Click below for: THE MOVIE THAT SAVED MANY LIVES IN VALPARAISO"The Story of Louis Pasteur"Note: Previously this was the Introduction to the Photo/Essay #3 found below
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS FOR PERIOD:
1972
2. PROGRESS REPORT #3 June 1972
3. Authorization letter LDS Financial Department, July 28, 1972
4. PROGRESS REPORT #4 November 1972
5. REPORT/LETTER December 1972
2. PROGRESS REPORT #3 June 1972
3. Authorization letter LDS Financial Department, July 28, 1972
4. PROGRESS REPORT #4 November 1972
5. REPORT/LETTER December 1972
Newsletter #3-MARCH 2016 & Historical Review, Episode 3: 1971-72
PHOTO/ESSAY -- EPISODE 3: 1971-72
THE QUIXOTIC ADVENTURES CONTINUES--
A Great Formula for Success...but Tough Challenges
We'll back up.......pick up two neglected historical items.... then start with January 1971.....
November 1970: #29
Lee and Selma Watts got a Honda Motorcycle, and made a quick visit with us, then got another one for Sister Watts. A yearlong close relationship began with us. It was to intensify by September 1971 as we will see.
November 1970: #29
Lee and Selma Watts got a Honda Motorcycle, and made a quick visit with us, then got another one for Sister Watts. A yearlong close relationship began with us. It was to intensify by September 1971 as we will see.
The trip they made to visit us was taken when only having one motorcycle,
and at a time with the Cultural Hall under construction...
.....seen in the background being added on to the Central House.
and at a time with the Cultural Hall under construction...
.....seen in the background being added on to the Central House.
NEEDED ADDITIONAL MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION
December 23-24, 1970:
Only having one vehicle, that was crucially needed for work, Fernando & Miguel Angel went with me to the city where I bought a Kawaski Trail bike. They drove the jeep back. I stayed at the Overson's and the next day made my first trip on the mud bike, was rained on without proper protection, but made it.
I would use it to to be able to quickly patrol the plantation, make trips to treat the sick, including to outlying villages. The people from the Najquitob Village got together and voluntarily fixed up the trail so I could make it on the trail bike.
Only having one vehicle, that was crucially needed for work, Fernando & Miguel Angel went with me to the city where I bought a Kawaski Trail bike. They drove the jeep back. I stayed at the Overson's and the next day made my first trip on the mud bike, was rained on without proper protection, but made it.
I would use it to to be able to quickly patrol the plantation, make trips to treat the sick, including to outlying villages. The people from the Najquitob Village got together and voluntarily fixed up the trail so I could make it on the trail bike.
Soon, they worked more widening and fixing the trail so we could make it up there in our jeep, making possible showing movies.
I even used the mud bike to make trips to Cunen, and to Guatemala City.
See Item #11-1971
Note: All such references will be for the "Long Version" accessed at the website
Note: All such references will be for the "Long Version" accessed at the website
THE FISH ROUND-UP
With all our emphasis on BEING CLEAN this picture must seem strange!
It was our "brotherhood" at the time of our annual Fish Round-up pulling the head gates and going in with a long net--all sharing in the harvest. By the way, for the Indians work isn't work UNLESS YOU GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY!
1971 BEGAN WITH "VOCATIONAL GRADUATES" AS SUPERVISORS & TEACHERS
See Item #1-1971
MIGUEL MAX
LED THE FLURRY OF ACTIVITY SHOWN BELOW IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE AT VALPARAISO
SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS......
Profit producing business projects were the "capitalistic foundation" of everything, and also served as
"teaching laboratories"
for the vocational education program we called:
"LEARNING WITH A SHOVEL...OR A TRACTOR, OR POULTRY, ETC."
See Item #2-1971
See Item #1-1971
......including the first newly constructed home at Valparaiso....for Miguel Max & family
Note: By the way a "rancho" in Guatemala is not a ranch--like in Mexico, rather a thatch roofed Indian home.
Of course "the mob," of the Central House Family continually grew requiring an extension of the dinning room, and eating in shifts.
Item #1-1971
Item #1-1971
Religious & social activities were continual, in make-shift halls, while we finished the Cultural Hall.
THE COOPERATIVE WELFARE FARM
The co-op farm was very successful, perhaps mistakenly, but innocently, called "The Welfare Farm," that you might imagine had a few people upset, but it motivated the people to work voluntarily and not just helped all eat better, but was a training ground for each family to learn how to have their own vegetable gardens.
Item #1-1971
Representing it's benefit to the people I'll insert below a picture of those participating sharing in the harvest. The picture is from a later period, but represents the same blessing it was to everybody.
Representing it's benefit to the people I'll insert below a picture of those participating sharing in the harvest. The picture is from a later period, but represents the same blessing it was to everybody.
Medical treatment of the sick on and off the plantation, was a daily activity, in conjunction with the Home Visiting program that included weekly visits to all homes and reporting immediately any sick needing treatment. The above montage shows how it developed over years to include our own Clinic, in the Central House, manned by paramedic student graduates, extension of medical services to all the surrounding villages, , and as seen below eventually dental clinics at Valparaiso, and in Patzun.
Item #3-1971
Two graduates of the Vocational Education Program, were especially good at doing medical work, and were employed full-time doing that. Ricardo Cho, seen above treating a young lady in the Valparaiso Clinic, was one of them, as was Pablo Xona. We see them on horseback going into the mountains for several days at a time to treat the sick in isolated villages.
In the middle photo they are treating a sick man in the far off Pambach Village, where over the years we had many development projects.
The third photograph on the right is a simple clinic established in the Najquitob Village, 2 miles above Valparaiso. The Auxiliary Mayor there, Esteban Jor, became a convert to Mormonism and after a period as a vocational student in 1972, became a full-time employee working with cattle, and established in his home a small clinic, with supplies provided by Fast Offering funds, and treated the sick as a volunteer.
Two graduates of the Vocational Education Program, were especially good at doing medical work, and were employed full-time doing that. Ricardo Cho, seen above treating a young lady in the Valparaiso Clinic, was one of them, as was Pablo Xona. We see them on horseback going into the mountains for several days at a time to treat the sick in isolated villages.
The third photograph on the right is a simple clinic established in the Najquitob Village, 2 miles above Valparaiso. The Auxiliary Mayor there, Esteban Jor, became a convert to Mormonism and after a period as a vocational student in 1972, became a full-time employee working with cattle, and established in his home a small clinic, with supplies provided by Fast Offering funds, and treated the sick as a volunteer.
Item #4 1971
Soila Chiquin on January 7th escaped continual abuse when 10 years old, and made her way to the Central House from the Najquitob Village. A few months later--it had to be April or soon after, we see the first picture we have of her--she is the one up front in the light green sweater, in one of the first meetings in the new Cultural Hall. A bit later we'll use a similar picture and explain people seen therein.
Here she is years later using the new Kenmore washing machine.
Soila Chiquin on January 7th escaped continual abuse when 10 years old, and made her way to the Central House from the Najquitob Village. A few months later--it had to be April or soon after, we see the first picture we have of her--she is the one up front in the light green sweater, in one of the first meetings in the new Cultural Hall. A bit later we'll use a similar picture and explain people seen therein.
Here she is years later using the new Kenmore washing machine.
January 10, 1971
I traveled to Patzicia to pick up Daniel & Jose Choc, to be vocational students at Valparaiso.
I traveled to Patzicia to pick up Daniel & Jose Choc, to be vocational students at Valparaiso.
On the return to trip I passed by the Flake's home in Guatemala City and learned I had become:
"THE LEADER OF THE REBELLION!"
The event that created "new gossip & rumors" was considered a bit humorous by me, but word got to some ..... who took it seriously!
The event that created "new gossip & rumors" was considered a bit humorous by me, but word got to some ..... who took it seriously!
See Item #5-1971
Sometime During President Glade's first year:
A FUNNY STORY.....FORGOTTEN....MAYBE OCCURRED AT THIS TIME
One April 6, 2016 when sending an email advising that this Photo/Essay was on the website, I recalled an event that I'll insert here, even though it maybe happened a bit earlier. I quote from my email:
Sometime During President Glade's first year:
A FUNNY STORY.....FORGOTTEN....MAYBE OCCURRED AT THIS TIME
One April 6, 2016 when sending an email advising that this Photo/Essay was on the website, I recalled an event that I'll insert here, even though it maybe happened a bit earlier. I quote from my email:
The story: I talked to President Glade about the criticism, and he admitted that his wife was involved among other gringos in Guatemala City, and said, "I can't shut her up!"
Then all of a sudden we heard that for the first time in 15 years the mission president was coming to visit on a Sunday, and bringing his wife. We thought, "If she has to use our stinky outhouse, she'll just have more ammunition." So we went to work frantically installing the first two flush toilets at Valparaiso in a little building in front of the Central House, complete with a small septic tank designed to at least last long enough for her visit.
As it worked out, President Glade came WITHOUT HIS WIFE, and due to having got up real early, slept through the meeting, and then left WITHOUT EVER USING THE TOILETS! He probably held it to avoid using our stinky outhouse, and once gone from Valparaiso, stopped at the first available corn field!
We had to laugh at ourselves for being so sensitive about being criticized!
There are many exciting, adventurous & even inspiring stories in this Episode. Read & enjoy, and let us know what you think. Thanks for all your help--we appreciate and love all of you!
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NOW BACK TO DANIEL & JOSE CHOC FROM PATZICIA
You see Daniel & Jose Choc above learning to work for the first time in their lives with machinery--using our Honda Garden Cultivator....one that is mentioned as having a power take-off that also in the first years ran our hammer mill used to make our animal feed.
February 1, 1971:
SCHOOL BEGINS AT VALPARAISO
Note: I don't have a picture of our teachers, mentioned below, but insert the one above to represent them....she, Lynn Martin, a short-term volunteer from the U.S. who helped us briefly who I can't find mention of in my writings.
The 1971 School Year began with two "Ladino" LDS teachers from Guatemala City--who were a disaster as they refused to use simple language the children could understand, and didn't really love the Indians. Within a few months they were fired and sent home. So far our first teacher, Zoel Gomez, with only 3rd grade education himself, was our best teacher.
Items #7 & 26-1971
FIRST MAYA/POQOMCHIES BAPTIZED....
The 1971 School Year began with two "Ladino" LDS teachers from Guatemala City--who were a disaster as they refused to use simple language the children could understand, and didn't really love the Indians. Within a few months they were fired and sent home. So far our first teacher, Zoel Gomez, with only 3rd grade education himself, was our best teacher.
Items #7 & 26-1971
FIRST MAYA/POQOMCHIES BAPTIZED....
February 7, 1971:
The first Poqomchi converts to Mormonism were baptized. So far I can't find the photograph of this historic event, so in the meantime I will insert a photograph of the 2nd baptismal service of the Maya/Poqomchi which we'll see later enlarged. But those baptized on this date were:
Miguel Max, Carlos Yat Valdez, Santiago Caal Max, Alfonso Max, Maria del Carmen Bol (Maya/Kekchi), and David Andersen.
The first Poqomchi converts to Mormonism were baptized. So far I can't find the photograph of this historic event, so in the meantime I will insert a photograph of the 2nd baptismal service of the Maya/Poqomchi which we'll see later enlarged. But those baptized on this date were:
Miguel Max, Carlos Yat Valdez, Santiago Caal Max, Alfonso Max, Maria del Carmen Bol (Maya/Kekchi), and David Andersen.
Item #8-1971
TO BATTLE!
That night, we were in a Fireside watching a Church movie, when interrupted by someone running up the driveway, screaming for help.
It was a time in Guatemala when for some reason the price of corn and beans had multiplied and the Indians especially were hurting. A group of Indians surrounding Valparaiso blamed the nation-wide problem on those at Valparaiso who were converting to Mormonism, saying:
"…it's because you're becoming Mormons! Stop, or we'll kill all of you!"
Said Indians were taking advantage of many being at the Fireside and invaded the plantation, and beating old people left to protect the homes against thieves. We turned off the projector and some of us men grabbed something to use as clubs and we were off to battle the invaders.
The above picture isn't from that event...as we didn't have time to think of taking pictures, but it represents us chasing the invaders through the corn fields, and after a fight tied up and took to jail 3 of them (others escaped).
For years I saved my Gant
white shirt--a gift from my brother, Howard, blood spattered and with a ripped
pocket, as a trophy.
Threats continued,
and attendance at Church dropped, except for those living in the Central House,
and two young men who had been my students in the vocational program, but now
full-time employees, Miguel Max and
Santiago Caal Max.
See Item #9-1971
February 8, 1971:
100 ACRES SOLD...
100 ACRES SOLD...
.....a strip along the mostly mountainous northern edge of Valparaiso was sacrificed-- TO MEET URGENT NEEDS. Sold to the veterinarian, Dr. Rolando Flores, for $3,800, used for:
1. A land payment of $2,400, and,
2. For trading in the Nissan Patrol (jeep) for a heavy duty Toyota 4x4 Land Cruiser pickup urgently needed for the work.
This picture was taken a few years down the road after this pickup had worked a lot, and taught dozens of vocational students & employees to drive.
WE SADLY LOST MIGUEL ANGEL
.....who had been the manager of the plantation for several years. Some conflicts evolved from the year before, and then the influence of the two Ladino teachers from Guatemala City created conflicts of interest and made it necessary to let him go. In a sense this was tragic, but Miguel would return as you will see by 1972, and again fill several critical roles....and with his new responsibilities end up finding and marrying his wife of many years.
See Item #12-1971
Miguel Max, the first Poqomchi convert to Mormonism, the first from Valparaiso to get a driver's license, and more......picked up the slack doing double and triple duty.
I began training him in the skills he needed to become the Manager or "Administrador" of Valparaiso....which he soon became.... among many firsts.
See Item #13-1971
March 14, 1971:
VISIT OF SCOTT WHITAKER & BYU MOTION PICTURE CREW
For a number of years the STUDIO was run by Judge Wetzel Whitaker and his brother Scott. Scott wrote the script for movies like, WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, BITTER WIND, and directed others, like ANCIENT AMERICA SPEAKS, that you can see in Spanish on YouTube
VISIT OF SCOTT WHITAKER & BYU MOTION PICTURE CREW
For a number of years the STUDIO was run by Judge Wetzel Whitaker and his brother Scott. Scott wrote the script for movies like, WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, BITTER WIND, and directed others, like ANCIENT AMERICA SPEAKS, that you can see in Spanish on YouTube
They were sent to get movie footage of Indian's needs, and LDS people helping them solve their life
and death problems…… for a movie that would accompany a request for a grant
from the Kellog Foundation for the Lamanite
Development Committee. In taking them
around….. Scott made an off-hand comment to me, "Your share of the grant
could be a million dollars!" ……..a few months later I was informed
that the grant had come, not for the millions they requested--rather for $270,000 but told……."You
will get nothing since……. you are doing
religious proselytizing!"
We
helped them get the grant, then denied any of it.....ouch!
Years
later Floyd Larson, a volunteer with the Lamanite Development Committee, gave me a list of the projects financed by the $270,000, then told me,
"You have accomplished more in Guatemala than all of those 50 projects combined!"
"You have accomplished more in Guatemala than all of those 50 projects combined!"
March 17, 1971:
THE FIRST ACTIVITY WAS HELD IN THE NEW CULTURAL HALL..
...finished enough to use. The first activity was an evening Fireside showing a movie, attended by 80, but I can't find....yet, a photograph of that event. This picture was taken a bit later....after April when Daniel's sister, Carmela (her eye isn't defective...slide damaged by fungus) was with us along with Gonzalo Cujcuj and his sister Carmela. This photo was taken also when visited the by the Watts, coming on their motorcycle.
Note: The consistency in chronology by a couple of months of these events, visits by Watts, etc. are just a tad off, but all did happen. Be patient with my struggle to unravel all of this history and put it in exact order...45 years later.
THE FIRST ACTIVITY WAS HELD IN THE NEW CULTURAL HALL..
...finished enough to use. The first activity was an evening Fireside showing a movie, attended by 80, but I can't find....yet, a photograph of that event. This picture was taken a bit later....after April when Daniel's sister, Carmela (her eye isn't defective...slide damaged by fungus) was with us along with Gonzalo Cujcuj and his sister Carmela. This photo was taken also when visited the by the Watts, coming on their motorcycle.
Note: The consistency in chronology by a couple of months of these events, visits by Watts, etc. are just a tad off, but all did happen. Be patient with my struggle to unravel all of this history and put it in exact order...45 years later.
MANY VISITORS.....
This was a large group of Evangelicals from the Guatemala City area who asked our permission to have their camp on the property and be able to use the lake for the Easter Week holiday. They were granted their desire, only requiring that they "LEAVE NO TRACE!" of having been here....no garbage, etc. They got much more than bargained for.....
.....as we invited them to an evening activity in which we showed them a Christ oriented movie .....except that the photo below was taken of them years afterwards.....as they came every year--except for 1981 to 1985 when the Guerrilla War made it too dangerous. Many friends were made and positive comments about what they saw happening. Note: I say, the photo below was years afterwards, when, rather than 16 mm. movies, we used a VCR and television.
ONE KEY VISITOR: Steve Carter.....
..., spent a number of days visiting and observing, and informed me that, along with many who supported what we were attempting to do, there was also a group of negative voices. After much discussion, in which he listed a whole bunch of official Church programs today, that started as private initiatives, and encouraged me to persist and be of influence, he concluding:
..., spent a number of days visiting and observing, and informed me that, along with many who supported what we were attempting to do, there was also a group of negative voices. After much discussion, in which he listed a whole bunch of official Church programs today, that started as private initiatives, and encouraged me to persist and be of influence, he concluding:
"Your approach has the ring of truth to it!"
Steve admitted that others were saying,
"Andersen is ahead of his time!"
I agreed, but believed that if there was ever to be a harvest, someone had to begin preparing the ground and planting the seeds.
NOTE:
Having just finished hearing the Church's General Conference (April 3, 2016) it is refreshing to see how far Mormondom has come, now with
World Wide Humanitarian Services, and
exhilarating programs for vocational/educational aid and small business development, none of which existed in 1971.
Of course I like to believe, that, YES, we were an important
PREPARATORY WORK with many seeds sprouting over the years.
Steve admitted that others were saying,
"Andersen is ahead of his time!"
I agreed, but believed that if there was ever to be a harvest, someone had to begin preparing the ground and planting the seeds.
NOTE:
Having just finished hearing the Church's General Conference (April 3, 2016) it is refreshing to see how far Mormondom has come, now with
World Wide Humanitarian Services, and
exhilarating programs for vocational/educational aid and small business development, none of which existed in 1971.
Of course I like to believe, that, YES, we were an important
PREPARATORY WORK with many seeds sprouting over the years.
See the fascinating details of Steve's visit at: Item #16-1971
NOW IS AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO ENTERTAIN THE QUESTIONS:
Is there need of doing something among the Indians?
Among those who are LDS? Are we as a people doing enough?
THE WATTS WERE SHOCKED AT WHAT THEY FOUND IN PATZICIA....
.....among the LDS many with 10-15 years as members.
.....among the LDS many with 10-15 years as members.
See Item #17-1971 for many details
OF KEY IMPORTANCE:
A DESCRIPTION OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT FAMILY IN THE PATZICIA AREA AT THAT TIME......below is the Pablo Choc home at that time.
THIS WAS SO CRUCIAL I'LL INSERT HERE A FEW PARAGRAPHS:
I'm referring to the family of Daniel--his father
being Pablo Choc, the District President:
His home was of adobe, basically dirt, as was the floor, their cooking
fire up off the floor, but an open fire that filled the home with smoke and
painted the walls black. They had no
outhouse, but just took care of corporal needs outside in the courtyard,
cleaned up by the chickens and the rain or turned into dust and blown everywhere.
None of his barefoot children were attending school, which they resisted as the
schools were run by Ladino's and there was a hateful relationship between the
two ethnic groups.
Their lives were based on agriculture, the main crop
being corn. All work was done with giant
hoes, a machete and a planting stick, which required long hard days--dawn till
dark--always arriving home late and dead tired.
For survival the parents needed their children to work with them, with
little or no time for education, and time dedicated to their religion was a
scarce luxury they really couldn't afford.
They did not understand the importance of their Sacred Book, and lacked
seriously correct understanding. A test
chapter, I Nephi 22 was found to have more than 20 key words they did not
understand, even though most of the men claimed to be able to read, and only
one of them claimed to be able to read their dialect--Cakchiquel. For example
the word "apostasy" was understood by all of them to be
something positive associated with the "apostles;" and "perverse" was interpreted
as being something "strong!"
Pablo and other leaders
seemed to understand their need of cooperativism,
but due to failures in prior attempts to help them--by people out of their element, they had lost faith in pursuing
it again. To this point 15 years had passed since the Gospel was introduced to them...with very little if any change.
Eight (8) LDS babies died during the 30 months period from mid-1970 to the end of 1972!
Note: The Pablo Choc home pictured above with its adobe walls, dirt floor, etc. was totally turned to dust in the Great Earthquake of 1976, the roof crashing down and killing Sister Choc and the little daughter seen in the photograph.
Note: The Pablo Choc home pictured above with its adobe walls, dirt floor, etc. was totally turned to dust in the Great Earthquake of 1976, the roof crashing down and killing Sister Choc and the little daughter seen in the photograph.
See Item #17-1971
March 18, 1971:
A SPECIAL LIFE SAVED!
Our 16 month old precious
little Marcia, who became my "ReiNITA,"
or "Little Queen," was
having the time of her life, walking since before her 1st birthday, and
exploring everywhere…..and everything.
One day, in the covered patio that had become our chicken dressing
facility, as well as where we had giant pots with which we made cheese, she
somehow fell headfirst into a pot full of whey and was drowning! Nine year old Josue Franco, luckily noticed two little legs coming out of the whey
and kicking like crazy. He pulled her
out, saving her life. That was just the first of three times she should have
drowned…..I'll get to the others later.
NEW VOCATIONAL STUDENTS FROM PATZICIA
Some progress was being made with Daniel's father, Pablo Choc, so he accepted his son's suggestion that his sister, 14 year old Carmela come to Valparaiso, and through her influence an LDS friend, Carmela Cujcuj wanted to come too, but the friend would only accept if her brother, Gonzalo could also come.
April 1, 1971:
So off I went to Patzicia and brought back the Carmelas, and Gonzalo Cujcuj.
So off I went to Patzicia and brought back the Carmelas, and Gonzalo Cujcuj.
See Item #19-1971
So, here are the Carmelas, Daniel's sister above, and Gonzalo's sister below
Below, along with others of the Central House Family, the Carmelas are venturing into the water and learning to swim for the first time in their lives.
Below we see Gonzalo & Daniel later on working with the corn de-grainer or sheller to make feed for the poultry.
THE OPPOSITION DOESN'T GIVE UP...
"...the Andersen's DUNDERHEAD kids!"
Here's one of them, DAVID, picture a few years later, being helped by brother Richard & his crew of Central House brothers.
In addition to going to the Valparaiso School, David did his English correspondence courses and tutored Richard. By the time of this picture, he was in charge of the rabbits....that increased as rabbits do...to 400. Previously he was in charge of the School's 200 Laying hens that for a time he had producing 120% --that the experts said couldn't be done!
See Item #20-1971
Above we see him, at 8-1/2 years old, keeping the laying hen's records, and accounting...and anytime fish were needed he could go get what was needed, along with his brothers.
We've already detailed some the incredible things Julie was doing. In my historical writings I mentioned Julie, David & Cristina, saying: "Dave says the most mature, and thoughtful prayer, and is now
teaching his brothers, Richard and Joey, and with no coaxing, coaching, or
enticing, always stands, as does Julie,
in Testimony Meetings. Cristina wasn't
too far behind in her growth and development.
We are proud of all of them!"
See Item #20-1971
April 1971
THE "INFANT MAFIA"
Eight hauled off to jail....the judge awarding us the 5 minors, converting the Central House into a "Reform School for Juvenile Delinquents," in addition to all the rest.
See Item #21-1971
April 1971
CATTLE RUSTLERS
CATTLE RUSTLERS
As though dealing with a "mafia" wasn't enough.....for the 2nd time rustlers took a cow & calf from our pastures! We had to put an end to it once and for all.
Miguel Max, we see below in a livestock show, shared his expertise how to end it. We put together a posse and went after them into the mountains to the south. It took us days at a time for a whole week chasing leads.....
We discovered hidden trails tunneling through the heavy foliage....discovered clandestine sites where cattle had been slaughtered.....learned of cattle taken south towards Rabinal at night, with pieces of old blankets tied around hoofs to leave no cattle trail......a week later we had the rustlers in jail and recovered our animals....but then had to take care of one rustler's family, whose children attended our school.
For the exciting details see Item #22-1971
May 1971
IMPORTANT...TAKE PABLO CHOC & WIFE TO VISIT
Brother Choc, who we see below years later when we helped him and his son, Serapio , establish a broiler business in Patzicia to be able to help support Daniel as a fulltime missionary, his son had been with us for about 4 months, his daughter for just over 1 month, and I felt it was important to take Pablo and his wife to visit Valparaiso and see how their children were blossoming....so I picked them up and we drove to Valparaiso.
IMPORTANT...TAKE PABLO CHOC & WIFE TO VISIT
Brother Choc, who we see below years later when we helped him and his son, Serapio , establish a broiler business in Patzicia to be able to help support Daniel as a fulltime missionary, his son had been with us for about 4 months, his daughter for just over 1 month, and I felt it was important to take Pablo and his wife to visit Valparaiso and see how their children were blossoming....so I picked them up and we drove to Valparaiso.
Many important things happened on that trip that you can read about at the reference below.....But for now let me say how thrilling it was to take them on the grand tour of Valparaiso with Daniel driving the Toyota pickup!
Pablo had been very concerned about his children losing some of their traditions, but it was becoming obvious that some of them needed modification which was happening at Valparaiso as they all of a sudden were free and guided in making wholesome changes that would bless their lives...all reminiscent of something printed many years ago in the....
The Millennia Star, XVIII 91856….
"....to deliver the honest poor…from
localities…where every avenue to rise in the scale of being to any degree of
respectable, joyous existence is forever closed, and place them in a land where
honest labor and industry meet a suitable reward, where the higher walks of life
are open to the humblest and poorest…."
By that time all the Patzicia students had given their first speeches ever in Church, and each had important callings for the first time & much more.
See Item #24-1971
May 1971:
NON-LDS COUPLE VISIT & COMMENT....
A non-LDS couple all of a sudden came visiting, and asked if they could stay a few days in their camper and observe what was going on. We of course welcomed them, had them eat with us often, and talked endlessly about what we were doing, why, and what was being achieved. When they left they said:
"We've traveled all around Mexico,
Guatemala and Latin America and have never seen nor heard of Mormons doing
anything like this." He then stopped me cold by asking, "Where are the rest of the
Mormons? Don't they believe
in the same gospel and statements of men you say are prophets?"
See Item #24-1971
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Important Historical Details
Read items #25 & 26-1971
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June 4, 1971:
I was asked by DR. James o. Mason,
Director of LDS Church Health Services,
to take him & President Glade on a
tour of Valparaiso & Cunen.
We arrived at Valparaiso and immediately had to drive to Najquitob
to do two medical treatments.
Dr. Mason and President Glade saw first-hand the conditions most Indians lived in that
"were incubators for disease and death!"
They watched me do the two treatments. Dr. Mason's reaction was:
I was asked by DR. James o. Mason,
Director of LDS Church Health Services,
to take him & President Glade on a
tour of Valparaiso & Cunen.
We arrived at Valparaiso and immediately had to drive to Najquitob
to do two medical treatments.
Dr. Mason and President Glade saw first-hand the conditions most Indians lived in that
"were incubators for disease and death!"
They watched me do the two treatments. Dr. Mason's reaction was:
"To treat children that seriously ill would require all the medical
skill and facilities of the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake, and even with that they wouldn't have much of a chance to survive!"
In the evening we had our Friday movie showing
educational movies to a full cultural hall…… with 87, Our guests were then bedded down in
one of the narrow bunk beds David and Agustin had built…..something like the one we see below.....
…Dr. Mason chose the bottom bunk, which almost spelled
his doom as during the night a sort of husky President Glade and his bed…..
collapsed on top of Dr. Mason! Dr. Mason
took it all in good humor, but I don't think President Glade ever forgave me!
The next day drove the rough backcountry road….. to Cunen ……saw what AYUDA
was doing with a sort of negative reaction...
.... and then we continued on to Quetzaltenango…
I had to return quickly to Valparaiso as Maria was, as the Bible says, "big with child" due any day.
For more detail see: Item #27-1971
IMPORTANT NOTE: By 1974 & 1975,
when we were finally able to make trips
back to the U.S. Dr. Mason became a real cheerleader for what we were doing,
setting up 4 hours of discussions with those in charge of Welfare Service
missionaries--in efforts to make effective their program, and then a slide presentation
to the
Church Welfare Committee
(The Presiding Bishopric, Relief Society
Presidency & Dr. Mason and an aid),
and then a presentation in the
auditorium of the Church Office Building.
The details will be of great interest
in the next Episode.
June 5, 1971:
MY PARENTS ARRIVED IN GUATEMALA CITY BRINGING A USED VW BUS....
.......donated by the Foundation, along with my sister Jolene, and a BYU student volunteer for the summer, Karen Liles. They had got through carrying all kinds of stuff, like a new 16mm. movie projector, 38 movies, etc.
See Item #28-1971
NOTE: The above impressive picture wasn't the bus they brought, rather a used version which we were very grateful for. For the first time in 4 years we had a vehicle for family use, as well as for work.
I got up at 5:00 AM on the 6th and raced to the city getting there just as they were leaving. We drove in caravan to Valparaiso.
I got up at 5:00 AM on the 6th and raced to the city getting there just as they were leaving. We drove in caravan to Valparaiso.
They were to be with us 8 days, and got a great feel
for the "crisis to crisis"
life we were living. Karen was to mainly
help Maria with the children, especially
with their Calvert School correspondence courses, but helped out with a little
of everything in our busy Central House, as well as doing some of the driving
to Coban with produce, and on errands when us guys were real busy. She would remain until September 1st.
NOTE: I can't find a photo of her....sorry!
June 8, 1971:
EXPLORERS & LEADERS ARRIVE FROM OAKHILLS II WARD, Provo, Utah BRINGING A WELL USED 7.5 kw DIESEL GENERATOR
It filled a whole long-bed pickup truck. Accompanying them was a BYU Guatemalan student, Mario Salazar, who somehow smooth talked Mexican and Guatemalan border officials getting it to us. It had been donated by the owner of a trading post on the Navaho Rervation in Arizona.
We had received the measurements and had a cement foundation all ready for it. To finally get it to work, we had to hire a mechanic to work on it for a week.
Rick Brimhall, who led the group had brought a tape recording of President Wilkenson's Commencement address on May 28, 1971 in which he gave us mention for doing what BYU graduates should go out in the world and do.
One of the boys, son of Paul Felt, who had just been called to be President of the LDS Southwest Indian Mission, wrote his son telling him to:
It filled a whole long-bed pickup truck. Accompanying them was a BYU Guatemalan student, Mario Salazar, who somehow smooth talked Mexican and Guatemalan border officials getting it to us. It had been donated by the owner of a trading post on the Navaho Rervation in Arizona.
We had received the measurements and had a cement foundation all ready for it. To finally get it to work, we had to hire a mechanic to work on it for a week.
One of the boys, son of Paul Felt, who had just been called to be President of the LDS Southwest Indian Mission, wrote his son telling him to:
"……oberve carefully what they are doing, as those same kinds of
things
we'll have to do on our mission, if we are to be successful."
we'll have to do on our mission, if we are to be successful."
All in all, there was excitement in
the air at Valparaiso!
See Item #29-1971
June 9, 1971:
DANIEL ANDERSEN WAS BORN AT THE COBAN NATIONAL HOSPITAL
weighing 8 lbs. It was Maria's most difficult birth of the 7 children.
July 1971:
LDS Magazine THE ENSIGN, special edition on Indians has an article about us representing Indians south of the border:
VERY CRUCIAL HAPPENINGS DURING THESE MONTHS, BUT NO PHOTOGRAPHS...go to Items #32, 34-36-1971 for details.
August 1 & 11, 1971
Well known cattleman from Arizona, Evan Ellsworth, visits ...
...with interest in cattle business, and after hiking our mountain of new grass, said:
"YOU'LL SOON HAVE NEED OF MORE CATTLE!"
See Items #36 & 37-1971
A BOMBSHELL ANNOUNCEMENT....
See Items #36 & 37-1971
A BOMBSHELL ANNOUNCEMENT....
Evan Ellsworth left for the U.S. on August 18th, his parting words being those quoted above.....later that day the veterinarian, Dr. Flores, gave us the bombshell news that the largest dairy in northern Guatemala, Lecheria Las Victorias, was in foreclosure and had to be sold quickly....we were the only property in the area capable of absorbing a dairy almost overnight--exactly what we needed to be able to employ more people, and exploit to the maximum the property--in addition to adding another half a dozen important teaching laboratories for vocational education. So after months of me negotiating with the owner, Oliverio Guerrero, doing research, working personally in every aspect of the dairy & forming a list of mistakes being made....we could correct, a miraculous deal was made for us to take over on February 2, 1972.
For details, see Items #38, 39, 56-60
IN THE MEANTIME......
September 1, 1971:
Fernando Mora, a volunteer with us for nearly a year, leaves on his Mission to Central America, we agreeing to provide his support.
See Item #40-1971
Lee and Selma Watts join us to be productive for the last 4 months of their mission.
See Item #41-1971
September 5, 1971:
EXCITING ENCOURAGEMENT FROM
APOSTLE SPENCER W. KIMBALL
&
FIRST POQOMCHI MISSIONARIES SET APART
Early Sunday morning, the VW Microbus...just finally got out of Customs, was loaded with passengers Miguel Max, Carlos Valdez, the Watts, Karen Liles and Julie, with me as chauffeur, making it to a Stake Conference in Guatemala City presided by Elder Kimball.
Afterwards Miguel Max and Carlos Valdez were set apart as local missionaries, the 1st Poqomchies, by President Glade. I was authorized to set apart Daniel Choc and Gonzalo Cujcuj, as the first Cakchiquel missionaries for the LDS Church.
I then had a private interview with Elder Kimball who expressed excitement over everything we were doing, and warned me not to get discouraged and advised me to
....be strong as there will be some that will be critical of what you are doing, just as anciently Ammon and his companions were "laughed to scorn" by their own people for their desire to spend their lives as missionaries among the Lamanites--the Indians of their day."
See Item #44-1971
September 15, 1971
VALPARAISO GETS A TRACTOR & IMPLEMENTS
A $5,000 check arrived from the Foundation to which the business added $740 & we had a Ford 2000 Tractor with implements.
Daniel, we see in the above photograph, was chosen as my first student to learn its use with all implements, and its maintenance. He became the Tractor Supervisor and began teaching students & employees, those learning from him coming to 26 by the time he returned to Patzicia in early 1973.
See Item #45-1971
September 19, 1971
"THE GUERRILLAS ARE HERE!"
By this time period the Watts were with us and making wonderful contributions. We see them below in the dinning room....
....but the night in question they were with us in our evening Family Hour with the whole Central House Family.....when the Toyota pickup came racing up the driveway, screeching to a halt, and Miguel Max & Gonzalo burst in yelling,
"The Guerrillas are Here!"
There were a half dozen of them, bearded, armed with sub-machine guns, led by a blond fellow......
Brother Watts, an ex-Marine immediately responded, saying,
"Let's go, Cordell, and check those guys out!"
That night I felt it best to take the humble route and we kneeled in family prayer.
The next day Lee and me went to Coban. From a friend, got him a .38 revolver, and the Army gave me a card authorizing me to carry any weapon as a "Secret Agent" and I acquired some high velocity hollow point bullets for my rifle.
Eventually I acquired much better weapons, but actually our only protection was what we were doing.
The Army sent 8 plain clothed Special Forces guys for a week patrolling at night, but the greatest excitement was 8-1/2 year old David ambushing the soldiers!
For the fascinating details see Item #47-1971
September 26, 1971
THE RELIEF SOCIETY ORGANIZED AT VALPARAISO
See Item #48-1971
November 5, 1971
VISITORS...ESPECIALLY JIM PENROD & KIDS
PLUS....and a BIG PLUS
A NEW PARTNER: FLORENCIA
Above we see Jim & some of his kids, along with Florencia, on the left, and Maria and I. Jim was of primary influence in getting Florencia to Valparaiso from Cunen.
She first became the overseer of the School, and eventually the SUPERVISOR OF THE CENTRAL HOUSE,
serving in that capacity for quite a few years. In the Church she became President of the Primary....to say the least she was a life saver!
Here she is a couple of years later with some of her school children, most of them living in the Central House, including some of our kids: David, Cristina, Richard, & Joey
Note: Years later she married Gonzalo Cujcuj, who after his period as a student, became a fulltime employee. Eventually they moved to Patzicia where they still reside.
November 5, 1971
THE SECOND HARVEST
Those baptized in this fourth baptismal service at Valparaiso, but the 2nd with Maya/Poqomchies from Valparaiso, were:
Jose Caal, Pablo Xona, Pedro Tul, Miguel Caal, Esteban Caal, Ricardo Cho, Victor Macz, another Miguel Caal, and Agustin Jul.
Others in preparation to be baptized soon, were:
Esteban Jor, Julian Jor, Pablo Choc, Feliza Jul de Caal, Carmelina Caal, Rosalia Jul, Margarita Max, Cristina Andersen, and Carmelina Valdez.
December 22, 1971
THE WATTS LEAVE FOR THE U.S ON THEIR TWO MOTORCYCLES
Sorry I don't have a picture of them with their two bikes.
Somehow, Lee, concealed his .38 revolver that was never discovered passing through Mexico, and on to Salt Lake City and home. We were so grateful for so much they did to help, and would be sorely missed.
It was clearly demonstrated that fine people like them when plugged into the right situation, with good support, based on correct principles, were incredibly capable of doing great things.
See the important details at Item #49 & #54-1971
THEN.....
That night we were gathered in Family Hour when someone yelled,
"THE BARNES ON FIRE!"
We went to work as a family...and could have used the Watts, and also the vocational students from Patzicia--who had gone home for the Holidays....so with what we had we went to work--losing the corn harvest, but saving the barn!
It's a pretty grubby looking crew (and photo), but that's the way we were after putting the fire out the first time....then all of a sudden we had to go do it again! After that some of us took turns guarding the charred ruins all night to make sure there wouldn't be a 3rd!
Details at Item #54-1971
December 31, 1971:
MIGUEL ANGEL RETURNED WITH A HUMBLE ATTITUDE.....
.....AGAIN HE WAS WHO WE NEEDED FOR THE UPCOMING FRANTIC YEAR
OF ABSORBING
LECHERIA LAS VICTORIAS
For the year ending details and preparations for a GIANT LEAP FORWARD.....
,,,,,go to Items #55-#61, 1971
December 31, 1971
I was still not comfortable with the name.....
The Cordell Andersen Foundation
I recommended again it be changed....but it would take a tough situation to finally do so in 1973.
See Item #62-1971
1972
APOSTLE SPENCER W. KIMBALL
&
FIRST POQOMCHI MISSIONARIES SET APART
Early Sunday morning, the VW Microbus...just finally got out of Customs, was loaded with passengers Miguel Max, Carlos Valdez, the Watts, Karen Liles and Julie, with me as chauffeur, making it to a Stake Conference in Guatemala City presided by Elder Kimball.
Afterwards Miguel Max and Carlos Valdez were set apart as local missionaries, the 1st Poqomchies, by President Glade. I was authorized to set apart Daniel Choc and Gonzalo Cujcuj, as the first Cakchiquel missionaries for the LDS Church.
I then had a private interview with Elder Kimball who expressed excitement over everything we were doing, and warned me not to get discouraged and advised me to
....be strong as there will be some that will be critical of what you are doing, just as anciently Ammon and his companions were "laughed to scorn" by their own people for their desire to spend their lives as missionaries among the Lamanites--the Indians of their day."
See Item #44-1971
September 15, 1971
VALPARAISO GETS A TRACTOR & IMPLEMENTS
A $5,000 check arrived from the Foundation to which the business added $740 & we had a Ford 2000 Tractor with implements.
Daniel, we see in the above photograph, was chosen as my first student to learn its use with all implements, and its maintenance. He became the Tractor Supervisor and began teaching students & employees, those learning from him coming to 26 by the time he returned to Patzicia in early 1973.
See Item #45-1971
September 19, 1971
"THE GUERRILLAS ARE HERE!"
By this time period the Watts were with us and making wonderful contributions. We see them below in the dinning room....
"The Guerrillas are Here!"
There were a half dozen of them, bearded, armed with sub-machine guns, led by a blond fellow......
Brother Watts, an ex-Marine immediately responded, saying,
"Let's go, Cordell, and check those guys out!"
That night I felt it best to take the humble route and we kneeled in family prayer.
The next day Lee and me went to Coban. From a friend, got him a .38 revolver, and the Army gave me a card authorizing me to carry any weapon as a "Secret Agent" and I acquired some high velocity hollow point bullets for my rifle.
Eventually I acquired much better weapons, but actually our only protection was what we were doing.
The Army sent 8 plain clothed Special Forces guys for a week patrolling at night, but the greatest excitement was 8-1/2 year old David ambushing the soldiers!
For the fascinating details see Item #47-1971
September 26, 1971
THE RELIEF SOCIETY ORGANIZED AT VALPARAISO
November 5, 1971
VISITORS...ESPECIALLY JIM PENROD & KIDS
PLUS....and a BIG PLUS
A NEW PARTNER: FLORENCIA
She first became the overseer of the School, and eventually the SUPERVISOR OF THE CENTRAL HOUSE,
serving in that capacity for quite a few years. In the Church she became President of the Primary....to say the least she was a life saver!
Note: Years later she married Gonzalo Cujcuj, who after his period as a student, became a fulltime employee. Eventually they moved to Patzicia where they still reside.
November 5, 1971
THE SECOND HARVEST
Jose Caal, Pablo Xona, Pedro Tul, Miguel Caal, Esteban Caal, Ricardo Cho, Victor Macz, another Miguel Caal, and Agustin Jul.
Others in preparation to be baptized soon, were:
Esteban Jor, Julian Jor, Pablo Choc, Feliza Jul de Caal, Carmelina Caal, Rosalia Jul, Margarita Max, Cristina Andersen, and Carmelina Valdez.
December 22, 1971
THE WATTS LEAVE FOR THE U.S ON THEIR TWO MOTORCYCLES
Somehow, Lee, concealed his .38 revolver that was never discovered passing through Mexico, and on to Salt Lake City and home. We were so grateful for so much they did to help, and would be sorely missed.
It was clearly demonstrated that fine people like them when plugged into the right situation, with good support, based on correct principles, were incredibly capable of doing great things.
See the important details at Item #49 & #54-1971
THEN.....
That night we were gathered in Family Hour when someone yelled,
"THE BARNES ON FIRE!"
We went to work as a family...and could have used the Watts, and also the vocational students from Patzicia--who had gone home for the Holidays....so with what we had we went to work--losing the corn harvest, but saving the barn!
It's a pretty grubby looking crew (and photo), but that's the way we were after putting the fire out the first time....then all of a sudden we had to go do it again! After that some of us took turns guarding the charred ruins all night to make sure there wouldn't be a 3rd!
Details at Item #54-1971
December 31, 1971:
MIGUEL ANGEL RETURNED WITH A HUMBLE ATTITUDE.....
.....AGAIN HE WAS WHO WE NEEDED FOR THE UPCOMING FRANTIC YEAR
OF ABSORBING
LECHERIA LAS VICTORIAS
,,,,,go to Items #55-#61, 1971
December 31, 1971
I was still not comfortable with the name.....
The Cordell Andersen Foundation
I recommended again it be changed....but it would take a tough situation to finally do so in 1973.
See Item #62-1971
1972
Note: From here on the summary of history won't be
so much of a day to day narrative,
rather focus on broader themes and historical subjects of critical importance
described with a paragraph or more covering each, sometimes encompassing a number of years to
its conclusion, that will be explained
here in detail as this is the LONG VERSION For more information and detail go to the HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS page to read the BYU TODAY
article, "BYU Graduate Cordell Andersen--Combination Livingston,
Schweitzer," Foundation's Progress Reports, & my December Report/letter.
Albert
Schweitzer, said:
It is not enough
merely to exist. It's not enough to say,
"I'm earning
enough to live and to support my family;
I do my work well. I'm a good father, I'm a good husband, I'm a good
churchgoer,"
That's all very well,
but you must do something more. Seek
always to do some good, somewhere. Every
man has to seek in his own way to make his own self more noble and to realize
his own true worth. YOU MUST GIVE SOME
TIME TO YOUR FELLOWMAN.
January 1 to February 2, 1971:
THERE WAS A BEEHIVE OF ACTIVITY
Business Projects, Vocational & Primary Education, Altruistic Projects--by this time all being done by volunteers from among the Mormon converts & vocational students--including extension to the surrounding villages, as depicted in the following montages:
Above are some photographs seen before, plus others that would be part of the dairy we would take over on February 2, 1972, then operate in Coban for 1 year--while building new facilities at Valparaiso, and then on February 2, 1973 move everything to Valparaiso.
As seen below the shop was greatly expanded and was another teaching laboratory for students, where we were constantly building outhouse floors, furniture for schools in the villages, and for our use. The welding shot didn't actually happen until 1976 when Hal Poulsen and his wife joined us for 6 months--among other things Hal bringing the welder and other tools...we'll say more about that later.
Last of all, with the "mob" of people at the Central House, we had desperate need of an adequate potable water system, and so we found a spring half way up the mountain to Najquitob and purchased it and installed a mile long water line down to Valparaiso ending at the top of the hill high above the Central Hous, and there constructed a water cistern, seen above, with a capacity for approximately 28,000 gallons and from there ran water lines all over the plantation.
And daily there were medical services extended to the needy who would come to Valparaiso, and others performed in homes when the Home Visitors advised us of sickness. Extension to the villages by our native paramedics were constant and through them partnerships were formed in villages where eventually we helped them build schools and clinics.
February 2, 1972:
THE VICTORIAS DAIRY....LA LECHERIA LAS VICTORIAS
The original asking price for the dairy was $55,000, but that was finally lowered to $45,000, plus the owner added a prize herd of pure blood Jersey heifers, and additionally a 2nd set of equipment to do artificial insemination (his plan was to build another dairy business with those heifers and artificial insemination--but rather than loose everything he came our way so totally it was another of those "miracles") $30,000 would be owed the bank, but they wouldn't accept me as Valparaiso was already mortgaged. So to make the deal, Oliverio Guerrero, the owner, talked his co-signer, Antonio Prado (who was the previous owner, and a Director of the bank) into being my co-signer, Oliverio also agreeing to co-sign, and leave two of his properties as collateral on my debt! All I had to do was pay the 1971 un-paid interest on the loan, $3,351, and the loan was transferred to my name.
Then I paid $5,000 to Oliverio, he needed for severance pay to his employees, leaving a balance of $8,000. I asked when we could meet with his lawyer to make a contract for that debt. He reached out his large hand to shake mine, and said,
"Just a handshake is enough as I trust you!"
For details, see Items #58-60, 1971 & Item #2-1972
I had to ask him,
"Why do you trust me so much?"
To see why, go to Item #59-1971
THERE WAS A BEEHIVE OF ACTIVITY
Business Projects, Vocational & Primary Education, Altruistic Projects--by this time all being done by volunteers from among the Mormon converts & vocational students--including extension to the surrounding villages, as depicted in the following montages:
At the Central House we show here some things that hadn't developed yet by the beginning of 1972, but they would soon in the future, like: To the left, 6 mothers & children that were suffering abuse and took refuge with us; In the middle group picture are shown 3 volunteers, back row, from Guatemala City who joined us...a couple to hopefully escape certain evils, and one, Hugo Galvez, who we would also send on a Mission for the LDS Church as we had done with Fernando, and last Dr. Carl Jacob and his wife, Julia who would also join us for a couple of years & continue as partners in Foundation work; The last picture is of 9 very sick people brought to us from the isolated Pambach Village, who were with us in intensive care until healthy again.
A year or so later one of the new vocational students was Felix Rosales we see above in the middle, who, along with his companion, Miguel Chub, joined as from the isolated village of Tanchi, in the Municipality of San Pedro Carcha, to the east of Coban. They became converts to Mormonism and helped establish an LDS branch in their village. Felix went on to become the first full-time Maya/Kekchi missionary for the Church. Miguel Chub will be seen later, as he became one of the first ever in Guatemala District Welfare Service Missionaries who accompanied me in the great Chulac Adventure from 1976-79. The picture of the tractor on the right is years later after the tractor had taught innumerable students how to operate it, and it suffered a lot looking like it had been through several wars--which it had!
February 2, 1972:
THE VICTORIAS DAIRY....LA LECHERIA LAS VICTORIAS
The original asking price for the dairy was $55,000, but that was finally lowered to $45,000, plus the owner added a prize herd of pure blood Jersey heifers, and additionally a 2nd set of equipment to do artificial insemination (his plan was to build another dairy business with those heifers and artificial insemination--but rather than loose everything he came our way so totally it was another of those "miracles") $30,000 would be owed the bank, but they wouldn't accept me as Valparaiso was already mortgaged. So to make the deal, Oliverio Guerrero, the owner, talked his co-signer, Antonio Prado (who was the previous owner, and a Director of the bank) into being my co-signer, Oliverio also agreeing to co-sign, and leave two of his properties as collateral on my debt! All I had to do was pay the 1971 un-paid interest on the loan, $3,351, and the loan was transferred to my name.
Then I paid $5,000 to Oliverio, he needed for severance pay to his employees, leaving a balance of $8,000. I asked when we could meet with his lawyer to make a contract for that debt. He reached out his large hand to shake mine, and said,
"Just a handshake is enough as I trust you!"
For details, see Items #58-60, 1971 & Item #2-1972
I had to ask him,
"Why do you trust me so much?"
To see why, go to Item #59-1971
February 3, 1972:
TO WORK MILKING AT 3:00 AM
DOOR TO DOOR DELIVERIES AT 4:00 AM
DOOR TO DOOR DELIVERIES AT 4:00 AM
&
BEGIN SOLVING ALL THE PROBLEMS
See Item #3 & #4
February 1972:
ALL CALVES, HEIFERS & DRY COWS WERE TRUCKED TO VALPARAISO
and TURNED LOSE ON THE BEST PASTURES THEY HAD EVER KNOWN
and TURNED LOSE ON THE BEST PASTURES THEY HAD EVER KNOWN
See Item #7-1972
February 1972:
1st "AGRICULTURAL MISSIONARY"
Daniel Noorlander, ARRIVES IN GUATEMALA. He was a world re-nowned dairy expert who had revolutionized the industry in the U.S. Logically he assumed he would be helping the only LDS group in the country that depended on a dairy. Someone was wrong, and he was assigned to Patzicia, but he didn't give up easily and sneaked in a quick trip to visit us anyway.
Daniel Noorlander, ARRIVES IN GUATEMALA. He was a world re-nowned dairy expert who had revolutionized the industry in the U.S. Logically he assumed he would be helping the only LDS group in the country that depended on a dairy. Someone was wrong, and he was assigned to Patzicia, but he didn't give up easily and sneaked in a quick trip to visit us anyway.
He put his gauge on one bucket and said,
"That bucket is costing you $8,000 a year!"
I already suspected that the vacuum pump wasn't powerful enough to operate 4 buckets, and had removed one, and with only 3 buckets got through milking the herd 30 minutes faster. I understood that milking the cows faster would reduce irritation, and inflammation and begin eliminating sub-clinical mastitis, I suspected was in almost all of the cows. For Dan, I put all 4 to work so he could analyze the system as it had been, and I was proved right.
We eventually tested all the cows and discovered that 80% of the quarters in the herd were infected. With only 3 buckets working and with the new inflations, the mastitis was gradually eliminated and production began rising dramatically.
Dan wasn't permitted by the Mission to help us, so we decided to help him in his projects in Patzicia, eventually donating to him our Honda Garden Cultivator, a hammer mill, poultry and hauled over to Patzicia two prize pregnant heifers, one Brown Swiss, and the other Jersey. I'll do my best to find photos of this as soon as possible.
A long time friendship was established with Dan. I quote from the long version of the history
Eventually he
felt it was critical to have someone who knew agriculture in Guatemala, was
familiar with suppliers in the country, and who
knew the Indian people and the health situation in Guatemala, be employed by the
Church to supervise and manage the work of the Welfare Service Missionaries so
they could become efficient and productive. I was told that he recommended
me, but by that time I had become perhaps just a little too
outspoken, or not a very good politician, or at best just a "dirt
farmer…and novice," …..or too much of a don Quijote type! Of
course I was rejected as being too controversial.
Four years
later, in 1976, he who started the criticism against us became a friend,
the Mission President, and enthusiast supporter who asked me to begin training
at Valparaiso all new Welfare Service Missionaries for periods of two months so they would know how to be productive before being assigned around Guatemala. We
started with the first pair, and began building three homes to house the couples.
Then there was a change of mission presidents……...
To be told in the next episode.
See Item #5 1972February>>>throught the year 1972:
BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW DAIRY WITH:
1. Milking parlor
(with a new more powerful vacuum pump),
2. A milk processing room
3. A cold Storage Room
4. A building for a new Lister 7.5 kw diesel generator
5. A new potable water system just for the dairy area
6. Five new homes for all of the dairy workers.
Below is pictured the generator that would run the dairy and provide electricity for the five homes......until a few years later when line electricity finally came into the area. The generator would then be for emergencies, like when the Great Earthquake hit Guatemala in 1976 leaving us without line electricity for more than a month.
For info see Item #6-8 1972
March 1972 to December >>> and beyond:
Twenty-six year old mother, Juana Caal, walked for miles through the mountains to the south to get to Valparaiso, carrying in her arms her daughter Josefina, who we began calling CHEPINA.
Juana then returned to her isolated village and brought her older daughter, Teodora. Within six months Chepina was healthy, & happy, was her mother and sister, Teodora. We see them on the right next to Florencia, in this picture along with other needy mothers and their children we had at the Central House during that period.
Juana then took her daughters back into the mountains. About six months later I was visiting homes on the plantation using my mud bike, and at Nicolas Jul's rancho found the door open. I knocked but no one appeared, but I heard a muffled groan inside and entered to find Chepina in very bad shape. I immediately gathered her in my arms, and on the bike we returned to the Central House and quickly took her picture you see below....with a typical case of Kwashiorkor, "protein deficiency syndrome" in addition to other nutritional and intestinal problems.
Typically she didn't want to eat or drink normal foods, but jumped at a vanilla sandwich cookie, and heartily drank the Orange Crush we had laced with the medications she needed. Within a few months we see her below, happy and healthy again. This time she remained with us....we could say in a sense, "forever!"
Chepina grew up with us in the Central House, received her education and now lives in Coban with her business of selling Used American Clothes. In 2001 she gave birth to a son, David, but it was a difficult birth and she wasn't expected to live, and wanted me to raise David. So for the his first 30 days he slept at my side in my big bed.
But, Chepina survived and raised her son, who today is studying on the Junior High level. Aura, my adopted daughter has lived with them while pursuing her university education. The Foundation has helped them in times of emergency as we consider Chepina one of the many Foundation children. David and Aura have received some scholarship help from the Foundation. All three of them call me "Papa Cordell."
See Item #9-1972
March to May 1972:
ADVISED THAT THE OLD GOSSIP REARED ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN.....
Some individuals, hearing of all the agro-business activity, began talking assuming I had to be using Foundation donations to build myself "a business empire!"
In correspondence with my father and the Foundation I never was told exactly who the people were spreading such rumors. I sent word that anyone who wanted could come and examine our accounting....but apparently they didn't want to learn the truth.
The Foundation suggested we organize legally in Guatemala a non-profit organization.
A small still voice shouted in our ears,
"ALL ALTRUISTIC ACTIVITIES ARE ALREADY BEING DONE BY A GROUP OF HIGHLY MOTIVATED VOLUNTEERS DUE TO THEIR MEMBERSHIP IN THE LDS CHURCH. WE ARE DONATING ALL WE CAN AS FAST OFFERINGS & DOING THE WORK. THE CHURCH IS OUR NON-PROFIT INSTITUTION."
+
"EXPENSES WE COULDN'T HANDLE OUT OF OUR DONATIONS, WERE PAID FOR BY A GROUP OF OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS FROM THE U.S. THROUGH THE FOUNDATION."
OUR FORMULA FOR SUCCESS APPLICABLE EVERYWHERE!
As instructed,
"WE HAD FOUND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK!"
THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO STOP THE SUCCESS, BUT I WROTE TO ELDER SPENCER W. KIMBALL......and went through months of waiting...
See Items #10-13, 1972
April 2, 1972
FOR EASTER WEEK PATZICIA WANTED A BIBLICAL MOVIE.....
The girls at the film agency gave me one they said was biblical....maybe as a joke or ambush for a Mormon. It was:
"THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN" .. "LAS SANDALIAS DEL PESCADOR"
with Anthony Quinn
The movie began without me having a clue what it was about....but I soon learned it was a very Catholic movie that I was showing in the Mormon Cultural Hall.
See Item#14 1972
The DVR container you see below didn't exist then as I was using 16mm. movies, but I had to do some pretty fast talking with the microphone to help them learn some important lessons and not think I was promoting Catholicism in the Mormon chapel.
....but, wouldn't you know it, my luck was to have President Glade of the Mormon mission drop by and sneak in the back to see what was going on....
.....shocked of course to find that Cordell Andersen was showing a Catholic movie in the chapel....he left without saying anything, but convinced that I was pretty bad medicine...on top of being "Leader of the Rebellion," etc. and he had just heard that our LDS group at Valparaiso was, according to a visiting bureaucrat from Salt Lake City telling him, that "Cordell is using the Church financial system for [some kind of] financial gain!"
I WAS SUNK!
However.....
August 1972:
APOSTLE KIMBALL REPLIED & THEN CAME THE DECISION WITH AUTHORIZATION TO GO FORWARD WITH OUR FORMULA FOR SUCCESS...meaning receiving as an LDS Group a donation from the Foundation to help finance our work to help the needy & produce a blossoming of the Indian people.
The deteriorated letter follows:
The scanned copy is hard to read, but basically says:
Dear President Glade,
"Even though this is a special situation, we see nothing amiss with
Brother Anderson handling it on the monthly financial report form as he is now
doing, following controls that are exercised for any other branch…….etc.
And last paragraph,
"If the above is being done, even though the nature of some of the
income and most of the expenditures may be different from that of most
branches, we still see no reason why they cannot use the same reporting system
as is used for other branches." Signed by, Udell E. Poulsen, Assistant to the comptroller, FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT
August to December 1972:
A SHOUT OF JOY COULD BE HEARD ALL OVER
VALPARAISO & THE GROUP WENT TO WORK LITERALLY DOING MIRACLES ENDING THE YEAR WITH AROUND 70
BLESSED & BAPTIZED MEMBERS SURPASSING 100% ATTENDANCE & DONATING TO THE
CHURCH MANY TIMES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT BY THE CHURCH ON THE GROUP.
Some details can be found in the two
Foundation "Progress Reports"
and one "Letter/report"
found in the HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS section on the website.
See Items #15-18, 1972
December 31, 1972:
AT YEAR'S END, 30 MONTHS WERE COMPLETED WITH
NO INFANT DEATHS, OR DEATHS OF ANY KIND, at Valparaiso,
compared to 24 deaths during the previous 3 year period. Eight (8) LDS infants
died during this period in Patzicia.
March
to May 1972:
HUGE DEVELOPMENT AT THE DAIRY---ELIMINATING BOTTLING OF MILK, DOOR TO DOOR DELIVERIES & CREDIT
SALES.
For Important details, see Item #20, 1972
December 1972:
SURVIVED
THE FIRST YEAR WITH LECHERIA LAS
VICTORIAS, INCLUDING COPING WITH AN
EPIDEMIC OF "VISICULAR
STOMATITIS--VS" AMONG THE COWS
THAT SHOULD HAVE RUINED US!
Important details at Item #19, 1972
DURING THE YEAR NEW DAIRY FACILITIES WERE CONSTRUCTED, ALONG WITH FIVE HOMES FOR THE DAIRY WORKERS.
All of the work of building all the facilities, and preparing to move the rest of the dairy to Valparaiso was accomplished by selling most of the herd of cattle, that didn't have the potential as milkers, that had grown to around 100.
Here we see one of the "healthy homes" for those who would work at the dairy. Santiago Caal Pop is mowing the lawn around his new home. He was one of the first vocational students who a little later, would become the supervisor of the dairy managing the milking and the processing of the milk.
This is the interior of his home that has a wood stove, a shower room, and a pila, with water supplied from the new potable system installed in that area.
December 31, 1972:
PREPARATIONS ALMOST COMPLETE TO MAKE THE BIG MOVE OF THE MILKERS & ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT TO VALPARAISO ON February 2, 1973.
PLEASE DO ALL YOU CAN TO HELP US MAKE THIS
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY YEAR
A GREAT ONE!
PLEASE DO ALL YOU CAN TO HELP US MAKE THIS
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY YEAR
A GREAT ONE!
