On the Road to Cobán

GUATEMALA TRIP DAY #2

11/28/15

GUATEMALA CITY

COBAN

Woke up early for an INCREDIBLE breakfast at the hotel. We went on the patio and could see the GREEN mountains in the distance. The breakfast buffet was huge - mom and I tried a little over 5 of the ~30 different food choices. I loved the melon juice and the grilled chicken rolls. Mom was so excited to see some familiar foods from her mission to Honduras and got a little emotional in the restaurant. :)

We spent 5-6 hours in the bus driving through some of the most incredible beautiful areas I’ve ever seen! Sharp mountains, covered in green lush, fog & clouds rolling down the sides of the cliffs. So much agriculture. Passing through so many villages on the sides of cliffs (like Jerome), I lost count of how many we passed. Mom kept getting teary - remembering her mission and the people. She is soaking up EVERY moment! I wish the family could see her SO excited! We stopped a couple of times (once for a delicious mango freeze desert). I could have done that ALL day - the views were out of this world, breathtaking. It was surreal -

Our hotel in Coban is PERFECT! Mom and I were giddy as we walked through the little courtyard, up the tiny cement staircase to our little room. The hotel is so tidy with flowers in the courtyard, mismatched bedspreads, a ‘sunroof’ in our shower, and a couple bars of soap. I took a video of mom giving the tour - she is THRILLED! We love this hotel (so much better than our 5 star one last night, hands down)! Mom (surprise, surprise) is already good friends with Flaura Americana and Carlos who work here. :)

We have the street right outside of our window. One of the neighbors has an open roof top that the kids played soccer on. Our little shower was a little sketchy - we were warned not to touch it while standing in water, but there is a 'skylight' above!

Mom and I went out this afternoon to go to the bank and get food. We walked all the way down to the mall and found a wonderful real (& safe) food place there. Megan, Whitney and Jared were there from our group. Megan and I know each other from our time in the deaf YSA ward and from working in the same department at the Church Office Building. She is a dear friend!

Megan and I

Tonight, we went as a group to the mall and performed there! Oh my goodness, it was wonderful!! The Kekchi people would clap after each song and tons of them would congregate around us (especially in the last place we sang at - in front of a bank). They were absolutely amazed when Mike would speak Kekchi. :) (Reminded me of the Hungarians on my mission - they were always so shocked that we would take the time to learn their language.)

When we began the impromptu performance, there was a woman (Delila) who was so into our singing, leading the applause and even singing the words with us by the end. I went up to her right after and she told me (in Spanish) that she would really love copies of the music - she directs a choir at her Catholic church. I brought her to Mike and he told her about the Kekchi hymnbook with 200+ hymns. She was SO excited, she clapped and thanked God and blessed Mike and I. I just kept getting teary - thinking of ALL who would be blessed by that Kekchi hymnal that Mike translated - to have hymns in THEIR language!

We held a hymnbook for her at the hotel that night - we told her to meet us there. It got later and later and because it's dangerous out, Mike thought she probably wouldn't come. But she came!! We each wrote in her book and Mike spoke Kekchi with her and her husband, Leon. She also brought us food that she had made. So kind!

​​My favorite photo from the day. :)

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#Guatemala #Coban #LDS #ldsnomad #travel #kekchichoir #guatemalacity #DestinyYarbro