Surprise, Surprise, Supplies

Surprise, surprise, supplies

One of the biggest surprises to us on our mission was to discover that our clinic in Guatemala was not owned by the Church, but owned by a mysterious expatriate called Tio Juan (Uncle John in English).

The front door of our clinic

Rumors floated around this man like mosquitoes. It was whispered that he could not return to the United States without being arrested.  The church lawyers told us that our church intentionally did not want to have its name associated with his. In fairness to Tio Juan, he has done much good during the many years he has been in Guatemala. After serving in the Vietnam war, he came to Guatemala to open orphanages. We are not quite sure where he got the money to do so, but over the years he has helped over 10,000 young people, mostly boys. He gave each of them a place to live, food to eat, and a good education. Without the orphanages, many of these children would have been sleeping on the streets.

Tio Juan with patients at the clinic.

Tio Juan’s secretary signed the checks that paid for our clinic’s electricity, water and some of our supplies, but the money actually came from a dentist in Colorado who preferred to remain anonymous. This man had been a missionary in Guatemala and had seen first-hand the dire need for dental work there. When he inherited money, he generously used part of it to donate equipment and set up Clinica Tio Juan. For many years he has continued to support the clinic.

If you are paying close attention, you will notice that we said that Tio Juan’s secretary wrote checks for “some” of our supplies. What about the rest of the supplies? What about instruments that needed replacement? Well, that was another thing that surprised us. Part of our responsibilities in the clinic was to reach out to volunteers, dental supply companies and dentist friends in the United States to ask for donations of supplies and instruments to keep the clinic going. Most of the time, this arrangement was amazingly successful. Each time volunteers came to our clinic, they brought suitcases stuffed with everything from anesthetic to rubber gloves.

Now, if you are paying very close attention, you will notice that we said this arrangement worked “most of the time.”  In April 2018, our supplies began to run dangerously low, especially on the kind of things that cannot be found in Guatemala. No volunteers or visitors were due to arrive for several months. With no mail service in Guatemala, we had no way to receive the supplies we needed. Still, we kept working, using the few materials that were left, having faith that somehow the Lord would provide more.

Lonna worried about dwindling supplies.
(When she got there,
the cupboard was bare.)

Then on the morning of April 20th, Jay received an unexpected phone call. Unknown to us, a group of volunteers from the United States had been working in a local hospital giving both dental and medical care to patients. Somehow, they had heard about our clinic. “We have a few leftover supplies,” they told Jay. “We don’t want to pay the baggage fees to take them back home; if you want them, come get them.”

We went immediately to the hospital where the volunteers had been working. To our surprise, they gave us 22 large bags filled with exactly the supplies we needed!

We had more supplies than we could carry.

Bob built extra shelves
to store the new provisions.

Our bodega (storage shed) was full again!

We went back to work
knowing that we had everything we needed.

We even had a fresh supply
of gifts and gift bags for the children.

Our prayers had been answered. Why does our Heavenly Father care so much about this work?

Because he loves his children.

A Dental Retreat

April 12-15, 2018

Every year in Guatemala, the missionary dentists tried to take a few days to get away for a dental retreat.  Such a hiatus allowed all of us to relax while mending and cementing stronger ties to our fellow dental missionaries. In 2018, we chose Costa Rica as our retreat destination.  Costa Rica was part of our Central America Mission, and we arranged spectacular accommodations at very reasonable pricing.

We arrived in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica,
and stayed the first night in a beautiful motel
not far from the airport.

We knew that our grandson McKay was serving his mission in Costa Rica, but at his mission president's request, we intentionally avoided contact with him so as not to interrupt his focus. However, we were able to bring down a backpack and a few supplies. The morning after our arrival, we left these items with a missionary couple who would later that day deliver them to McKay.

It was fun to see people who actually knew Elder Simmons
and who had great things to say about him.

All eight of us loaded into our rental van
and took off for the Natural History Park.
(Julie and Bob are shown with us here.)

The Natural History Park is a wildlife sanctuary. There, we saw native animals including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects and birds.

                

  

                       

   

 

The weather was very pleasant.
We even had a little mist roll in to cool us down.

     

Larry and Shaun Hogge.

That evening, before dark, we drove across Costa Rica and down the Pacific Coast. We had arranged for a VRBO home on the hillside overlooking the Pacific shoreline.

From below, you can see the house, nestled in the trees.
The location was nothing less than breathtaking.

Looking out the window of our VRBO. What a view!!!

The next morning, we drove into the town of Jaco Beach and rented four-wheelers to tour the countryside.

What a blast we had!

We drove our four-wheelers to the top of a nearby mountain
where we could look out over the ocean.

At the top, Lonna Jergensen
stood beside a couple of really weird trees growing there.

We even let Trudy drive.
Hang on, Dad!

Larry and Jay enjoyed the slippery, steep, winding road
down to a pretty little waterfall.

As we completed our excursion,
on our way home we discovered this totally yellow field--
a field made up, not of fallen leaves, but fallen blossoms!

The pool! What can we say about the pool?
 Every evening, back at the VRBO, we could soak, swim, and relax there.
Simply amazing!

The following morning, we walked along Jaco Beach.

Then we took a scenic boat ride on a large local river.
The guide said we'd see some amazing things.
He was right!

"Look! There in the weeds; It's a crocodile!"

"There are lots of crocodiles out here. Don't fall overboard."

The guide then pulled the boat to the shore, got out, and standing in the river almost up to his knees, fed fish guts to a fourteen-foot-long crocodile. "Ya gotta be kidding me!"

One slip, and he's a dead man! Those crocs can snap you in half in a mili-second. It was one of the most daring things we had ever witnessed.

Dancing with a crocodile. "But, sir, doesn't anyone ever get hurt doing this for a living?"

Our guide showed us his deformed hand and told us a personal story.
Once, a few years before while feeding a crocodile, the croc had viciously
grabbed the guide's hand in its powerful jaws. The crocodile pulled the man
under water and began a death spiral. Only by desperately thrashing and punching
did our brave guide escape. And even though he escaped with his life,
the mangled hand required months of reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation.
Wow! That's a dangerous occupation!

The adventurous part of our retreat now over, we welcomed a day of rest. On Sunday, on our way back to San Jose, we found an LDS building and attended our meetings there.

We met missionaries who knew McKay.
One Elder had even been his first companion.
We're sure McKay will enjoy seeing pictures
of these missionaries when he returns home.

We also had an opportunity to see the Costa Rica temple.

Back in San Jose,
 we drove to the airport and flew back home to Guatemala.
 We had a wonderful time during this special dental retreat.

Replacement by prayer

To make our clinic run smoothly, we had to have a receptionist, someone who could warmly greet patients, help schedule future appointments, and maintain order in a waiting room which was often filled with dozens of wiggly elementary school kids (cute, but hyperactive). The dentists' wives were busy serving as assistants, so we customarily recruited a wife of one of the senior missionary lawyers.

Lonna sits with our receptionist, Sister Ellen Clayson

Sister Ellen Clayson had served faithfully as our receptionist. But, in December 2017 her mission was over, and her husband wanted to take her home to California with him, greedy guy.

Knowing that she would soon leave, we began to desperately look for a replacement. Unfortunately, no one was available. But, rather than panic, we reminded ourselves that we were in the Lord's employ and if He thought that we needed a receptionist to continue our work, He would provide one for us.

Without a receptionist, we would have been in deep trouble.

It was about this same time that a Guatemalan mother brought her 19 year-old son into our clinic to have his teeth checked to prepare him for an upcoming missionary call. After his exam, I reported our dental findings to the mother, and casually asked her about the other members of her family. She said that her older daughter had recently been sent home from a mission in Mexico due to health problems. The daughter was devastated that she was unable to complete her mission. She was feeling unworthy and depressed, and was currently searching for a job. The mom asked me if it would be possible to have her daughter work at our clinic. I replied that we were all volunteers and had no money to pay for an employee. "No, no, no," she said, "I mean do you think she could serve for free at your clinic until she finds another job?"

With that information, I had an idea. The mother gave me the name of their stake president. That evening, I called him on the phone. I suggested to him that the daughter, Andrea, could be called as a local, service missionary. She could complete the time that she had missed as a full-time missionary, and with that call, she could get over her guilt, be of service to the children of Guatemala, and work as our receptionist. The phone call was on speaker-phone, and although Trudy couldn't understand much of the Spanish conversation, she did understand one word that the happy president repeated over and over, "Perfecto, perfecto, perfecto." Within a week, the call was issued and Andrea began working with us in the dental clinic.

Andrea's smile and bilingual skills
were great assets.

Andrea served at our front desk for more than a year. When she finally left, she immediately found a job working as a receptionist for a doctor's office. Her time with our clinic had been a wonderful blessing to us, and also a wonderful growing experience for Andrea. For both Andrea and our clinic, the answer to our prayers was perfecto!

Later, we were blessed to have
Sister Sandra Jeffers also work with us.

Perfect Timing, Perfect Time

March 22-April 1, 2019

Guatemalans celebrate the entire week before Easter. It's called Semana Santa (Holy Week). Because our clinic was closed for this holiday, when Andrew and Marie visited us, we only missed a half-day of work. It was perfect timing!

We first explored the ruins of Kaminal Juyu. This Mayan site, located in the heart of Guatemala City, corresponds perfectly with times and details of the "City of Nephi," talked about in the Book of Mormon.

Remains of an ancient civilization lie surrounded by today's skyscrapers.

At Kaminal Juyu, there are many trees
with flowers and other offerings placed at the base of their trunks.
Mayans consider trees to be a representation of life.

But not all trees seem friendly.
"We promise. We'll never be tree huggers again!"

Pacaya is one of Guatemala's active volcanoes. Andrew and Marie experienced it's majesty first hand.

We arranged for guides and horses for Marie and Drew.

We waited at the base of the volcano

while Drew and Marie rode to the top.

T'hey roasted marshmallows on a lava vent
and watched the volcano fling large rocks into the sky.

Later that day, we visited the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Andrew and Marie at the temple in Guatemala City

The next morning, we drove to the Pacific coast. Along the way, we saw children who's parents were trying to eek out a living by shoveling dirt into the road's potholes. These volunteers hoped that drivers would appreciate their efforts and reward the workers with a few cents. Occasionally, drivers actually did make contributions, but most cars passed by without even slowing down. Due to the frequent tropical rains, the desperate workers were able to fill the same holes over and over, day after day, always hopeful for a small payment. It wasn't great work, but it was often the only work these families could find.

Parents were grateful for the coins we gave them,
but kids were even more surprised and delighted
 by the goodies and gifts.

 In Monterrico, we stayed in a beach-front motel called, "El Faro" (The Lighthouse).

Our hotel room looked out over the ocean.

We swam in the pool,

Strolled along the beach,

Played in the surf,

and saw weird creatures.
(We are referring to the puffer fish.)

We drank pina coladas

and ate at the restaurant. "This is fish and chips???"

The following morning, we took a boat tour of the nearby river.

At sunrise,, the girls were ready to go,.

"See the iguana hiding in the branches?"

Iguanas are masters at camouflage.

Bird watching was a blast!

White cranes glided over the peaceful marshes.

What a morning!

Our next jaunt was to Lake Atitlan. On the drive to the lake, we couldn't resist eating at the pupuseria.

Delicioso!

We also stopped at the Mayan ruins of Iximxe.

These ruins are from the Late Classic Period.

Fortunately, Drew survived the sacrificial alter.

We enjoyed a late lunch
along the highway at a fancy restaurant named
"Rincon Suizo" (Swiss Corner).

For a day on the lake, the next morning we met Lui Mucun, our guide

Lui was always considerate and knowledgeable of the local culture.

 At our first stop, San Juan, Marie relaxed on the pier.

We toured by Tuk Tuk.

We learned about the health benefits of honey.

and learned how chocolate is processed.

The cathedral at San Juan was decorated for Holy Week.

Rickety hand-made fishing craft lined the shore near the town of San Antonio.

In San Antonio, the locals specialize in making pottery.
A worker showed Marie the molds.

Of course, Andrew was interested in the intricate painting, 
all done by hand.

No trip to San Antonio would be complete without a visit to the home of Juan and Juana.

Juana was preparing dinner for her family over an indoor wood fire.
She generously shared her homemade tortillas with us.

Typical Mayans, Juan and Juana are not very large.

But they have big hearts.

Juan and Juana's granddaughter
styled Mom's and Marie's hair in Mayan fashion.

We said good-bye to our friends at Lake Atitlan and returned to our apartment in the city to get a quick night's rest before heading to Antigua for Semana Santa festivities.

On Good Friday, we joined the other senior missionaries in our district aboard a bus which took us to the crowded streets of Antigua.

Along with our friends and thousands of other onlookers, we waited for the processions of faithful Catholics who would march up and down the cobblestone streets in a reenactment of the last few days Jesus Christ's life.

Townspeople had spent countless hours, the day and night before,
creating brilliantly colored street carpets called alfombras.

These carpets were made from items found in nature
such as flower petals, sand and leaves.

Our friend, Bob, along with Andrew, Marie and Jay
took a close look at the intricate workmanship.

A local bakery
made cathedrals, fountains and crosses out of bread dough
as part of one alfombra.

Within minutes of the completion of the carpets,
they were trodden underfoot by processions..

Costumed marchers seemed oblivious
to the works of art beneath their feet.,

Some of the heavy floats
were carried by young women.

Step by deliberate step, the alfombras were destroyed.

At last, only colorful dust remained,
to be swept up or blown away by the afternoon breezes;

and for us, wonderful memories remain of a perfect time
with Marie and Andrew.