Mission in Guatemala: Punch and Trudy

I'm afraid we overdid it with the cookies and punch! We had enough left over following the open house on Saturday that we served them again after the dedication on Sunday. Kids and adults alike loved the refreshments. Galletas y jugo. Delicioso!

Jasmin Elizabet Zuleta

The people in our branch are very humble with little money.

One of the young girls was thrilled to be able to keep a clear plastic box that had contained cookies.

Adults carefully washed out punch jugs to take home and use. One sister asked me if she could take home a few of the plastic cups because hers at home were so small. Of course I said, "yes."

Trudy gets hugs and kisses from the women and children in the branch, even some of the young boys.

I was so proud of Trudy on Saturday. She spent about half an hour visiting with the young teenage boys of the branch. They swarmed around her and somehow she held their complete attention for all that time. I have no idea what she said, but I suspect she used every Spanish word she had ever learned.

I visited with one sweet sister and told her that she had a great husband. She responded in Spanish, "But he doesn't love me."

A little shocked, I said, "I'm sure he does."

"Not enough to take me to the temple," she said.

Her husband looked a little embarrassed.

I didn't let him off the hook. I said, "Being sealed to your family is really important.

I then related to him the story of my parents coming to Utah from England to be married in the temple. After they were sealed, their young daughter, my sister, was also sealed to them in the temple. Within four years, she was diagnosed with leukemia and shortly thereafter died. That sealing in the temple was so important to my parents throughout all the rest of their lives.

The woman's husband listened. He then promised me, "Before the year is out, I will take my family to the temple."

I will hold him to that promise.