It has been another wonderful week in Guatemala. I can't describe the joy we feel from being involved in the work of the Lord. Friday evening we went to the temple with our assigned ward, Barrio Santa Luisa. I worked with the few brethren who came to do baptisms for the dead with the youth of the ward while Sister Smith did a session with some of the women of the ward. There was a great spirit in the baptistery as there always is; and I enjoyed doing the ordinances in Spanish for the first time in more than 40 years.
While we were waiting outside the temple for the bishop to arrive with the youth recommend, Brother Bernabe Suret and I had some time to visit. He is the first counselor in the ward, and a humble, hard-working man. He builds houses for a living, and he builds them from the ground up-- he is skilled in concrete, plumbing, electrical, roofing, painting, and every other construction trade. I was saddened to hear what has happened to the construction business in this country over the past decade. In earlier times a builder could make Q2,000 per week plus bonuses doing construction work. But since about 2004, the business has collapsed and now these skilled workers make barely Q600 per week with no bonuses. It is very difficult for them to survive on such meager wages. I pray that these oppressive conditions will change so that these good men can earn a decent living for their families.
Today we attended Stake Conference for the Molino Stake. Elder José Maravilla, an Area Seventy from Nicaragua, was the visiting authority, and he gave a very inspiring account of his conversion to the gospel. He grew up in very small town in Nicaragua, and ran a small business doing oil changes on cars. When he first was exposed to the Church, he attended his first sacrament meeting in a small, "horrible" rented house with very few members. He told of being curious and anxious to see what was covered by a white cloth at the front of the room. When the American missionary pulled back the cloth, he saw both the emblems of the Savior's sacrifice, and he was so anxious to partake of them. He explained that as a child in his former church he had repeatedly asked why he could not partake of both emblems of the sacrament. When the elder blessed and distributed the sacrament, he offered the emblems to everyone except Mr. Maravilla. He told how crushed he was when he could not partake. Later the elder explained to him that he must first be baptized to make these sacred covenants. He told of the inexpressible joy he felt after his baptism when he and his wife and their child partook of the emblems of the sacrament for the first time. He said he has never missed an opportunity to partake of the sacrament since that time. May we all love the sacrament as this humble servant does and partake of it gratefully with a broken heart and contrite spirit at every opportunity.
Elder Maravilla next told us of his trial as a new member when he was taught about keeping the Sabbath day holy. Sunday was his busiest business day, when he made more money than all the other days of the week combined. He was in competition with a bigger, more established business across the street, and when the elders told him he needed to close his business on Sunday, he was sure that if he did so his business would fail and he would not be able to provide for his family. He took the matter to the Lord, and in faith, he closed on Sunday. His competitor ridiculed him about his decision and sought to take away his customers, but Elder Maravilla's business did not fail. The Lord prospered him. He made an offer to buy the larger building on the corner that belonged to his competitor, but the man said he had no need to sell to him. Elder Maravilla said he prayed to the Lord that he would give the man a need! For two years he saved, and one day, the man came to him and said he had a need and wanted to sell the building to Elder Maravilla. He bought the building, improved his business, and this main corner in his small town became known as Maravilla corner. It became the junction of two main roads between neighboring communities, and everyone referred to the junction as Maravilla corner. Elder Maravilla testified that he was blessed and prospered, because he kept the Sabbath day holy and kept his covenants, partaking worthily of the sacrament each and every Sunday.
It sounds like brother Suret works for someone else building homes. I wonder what it would take to start building on his own? $78/week is about half to one third what construction workers are getting in Mexico. It's hard to imagine how a family makes it on $78/week in the modern world. I know a member of the bishopric in Valladolid who has a degree in Industrial Engineering and works for about $170/week. I'm going to try and hire him to work for Solar Symphony.
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