Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission

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Hi, and congratulations! The Quetzaltenango (a.k.a. Xela) mission is a GREAT mission to serve in.

The boots question is a good one. When I was there, I saw a variety of different types of boots on missionaries. Basically you have two seasons there; the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season begins around April or May and doesn't stop until late October or early November. This means that you have two things to contend with--mud (lodo) and dust (polvo).

The mud, when it's loose, is thick like pudding. When it's packed down (like on the many jungle trails you'll travel), a slippery, green, thin film of moss grows on it. You'll want extra traction for that. It looks harmless, but it's just like (I think worse than) ice. One minute you'll be walking, the next minute you'll be lying flat on your back and staring up into the face of your laughing companion.

The dust gradually becomes very much like the consistency of flour and the ground can be deceptive. You'll be walking along on what looks like a flat, dust-covered road when WHAM! Your foot goes into a dust-filled pothole. The dust accumulates in those potholes and is flat on top, but hides the hole beneath. Therefore, you'll want hightops of some kind, both for ankle support and to keep dust from getting into your shoes as you're walking. But get boots that can "breathe" as the coastal areas get really muggy and your feet can heat up pretty fast.

Speaking of dust, carry a handkerchief with you for when you're walking on a dusty road and a truck blows by, bathing you in a cloud of it. That way you can cover your mouth and nose so as to not breathe in the dust.

Hightops also help when its raining hard and the streets turn into rivers. You'll have that much more height to the shoe to keep water out as you wade through puddles and small streams (this is where the GoreTex waterproofing is particularly handy).

Oh! Umbrellas. Don't buy one before or at the MTC. Wait until you get to Guatemala. They sell them cheap in the market (mercado). You'll want the BIGGEST one you can find because the tiny foldup ones don't do squat when the wind is blowing and the jungle rain is dumping down on you. The big ones give you a wider field of coverage so that your legs only get wet up to your shins or so. When you're not using your umbrella, you can carry it like a walking stick (or you can beat away the dogs with it, if needed). =-)

You'll be doing A LOT of walking (especially if you go to the Momostenango zone), so make sure the soles on the boots you buy can handle the wear and tear. If you can find boots with a 3/4" to 1" thick pure outsole (not counting the insole) then you should be fine. Make sure that you get the right size for your foot and that there is adequate arch support and padding to reduce aching feet and blisters. Buy some of that hiker's moleskin for those times when blisters do arise. I wish I had had some when I was there.

If you're a size 11 or 12, you won't have much luck buying shoes in Guatemala. People's feet there are tiny (usually only up to size 10 men's at the biggest). Once I was lucky to find a K-Mart reject surplus sale, but even then I only found a pair of great 11 1/2 Caterpillar-brand steel-toed workboots. I'm a size 12. Doh!

If your shoes run out of rubber, though, there is at least one cobbler in every town. You might get a retread from a Firestone tire, but that's better than nothing. Many times they have normal soles available, though.

Suits: That depends. When I was there, I had two suits, one of which sat in a suitcase I had stored at the mission home. I NEVER wore suits proselyting, though I heard a rumor that the missionaries in some places were required to wear suits shortly after I left...but that was after 1995.

You'll definitely need at least one suit on hand for when you go to zone conferences, baptisms, and interviews. When I was there, suits were not generally required for transfers (unless you're going home).

If you have the lucky fortune of becoming an A.P. (ha ha) then suits are very necessary because you're always with the President. Zone leaders tend to have to wear suits too since they're in more meetings with the President. But even the Zonies and the Asistentes wear regular proselyting dockers and short sleeved shirts when they do get a chance to do their own proselyting.

I'd say, take 2 suits just in case and then see if you can store one at the mission home. That way if you get called as a Zonie or A.P., you'll have what you need. If not, then you only have to haul around one suit.

Don't buy one of those double-breasted, perfectly tailored, silky-thin fabric (and expensive) suits that the Temple Square missionaries wear. The middle-of-the-line JC Penney all-purpose suit (made of a fabric that can handle more wear) is just fine. The reason suits aren't worn much during proselyting is simple. Why ruin a perfectly good suit while clambering up muddy (or dusty) jungle (or highland) roads?

Oh, and you'll be losing weight, too. So don't be surprised if the suit hangs a little funny on you after a few months of being in the field. Enjoy THAT while it lasts. *sigh*

Some things that I wish I would have done? I wish I would have brought a suitcase that was sturdy enough to handle being chucked up onto the top of a "chicken bus" and tossed back down again without the handle breaking. What a pain it was to carry around a suitcase with a broken handle.

Oh, and speaking of suitcases riding on the tops of chicken buses, make sure to get a fairly waterproof bag (or use weatherproofing spray for cloth suitcases). When it rains, it pours. When it rains at 45 mph down a jungle mountain, well, things just get really wet.

On transfers you'll be walking a bit to get to the bus or to get from the bus to your new apartment. If you're in Momostenango, you might be walking several miles (as the houses are sparsely distributed among corn fields) to get to your apartment. So be sure that whatever you carry as your main suitcase of stuff can be thrown up onto your back "Guatemalan style" as you walk.

One problem that I had as I left the MTC and went into the mission in terms of "stuff" to carry? Books! They used to give you SO MANY BOOKS and binders and other stuff that your already full suitcase begins to look impossible to fill with anything else. Not to mention heavy once you get the books in there too. Now that the more compact "Preach My Gospel" guide has just been introduced, the number of books should be reduced somewhat, but you may also still be bringing your own supplementary books. My advice? If someone in your family can meet you at the airport before you go, have them take a bunch of stuff home with them. The only things I ever truly needed when I was there was my Missionary Guide (for morning study), my Spanish scriptures (though I did find it refreshing once in a while to read in English, and the Spanish Bible has no topical guide), my discussions, and maybe one or two books like the Missionary Pal (indispensible, actually), Jesus the Christ, and Marvelous Work and a Wonder. Most of the other stuff was just extra deadweight that I had to lug around (and eventually threw away). "Preach My Gospel" has so many good resources in it that you probably will do fine with just that and your scriptures.

Take good notes in your Spanish instruction and then, if possible, leave your language books at home or in the mission home. They do you absolutely no good in the field. When I got there I could understand about 20% of what people said to me because their vocabulary and accent is different from what you were taught from "gringos" and from the language books.

Myth #245: You can't buy decent toiletries or replacement clothing (such as white shirts, socks, and slacks) in Guatemala.

Truth: Nonsense. Before the MTC I bought a year's supply of shaving cream, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair gel (why I thought I needed THAT, I'll never know), etc. Only later to find that everything I needed I could buy at the Pais mall in downtown Xela (highlands) or in Coatepeque (on the coast). Sure, it was a little more expensive, but not nearly as bad as in the States...and I could have avoided lugging that stuff down there in the first place.

The key to living in Guatemala is "Simplify, simplify, simplify." People there live simply, so why shouldn't the missionaries? With that in mind, I wish that I had found just one bag to carry everything between transfers (without it being ridiculously large) so that I didn't have to maneuver multiple suitcases. That's one reason I stored a bunch of stuff at the mission home.

Simplicity applies when proselyting, too. I found I was happiest, and more able to leap onto a bus at a moment's notice to get to an appointment on time, if I carried only my scriptures and small book of discussions in an over-the-shoulder, waterproof bag like this one or maybe even this one if you absolutely need something bigger.

The one that I had was about the size of a box of Grape-Nuts cereal (though thick enough to hold my books). Leave any large recordkeeping books or binders like the Area Book in your apartment and write stuff in a mini notebook and on your handy Missionary Daily Planner to transfer to it later.

Carry a little wirebound, shirt pocket notebook to write down any words you hear, but don't understand, as you proselyte. At night, look them up and write out definitions. Pay attention to the lyrics of the music blasting out of people's windows in the street (but DON'T succumb to the temptation to buy and listen to it!) It's probably not much in harmony with mission rules to do that, but, at least as a greenie, it's one of THE BEST ways to learn the language as the people speak it. BUT BE CAREFUL!! Always double-check meanings of words with a native speaker to be sure that you're not repeating vulgarities from songs you've heard. Doing this, I was able to comfortably converse on my own after about 3 months in the field.

Another caveat when it comes to language, especially body language and manners:

NEVER...

• ...get up in the middle of a friendly discussion and leave abruptly because you have another appointment coming up on your schedule. While this may be acceptable in the United States, it is highly offensive in Guatemala. Anticipate your departure in advance enough to be able to gradually and gracefully bid farewell to your hosts in a way that will not leave the impression that you have someone else more important to meet with.
• ...speak English with your companion or others in front of people who do not speak it. In situations where you're in a group of missionaries who understand that there is no deception occurring, this may be acceptable (however, be judicious in doing this). But in almost all situations, someone is going to either feel left out or conspired against. Always consider how you would feel if you were in the non-english speaker's shoes.
• ...make jokes with little kids or their parents about being "from the CIA" unless you are 100% positive that they will understand it as a joke. This is a very touchy subject among many in Guatemala as the attempted overthrow of the Guatemalan government by the CIA in the 1980's resulted in many, many deaths at the hands of the new government.
• ...refuse an entire plate of food, even when you're completely overflowing from the generosity of the hosts from a previous visit to another house. Do the best you can at eating as big of a portion as you can possibly handle and then (as politely as possible) explain that the generosity of your current hosts as well as that of the previous hosts is very much appreciated, but that you're very full. This isn't guaranteed to work every time, but our stomachs are only made to hold so much. :)
• ...play the game of "Got Your Nose" with little kids (where you tuck your thumb between your index and middle finger). That gesture is considered obscene. Don't ask me what it means. I know what it is, but you'll eventually come to know.
• ...gesture for anyone to come to you by motioning with the fingers pointing upward and curling back as is commonly seen in the United States. This also can be considered obscene as it is associated with solicitors of prostitution and with pedophiles. Replace this gesture by motioning with the hand and fingers pointed downwards. As a side note, missionaries should only have contact with children when the parents are present, and the new rule is that no missionaries are to pick up small children, regardless of whether the parents are present. Sad, but it is meant as a guard against false witness.
• ...gesture toward someone by pointing all five fingers forward (not common in the U.S., but some people may have developed such a habit anyways). This is equivalent to the "one finger salute", except that, when done on purpose, it is meant to be derisive of the mother of the person on the receiving end. You shouldn't have to worry too much if you have a habit of using your hands this way when you're talking to a group and simply trying to enunciate your words, but try to remove this habit from your mannerisms, just to be safe.

• ...say "buen provecho" (boo-EN pro-VAY-cho) right before digging into a meal (optional) and when you are finished (required).
• ...say "buen dia/buenas tardes/buenas noches" to folks on the street that you walk past (if you're not already engaged in conversation with your companion, that is), especially if someone says it to you. Just common courtesy. :)
• ...make eye contact and be upbeat. Otherwise people think you're being deceptive, that you don't believe your message is true, or that you don't really think the person you're speaking with is important. If this is a problem for you now due to acquired speaking habits or it's just part of your personality, you'll have plenty of opportunity in the MTC to work on it. Ask the Lord for help as well.
• ...make an effort to be happy, even if things aren't going well. If you're not happy, chances are you're going to have a hard time keeping the Spirit and being an effective missionary. I know it's impossible to expect 100% happiness for 2 years, but do the best you can. The Lord will find ways to give you experiences as you work that will fill in what you're missing. Remember what President Hinckley's father told him when he was down, "...forget yourself and go to work."
• ...make an effort to enjoy these two years to their fullest, even if you can't seem to get your companion out of bed on time. Forgive him his faults as you would have him forgive you yours. Encourage him to do better in a way that you would like to be encouraged yourself.

I hope I haven't scared you out of wanting to go to Xela with talk of beating away dogs and dust and rain and chicken buses. I wouldn't trade those experiences for ANYTHING! They're what helped me to feel closer to the Savior as I considered the magnitude of the sufferings that He went through during His mission on the earth. The least I could do for him was to get my feet wet (or dusty) and get to work.

Sincerely,

Rob Watson
Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission Alumni site administrator