The Perfect Trip part 1--The Capital and Chiquimula

After Thanksgiving and tending kids,  I only had four days before leaving for Guatemala.  My friends the Perkins from Kanosh had called me months before to invite me to go down to Guatemala for the dedication of the Quezeltenango Temple in Dec.  They are serving a mission at the Guatemala City Temple right now.   I planned it so I could spend a week in Chiquimula where Dave and I served as missionaries in 2007 and 2008.  

I had it worked out so that I would be back in time for Nancy's next chemo but they decided they had diagnosed her wrong and that she was not HER2 positive but was HER2 negative instead.  Therefore, they changed her type of chemo and also moved her schedule to every two weeks.  John and Traci again helped with the little boys the week of chemo.  It turns out that the Adriamyacin is much harder on her and the two extra chemos she must receive has been a disheartening thing for her.  She was going to be done before Christmas but now the last chemo will be in January.

My trip to Guatemala was just perfect.  I was picked up at the airport by the Perkins and stayed in the same apartment building as them.  I was able to attend a wonderful session on Friday morning full of Hondurans who had brought 3000 family names to do temple work for!


Saturday the temple had about 200-300 people waiting outside for sessions and I went over and visited with a lot of them.  Many in their group were dressed in their indigenous clothing and some did not speak Spanish but only their Mayan language.  It was a treat for me. 

 

Later in the day I was picked up by a friend, Dr. Arlet Remis, from Chiquimula along with her two daughters Arletita and Alejandra.  After a four hour trip, we arrived in Chiquimula and attended a quincinera for Ana Marie Folgar whose family Dave and I had been friends with.  A quincinera is a huge birthday party for a young woman when she turns 15.  Families often go all out.  It may be as big and expensive as a wedding reception.  Arlet had me as her guest for the full week that I was in Chiquimula which was an enormous help to me.

This is Arlet and Alejandra along with a professor from CUNORI and his wife

Julia Folgar, one of my piano students, is sister to the 15 year old.

Sunday I was able to attend church at the ward we had lived in for 1 1/2 years and had so many friends in.  I was overcome with emotion the entire three hours--so many memories flooded back and I felt Dave so close.  Later a young woman in the ward told me she had had a dream the night before that Dave and I came to Chiquimula and that Dave just had the biggest grin and could not stop smiling.  I think that was true.  I do think he was there and that he was smiling.

Sis. Townsley is a granddaughter of two families from Fillmore
Frank Davies and Lee Townsley.

That night was the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional via satellite from SLC.  This was held in the other ward building and that gave me a chance to visit with many more friends.  I felt like I think it will be when I die and go to heaven and meet so many dear friends.  





















Monday morning I had a visit from the Mendez family who live high in an aldea (village).  She was our produce lady and we helped her oldest daughter go to secretarial school.  She brought her husband and two youngest girls to the visit and it was really fun to see them.  I will include a photo here of a picture of them from when we were on our mission.  It is one of my favorites.

Visit with the Mendez family at their home 2008

Mendez family during my visit with them on this trip.  The photo is of her daughter graduating.

I was able to have lunch with CUNORI faculty who had participated in our English classes.  We have stayed good friends.  They took me in the van from CUNORI out to Los Laureles, a favorite spot for Dave and I to walk.  The owner of Los Laureles and some restaurants in town allowed the missionaries to play soccer on his fields at Los Laureles.  He now has a horse track and a nice restaurant at the ecological park, Los Laureles, which he has been developing for years.  What fun it was!

Friends from CUNORI--Lisandro,  Eduardo, Arlin and
Ana Rut are those that can be seen in this photo waving goodbye after dropping me off.

Then I had appointments about every hour of every day for visits from friends at my place or at their place or at a restaurant.  I was able to visit with every person I had on my list during the week I spent in Chiquimula--many by appointment, some by amazing coincidences and one by a pure miracle.  


Tuesday was a day to spend with Tere, our housekeeper,  and her family.  I invited them to spend the afternoon with me at Pradera Mall.  I took along Nandy Gordillo, Alejandra and Arletita.  

Tere andArletita 

Having smoothies and playing Jenga at Pradera

Pizza dinner after playing in the arcade


Wednesday morning I met the new senior missionary couple, the Danielsons, in the park for a great visit about our mission and things we had learned.  Hopefully our visit will be of help to them.  I followed up with them later after visiting other people and arranged for the young missionaries to followup with Garcias and Marta and Artigas.


A medical student, Leslie Cuc, drove the five hours from Coban and brought me a gorgeous purse made from the native pattern in Coban. We visited for almost an entire day together and she drove me around to try to find other friends's homes. We drove to the last place the Artigas had lived and they were no longer there. What a disappointment that was. A bridge had washed out and so the way to get to the other side of the city where several friends lived was very different and I couldn't get oriented. She also took me to Banco Industrial where I had $200.00 in an account. She was able to help me get it withdrawn. We spent a couple of hours at Arlet's baking chocolate chip cookies with Arletia and Alejandra. We had a great time but the oven wouldn't heat sufficiently and we had to resort to the toaster oven. I thought I took a photo but I can't find it. While we were finishing up, my neighbors from across from our old apartment, Rony and Lilian Ruiz, showed up at Arlet's. I was so happy to see them. I was afraid I would miss them as they had been out of town. They took Leslie and I to dinner at Pizza Burger Diner where I was able to visit with the owner, Tony, and several other people in the restaurant that I knew. What an amazing day it had been!

On Thursday I had lunch with the Barerras and then they picked up Nandy Gordillo, who was going with me to visit friends and help me navigate the bus system. Barreras showed us Tere's home that is almost complete. A family came from the states during this last year and donated funds and labor for the home. It was not complete when they left so members of the ward have been helping to finish it. It is up against the yard of the Barreras and I know they will watch over this precious little family. I just cried at the beauty of the home when I saw it. I had expected another one room home with an outside bathroom, but one that they didn't have to share with an entire compound of people. I was very mistaken. It has a wide entry with two nice bedrooms off of the entry and a large, tiled bathroom with indoor plumbing at the end of the entry. Outside is a covered kitchen area for cooking and another bathroom and a large pila (Guatemalan sink for washing clothes and storing water). The large yard is spacious and filled with all types of fruit trees and shrubs.

The outdoor, covered kitchen with the efficiency stove which uses much less wood

Bro. Bererra shows some of the plants in Tere's new yard

Pili and Lionel Barrera, their daughter Claudia and Nandy Gordillo in front of Tere's new house

Then Bro. Barrera took us to the first of the four homes that I wanted to visit and showed us where the other ones were so we wouldn't get lost coming from the back way because of the washed out bridge.  First we visited the Garcia home and found the parents and their return missionary son, Balmoris, at home.  I visit taught Edith when I was a missionary and we we were good friends with her son.  Dave and I had held a FHE with their family one night and it was a wonderful experience--the parents and 7 of their 8 children were present.  There was a special spirit in the home and the father testified strongly of the truths we taught.  However, the father never attends church.  Nandy and I had a great visit with them and I invited the father to start attending with his family.  He told me he has been reading his scriptures.  I said it was time to become active and he agreed and committed to do so.  I pray that he will keep that commitment. 

The Garcia family

Next we went to the home of Marta Folgar, the lady Dave baptized the last day we were in Chiquimula.  She is raising her  4 grandchildren, one of which is Kimberly, the girl with the osteogenesis imperfecta whom we helped a lot while we served in Chiquimula.  We did not know what kind of reception we would get because members told us that they were now going to a different church and didn't want visitors from the LDS Church.  When Marta saw me, she came running and threw her arms around me and excitably took us in to see Kimberly who was also excited to see us.  She had fallen at school and broken both of her legs below the knees.  The rods that were put in her femurs while we were missionaries did not help strengthen the lower legs.  She was now in two casts and very immobile again.  We also found that she was not getting piano lessons and her wheelchair is broken.  After visiting for awhile, I started to talk to them about the church.  Kimberly said she loved the church so much and wanted to attend.  Marta said that people came to their home and told her that they were worshipping on the wrong day--that they should worship on Saturday as the Jews had in the Bible.  She said she didn't know what to tell them--being very new in the church.  They had started to attend the Seventh Day Adventist Church.  The spirit was so strong in the room and I felt so guided as I explained why the day of worship had been changed.  She said she just hadn't understood and wanted to come back to church.  We talked for a long time and both of us bore strong testimony.  What a sweet experience we had there. 


 Nandy said that she and her sister could resume piano lessons with Kimberly and we told them we would try to find someone who could take them to church as Kimberly cannot take the bus.  The senior missionaries there now are going to work on getting her another wheelchair.  When we left, Nandy said she knew now why missionaries are so happy.  She said she wanted to keep that feeling forever.  I did too.

Kimberly (sitting) her two sisters and Marta the grandmother

Next we had a great visit with Julia Folgar (the girl shown in an above photo at the brithday celebration of her sister).  She was active when she was getting her piano lessons and she loves her keyboard and loves the church.  We talked with her of spiritual things and she cried and committed to strengthening herself and also her family.  

Then we visited with Mirna Arbizu.  We became good friends with her when we lived in Chiqumula and she is a special friend to me.  She was one of my visiting teaching companions and became fully active from that experience.  We had such a tender visit and she was so happy to see us.  She had made it a point to come up and visit on Sunday when I was at church but she hadn't expected me to show up at her home.

We hurried home as I had an appointment with Benjamin Perez, a friend who was the medical director of CUNORI when we taught there.  I was really on a high from our four wonderful visits.  Nandy had just dropped me off and the door bell rang.  Alejandra said it was Nandy.  I couldn't figure it out but when I went to the door, there was Gaby Artiga!  She threw her arms around me and jumped up and down.  I was so excited also.  She is from the poor family we had worked with so much on our mission.  Leslie and I had tried to find their home but we were told they had moved and the new tenants didn't know where they lived.  I had given up on finding them in such a large city.  It was a miracle.  Nandy was walking back to the bus and saw Gaby in Charlie's Pizza where she works now.  Gaby took a break when Nandy explained I was in town.  We quickly set a time for later that evening for a longer visit.  She has goals set for herself to finish school, learn computers and get her front tooth fixed (it was pulled while we were missionaries by LDS dentists who came twice a year for free services.  Her tooth was dead.  They hoped the space would fill in but it hasn't quite and she is concerned about her looks.  She says she has no boys in her life of which I was very, very happy.  I was afraid she would be involved with someone and pregnant or have a baby by now-  She is 17  and very pretty.  What good news to see her working, in school and setting good goals for herself.

Her mother, Vilma,  came the next morning to visit me and we had a great visit.  She is doing better.  Her health has improved and she has more energy.  She says she is working now ironing for people using the iron and ironing board we bought her to help her be more self-sufficient.  She asked for the chocolate chip cookie recipe which she no longer had.  She is one of the ladies we taught to make cookies for added income.  

Later on Friday morning I had visits from two of my favorite piano students, Jamie and Yuli.  We were very close and have stayed in touch.  What fun I had with them.  This was followed by a visit with Tere and her kids.  She brought back a bag she had borrowed.  I gave her money for some Christmas for her kids and gave the boys some money to buy her something.  It has been hard for her since the missionaries left Chiquimula.  We helped give her employment.  She brought me a little gift--a pretty resin tree with little artificial flowers on it.  I will treasure it.  

I also met with Marita Franco and had a good visit.  I gave her more money for the scholarship we provide for Tere's kids to stay in school.   Marita takes them shopping for school uniforms and shoes with the money Dave and I have provided for  them for the last three years.  A small amount of money provides uniforms, shoes, books and a little each month for the school supplies and activities that  are required.  There is free public education in Guatemala but lots of hidden fees that prevent many children from attending.  Tere now has all three children in school.

Jamie Guzman and Yuli Miranda

Friday morning, after my visits with Vilma, Jamie and Yuli,  Marita and Tere, Nandy came back  and took me to visit her family.  Her sister Noel is now married and has two little girls.  The first one is quite disabled and is on about the same developmental level as the three month old.  She is staying with her Mom and sisters right now while her husband works out of town.

Angelica, me, Noel and Nandy with the two little ones.  

Nandy returned with me to find a gift for Arlet to thank her for her hospitality and help for the last six days.  We found a beautiful picture of Paris with the Arc de Triumph in a snow storm.  She seemed to genuinely appreciate and like it very much.  Nandy had lunch with us and then I bid her goodbye.

Alejandra demonstrated her flaminco dancing for us just before we left for the ride back to the capital.  It had been an incredible week for me--one I will never forget.  I put this video on but it won't work and it won't let me take it off.

 I

A Bump In The Road

Things were going well in my life.  I picked Tashi up from the airport on Aug. 20th as she was going to attend BYU this year.  Stephen also is attending BYU so that is fun.    I liked being her mother for a few days.  She is such a great gal.  I felt young for a bit there.

On the 22nd while I had Tashi at my house, Lexi and Bear came through on their way back to school in Virginia.  They will both be attending Southern Virginia University again this year and they are both on scholarship which is good.

Lexi and Bear

The phone rang just as they drove up.  It was Nancy, Paul's wife calling with news no one ever wants to hear.  She had found a lump in her breast a week or so before but she and the doctor both felt it was due to her breast feeding their 8 month old baby.  She had an ultrasound just to be sure.  On ultrasound it looked like cancer so a biopsy was done.  The results                                 were back, and indeed, it was cancer.

What a bombshell.  I had had enough experience with cancer, I thought, to last a life time--my son in law Scott died at age 25 of Ewing's Sarcoma, I had had breast cancer, I had just lost a spouse to Neuroendocrine carcinoma and now my 35 year old daughter in law was facing breast cancer.  It seemed like too much to bear to watch this little family have to struggle through this.  Nancy had lost her father in May.  Their children had lost two grandfathers and had their mother diagnosed with cancer in four months.  That is a lot!

I had planned to travel to Salt Lake in the morning anyway with Tashi, Lexi and Bear.  The four of us went to a community play to celebrate my birthday which was the next day.  The play was 'Nunscense' and it was not at all what I needed.  I felt it was too sacreligious and I did not enjoy it so we left at half time and went home.

For my birthday the next morning, Tashi had decorated the kitchen and made a nice breakfast for me.  I so appreciated her trying to make my birthday a as good as possible.  We all headed north in two vehicles and stopped first in Highland where my Mom was living with my brother Don and his wife.  I visited for just a few minutes and left the three young people to visit with Mom and I left to drive up to Paul's.  They had doctor appointments and tests scheduled for the rest of the day.  For the second year in a row, I spent my birthday in the shadow of cancer.  Last year I spent the entire day with Dave at the hospital and at the doctors office getting him diagnosed.  This birthday I spent tending the kids so Paul and Nancy could have a similar experience.  That evening when they got home, I left to have dinner with Dave's Mom and sister and her husband, along with my three grandchildren who were still in town.

Tashi and I stayed the night at my Mom's empty house and the next morning I took her back to school at BYU for registration.

I stayed up in Salt Lake with Paul's family for about a week so they could take care of all thing that have to be done with this diagnosis--more tests, more scans, central lines put in, consults with other doctors--oncologists, surgeons, etc.  It was an emotional roller coaster for all of us but especially for Nancy.  I felt such pain for her.

Since that time I have spent the week of chemo, which was every three weeks initially, up with Paul and Nancy so I can care for the kids and keep things running.  This has been a privilege for me and I am so grateful I have been available to do this.  I had a trip planned to Hawaii in late October and we decided to not cancel that.  John and Traci are eager to help and they have wonderful neighbors whoa re bringing in meals every night during the chemo weeks and also offering all kinds of help with the kids.

Labor Day weekend I went up to the condo with John and Taci and family.  We had a great time fishing and just hanging out--enjoying the peace.

Lyndee, Emily and Sam

Traci and Owen

I had been asked rather late to help with the Arts Festival again by coordinating the Living History.  That became much more difficult to do.  Julie had sent me fabric to make a costume but instead I borrowed one and was able to fulfill my duties as the timing worked out.   The Festival was on the 10th and 11th.

The next week was the Challis family picnic in Murray and Nancy was able to attend with her family.  Mom was able to come also which was nice as she has been having quite a struggle, both with her angina and with the multi-infarct dementia.

In early Oct. I went to the condo for General Conference and found that very therapeutic.  I took hundreds of photos of the turning leaves which were stunningly beautiful.   I watched the movie 17 Miracles and cried myself silly but I felt close to Dave and enjoyed the solitude and absence of the pressure my house gives me right now with all the fruit and vegetables to pick, bottle and freeze.

Challis and Nancy came up on Sunday to join me and we watched conference, took a nature walk to see the leaves and we watched 17 Miracles--I really wanted to see it again.  We had a great visit.

The next week I went and stayed with the grandkids while Nancy had chemo and then left when Paul got home because I had a reunion at Bear Lake with returned missionary couples that had served in Chile.  We had a great time.  I stayed Monday night and Tuesday night and left early on Wed.  Nancy had been feeling pretty good on the day of chemo and on Tuesday so we felt it would be okay.  I called on my way back to Salt Lake and they were all sick and Nancy was very sick from the chemo--probably because she had a virus also.  I felt badly that I had abandoned them.



I had a reunion with high school friends in Salt Lake that weekend.  What fun that was.  These reunions have been so good for me--I get so much strength from family and friends and I am making great memories.  Memories are especially important right now for me.

I took my trip to Hawaii for Mic's birthday the last week of Oct.  I got there before Halloween and was able to help Mic sew costumes for the kids--Hannah was Jamsmin and Eliza was Little Miss Muffet.  The baby was the spider that sat down beside her--so cute.  We had so much fun with parties and just spending time together.

Carving pumpkins with Mic and Hannah

At the ward party

Eliza scared by the big spider

When I got home from Hawaii, I had a reunion of the St. Marks Hospital School of Nursing class of 1967.    We spent the entire day together eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, getting a guided tour of both the old St. Mark's on 3rd West and the new St. Marks on 3900 South in SLC, and just visiting.  It was absolutely wonderful!


The next week I started working in the office at the Manti Temple as a volunteer.   I love it!  The biggest problem was going to be driving in the winter at night.  I got called to be the first counselor in the stake Relief Society when I returned from my trip and it just so happened that the president and her husband and sister go to the temple on Tuesday afternoon at just the same time as my shift and I was invited to drive with them.  What a blessing this is for me.

On the week that Nancy had chemo, the week of Thanksgiving, Paul met me in Nephi with the kids after my shift at the temple so I drove alone that day.  Thanksgiving was great.  John provided another large turkey but it was only about 35 pounds and not 50 pounds like before.  We still had the problem with the oven catching on fire from the drippings but no harm was done and the turkey was delicious.  All the Utah families came except Paul and Nancy.  She was too ill but their kids were there staying with me.  The kids spent hours on Rip Sticks and skate boards trying to outdo each other.  when the weather got too cold, they moved into the garage and continued with the fun.  The next day we took Dave's truck and went into the mountains and Paul and Nancy's kids picked out a tree to cut and use for Christmas.  Saturday night was the annual tree lighting in Fillmore.  John's family and Paul's kids attended with me.  I was glad to have family to go with.  It had been a perfect holiday weekend.

Moving forward

Easter eating

Caleb, James, Emily and Lyndee  My Utah kids all came at Easter and helped in the yard and had a good time with each other.  Caleb, Jake, Emily and Lyndee surprised me and went the extra mile with their yard work--all for free!.

All the Utah kids came for Easter and we had a great time.






The boys tore off the front porch which was falling apart.  It was much more work than expected.  Finally they rented a power tool which took it off quickly.  I had a new porch poured the next week.  It took 8 months to get the railings made and put up.  I should have had my boys do it.

John and Paul

John and Jordan survey the work

Luke blows out his candles

James and Jordan

Everyone came again in May for Mother's Day and we celebrated Luke's birthday.  Having company over the holidays really helped and I got through all the holidays without problems.  Memorial Day found me in Nauvoo and that was good also.  The boys were at my house putting in sidewalks in the back of the yard and around the barn.  They got flowers and put on Dave's grave.  I am so blessed to have the kids I do.  They're wonderful!
















I went to Nauvoo the end of May and was able to attend
Tashi'sgraduation and be there for Gracie's 4th birthday as well as being there for Lexi and Bear's wedding and Jordan receiving his endowment in the Nauvoo Temple.  Great times!  Paul and family and Jill and family came out in time for the wedding and we had so much fun with the doin's in Nauvoo as well as with the Stouts.  It was a wonderful.

Gracie with the little dog I gave her

birthday morning 

Tashi, Lexi and Bear leave the temple

Lexi honored me by wearing my wedding dress.  She looked lovely.  The reception was held in the Nauvoo House and I was able to help sew new curtains for Emma Smith's parlor which was quite a treat.







I had a chance to take the kids to several venues while I was there in Nauvoo.   This is Mia and Noah at the pioneer games.

Mia and Noah

Benji with oxen in Nauvoo

The whole gang

Gracie looking not happy about being a pioneer

Benji and James pet the horses that pulled us on the carriage ride

Lincoln's memorial in Springfield

Paul and kids at the top of the arch in St. Louis

This Planter's Peanut truck was at our hotel in Chicago

Paul and family, Jill and family and I at Winter Quarters, Nebraska

Challis and family at the Fourth of July parade in Fillmore

My mother and Zachary at Paul's on the 4th

Geneal and her sister Lola at Lola's 95th birthday

Mom and Jordan before he leaves for Croatia




I took Aleah, Lyndee and Emily camping on July 7th up our canyon.  We prepared the camp sites, built a fire, played game,  made tin foil dinners and had a good time eating them.  John and family came up late that night and joined us.

Making tin foil dinners with Aleah, Lyndee and Emily

Eating the tin foil dinners

James showed up with a unique summer hair do

Cute Ana at the campout

My summer had been full of wonderful activities surrounded by family.  This was just what I needed.  What a blessing family is.  I feel like I am making the adjustment to single life.   I have fabulous friends in Fillmore who keep very good tabs on me and let me know I am loved.  I am okay with living here for now.  It is home.