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.