Rain and activities

We have had so much rain lately that the roof in the chapel and our patio is leaking water.

 Our roof where we hang our wash to dry. We try to be around to bring it in when the rain starts.

 We tried to take some of our relief society women to the temple at 3am but at 5am we hit a line of cars that had been waiting since the previous afternoon for a semi and a mudslide to be cleaned up. We had to turn around and go home. This van is PACKED with people and has about 8 people on the roof, they turned around to head back to some bathrooms and food.

 Our friend Rene Ramos in Cubulco gave us some fruit called granada.

 After peeling the skin off you eat this without biting down on the seeds very much because they are bitter but the fruit is sweet.

Food to eat between General Conference sessions. The blue truck brought all of Cubulco, (about 25 people), 1 1/2 hours to Salama to watch it at the District building.

 In Cubulco for a youth activity, they watched church videos while the women cooked dinner.

 Finished product, chicken with sauce, potato, rice, and cole slaw.

Afterwards we jumped rope, I even got into the action.

New elders and sudden rains

Transfers were last Tuesday, we have Elder Rangel and Lopez, both from Mexico. All of the elders in Salama, Cubulco, and Rabinal are hard workers. Ours are out teaching, visiting, and willing to help the branch in any way they can. Love these guys!

We went out visiting members and got caught in the rain. We waited awhile and it let up but the streets were flooded. Rather than wet my shoes, I walked through bare-foot and Alan walked through the mushy wet grass along the side, the sidewalks only go so far and end.

As the flooding got better, I put my shoes back on.

6 baptisms in Fray and the chapel there

 Alan gave a talk on baptism and then we had 6 baptisms.

All of the missionaries sang, When I am Baptized. These are the first missionaries in Fray, Elder Monsalve, Recio, Pin, and Juarez.

 E.  Recio, E. Juarez, the 6 baptisms-4 in a family and 2 young women, E. Pin and E. Monsalve.

 The elders and some new members.

 They cooked chicken, macaroni, beans, and tortillas for everyone afterwards in the middle of a corn field.

The chapel in Fray Bartolome, when we start having 3 hours of church they will rent the top floor also.

Independence day, City trip, and mutual swimming party

 It's so much better to watch a parade when you know some of the people in it. Maria and her school friends.

 Kevin de Paz and his school.

We went to the city and to the temple. The next day we ate at Applebees with the Normans, it was SO good!

 President John Norman watching Alan enjoy his food!

 We got food at the store and were surprised that they had Christmas up already and they had Halloween and Thanksgiving stuff too. There is nothing like this in Rabinal, maybe closer to Christmas we'll get some trees or lights around town?!

 Cubulco had a swimming activity for the youth and cooked meat and tortillas up for everyone afterwards.

 Elisia Ramos, the branch president's wife. No one has swimming suits, so they swim in whatever they like.

Some of the youth in the pool, we had 25 people there.

Birthday, Baptisms, and Cultural night

 Rene Ramos, the new branch president, had his 47th birthday and invited us over for noodle soup, tortillas, and chicken.

 I made a cake for him and passed the pieces out to everyone.

 Saturday morning we had 2 baptisms in the river in Cubulco 9 of Sep. Juan and Luis Primeros Ruiz.

 Elder Dubon and Enamorado each baptized one youth.

 Elder Dubon

 Elder Enamorado

... And they're members.

 There was so much rain the night before, they had to move all the branches from the bridge.

 Cultural night for the district of Salama, Osorio family before we got on the micro bus.

 Cubulco youth dancing.

 Rabinal primary in traditional rabinal dress.

 San Jeronimo primary dancing el Salvadorian dance.

 Salama RS dancing Nicaraguan dance.

 Cubulco young women dancing a Hondurian dance.

 Rabinal dancing a traditional Guatemalan dance to Rey Quiche.

 2 elders, 2 teen girls, Osorios, and Alan and I.

 Dishing out chicken in pinol, we ran out of food pretty quick because everyone wanted some.

 We had white atol also.

In the micro bus on the way home after the activity.

Abuela Juanita Osorio's 79th Birthday

 Getting the party started with a prayer and thought.

 Abuela Juana's 79 year old hands and her granddaughter's hands, Wendy age 18.

 Helping in the kitchen to serve up kaq'ik, chicken rice soup with a chili broth.

 About 50 family,friends, and neighbors ate and came to celebrate her day.

 One of her birthday cakes.

 Singing a happy birthday song to her.

Playing musical chairs.