A Missionary Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration and it was also our despedida or farewell as we finish our mission here in Lima, Peru. There were about 40 people to share in the Thanksgiving feast, all missionaries from the temple, MTC and office. Joe and I were asked to say a few things, what we learned about our spouse and advice for the other missionaries. I spoke of how Joe is always so quick to help me with whatever I need, a carrot or butter from the store, something I forgot at the office, or to take something to one of the other missionary houses. He would jump right up every time and offer to go … right now. Thank goodness for his bike!!  The advice I gave was to go beyond their corner of the office and get to know the wonderful people we work with there. We had the opportunity to work with all the employees in Finance and love them as our family. We will miss them so much knowing we probably won’t see them again.

Happy Thanksgiving

Even though our schedule is really full the next few weeks, Joe and I have taken the Church challenge to do something of service every day. It just wouldn't seem right not to continue to serve others around us every day. There is a schedule of all different kinds of service in the days until Christmas and tons of ideas on the Church website, so I’m already filling my calendar with continued service opportunities. I’m confident it will bring many rewarding experiences I would not normally do to celebrate the holidays and continue in the missionary spirit.

Our Mission Capstone

What a fabulous ending to our mission! We had our annual Assistant Area Auditor meeting here at the office the last two days and everything went nearly perfect. All 35 brothers arrived safely from all parts of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia, including Rahn Price from Salt Lake. The hotel was very nice and much less expensive than last year. The transportation was conducted without a flaw from the airport to hotel at all different arrival times, hotel to area office and back to hotel in a very nice tour bus after the meetings, and back to the airport at all different times using 8 or 10 passenger vans. The food was great although they were a little short for lunch the first day. Even the break had mini sandwiches, cookies, strawberry tarts and mini brownies. Sure better than little cookie packages and fruit we had last year.

The meetings were filled with instruction, participation and the spirit, closing with testimony and tears as Joe and Diane said goodbye to our dear friends. In Diane's testimony, she had put on the big screen pictures of Machu Picchu and the climb up Huayna Picchu with our family picture at the top. She drew the correlation of how difficult life is and even painful at times, but we must work and labor and endure to the end so we can enjoy with our family eternal blessings that have been promised. We felt like taking pictures was like a wedding with so many!!


Joe felt very tender as he had worked so closely with these dear brethren for our entire mission. He closed the meeting by continuing Diane's theme of perspective showing slides that began with a close up of a rooster's crown with each slide zooming out to witness a larger picture of the first and so on until the last slide was a tiny dot of the earth.  The message was that God sees from a distance and we don't know what lies around the next corner but He does and will always be there for us.  Joe then closed with his testimony of love and fondness for all those we have worked with and that they will forever have a place in our hearts.  

A Broader Perspective

After a great tour of the Sacred Valley and Cusco, we spent the day in Machu Picchu. Words cannot express the majesty and beauty of this forgotten city, but I found a poem that does a good job.

At those ethereal heights where only eagles dare, 

And where the condor glides to gently perch; 

Above the Urubamba Valley of Peru, stretches

The mountain peaks of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, 

Where the sky above is a clear cerulean blue! 

And on a cloud-draped ridge connecting both these Andean peaks, 

Lies the magnificent site of Machu Picchu! 

A city hewed and carved out of rocks and stones, 

Which in proud defiance to marauding time, 

Stands there for nearly six hundred years, -

A majestic symbol of Inca pride! 

We also climbed to the top of the mountain peak, Huaynapicchu. It was a very difficult climb, and painful at times with Joe's bad knees, but we continued to the top and enjoyed that special time with the children and the splendid views of the whole river valley overlooking Machu Picchu. It sure was worth it!

Machu Picchu with our Children

An amazing week shared with four of our children and their spouses, David and Lizz, Brian and Chelsea, Brian and Stacie and Mark and Kaylinn. The following pictures are just great memories of all the archeological sites and cultural experiences we had as we enjoyed Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the ruins of Machu Picchu.

Actual pictures of our Machu Picchu visit and the climb up Huayna Picchu will be coming next. Amazing trip! There are only four weeks left for us here in Peru. We have loved our mission, the country and the culture and have been richly blessed to have served here.