Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Leaving Guatemala today

Hi Everybody,
We are leaving Guatemala today. Excited to get to Mexico City. Visited the cutest town yesterday, Antigua. Very picturesque touristy looking exactly how you would imagine a cute little town in the mountains to be. The only english group in Guatemala is there and it is not doing well. We went to Bethel. Great. The Bethel family is 52 strong. There are 356 or more congregations in Guatamela. Big emphasis on the mayan people. They speak 24 languages. The branch translates from spanish into the most popular 4 mayan languages. They told us that you could hear the language spoken on our website. Also they told us that we could print up the language from the website too. The sister spoke to us in her native language and told us that the mayan language always speaks of the heart so the salutation of how are you is really how is your heart. very sweet. There is a 93 year old brother here from the states who came over 60 years ago when there was only 1 congregation in the entire country. He was part of the 5th Gilead class. Very cute. He told the single sisters that he would not remember them if he saw them again because he only remembers ugly girls. funny guy.
The local brothers and sisters on the mountain wanted us to all come to dinner. Wow! we are 92! We had to pay extra for the additional bus gas but it was only $5 each. But the buses had to go up mountain roads to get the brothers house that was like a compound with barbed wire all around the top of the block wall. They were grouped on the porch when we entered the gate and they sang to us. It made us cry. It was 7,000 elevation so it was cold and foggy but the food was good, the dancing fun and most of all the brotherhood warmed us all. The sisters made tamales and they said that one sister suggested buying the masa but an elderly sister said no, that her family from the states needed the best. So, they started cooking at 1 in the morning! We didnt get back to our hotel until 11pm or so and the group that flew from Floriday had to fly out at 4 this morning! The groups that flew from JFK and LAX fly out at 2:30 today, at least we leave the hotel then. Back to the bus driving the narrow mountian roads in the dark.....at one point he had to manuver between a parked semi truck and a pruned tree that only had large cut branches sticking out, no tender branches to brush against. He made it with about an inch on each side to spare! Both buses broke out in spontaneous applause when we cleared!! Turning the buses in Antigua was rough at some points too. One turn was like a 7 point turn. When we left the friends last night they lined up to hug and kiss us and wish us a wonderful convention and thank us for coming. So precious! Only in Jehovahs family do we find such love. There was such tender feelings and instant acceptance.
Please leave a comment if you read this. then we do not have to sign into other accounts. thanks.
Love you,
Robin and Cyndy

8 comments:

  1. Oh how wonderful!! Your experiences so far made me cry and not just because we girls are home sick with a cold we picked up at the assembly in tucson. I am so very proud of you all for going and I try to see the wonderful things that you are seeing through your eyes. I miss you very much but I'm so thrilled for you all to get to see all these things, and meet other brothers and sisters and really see the global brotherhood at work!!
    Much love from all of us,
    at least this way we can give you germ free hugs :)
    ~ Megzy, Heidi & Grace

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  2. dear papa and nana,
    we love you very much and hope you have a great time in guatamala, you are the best nana and papa in the whole world and me and my sister think molly and oreo are doing very great. We hope you have a good time in guatamala and i hope you learned some of the dances and someday you can teach us,
    love
    Heidi

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  3. dear nana and papa,
    i hope you like your trip today, what are the animals like? what was the most thing about your trip that you liked? did you like your trip? how do you like the food was it good? do they eat cheese there? have you seen any other little girls and do you think they want to be friends with me and heidi? what do you think they do?
    i'm sending you a hug and a kiss,
    love
    gracie

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  4. Hey, this was interesting it was in out Congergation in San Lucas, SacatepĂ©quez, I was elected MC to help with the two languages. I have here in Guatemala for 10 years with my wife and us and all the brothers thoughly enjoyed it and we think a wonderful times was had by all, even all couldn´t comunicate, love did.

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  5. Hey, this was interesting it was in our Congregation in San Lucas, SacatepĂ©quez, I was elected MC to help with the two languages. I have been here in Guatemala for 10 almost years with my wife and us and all the brothers thoroughly enjoyed it and we think a wonderful time was had by all, even though all couldn´t communicate, love did.

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  6. Hey, Robin and Cindy: my name is BC. I am one of Meg's twitter friends. i love your experience! i have a blog on google, too, and re-posted it there. http://geo-bears.blogspot.com/2009/12/leaving-guatemala-today-briggsblog.html, as well as RT on twitter.
    there are services available whereby one can post to many blogsites simultaneously. have you ever considered one of those?

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  7. Hello Robin & Cindy, I also am a twitter friend of Meg. I very much enjoyed reading of your experience. It helps to see the special thing we have as Jehovah's people. Enjoy your time!

    Dave

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  8. P.s. mom, dad, meet my twitter peoples, also referred to as my "tweeps" :) I love them. they make my day a better one :) also... bob who posted is one of your farmville buddies actual friends, we're singing "it's a small world after all!" :)
    and.. I accepted a friend request and farmville neighbor request from Aida Allen. Figured you wouldn't mind.

    Much love,
    Can't wait to hear what happens next!
    Megzy & the little snotty people

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