Hey everybody!
I can't believe that another week has gone by! It is going faster than I ever thought it would! It's crazy! But at the beginning of this week it looked like it was going to be the worst ever! Because it is "Semana Santa" or holy week. And everyone has work off and every store is closed and everyone leaves on vacation and whoever didn't leave on vacation is all working on the "fombras".
Mom I think you know what fombras are right? They are the things they make in the middle of the road. I was gonna send a picture but I will try next time. I have too much to tell.
(Note from Carol Anne: I have included a few photos that I found on the internet of Fombras. And a discription of what they are at the bottom of the post. They are so beautiful!)
Con amor,
Alfombras are beautiful carpets made of sawdust, sand or rice, dyed in beautiful colors—traditionally sawdust is used. In the photos you can see that they also accent with many other organics. The alfombras are planned weeks in advance and preparation of the sawdust starts days in advance. They must wake up early in the morning to work on the construction of the alfombra—the designs are intricate, the process is complicated and time comsuming—kind of reminds me of Ukrainian eggs—:). They build a rectangle frame with boards and fill it with the first layer of sawdust and then use planks of wood to pat it down and smooth it out. Some time stencils are used to create the elaborate patterns and designs. When finished the celebration continues with the the procession of Via Cruxes (or way of the cross) right down the street and over the top of all of the alfombras. During the Via Cruxes they have 14 stations or stops where they learn of the life of Christ. To me personally the alfombras bring to mind the triumphal entry of Christ. So—COOL if you ask me!And what a great opportunity to remember the Savior and his sacrifice in such a beautiful way.
Carol Anne
Mom I think you know what fombras are right? They are the things they make in the middle of the road. I was gonna send a picture but I will try next time. I have too much to tell.
(Note from Carol Anne: I have included a few photos that I found on the internet of Fombras. And a discription of what they are at the bottom of the post. They are so beautiful!)
So anyway, our whole area was like a ghost town! So we went out and just started contacting and knocking on doors and no one was answering. It was kinda frustrating but we kept on going and we ended up finding like two or three investigators that I think are really good possibilities!!! Oh yeah— so that leads me into my next topic, Changes! For some reason they let us know about changes last night instead of tonight! I'm staying here in Las Victorias and Elder M. is getting a change. We have our change conference on Wednesday so I'll let you know what happens next week. But I am actually way excited to stay here! I have been hoping this whole time to get a change out of the capital but this last little while I have really started to make real good friends with everyone in the area and I have worked way hard with a lot of these investigators! What I am most excited for is the baptisms we are planning on having this next month! We have just started to have a bunch of success with a lot of the investigators and we, well I...am planning on having six baptisms within this next month and like at least four more baptismal dates with others if everything works out with them. I am way excited!!! We have actually done really well lately! Our zone for the previous change only had 3 baptisms. This month we had a goal of sixteen as a zone which is six areas and we completed that so if we get 6 baptisms in this next month in my area that will be WAY good! I am so excited! So that is pretty much how my week has gone.
Oh and about Easter. It was so weird! Like here, for some reason it really felt like easter back home. Like not what we did or anything but just like how it felt. Like it has been raining the last few days so it was a little colder like it is back home during Easter and Idk....it just felt like easter time which was weird! And yesterday morning the only thing I did for Easter was I made pancakes (that really isn't what I eat every morning I promise. It just so happens I just always tell you about the days that I do) But so I made an Easter Bunny pancake!!! Ha ha ha —It was pretty sad looking I'm not gonna lie, but it was funny. I made pancakes for me and Elder M. and we were cracking up about it —Ha ha ha— it was pretty funny. I have a picture of it. I'll try and send that one too next time.
But things are going really well. I'm a little nervous for the change, just cuz it's my first and it's something new, but I'm sure I'm going to love it. Almost all my friends from the zone are leaving though, so that kinda sucks.
That girl that has been talking to Taylor on facebook told me she hadn't responded for a while cuz she didn't know what to say in English, so I told her to just type it in Spanish and Bryan can translate. And all of you can add her too I'm sure. We are going to take pictures at her house with her family tomorrow because Elder Montierth is leaving and she said she's going to put them up on there so if you want you can add her and tell her to tag you or something—Ha ha ha— Idk but she´s funny. She's pretty cute too Tay, maybe after I baptize her and you guys come to pick me up in two years....you never know.........Ha ha ha ha— just kidding! But she is way cool and way smart! I've been planning already for when you all come pick me up! Cuz everyone in the ward and all the investigators keep asking if I'm going to come back and visit and I figured, this is my first area and it's way close to the central market so I've been telling them "Oh yeah! I'll come back and bring everybody!" Ha ha ha! So you know what that means...you cant make me a liar!!!!! You better start planning it! And also every year our bishop takes a trip to Coban with his family so he told me he could like take us on a tour!
So, I'm almost out of time, I better get going. But just so you know, I am doing really well. I am excited for the up-coming change! Especially if I have a Latino companion! That would help me with my Spanish so much!!! Everything is going perfect! I couldn´t ask for it any better. I love hearing from you all! And I am still waiting intently for my other Easter package! I'm so excited! I almost have my letter for Edgar done so I'll send that soon. Thanks for everything everyone! And thanks for all your support and prayers and everything! I love you all more than anything and I think of you all -all the time! Give Avery a big old hug and a kiss for me! and don't let her forget me!!! Make sure you send me pictures! Of course of everyone but especially of her! I'm dying cuz I'm missing her grow up! Its the worst! Oh and bryan I just retold that story of you, me Kale and Garrett Ore running from the cops decked out in our camo and everything today! Ha ha ha remember that? Good times....Haha alright well I better go, ten minutes over. OOOOPS. Adios! Espero que todo sea muy bien. Manda mi amor a todos y diga les que estoy disfrutando la mision mas que cualquier otra cosa! Les amo muchisimo y no puedo esperar por la siguienta vez que pueda escribirles. Es el mejor cosa de mi semana. Menos las almas de que yo este salvando por supuesto! Hahaha. Pero en serio, les amo mas que uds. pueden creer!
Oh and about Easter. It was so weird! Like here, for some reason it really felt like easter back home. Like not what we did or anything but just like how it felt. Like it has been raining the last few days so it was a little colder like it is back home during Easter and Idk....it just felt like easter time which was weird! And yesterday morning the only thing I did for Easter was I made pancakes (that really isn't what I eat every morning I promise. It just so happens I just always tell you about the days that I do) But so I made an Easter Bunny pancake!!! Ha ha ha —It was pretty sad looking I'm not gonna lie, but it was funny. I made pancakes for me and Elder M. and we were cracking up about it —Ha ha ha— it was pretty funny. I have a picture of it. I'll try and send that one too next time.
But things are going really well. I'm a little nervous for the change, just cuz it's my first and it's something new, but I'm sure I'm going to love it. Almost all my friends from the zone are leaving though, so that kinda sucks.
That girl that has been talking to Taylor on facebook told me she hadn't responded for a while cuz she didn't know what to say in English, so I told her to just type it in Spanish and Bryan can translate. And all of you can add her too I'm sure. We are going to take pictures at her house with her family tomorrow because Elder Montierth is leaving and she said she's going to put them up on there so if you want you can add her and tell her to tag you or something—Ha ha ha— Idk but she´s funny. She's pretty cute too Tay, maybe after I baptize her and you guys come to pick me up in two years....you never know.........Ha ha ha ha— just kidding! But she is way cool and way smart! I've been planning already for when you all come pick me up! Cuz everyone in the ward and all the investigators keep asking if I'm going to come back and visit and I figured, this is my first area and it's way close to the central market so I've been telling them "Oh yeah! I'll come back and bring everybody!" Ha ha ha! So you know what that means...you cant make me a liar!!!!! You better start planning it! And also every year our bishop takes a trip to Coban with his family so he told me he could like take us on a tour!
So, I'm almost out of time, I better get going. But just so you know, I am doing really well. I am excited for the up-coming change! Especially if I have a Latino companion! That would help me with my Spanish so much!!! Everything is going perfect! I couldn´t ask for it any better. I love hearing from you all! And I am still waiting intently for my other Easter package! I'm so excited! I almost have my letter for Edgar done so I'll send that soon. Thanks for everything everyone! And thanks for all your support and prayers and everything! I love you all more than anything and I think of you all -all the time! Give Avery a big old hug and a kiss for me! and don't let her forget me!!! Make sure you send me pictures! Of course of everyone but especially of her! I'm dying cuz I'm missing her grow up! Its the worst! Oh and bryan I just retold that story of you, me Kale and Garrett Ore running from the cops decked out in our camo and everything today! Ha ha ha remember that? Good times....Haha alright well I better go, ten minutes over. OOOOPS. Adios! Espero que todo sea muy bien. Manda mi amor a todos y diga les que estoy disfrutando la mision mas que cualquier otra cosa! Les amo muchisimo y no puedo esperar por la siguienta vez que pueda escribirles. Es el mejor cosa de mi semana. Menos las almas de que yo este salvando por supuesto! Hahaha. Pero en serio, les amo mas que uds. pueden creer!
Con amor,
Elder Welch
P.S. I sure hope my Spanish makes sense! Ha ha ha
Here is more info on Hayden's "Fombras"—the internet an amazing thing.....
In Guatemala as in many places in Latin American the week before Easter—Holy Week—or "Semana Santa"—is celebrated in grand style. They have processions in the streets, fireworks and religous services. They learn of Christ's life in different ways throughout the week. Unique to Guatemala is something called alfrombras (the carpets) this tradition was introduced form Spain during the Spanish conquest. Here is more info on Hayden's "Fombras"—the internet an amazing thing.....
Alfombras are beautiful carpets made of sawdust, sand or rice, dyed in beautiful colors—traditionally sawdust is used. In the photos you can see that they also accent with many other organics. The alfombras are planned weeks in advance and preparation of the sawdust starts days in advance. They must wake up early in the morning to work on the construction of the alfombra—the designs are intricate, the process is complicated and time comsuming—kind of reminds me of Ukrainian eggs—:). They build a rectangle frame with boards and fill it with the first layer of sawdust and then use planks of wood to pat it down and smooth it out. Some time stencils are used to create the elaborate patterns and designs. When finished the celebration continues with the the procession of Via Cruxes (or way of the cross) right down the street and over the top of all of the alfombras. During the Via Cruxes they have 14 stations or stops where they learn of the life of Christ. To me personally the alfombras bring to mind the triumphal entry of Christ. So—COOL if you ask me!And what a great opportunity to remember the Savior and his sacrifice in such a beautiful way.
Carol Anne
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| This is some of the materials that they use to make the alfrombras. |
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| A beautiful Easter Basket |
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| A new take on the "Easter Egg" |
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| Fruits as an accent |
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| More fruits and vege accents |
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| The children play a big part in helping and being involved in the process of making the alfombras. What a great tradition! |
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