Friday, April 3, 2015

2015 April

No April Fools Here.  But my brother sent me an email and I fell for it.  I will have to be more careful next year.
 During semana santa people dress up in rags and scary masks - somehow to represent Judas.  They have little cans that they hold out in front of cars to collect coins.
 On Thursday night and Friday they make carpets - out of colored sawdust.
 They use sheets of cardboard with designs cut out, place it down and fill it in with the right color, then repeat it.
 The clay figures are little people at the local plaza.  Nicely done.
 This one is in memory of a small boy who passed away

Here they are just getting started.  Later today there is a procession, like a parade, and the people walk on the carpets, destroying them.  Then they use shovels to scoop it all up and leave it clean.
The colored sawdust

 Good Work
 There is an ecological park in town that we have been meaning to go to for a year.  This morning we finally did.  This is the skeleton of a Chicharra, the little animal that makes such a loud high-pitched sound.

They call this the Shrimp plant.


The roots jut out long and thin

 Sister Juarez works for the association that does the upkeep here.
 This butterfly was hard to see because of its green color.  There were several big, bright blue butterflies, but they never get close.


 We collected seeds and planted this flowers outside of the house.  Lower right is a variety of Oregano.  Here it is a suculent, with a milder flavor,
We hope to have some good tomatoes soon.
To the left behind the father is Sister Mildren Osorio, from the Ocos branch,  She is the first missionary from the branch to serve a mission 

Front and back of Guacamayas.

I don't know what they are called, just that they are unique.
See the video below.



There is a site of small ruins called Tak'alik'abaj  about an hour's drive.  Been meaning to check it out for a year.  Nice croc.

There are about 100 acres that have been worked.  There are another 5-600 acres on private land that have not been touched.  These are the oldest ruins in Guatemala, dating back to about 500 ad.

Elder Steiner just arrived in our mission.  I found out we know his grandparents in Klamath Falls, where we used to live.  Dery and Shirley Johnson

The Linares family was baptized April 2014.  They never miss church.
The QuiƱones family.  Their children are very smart.  He sells pizza:  Bakes it in his home then delivers it on his motorcycle.
The Barrios family, with their daughter Vilma.
You can roast a whole pig in about 3 hours.  They put them in taco stands on the street.  If I were younger I would probably try one.