Week 71 ~ Lima Holiday "Feriado" Bikeride

`Lima Bike Ride

Wednesday was a national holiday in Peru honoring the martyrdom of Apostles St Peter and St Paul in Rome. We planned a day bike ride downtown with our missionary friends Merrill and Prince and the Merrills had a friend visiting from home, Scott. When we woke up it was so misty and wet outside, would have never thought to go on a bike ride, but we had already made the reservation and paid for the bikes so just had to bear it. Then when we all met up at the bike shop, it was such a perfect day for a bike ride, cool and a little cloudy, and since it was a holiday, there was very little traffic.

We rode through town and then along LarcoMar and south along the coast to Barranco. We stopped along the way to walk through the Dedalo Market. Every room showcases an artist and their craft, gorgeous ceramics with a bit of silver, wood pieces, recycled material lamps, purses and clocks, all displayed in a beautiful old house. Fun eclectic quality art and definitely not Inka Market stuff. From there we rode the streets of Barranco to the Bridge of Sighs and then stopped for lunch at the Burrito Bar. We had the most wonderful fish tacos before heading back to the bike rental shop. It was a perfect day with perfect weather. We loved seeing the ocean and hearing the waves. The surfers were out in big numbers, too. After we returned the bikes right there at Inka Market, we spent another hour or so just looking and shopping because it’s always fun.

We had two new mission presidents arrive in Lima during the early hours of the morning, President and Sister Godfrey from Ogden will be serving in the Lima West Mission and President and Sister Stauffer from Conneticut will be serving in the Lima North Mission. Joe and I are amazed as THEY ARE SO YOUNG! They each brought three of their children who will be attending the English high school. Wow, such dedication and faith!

Week 70 ~ We Caught It

Catching fish in Peru?

Last week Joe went with Jerry Prince and Rob Merrill fly fishing. Yes, Rob was going to go my himself up in the Andes and asked if they wanted to go with him.  They were delighted to accept the invitation.  They left at 6:30 am, the three Elders with the driver, Jerico.  It was a very long hard drive up the carratera central towards Huancayo and then splitting to La Oroya.  We had already passed the summit at Ticlio, 4840 meters or a little under 16,000 ft.  The picture is of them at the sign identifying the summit.  At that altitude, Joe was light headed and Jerry had a headache, just aren’t used to that altitude. They drove along the river and down to about 13,000 feet and drove a little way off the main highway to a beautiful area where they tried their luck without luck at fishing.  However, they did go fly fishing in Peru and for the headaches, nauseous stomach, very windy and twisting road and curves, passing truck after truck after truck on a very treacherous mountain road, Joe says it was worth it. 

               Catching the Spirit in Colombia
Saturday, we met with six brothers from different areas of Colombia and I would say of all the meetings, it was the most successful for several reasons. All the men stayed at the InterContinental Hotel along with us which was really nice. We had a meeting room with no added expense and we were served refreshments. Then for lunch, we merely went downstairs to the poolside buffet. It was a fabulous lunch, and then back upstairs for the remainder of the meeting.


L to R: Eduardo Pastrana, Gabriel Aloya, Diane and Joe, Wilington Franco, Alvaro Rodriguez, Miguel Rincon and Carlos Puruncajas

I wish I had the right words to describe this particular meeting.  I don’t know exactly what it was but I believe it was the inspired counsel from Elder Montoya to make our meetings more of a council meeting.  This meeting truly was fruitful and productive.  Different brethren had prepared various topics but mostly introducing and leading a discussion.  Everyone was engaged, had questions, and contributed valuable information and experiences.  I was truly amazed.  We, Diane and I, began the meeting with Diane sharing her experience about family history and her sweet testimony.  Again, I was so proud of her.  She is getting better and more and more confident and less afraid to make a mistake.  There is definitely a gentler spirit when she is present.  The morning sped by.  We were catered to which was so nice and then at noon we went to lunch.  I stayed behind to spend a little time with Eduardo Pastrana.  I had been sensing for some time that he was disillusioned or the very least not engaged.  I had a feeling that he thought I was disappointed in him.  As I spoke with him, the Spirit of love and peace gently settled over us and he opened up and shared his deepest concerns.  I felt the love of Heavenly Father for this dear man.  Just listening to him and understanding his personality was a great blessing.  The lesson I learned was to not jump to judgement.  We were ready to release Eduardo but I had told Elder Montoya when he asked me that I thought I needed to speak with him one on one.  I did so at lunch and then following the meeting also.  I believe he truly wants to serve and actually does a very good job.  I felt so much love for him.  He is a doctor and I had mentioned Diane’s challenge with her eyes and cough.  He gave it some thought and before we left had given me a prescription for her and even emailed me the name of an LDS woman dermatologist.

I truly felt the Lord’s hand in this meeting.  One of the things that I loved is that I took some time and actually taught from the scriptures, shared some stories, asked some questions.  Teaching, something I truly have been missing but just didn’t realize how much.  I know there was a spirit of edification when even my sweetheart made a comment at the end of my little presentation.  She had understood nearly every word and, even though, she was unable to express herself in Spanish, her comments in English and my translation to Spanish were guided by the Spirit.  

We now have three Area Auditor Assistants, in addition to the 35 Assistant Area Auditors. They help us with training and country meetings. One helps in Bolivia and Peru South, another for Peru Central and North, and then one for Ecuador and Colombia. These brothers help Joe with the endless email demands to answer questions, train and conduct these country meetings. By the time we leave our mission, we will have finally figured out how to run this program efficiently. 

Week 68 ~ MACHU PICCHU

And now the highlight of our week-long trip to Cusco, what millions of people come to Peru to see, The Lost City of the Inca's. The Spanish never found it and finally abandoned about 1540, the jungle took it over until 1911, over 400 years. A man by the name of Hyrum Bingham (actually an inactive Mormon) was taken to the ruins by a local farmer on a cold and rainy day.

We stayed in Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. It is a very small town in existence solely for the tourists, and there are no taxis or trucks. In fact, there is no road to Aguas Calientes. When the train arrives with supplies, hired hands have to transport everything by wheelbarrow up the hill . . . everything!

It was Friday morning, rising at 5:00 to be in the bus line by 5:30am for our ride up the mountain to see the sun rise at Machu Picchu. There are 24 buses that carry people up and down the mountain and there were already a few hundred people in line so we had to stand there for over an hour. Finally it was our turn. As we got closer to the archeological site, we could see it hugging the mountain in front of us, peeking out between the trees, and then we were there. 

After passing through the ticket stile, there it was spread before us as the morning fog was lifting and the sun shining through. It was magnificent! After all the pictures we’ve seen, we weren’t ready for the true splendor, like seeing the Grand Canyon in person for the first time.

 The Lost City of the Inca's

We spent the next few hours with our guide as he explained the significance of the different areas, and then by 11:00, we were left to explore on our own.  We continued to explore all around, places we walked through too quickly or passed by altogether.
We enjoyed quiet time just sitting, pondering and feeling the special spirit there. There were so many people, but only a few of the most popular structures were really crowded. The park allows 2,500 visitors a day but it has exceeded that number in the last few years. Before I realized it, 2:00 had arrived and it was time to go back down the hill. In the picture above, you can hike both of the mountains. The most popular is Waynapicchu, the big mountain, and it takes about an hour. We took over 140 pictures so of course only the very best can be included here to share this special place.

 


Anthony Bourdain said it right, "It’s an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. The Grand Canyon and Machu Picchu, for instance, seem to demand silence, like a love affair you can never talk about. For a while after, you fumble for words, trying vainly to assemble a private narrative, an explanation, a comfortable way to frame where you’ve been and what’s happened. In the end, you’re just happy you were there, with your eyes open, and lived to see it.    

Week 66 and 67 ~ The Sacred Valley

There was lots to see traveling through the Sacred Valley. It’s called that because the weather is so wonderful located between two mountain ranges. The ground is fertile and the weather perfect for farming. We visited the little town of Chinchero. While driving through town, there was a real wedding parade that was so cool to see with the bride and groom at the front with half the town marching, singing and dancing behind right down the main street. We drove up the hill to a local home/tourist stop and from that location, we could look down the hill and see the wedding celebration and hear the music in the courtyard of the little church.

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 Here we were shown the ancient technique of how the llama and alpaca hair was washed with a natural root soap. It was amazing to learn how to dye the llama and alpaca hair with natural colors from plants and rocks. The baby was in the knapsack on the back of the mother. She was so cute and happy to see us when she woke up.

On our journey through the Sacred Valley, we visited the Moray archeological site which are huge experimental agriculture terraces built to take advantage of some natural depressions that sunk like funnels below the level of the hot, semi-arid plain. Each of the holes had seven terraces, a special and significant number in their belief of completeness and perfection, both physical and spiritual. As with many other Inca sites, it also has a sophisticated irrigation system.

Moray Agricultural Site

Here is a picture sample of the way of life in the Sacred Valley

Below, a beautiful canyon for salt mining called the Saltflats of Maras. Water comes out of the mountain loaded with salt and is channeled to fill thousands of small shallow pools that look like miniature terraces built onto the side of the ravine. When the salt dries, it is harvested by scraping the salt with two wood slats, carried out of the canyon, cleaned and bagged for export, all still done by hand by a combination of about 35 families.

We visited the sanctuary complex of Ollantaytambo that is one of the finest in all of Peru.  The terraces climb up the mountain like any of the great pyramids and from a distance, the whole complex is built in the shape of a llama. It was of religious and astronomical use mostly with areas for agriculture and livestock. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Inca Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region and built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1536, it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance, because it was surrounded by the mountains and natural defenses. It finally fell to the Spanish in 1540.

Ollantaytambo

Week 64 and 65 ~ Seeing the Sights in Cusco

My brother David and his wife Judy came to Peru to share our mission experience with us. We enjoyed some of the sights in Lima but the big trip was to fly to Cusco and meet up with our tour guide Betho. He took us on an amazing trip to the archeological sights around Cusco, more sites to see as we drove through the Sacred Valley, and the highlight of the trip, Pachu Picchu. Since it takes me so long to get all the pictures organized, the next few blogs will show the wonderful experience we shared as we traveled together for a week in the highlands of Peru.

Our trip to 

Cusco and Machu Picchu

After arriving in Cusco, we went to the amazing ruins of Sacsayhuaman and Qenqo, both in the surrounding hills of Cusco. The elevation of Cusco is about 10,000 feet so we had a little trouble with being dizzy and light headed but it didn’t stop me from climbing as high as I could at Sacsayhuaman. The stonework was so awesome and our guide pointed out where the significant animal shapes were. AMAZING!! The impressive fortress of Sacsayhuaman strategically built on a hill from where all Cusco can be seen. It is famous for its enormous carved stones, some of which are 30 feet tall and weigh over 350 tons. At the top was a huge tower (pretty much leveled now) that reminded me of King Noah’s tower that overlooked the whole area for surveillance. At this site, there is a huge open field where once a year the Inti Raymi is held. It is a huge Sun Festival held in June with costumes, music, parade with the Inca and food. We hear it is pretty crazy. 

Qenqo Sacred Ruins

The pictures below are of the La Merced Convent and Museum, a beautiful collection of art all along the walls and the architecture is grand. This property has been bought out and it will be turned into a high-end hotel by next year, closed to the general public. Such a shame.

La Merced Museum

Week 63 ~ Visit to Ecuador

We had a meeting scheduled in Ecuador so we took a few extra days to enjoy the countryside and breath the fresh air. Below are some of the pictures. Top left picture shows where our resort was located on the right side of the San Pablo Lake at the base of the mountain. The top middle picture shows a wild flower the locals call the honey flower because the pedals taste like honey. Notice how each new flower grows right out of the center of the previous flower.  Just below that picture is a view of the city of Otavalo. If you look closely at the very bottom right picture, you will see a huge hog hanging from the rafters right along the highway. 

Immediately upon arrival in Ecuador, we were taken to Otavalo, about two hours from Quito up in the mountains. We stayed at Cabanas del Lago, a very lovely resort right on San Pablo Lake. It was so peaceful, so quiet, flowers and hummingbirds everywhere with gently rolling, totally green mountains in every direction as a backdrop. It was so heavenly just to sit on our little patio and listen to the waterfall and croaking of the frogs. We had a wonderful dinner in the lodge before retiring for the night, only to be escorted by the maintenance man who started our very own fire in the cabin. We played cards and watched TV until we fell asleep.

The following day, the hotel called for an all day taxi for us to see the sights. Freddy picked us up and took us to Condor Park, Pequche Waterfall, the famous artisans market in Otavalo and around the corner for lunch. Then we drove out to Laguna de Cuicocha, a volcano crater with a lake similar to Crater Lake in Oregon, about 13,000 feet. We even took the little boat ride. All day Joe was able to talk to Freddy about the church, the first vision, purpose of temples and the Book of Mormon.

Pequeche Falls, Otavalo

Freddy then took us to a beautiful area where we hiked for about 20 minutes to beautiful water fall, Peguche, which flows out of the very lake we stayed the night before.  It was a beautiful hike along a cobble stoned path.  As we approached the falls we could hear roaring power.  This placed has some very spiritual significance for the indigenous people of the areas.  Peguche Waterfall with its height of 18 meters is considered as a spiritual and ritual site of indigenous people who a few days before the Inti Raymi celebration (sun & harvest celebration held on June 21st) come to the waterfall to take baths in order to prepare themselves spiritually for the Inti Raymi.  

Laguna de Quicocha

     

We loved the country side, winding our way up the mountain at close to 4000 meters or about 13,000 ft.  What an incredible place.  The name of the volcanic lake is “Cuicocha”the name of the volcano is “Cotacachi”.  It is absolutely breath taking.  The volcano erupted over 3000 yrs. ago covering the entire with volcanic ash.  Through the centuries there were several other eruptions, not for the last 2000 yrs though.  The crater filled with water from the rain and ground and is about 500 ft. deep. There are no fish in the lake, however, because of the mineral content of the water. We took a boat ride and were given a glimpse of this massive natural wonder.  

Exporting Ecuador Roses

Roses from Ecuador are the most sought after flowers in the world, making Ecuador the biggest exporter of roses after the Netherlands. Most of the roses go to the United States and Europe with Valentines and Mother's Day being the biggest days exporting tons of roses. The roses have unique characteristics because they have such long stems and the pedals are so thick and firm. They come in a huge variety of colors. In Ecuador, roses are everywhere. At every restaurant we ate, there were roses on every table . . . not just one but 5-6. There are always huge arrangements on the buffet tables and in the lobbys and even in our room.

The City of Otavalo

We, I, had a meeting with the brethren, AAAs.  Diane was so sick and felt so sad she could not attend.  I read her sweet testimony she had worked so long and hard to memorize.  There was a very sweet spirit that started our meeting right.  All were in attendance, Arturo Espinoza, Gustavo Villacrez, Richard Prado, José Intriago, and Carlos Puruncajas.  It was a wonderful meeting with these dear brothers.  I truly feel they are my close friends.  I still struggle to express what I really feel deep in my heart.  I hope my love for them is evident because their love for me surely is. We met at the Church Office here in Quito.  Quito was the first Area Office of the Church in the South America North Area.  The office was then moved to Bogotá Colombia and then to Lima Peru when the area became the South America Northwest area.  




We were blessed with the opportunity to meet this wonderful family of Freddy, wife Ruth and their three beautiful children.  We had the spent the day with Freddy a few days before.  During the day we listened to this man express his testimony of Christ numerous times.  Before the day was over we were able to express our feelings about the Church, the restoration, and the Book of Mormon.  On Sunday he and his family picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the airport.  It's amazing how in a little over an hour the love that can develop between us and people we hardly knew a few days before.  Diane sat in the back with the children and the mother even though they couldn't communicate well in either language, their was lots of laughter, hugs, and the language of love.  It was even hard to say goodbye.  We will follow up with this wonderful little family.

Otavalo Artisans Market

Week 62 ~ Our "super mercado" Totus

Happy Mother’s Day

We always pray for our children and grandchildren. They bring us so much joy. We are so grateful to our children who teach the gospel of Jesus Christ in their homes with trust and faith. Oh, how they bring us so much joy! President Hinckley said, “The health of any society, the happiness of its people, their prosperity, and their peace all find their roots in the teaching of children by fathers and mothers”.

We honor our mothers and the mothers of our grandchildren.

". . . Hyrum sprang to his feet and exclaimed, 'Joseph, we shall return, for I have seen an open vision in which I saw Mother on her knees under an apple tree praying for us, and she is even now asking in tears for God to spare our lives that she may behold us again in the flesh. And the Spirit testifies to me that her prayers and ours shall be heard.' And from that moment we were healed and went on our way rejoicing.

"'Oh, my Mother,' said Joseph, 'how often have your prayers been a means of assisting us when the shadows of death encompassed us'" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p. 488).

Shopping for Groceries

One of our weekly "chores" sometimes "bi-weekly chores" is shopping for groceries.  We usually go to a store about one kilometer away, Totus.  Totus is a chain grocery store and is very well stocked with fruit, vegetables, meats, and bakery..  We can get most of the things we want except for the few American items that we always buy.  For example, Diane, trying to find a can of hair spray in Peru is like trying to find snow in Death Valley.  However, we don't complain because we eat quite well and healthy for the most part. When we first arrived in Peru, we were a little frustrated, but now we are accustomed to buying what the Peruvians buy.  This week we wanted to show the "typical" things you can buy a the local super mercado, typical to Peru but very unusual to Americans.

        

Have a happy week shopping at WalMart.

Week 61 ~ Missionary Life

We are constantly reminded while serving here in Peru; 

Be humble

Be teachable

Be thankful

Be cheerful

and always

Be prepared..

Last week was filled with memories and well wishes with good friends. We love our mission and each other. As we celebrated our anniversary, we know we are so blessed to share our lives together, to grow and experience this service in Peru. It just makes us more bond together because it is so different from the lives we had with Jon and Eileen. This mission identifies us together and will be the foundation for the rest of our lives.

The office had an old sewing machine donated so I checked it out until someone else needs it.  At first I took it to my desk so Joe could take it home for me and, oh boy, did that cause a stir among the workers. It was almost as though they had never seen one before . . . really. They were inspecting it and laughing because they saw the movie with Wil Smith in Pursuit of Happiness where he was carrying a sewing machine around and had it on the bus. The bishop came in and even thought there should be a sewing class for the Relief Society sisters. Oh dear. Anyway, Joe managed to get it home in addition to walking his bike. I must say, I feel like the proud owner of a sewing machine!

Joe often takes a bike ride and this is one of his favorite places in the early morning hours.  Except for a little yappy dog it is a very quiet and peaceful place.  The ruins are called "Huaca la Puruchuca", ancient ruins at the base of the mountain surrounding La Molina. This particular morning he rode the bike to the base of the ruins and walked up to explore.  It was a very quiet and serene morning. 

The temple is being cleaned this week. They put scaffolding around the four spires and pressure wash everything, then the walls, etc. There is no rain here so the buildings get really dirty but the church makes sure our buildings are always beautiful. Looking out from our office window, there were three men cleaning the concrete sides and windows of the MTC, three stories high. Downtown, the government buildings and cathedrals are so dirty and with no rain, there is no way to get them clean.

       

Always cleaning

Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday

Week 60 - COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA

The last few days have been full as we traveled to Cochabamba, Bolivia to conduct a meeting with Assistant Area Auditors from all parts of Bolivia. We arrived a day early to enjoy a little sightseeing and, of course, the fresh air, cooler weather and beautiful countryside. There’s not a lot to see in Cochabamba but there are big tours to the mountains and national parks that are the draw here.

In the pictures above, notice the man with his son. I took the picture to show how small the people are here. His son is maybe three years old. As we walked we came to this darling little girl who was only one year old. Her mother (and other members of the family I suppose) were nearby and smiled as we wanted to take a picture. The mother turned on the little radio to music and the little doll did her little dance which cost us a few coins. If you look closely at the city picture, you can see the temple in the distance, a view from our hotel room.

We had a few wonderful experiences in Cochabamba while walking and sightseeing. One place we stopped at was an antique shop. Of course, Diane was intrigued and the shopkeeper was outside washing the sidewalk. In talking with her, we found her husband had just passed away 7 months earlier with cancer. The shop was run by her husband and now she didn’t know what to do and her knees gave her so much pain. Joe talked with her at length about eternal families and the temple. Every resident in Cochabamba knows about the beautiful temple, but she thought it was only for the leaders of the church and not for all. Joe explained it was for all worthy members of the church, rich or poor, old or young, single or married. She was quite surprised. We left a pass-along card and she gave her permission to have the missionaries. She is pictured second down on the right. Diane even had a dream about helping her organize her shop, making it more appealing to show off the wonderful treasures she had "piled" up.

Then later in the day, we met a young man who was a sidewalk vender (top left) selling linens and old city photographs. As he showed his wares, Joe talked to him about why we were there and that his son David had served as a missionary in Cochabamba 15 years earlier. He was so nice and welcomed our conversation. Although we didn’t talk about the beliefs of the church, we left with a friendship and he was aware that we were missionaries for the Church. Maybe there was a little seed planted for our taking time to visit. While we ate our lunch at an outside patio café, we found our server was LDS (bottom right). She was so excited to have us there for lunch. Small world. Our missionary tags open many doors. Such a joy to be out of the office for a few days among the people!

The vendor squeezing orange juice was so cute we wanted to take her picture. We have learned to always ask and she agreed if we would buy a cup of juice for 7 Bs (about 1 dollar). Joe gave her a 10 Bs paper bill which she quickly whisked into her pocket to begin making the juice . . . no change given. We just looked at each other with surprise but no words. The juice was very fresh and although she didn't like having her picture taken, we got her to smile.

Saturday we met with six of the AAA’s. They are such wonderful men! We work with the best and enjoy their spirit and friendship. The wife of Ariel Escobar (middle picture) came to prepare a refreshment and lunch for our group. It was like eating dinner there was so much food; pasta, rice, mashed potatoes and gravy, all the varieties of vegetables including herbed new potatoes, chicken and beef. There were three kinds of juice, one of which was so delicious. It was peaches with the pits still in, boiled for 8 hours continually adding water which creates a syrup. Add a little cinnamon and cloves and serve cold. For the refreshment break, Gladys had prepared salteñas, similar to chicken pot pie or empanada that you hold in your hand. She will be sharing recipes with me. They are totally Bolivian!

We attended the temple in Cochabamba after our meeting. It is such a beautiful temple and about twice as big as the one in Lima. Really! We were quite amazed and now understand more fully why another temple has been approved for Lima. It was exciting to meet three other missionary couples serving in the temple and after visiting for a bit, found several things in common.