Getting the Senior Missionary Zone Back Together

Since our arrival in Guatemala on the 18th of June 2021, the second senior couple has arrived. Elder Wayne Gelder and his wife Kathy arrived on July 8th. Elder Gelder has been serving via Zoom as the Executive Secretary for President Brian Taylor, area President. He is also de facto Zone Leader of the senior missionaries. They live three floors above us and we have enjoyed visiting, shopping and worshipping with them since their arrival. Elder Gelder served in Guatemala as a young missionary and over the years has been involved in translating the Book of Mormon and Temple ordinances into the K'iche language. He and Pres. Taylor have a long history of church service together in a Bountiful stake. Next week Elder Frank and Elizabeth Wise will be arriving from Oregon. They have been called to serve as humanitarian service missionaries in the areas of temporal service and self-reliance. Sister Wise was originally from Mexico and Elder Wise has been a branch president of a Spanish speaking branch for years and years. They speak Spanish in the home. Needless to say, language will be no barrier for them. This is our Area Senior Zone:

They are from Upper Left: Kenneth and Joyce Jones, Mentah Health Area Advisors, Wayne and Kathy Gelder, Exec Secretary, John and Marilee Sorensen, AMA, Kenneth and Denice Wade, AMA, Dan and Sue Cole, ADA, Frank and Elizabeth Wise, Humanitarian Service, Brian and Anita Spendlove, ADA. July 25, 2021 Guatemala COVID report. There has been a upturn in the rate of COVID spread in the country and restrictions have been increased. The entire country is in the "Red" condition. Sacrament meetings are limited to 11 people now so we are back to attending via ZOOM. Luckily the Quilapa branch manages this very well. Although we could attend, that may preclude someone else from attending. Those who have no priesthood in the home should have priority for their access to the sacrament. I have terrible tennitus and significant loss of hearing in some frequencies. I am kicking myself for not getting hearing aids before we left. I struggle with Spanish and Spanish over ZOOM is.....painful. Speaking through masks does not help. What a gift is good hearing. Clinic Dental Tio Juan The decision to open or close the dental clinic will be made next month when President Taylor returns from July vacation. Either way, we are anxious to find out more clearly what are duties will be. Every day or so we get a couple of dental case referrals from across the central America area and we try our best to help the missionaries get to the dental help they need. Rainy Season From May to September is the wet time of year here. About every other day we have had good soaking rain. It is refreshing and beautiful. The ride to Cuilapa seems much more vertant than we recall, and it was green then. We keep umbrellas in the trunk of the car along with rain jackets. Haven't be caught yet but the Gelders got soaked one afternoon.