the nitty gritty

So after all of these posts about our travels in Guatemala. Here is the nitty gritty…the main attraction…the essence of why we went. Jeff's dad has a gift. You only have to be around him for a short time before you feel captivated by his knowledge and his ability to share it and teach it with such enthusiasm and love. I was aware of this gift long before I met Jeff. Lucky for me, it is still very much a part of my life.

For years Jeff's parents have taken people to visit Guatemala to share their knowledge, feelings, and insights about some proposed areas where the Book of Mormon might have taken place. When they decided to take another tour, we jumped at the chance. Not only to spend time with family, but also to take a peek at some of the amazing archeological sites in this part of the world. It was nothing short of stunning to behold.

As Jeff's dad, the master teacher that he is, taught us and shared experiences all along the way, we came away with a feeling. Not that this was absolutely positively the place that the events in the Book of Mormon took place, but with a feeling of love and connection for those people and prophets and testimonies that are contained in that book. We felt a renewed excitement to study and to search for inspiration and guidance, and to be better parents, and better missionaries, and better followers of Christ. We are better people for having experienced it all.

So here is a large slew of photos of once again…the nitty gritty.

Our visit to Izapa…we walked along a long dirt road, braving the humidity, heat, sweat, and bugs to visit a truly amazing place. Along the road were small homes, clothes drying in the sun, cocoa trees, animals, and babies.Yes, babies! As I peeked through the trees, I saw a sweet little girl in her crib. What an unusual sight to see! I couldn't wait to show this photo to my own children to help them see life in a different world than theirs.

When we finally made it to the end of the long road, we had the opportunity to see the Tree of Life stone or Stella 5. I've heard about this stone for years. It has always intrigued me and still does.

More stones with stories to tell.
 

And an area that perhaps could have told one of the greatest stories ever–an appearance of the Savior to the new world…at a temple where believers had gathered. Who knows if it happened here? But in any case, I know it happened. And I can add my testimony to those believers who prayed and waited and hoped that he would come as the prophets had said. I can only imagine the indescribable peace they felt when their faith became a sure knowledge. I think I felt a glimpse of that peace here. 

Then there was Tikal. You know the adventure of the plane ride already. It was worth it (I can say that now) to see the remnants of a great civilization. Greater I'm sure than my mind can comprehend. We walked through a dense jungle (complete with monkeys swinging overhead, and "watch for jaguar" signs) for almost a mile until we saw a large clearing. I looked up and immediately these towering edifices took my breath away. I wonder what life might have been like here at the height of it's day. I also wonder what it could have been like at the fall of such a civilization as grand as this one.   

This one's called the Temple of the Masks. Pretty cool name.

Climbing, hiking, discovering, admiring, listening, learning, and running for cover as the skies turned a dark grey and released enough water to sail the ark. A tropical rainstorm is nothing to trifle with. It was quite the day!