Christmas and Catch-up

Christmas and Christmas Eve were different, of course because we had no family and were in a different place but there were no many differences in what we did and ate.  The biggest difference is that fireworks are a very loud and very important part of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  It was probably 2 AM before it quieted down.  We went up to a patio on our building but could see very little except an occasional higher explosion and lots and lots of smoke. 

We went over to the Norman's with the other English speaking missionaries for Christmas eve.  I made a huge pot of potato soup and others brought chips, cheese ball and other things to go along with it.  It was a great meal and then we sang Christmas carols and Chris had done a great job of selecting scriptures that different people read sharing the Christmas story.  We were home early enough to talk to a few family members.

On Christmas Day John and Chris opened their home to all of the missionaries serving in the area office and the temple.  They had baked ham, I made rolls and others brought funeral potatoes, other items and dessert.  It was a great meal.  Those who wanted sang carols afterward.  We were able to talk with everyone but Steph's family.  I am yet to get my Skype number to work correctly.  If someone calls me I can call back but don't seem to be able to initiate the first call. 

Mike bought me some truffles and a jar of peanuts and I bought him two white temple ties.  We are actually buying each other flights and a trip to Tikal on January 8th as our Christmas gifts. 

I'm going to include three pictures of things that I want to remember.  One is a man carrying wood on his back.  Often when the Kekchi people come to the temple we smell wood smoke.  It is not unpleasant like a fire but more just another sense of the simple life that these people live. There is seldom need for heat but cooking is done on wood fires. We saw one of the more fortunate with a bicycle but most carry their wood in this fashion. 

People arrived at Stake Conference and they get to church each week in "Chicken Busses".

I snapped this picture from the road in the city of Guatemala when we went shopping.  It makes quite a colorful picture. The housing varies from this to fancy highrise apartments.