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DETAILED ITINERARY: Day 4 -
Saturday
We have a border crossing back into Guatemala from Honduras. Again, Paco takes care of the passport and document formalities. What a service this is! On the way to and from Copan we also will find Obsidian Glass along the way. Paco gives us insight on how it was used anciently to perform intricate surgery. The incisions healed well because it was sharper than any metal we use today. Ancients also used it for weapons. Paco reveals vivid local and Book of Mormon history as we take this route to a Perfect Zarahemla Setting back in Guatemala. A colorful 47-mile long jungle highway leading to Flores, passes through Quirigua. In 1842, the "Times and Seasons" printed a statement by Joseph Smith stating that when he saw the erstwhile sketches of Quirigua he thought it was Zarahemla. At least it was the ruins of a Nephite city. This archaeological site includes Stelae, which are some of the largest and most intricate in the Mayan Empire. The people recorded their History on the Stone Columns . . . not a far jump to recording on plates. The site is located in a beautiful small reserve of the PetenTropical Rainforest. As we view the ancient Stelae with their graphic glyphs, we can imagine Book of Mormon verses unfold in scenes. It is amazing how a small picture can give you a large paragraph of information. These people were Picture Creators, Much like Ancient Egyptians and similar in content to Hebrew which has few words. Less than 9000 words were used to create the Old Testament, Isaiah used 3600 different words, yet Moses used only 300. Daniel explains that 80% of the Old Testament used only 3600 different words. As the Jews wrote history in a written language, look how these people wrote history in pictures. This is why the Book of Mormon was written in reformed Egyptian because it is a combination of pictures and words that created vivid images. Visible structures dating to between 300-900 A.D. do not preclude earlier populations. This is where Daniel Will Read King Benjamin’s Oration from the Top of a Towering Pyramid like Temple. We have picked out a beautiful spot. The Temple is in the middle and all goes out from the center in huge theater like settings with plazas to house tens of thousands of "tents" or booths (little tabernacles) facing the temple. As we view in a 360-degree circle, we read King Benjamin’s oration in Mosiah 1, 2 and 3. You can just imagine tens of thousands "camped" around the interior structure with its tower. Then, as only Daniel can do, he begins to share a Comparison Between King Benjamin speaking to his people (Mosiah 2-3) and the Biblical account of King David Speaking to His People (Ezekiel 1-12). You see, to this day, during the fall season of Sukkoth, the Jews build tents, booths or little tabernacles facing Jerusalem, the city of the Temple. They read the book of Ezekiel. Who better than Daniel to bring the culture and religion of "Joseph and Judah" together in this unique way? More compelling is that King Benjamin’s sermon, which begins with a Reference to Ancient Jerusalem, is mirrored in the traditional sermons of Sukkoth in the Fall as well as the other "Holy Convocation" in the Spring called Passover. Through the restoration, this is repeated every year in the LDS General Conferences and practiced in both Holy Lands. The Quirigua setting is somewhat Like the Sacred Grove, a very special religious experience. Daniel also points out Jewish similarities, holidays, the fascinating Mayan/Jewish calendar comparisons, and symbolisms. We will talk about building temples using square altars symbolizing the four corners of the earth, again, very "Israel like." Many of the sites are lined up with astronomic accuracy. Altars, symbols, etc., are Jewish in origin and can be compared to ancient Israel sacrifices, altars and religious practices. We will stop at a plantation and eat Juicy Fresh Pineapples. The jungles are pristine. They are ecologically healthy jungles. Rio Dulce, about 47 miles away, is also on the main road that connects the huge area of Peten to the rest of the country. The little towns along the way have the feeling of the frontier. Although much of this area is still forested, it is being converted to farm land at an alarming pace. It could be the general area where Moroni drove the Lamanites out as well as up in their land. (Mormon 4:14) This is also the area Where Paco Was Born and Grew Up. When we arrive at the town of Potpun, you will see that his father had a great love of Mayan Culture. His family was rather well to do and Designed a Huge Wall that is the only known Modern Depiction of Modern Mayan Art. It is not a copy. He carved it originally with the intent of keeping Mayan art alive. Later, in a political ambush, Paco’s father was assassinated. Paco became the first member of his family to become a Latter-day Saint, adding to his Guatemalan and Mayan heritage. Paco has carried on his father’s legacy of love and service by starting a Special Charity. He has been collecting disability equipment from tourists and friends to provide hospitals, families and individuals with wheelchairs, braces, crutches and other devices to bring aid to the people who have no means or hope for such support. He has arranged doctors and medical technicians to come from the USA to perform surgeries, rebuilding children’s faces and bodies. It is a Quiet Miracle in the Jungles that we become a part of each day as we travel, stopping here and there to present a useful medical gift that we brought along on our trip. In Rio Dulce, we’ll enjoy lunch overlooking the River Ranchon which wanders through Peten and down to the Caribbean. We will be continuing on to Flores, approximately 138 miles away to the Hotel Peten Esplendido for Three Nights. |
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