Day 3

Church
Today we got up and walked to church. We didn't know how long it would take us to get there so we left pretty early. We got there at least 20 minutes before it started. It was interesting to watch the people come in. The men would go around and shake the hand of every single person in the chapel. Women would go around and shake the hand of every man and would kiss the other women on the cheek. The little boys would go around and shake the hand of every man and would kiss the older women and the cheek. They really know how to make everyone feel welcome. Overall, church was really good. Our lesson in Elder's Quorum was about trying to achieve Zion and it was a good lesson.

After Church
After church we were offered a ride home from a nice man in the ward. Little did we know it was in the back of his truck! It was a good ride though. I took a couple of pictures out the back of the truck and one of Tim Evans.


We got home and found out the electricity had been off for at least a couple of hours. We transferred our stuff to the freezer. The electricity finally came back on around 2:30, just in time to save our food.

After church, Tim Evans sat us down to discuss some of the blessings he felt we would see by being here. Tim Hart and I have been joking that this feels like the mission again. No families, paired up, living in a foreign place, sharing food, serving, etc. This meeting with Tim Evans definitely felt in line with that sentiment. Tim was a mission president in Mexico so he is very insightful regarding the Lamanites as well as the prophecies and blessings surrounding service to the Lamanites. He listed and discussed the blessings and other things he thinks will see while we are here:

1. Language - an improvement to our Spanish (and remembering our Spanish) including business Spanish.
   
2. Prophecies - George Q. Cannon said (this is me translating from Spanish to English so if you have heard the original, I apologize) - "The time will come in which the talents of business men will used to the benefit of the entire people… to elevate the multitudes (of poor that come into the church) to rescue them from poverty. That is one of the objectives in establishing Zion, and what falls short of that is not Zion." As well as 1 Nephi 22:6,8 regarding the Lamanites: "And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders...behold these things of which are spoken are temporal..." These scriptures and prophesies discuss the work of Gentiles to lift up the Lamanites from poverty. I know what we are doing can play a small part in the fulfillment of these prophesies.
   
3. Charity - A love of the people and a desire to help them
   
4. Culture - An understanding for their culture (and all that entails)
   

Other

• We don't have a mirror, shaving last night was interesting
• Mazatenango means "place of deer" in Mayan
  
• Tim Hart saw a ginormous cockroach last night (you're in good company Bronson)
• I have no idea how to properly peel and pit a Mango...but it still tasted good
• It is hard to stay hydrated...we take clean water for granted
• Uh...swine flu?