Cumpimos la mision y regresamos a casa. We complete our mission and return home.

December 13, 2021 What a journey it's been. It was 23 months ago, as greenies, we entered the Provo MTC. That was pre-COVID-19 and it seems like a previous life ago after so so long a time wearing masks and social distancing. Words we wish we had never heard. And it was six months ago since our return to Guatemala when we had high hopes of continuing our work in the Tio Juan dental clinic. We had intended to "extend" our mission to another full 2 years, as if we were just beginning all over again. But, our high hopes of opening the clinic died a long slow death as meeting after meeting after meeting we gradually began to see and at least partially understand the philosophies and principals with which the church/area presidency, viewed the clinic. The finial decision was more or less this; if the Mi Casa orphanage would find the necessary personnel and dental staff to open and independently run the clinic by themselves, then the church could provide some dental staff as adjunct volunteer dentists but the church could not be the main pillar of the clinic. As we left, Rich Call was making efforts to contact local dentists and interested parties to try to assemble a clinic in the vision of president Taylor. If anyone can do it, Rich can. We pray for his success and perhaps someday senior dental missionaries will again be treating children and missionaries at the Tio Juan Clinic.

This was our Glines 2nd Ward missionary plaque that was in the display case outside the bishop's office the duration of our mission. The seven countries of the Central America Area are outline with Guatemala starred.  The plaque was presented to us upon our return.  Assignments took Elder Spendlove to Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, California. All during COVID travel restrictions.  It dampened his desire to fly.

Working with the Cuilapa Missionaries.

Elders Carranza & Pehrson after final lesson to Angel who will be baptized end of Nov 21

Tricked out School buses make for good transit vehicles.

Elder Maldonado y Cua in Concepcipon, Guatemala, (near Cuilapa)

Sister Rodon (Dominican Republic  y Oliveria (Brazil) 

 

Quilapa Branch (Rama)

This the front view of the Cuilapa Branch where we have attended church meetings since we first arrived in Guatemala.  

Looking toward the left (NW) of the Branch

Looking toward the Rt (SE)

Sister Spendlove and stray cat greet members and visitors

Below:  Hermano Reyes, Sunday school teacher with his ever present smile.

Summer of 2021 Clinic remains closed

Through the summer months of 2021 Anita and I have been working as we had been from Utah that is to say, participating in Zoom conferences with mission presidents in their "Mission Health Councils". These occur every month the attendees being the mission president and his wife, the mission nurse, the AMA (Area Medical Advisor) the ADA (Area Dental Advisor) and AMHA (Area mental health advisor). Often, the mission nurse has been a sister missionary called to this service in addition to her proselytizing assignments. The area is now changing to calling qualified local sisters for this assignment. Deliberations have been underway since before our return regarding the re-opening of the Tío Juan Clinic. Progress has been very slow however Elder Taylor, leader of the Central America Area, did come to the clinic as Anita and I gave him and Elder Gelder a tour of the orphanage and the clinic.

Brian and Anita Spendlove, Enrique (Kiki) Barillas, President Brian Taylor, Wayne Gelder, (exec Sec) and his Wife Kathy photo taken Aug 18 2021 in the Tio Juan dental clinic. Through the summer months of 2021 Anita and I have been working as we had been from Utah that is to say, participating in Zoom conferences with mission presidents in their "Mission Health Councils". These occur every month the attendees being the mission president and his wife, the mission nurse, the AMA (Area Medical Advisor) the ADA (Area Dental Advisor) and AMHA (Area mental health advisor). Often, the mission nurse has been a sister missionary called to this service in addition to her proselytizing assignments. The area is now changing to calling qualified local sisters for this assignment. Deliberations have been underway since before our return regarding the re-opening of the Tío Juan Clinic. Progress has been very slow however Elder Taylor, leader of the Central America Area, did come to the clinic as Anita and I gave him and Elder Gelder a tour of the orphanage and the clinic. Elder Taylor has asked that Elder Rich Call and the dentists called to the clinic, work to develop a Memorandum of Understanding which will define his visions of the clinic moving forward with less dependence of the church dentist missionaries and more fully managed and staffed with local dental professionals. That process continues as we attempt to compile an acceptable memorandum. The future of the clinic will certainly be much different from it's past history with a greatly reduced church involvement. The COVID- Pandemic continues to rage through Guatemala which has been the slowest of all the Central American countries to implement a vaccination program. This was due to an early and deceitful swindle by a corrupt middleman promising the Russian vaccine. The money was paid but the bogus broker and the money disappeared. But finally, other vaccines have become available and the effort to vaccinate the country is underway. Elder Wise who lives in our apartment was helping the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints deliver a gift of one million syringes to the Guatemalan Ministry of Health. Delivery into the rural areas will continue to be a big challenge. Government COVID restrictions are strict, there has been a curfew which has changed from 10 to 8 to 10:00 pm. Masks are to be worn everywhere, all the time. Strict restrictions of public gatherings, (church). Cuilapa branch was allowed 10 members in sacrament meetings. Thankfully, many members in this area have internet and can attend via Zoom, which is what we do. The audio of their Zoom broadcast was terrible so we donated a Lavalier clip on microphone which actually helped tremendously. We are going to Cuilapa to do missionary visits with Elder Maldonado and Elder Cua. I helped Elder Cua with a dental problem last spring on Zoom from Utah. Now, finally got the chance to meet him.

I used to complain about the echoing noise of dental handpieces (drills) in this cement walled, tile floored clinic. But it wasn't as loud as the Deafening silence. From all that can be understood now, it's future will never be like it's glorious past with 2-4 Senior missionary dentists hard at work. Good Luck Clinica Tio Juan.

Wayne and Katy Gelder out for a Cheeseburger, Frank and Elizabeth Wise arrival and Zoom broadcast to Belize in our apartment has they hadn't wifi yet.

This un-named elder was having severe mental/emotional troubles and thoughs of suicide. I was asked to escort him home to his family in Panama and professional help which was arranged via the church family services. Good luck Elder. You yet have much service to render in the kingdom. Just a week before I was asked to escort an elder in a similar condition to his home in San Perdo Sula, Honduras. My heart ached for these elders and their families. With the effects of COVID and the confinement, life is not easy for missionaries. President Barney of the Antigua mission told me that he had 14 missionaries who had lost one or more parents in the pandemic. We pray daily for them all.

The Guatemalan Clouds are magical. They can carry me away!!