On March 4th Garett, me, and his parents were able to return back to where Garett served his mission for 2 years in Guatemala. Garett had told me so many things about Guatemala and what to expect but I don't think I even came close to understanding it all until I went there.
It was a Thursday night that we left and so we didn't get to Guatemala City until early Friday morning. After we got settled into our first Hotel in Mazatenango we all took a short nap and then went to visit some of the people that Gar taught or just got really close to while living there. While on the way to driving to their homes I told Gar to point out their houses once we got to them and he looked back at me and said "Lis, we have been driving through their houses for the past like 20 minuets...." I couldn't believe it, I don't think I was really ready to see how these people live. We went and visited The Garcias, a family that would feed Garett almost every night, he became very close to them. When we first went to their house no one was there but the women that helps them with their laundry and such. When I walked into the house it took everything in me not to let the tears fall because I felt dumb because Garett had already seen all of this and his parents had seen it too because they picked him up from his mission...and so I didn't want anyone to know I was crying. Their floors were cement and they had chickens running around that they raise and then eat. They had close lines where all their clothes were hanging from just being washed outside and a central bathroom for the neighborhood to use, I was feeling so bad for these people, BUT that wasn't what hit me the most. When we came back later that night to see the family, we walked in and they had roses ready for Joey and Me with little origami cards on them that they had made, and greeted us with hugs and kisses on the cheeks and the expressions on their faces to see Garett again was priceless.... It was then That I realized that yes they had NOTHING but they were SO giving and SO happy and all they wanted to do was feed us and give us all they had and just make sure we were happy! I have so much here and I'm not even close to as giving as these wonderful people who have NOTHING...well in our line of sight they have nothing but what I saw while there was that they had so much more than me....
Also while we were at the Garcia's they fed Garett and brought out this stick that Gar had made them while on his mission- Letty Garcia (the mom) had a stick that she would smack the kids AND Garett on the butt with when he was "bad" so Gar took the liberty of making her a new one that wouldn't hurt her hand when she used it :)
After that they brought out some of their traditional clothing and dressed me, Joey, and Steve up like TRUE Guatemalans!!
We went and visited another family that Garett had taught on his mission. He had been teaching them and they were all interested in the church except Carla, she didn't like the missionaries. Everyone in the family ended up getting baptized except for Carla, but my sweet persistent husband didn't give up on her. She ended up being baptized as well and is now one of the only active members in her family. When Gar's parents went to pick him up from his mission they met 17 year old Carla and shortly after meeting her learned that she couldn't go to school because her birth certificate had been burned that held records and it was too expensive to get a new one. Well I'm sure without much hesitation Steve and Joey quickly forked out the $150.00 she would need to get the birth certificate. Well there's more to the story... When we got to Guatemala we found out that Carla had been called to serve a mission in Ecuador and she was able to do that partly because she had her birth certificate. When we first arrived at Carla's house her little sister Carolina came running in the house and yelled "ELDER CALDWELL" and ran and gave Gar a hug! I AGAIN was holding back the tears, it touched me so much to see this little girl who was 5 years old at the time remember my husband...it was then that I really realized that Garett had really touched the lives of so many people there forever, it was one of the best feelings I would have ever had.
As we were leaving their house Carla's mom had said to Garett "Having you and your family come here was one of the best things that has ever happened to me..."
And Garett began bearing his testimony to the family and Carla telling her that a mission is very difficult but very rewarding and worth it. And then Gar pulled out of his pocket some money that we had all pitched in on to help her buy things she needed for her mission and Carla just started bawling along with all of us. When we got back into the car and drove away Steve said "we should just take her to the mall and let her pick out the things she will need for her mission" So we went back and picked up Carla and took her shopping for the things she needed! I have never felt so good before, she was so happy and grateful.
We were able to visit many other people and families that Garett taught while there, and they were all so loving and warm! I will never forget them!
We went to church on Sunday and it was fast and testimony meeting. I don't speak spanish but the spirit there was so strong and no I didn't know what they were saying but I was still crying and I couldn't help it. Nancy, a lady Gar had baptized and her son Jose bore their testimonies and they had actually stayed with the Caldwells for about a month and went to General Conference with them and Jose just said how grateful he was for Elder Caldwell and that he was able to see President Hickley live before he passed away...such a sweet little boy. And the Garcia family bore their testimonies and again said how grateful they were for Elder Caldwell Letty Garcia announced to everyone that I was pregnant and that she will be my baby's grandma. And after the meeting Cathy Garcia who is 15 years old leaned in to me and in English said "Your baby will always be my brother." Such wonderful people!!!!! I feel so blessed to have met them, they will have touched my life and heart forever.
We left Mazatenango and went to Panachel and stayed at a resort that is on Lake Atitlan, BEAUTIFUL! It's where they think are the waters of Mormon. We Spent three nights there and it was just so gorgeous and surrounded by volcanoes! Very relaxing!
While we were shopping at the market in Panajachel there was this cute old man that would walk around with a cane following us begging for money...so at first we gave him some money but then he would forget that he just begged us or so he said and so he would say "No that was someone else asking you for money..." Oh he was so cute!
So for the longest time while we were in Guatemala we only saw one set of missionaries! So Steve said if we ever see any more missionaries I'm going to buy them ice cream. Well while in Panajachel we saw 2 missionaries and so Steve got them ice cream...well, before we know it there shows up 2 zones of missionaries and sister missionaries! haha So good on Steve for being a trooper! It was great to talk to the missionaries and I found out that one of their aunts is in my ward...what a small world!
One of the days we took a boat ride over to some of the other cities and did some more shopping and site seeing that that was fun!
Because of a change of plans we needed to be able to stay at Hotel Atitlan for two more nights Wednesday and Thursday but unfortunately they only had rooms for Thursday night. So we stayed at the hotel RIGHT next door to Atitlan and we pulled up and we all had this eerie feeling and we were the ONLY ones in this hotel and it was run down and basically I just had a weird feeling about this place, I didn't like it! Well we went shopping in Pana and came back and Steve had found a SCORPION ON HIS PILLOW! So of course we were out of the QUICKLY and we drove a couple of hours to another city Antigua.
One of the last great things we did was go and take an airplane to Tical and see the incredible ruins!!! It was so cool to see them!
One thing that really got to me while in Guatemala was the dogs. I bawled one night because they are EVERYWHERE just in the streets, skin and bones, just sleeping wherever and it broke my heart. But Garett was able to talk to me about it and help me understand it better...but it still broke my tender little heart.
I loved their taxi's there they call them TOOC TOOCS!
It was a great trip for both of us, and a great humbling experience for me! I will never forget the wonderful things I learned and saw there! I'm so grateful we were able to go!
