First Performance

Our second day in Guatemala, Rachel and I spent the morning shopping and visiting. We were able to spend a few more hours with members of the ward in Ermita before we finally had to meet up with the rest of the choir at our hotel, El Barcelo. 

We were so touched by the kindness of the ward members. We had planned to call a taxi to come and pick us up in Ermita and take us to the hotel, some thirty or so minutes away. Like here, gas is very expensive in Guatemala, especially when you take into account the much lower average income in Guatemala, so we wouldn't have dreamed of asking someone to give us a lift, though if we had asked I'm sure we would have had a line of people willing to do us the favor. Plus, most people in Guatemala don't even have cars. As far as I know, only five or six members of the ward in Ermita have family cars, and most of these definitely would not pass inspection in the US. But when Byron Colindrez, the father of the family who was recently sealed, found out that we were headed into the city he insisted that we let him drive us. It was a wonderful gesture and a great sacrifice on his part. 

When we arrived at El Barcelo, Rachel and I both had to laugh a little bit. Our group was gathered in the lobby, spread out all over the chairs, couches, and even the floor. Their red eye flight had been much longer than ours and they had only recently arrived at the hotel. Everyone was looking a little bleary-eyed and not talking much, but they were still enthusiastic and excited to have finally arrived after all these months of preparation.

We gathered our things and left for the stake center at which we would be performing. This was the first time I realized how jaded I had become to everything that had been so shocking to me when I had first arrived in Guatemala, two years ago. Many of the members of our tour group had visited foreign countries, though few had seen such impoverished third world countries as this, and a couple had never left the country at all. The lethargy I had noticed when we first met up with our group evaporated; suddenly everyone was jabbering, pointing things out to other people, noticing things that I took for commonplace, like the police in full body armor, the game of street soccer we interrupted when we parked our tour buses outside the stake center, the barbed wire and heavy chain-link fence surrounding the chapel, and the outdoor courtyards rather than indoor hallways of the meetinghouse.

The choir at our first performance in Guatemala City.

This first performance was at the behest of the area presidency, who requested we perform at least once in the capital city for those Q’eqchi’ who had relocated from the areas we would visit later on.  The turn out was not large, but it was quality: a few Q’eqchi’ families were there, as well as a number of Guatemalans who did not speak Q’eqchi’ but had heard a choir was coming and were interested to hear us sing. In addition, the mission president, President Watts, had given permission to attend to any Q’eqchi’ speaking missionaries who had been transferred to the Capital. Especially exciting was the presence of President Watts and his wonderful wife, as well as the president of one of the other missions (the south or central mission, I believe, though I no longer remember which), and Elder Amado of the area presidency and his wife.

We rehearsed for about an hour, and then stopped about fifteen minutes before the fireside was to begin, though the start time was pushed back another half hour or so to allow for latecomers. In that time, with nothing else to do, I went around with a few other members of the choir and greeted those people who had arrived and were waiting patiently for the fireside to begin. They were mostly members interested to know more about the choir, how we had gotten involved, and what all we would be singing. They were warm, polite, and very happy to see us. 

All of the returned missionaries in the choir, along with the current mission president and his wife.

Of special excitement for me was the opportunity to greet President and Sister Watts, who had served during the last six months of my mission. They were both happy to see me and asked lots of questions about how I was doing. Weirdly, seeing them and giving Sister Watts a big hug was not dissimilar to the feeling I got the day I got off the airplane and hugged my own mom, at the end of my mission.

Finally, the fireside got started, and people continued to trickle in as we sang. I think we sounded pretty good, though I must admit I was terribly nervous! I don’t like being on stage, and I especially didn’t like being front and center in the choir, where I knew everyone could see me. But we did our best and sang well. Most importantly, I think the Spirit was definitely present.