is blasting up and down the street. I think the Catholics are much more fun than the Mormons here! ;)

Fitness and Food

No shift today, we have the day off. We went shopping at Walmart. We didn't need much because we have been eating at the training center, which I really like. They have good meals and a salad bar with a real nice fruit bar. It has like, ten kinds of fruits all cut up. The plums are the best. We spent two hours shopping. Try dragging Mom around for two hours of shopping. That is a real job. Plus, I had to take my suit pants to the cleaner. I thought I was smart by taking my white shirt off, but now the food is finding my pants. Oh great! Today, we were walking over to a tiny shopping center to pick up my pants from the cleaners and someone set off a big bunch of fireworks! We didn't know if we should duck for cover or what! They went off right IN the shopping center... Good times!! (I bet they had to take the pants they were wearing to the cleaners after that ;)).

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Dad: We just got back from our morning workout, everything is hazy, if you know what I mean. This is not a stroll in the park, this is real man's work. I was on the recumbent bike for one mile, lifted weights for a minute or two, got on the elliptical for three minutes, pulled on some other weights for ten pulls, then I went out and walked four times around the courtyard (about the size of two tennis courts). I sat down exhausted. However, we had to walk over and back from our apartment which was a block each way. Put all that in your pipe and smoke it. That's what I mean when I say a real man's workout. It's not for a sissy.

Mom: Ha ha! This is Mom. Lol means lots of lifts... Those ten lifts were exhausting. Lol.

Dad: Mom has gone to the doctor because she was so exhausted. It's brutal, real brutal. Mom's workout wasn't nearly as vigorous mine was, she is really tired.

Mom: Missionary lies! I did six times around the court and one mile on the elliptical, but I was slow because I haven't run since the Saturday before we left. I just put a batch of soup in the crockpot for tonight. They don't turn anyone away, so our shift could be long.

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Head Chef, Carlos.

There wasn't as many missionaries because we were late, but here are some. Then, after taking a few pictures we were told not to take them in that area. Oops my bad. 

Mom's dress she hasn't wore in forever. She's a skirt and blouse woman.

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The interesting thing is, these skinny girl missionaries get the same size portion and they eat it all. One thing we have been doing is getting a soup bowl and filling it with fresh fruit. Maybe we could cut down with the portions a little, but they cut it up and it is so good. Grapes, watermelon, plums, mangoes, blackberries (they are so big), apples, pineapple, and other fruit that they have every day. They prepare and cleanup, what's not to like? Mom couldn't eat all her fruit, so she wrapped it up in a napkin and took it out so she wouldn't waste it. However, the sign on the door said don't take food out of dining hall. We felt that was for younger missionaries. Of course, Mom handed me the fruit so if the police arrest us, I will be in Guatemalan prison for the rest of my life. It might make a great 60 minute piece, or even made into a movie. I hear sirens outside, I hope it's not for me. Maybe I could escape and go on the run like Jason Bourne. I always liked that movie and watching him, I've learned lots of tricks. He does shoot lots of people, I wonder what temple people will say. They might not like it, but the church would get lots of free publicity. That can't bad. We are doing well, but the last two days we ate at the lunch room. It's too much food. We're going to start sharing a meal. It will probably be better for us. Today was their Labor Day holiday so the temple was busy because people were off.