Week 35 ~ Still loving life in Peru

The week before general conference, my friend James Vergara, realizing I was a lone man in the wilderness with Diane in the states, invited me over to his home in between conference sessions on Saturday.  I took a bus out to Musa where he lived and was surprised to learn that they had planned to cook sushi for me.  Wow was it good.  I have never had sushi that good, so fresh, different, and plentiful.  I never would have guessed they would have fed me sushi.  Their daughter had learned how to make it from her brother who is living in Provo.  I loved, loved, loved it and then enjoyed the Saturday afternoon of conference with them.  It was nice to not have to be by myself for the weekend, very kind of this dear brother and his family.

Here are some weird things we find in Peru:

Joe and I sang in the stake choir today for the opening of our regional conference video broadcast. We got a few of the other missionaries to join us, one of which has been a member of the Tabernacle Choir. He had a beautiful base voice behind me. It was quite a challenge to read the notes, read the Spanish words and pronounce the words correctly all at the same time. But I learned well and it was pretty fun to have that experience. One song was “Hark, All Ye Nations” and the other “Let Us All Press On,” both of which were perfect to sing as missionaries. The other members of the choir loved the Americans joining them.

Week 34 ~ Calling Peru "Home"

A few weeks have been missed because Diane was in Utah helping her daughter and a new granddaughter, Adalinn Rose. That's the first time we've been apart for so long so it was nice to get back together and back to a routine.

We also visited the Pucllana Huanca ruins and had an hour tour of the grounds. The ruins are made of small adobe bricks by the thousands and have only recently been excavated, maybe the last 10 years. The temple is only half uncovered from the mounds of rock and dirt that cover it. We were told that some 15 years ago, it was a popular place for dirt bikes riding over the mounds. It is interesting to note that although the temple is very large, there are no rooms inside, no tunnels, secret chambers or tombs. It is simply raised holy ground for ritual offerings, sacrifice, feasting and prayers.

Explanation of pictures: 1st column (1)We met Paula on the tour. She is LDS and travels by herself because her husband doesn't like to travel. (2)Just a small museum on the premise. (3)These were burial places where there were always three individuals, man, woman and baby. They sacrificed a baby because they believed they were the closest to the afterlife to guide them back. (4)Notice the space in between the bricks. This was on purpose to allow for seismic activity which happens a lot in Peru. 2nd column (1)The huanca or temple site is right in the middle of the city. (2)the magnitude of the temple is shown here. 3rd column (1)the map shows how much is still not excavated, the section to the left. (2)figures showing how offerings were made.

1st column (1)a walkway through the maze. (2)these are the colors used around the temple. (3)excavation still going on one wheelbarrow at a time. 2nd column (1)the adobe bricks were made by hand in a bin like this where water was added to the mud. (2)this platform is at the top of the temple. The poles held up the roof where offerings were made. (3)Peruvian hairless dog is a breed of dog dating back to pre-Inca cultures. They are very expensive. 3rd column (2)look carefully to see the line of where the excavation ends and how much dirt needs to be removed covering the remaining temple.

Elder Waddell has been a counselor in the Area Presidency here in Lima but he was called to serve as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric last week. He is featured on the LDS website. That means he will be moving back to Salt Lake and we will have another brother serving in his place. Elder Waddell has been the Audit Committee Chair and we reported to him directly having a formal meeting with him once a month with other members of the committee. We will miss him and his sweet wife Carol.

We had a special missionary experience this past week.  It began with the taxi ride to the airport. The following is from Joe's journal:    I want to talk about the missionary experience I have been having.  It began with my ride to the airport to pick up Diane.  The Taxi driver, Carlos, began talking with me.  So it’s his fault.  We talked about everything and he was genuinely interested in the Church and the Joseph Smith Story, in tithing, in prayer, and eternal families.  We talked all the way to the airport and all the way home.  He told us of an experience he had which was similar to that of Joseph Smith in that he was needing comfort or answers and he knew when they came after praying for a long time.  That happened to him several times but the most evident was when his son, Sebastian, was diagnosed with Leukemia.  His wife had taken him to the hospital and the prognosis was not good.  All Carlos could do was go home, a ways from the hospital, and pray with his other three children.  He prayed long and hard and then by himself, day after day, and at work.  After several weeks, the doctors suddenly found that all their son’s test were negative.  They couldn’t believe it but Carlos attributes it to the prayers in behalf of his son.  He was very touched and since that time prayer has been vital to him.  As he dropped us off at our apartment I felt a strong impression and connection to get his address and phone number.  I told him I wanted to bring a Book of Mormon to him.  He gave me his info and we embraced.  He is 43 years old has a wife and four children (daughter 20, Carlos Benedi, Sabastian, and Fernando).  Yesterday I mentioned him to Miguel (counselor in the mission presidency and fellow worker in the office) and told him I wanted to take a Book of Mormon to him.   He lives about 20 minutes from our area.  I decided to call him from the office and we decided to meet today at 3:00.  Miguel contacted the Sister missionaries and then took me to Carlos's house today.  We were able to meet with this dear family.  They have lots of questions but Carlos is the one who is leading out.  He is so desirous that his family come to Christ.  He has been praying for something,  Today one of the Sisters told me it was a “miracle” this had dropped into their laps.  They have been struggling to find investigators.  I was touched and felt very tender.  The Lord certainly does know the hearts of his children and is in the details and puts others at cross roads.  Carlos took me home after the discussion with the Sisters.  He told me he was so anxious and fearful for his family.  I told him the Lord knew and was very aware of his family and promised him, if he led the way with patience and love, the Lord would watch over his family and would bring peace into his home.  This was, indeed a very special experience for me and one I am thankful to be a part of.  Carlos will be attending Church on Sunday.  I will be watching with prayer and interest.... Today is Monday and from the Church Office I phoned the Sisters to see how yesterday went.  They were very excited.  Carlos did not go to church but his three boys did and they loved it.  The Sisters had a discussion after Church with the family and Sister Reyes said it went very well with a very sweet and tender experience.  The Lord is indeed in the details of our lives.

Each week Joe teaches two language classes in Spanish and in English.  The only day he has off is Wed.  Friday he decided to combine the classes for a "conversation Friday".  We spent half the class with the English class speaking English to the missionaries and the other half of the class, the speaking Spanish to the office workers.  It was a wonderful experience.  Everyone was communi-cating and now when they walk the hallways they know each other.  It was a marvelous class.  

After Diane spent three weeks in the States, together, we have come to realize Peru is home. For several months after arriving here, it was always "Lima" rather than "home". We love our mission, we love the people we serve and work with, we really enjoy the food and we look forward to another year full of surprises and experiences.

Week 29 ~ Peru has been united around its food

"You go to Brazil, it's soccer. If you go to Colombia, it's music. But in Peru, the most important source of pride is food."

Peru is still recovering from its battles with the terrorist group Shining Path. "Using food to heal is very much about using food to show the world that we are better."

The whole reason we were downtown was to attend Mistura, the national food fair held at Magdalena Beach. This is the biggest food fair in all of South America. We got there about noon and stayed until 5:00. It was certainly a cultural experience with various food venues from all over Peru, north, south, the Andies and coastal. It was amazing to see the outdoor cooking over fires with racks and racks of pork, chicken, and fish feeding hundreds of people. The most well-known restaurants from all the regions are asked to participate. We were eating dishes from the restaurant in a plastic dish with a plastic fork that were just excellent flavors and aromas. We had a fun new experience eating the picarones, fried batter and quinua or potato, something like a funnel cake you buy at the state fair or carnival. The whole experience was a huge affair, as big as any US fair minus the animals and rides. The people are so friendly and whenever we sat down to eat a new tasty treat, we made new friends around us. We attended a show featuring a percussionist group using all the tools, pots and pans in the kitchen. They were very entertaining and fun to watch. The day was very mild and pleasant right on the beach. Our report of a great experience was so well received at the office, many of the other senior missionaries attended the fair on Wednesday.

Yesterday we went with the Merrill’s to the Inka Market featuring all artisan crafts in a few hundred stalls. Some of the favorite items are the alpaca wool sweaters and scarves, silver jewelry and ceramics. I can’t go without buying a few things. We had lunch at Kennedy Park, named after JF Kennedy. What a great little, unusual park filled with lots of flowers, people and cats . . . everywhere! Loads of places to sit, lots of food vendors and street art. Good for a relaxing stroll. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant, a greenbelt in an alley with little tables and umbrellas. Felt kind of European with great Peruvian food. We visited the Iglesia San Miguel Mira Flores during a well-attended mass.  From what we heard, the words were well spoken about being a true Christian. 

Kennedy Park

Joe and I took a little diversion away from the office. We left after work Monday to stay in a hotel downtown in San Isidro. It is a very nice area of Lima and we enjoyed walking through the neighborhood to the El Olivar Grove Park. There was a huge grove of very old olive trees, fountains and walkways. A curious fact was after the departure of the Spaniards in 1821, they cut down the olive trees before leaving. In the pictures, you can see that the oldest trunks were roughly chopped. From the stumps, new branches sprouted out and now look disproportionate compared with the trunk from which they grow. We also went to LarcoMar for the evening. This is a very upscale mall built on the cliff overlooking the ocean. We had dinner at Tanta Restaurant with a wonderful dinner and view of the surf and sunset. We also took in a movie right there at the mall before returning to the hotel. 

The week was full of a variety of experiences, work in the office and experiencing a little of the cultural history of the Peruvian people.  But probably the most important thing that happened to Diane and me this week was experiencing the tenderness of both of our anniversaries the 12th and 13th of September.  It was very peaceful and sweet to take a night and day in San Isidro and Mistura.  It's something we both would have both done with our spouses, taking a moment to enjoy life and each other.  Our "perfect week" concluded with us "remembering Eileen and Jon, 40 and 38 years it would have been for us.  I think by now we are all pretty good friends, eternal friends indeed.  

Week 28 ~ Peru History

It’s the beginning of SPRING here. The winter was very mild and, actually, we’re not looking forward to the hot, dry, dusty days ahead, especially as we enter the holiday season. We will enjoy a few more months of springlike weather. We will sure miss the Midwest fall colors. We have also heard this is an El Niño year and we will have a lot of rain here in Lima during December. Well, considering we never get rain here, that could be a problem for water control. In the meantime, Happy Spring J

The weeks go by very quickly with our time in the office. We are right in the middle of the second annual church audit. Actually, the first one due in April covers June to December and the one we are completing right now is January through June. Joe handles all the email questions and problems from the 35 auditors in five countries. I manage the credit card and travel expense reimbursements and approvals. We work with a great office team and love to interact and socialize with the eight senior missionary couples in the office as well. J

We enjoyed dinner with President and Sister Boswell Saturday with all the senior missionaries. While there 16 of us were watching the BYU/Nebraska football game, huddled around a mini IPad. The last few minutes of the game were exciting but when they did the Hail Mary pass into the end zone and it was caught, we about raised the roof on the house with all the yelling. Our missionary couple from Australia just looked at us funny wondering what all the excitement was about.  It was fun to see the replays on a bigger TV later that night. J

President Boswell shared some interesting statistics and goals for our mission and for all of Lima. We have five missions in Lima for 12 million people. Lastly, he shared a miracle that shows the tender mercies of the Lord. An Elder had shared his testimony and pass along card with a woman, directing her to the missionaries in her area. She received the lessons and accepted baptism. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the President, the Elder was transferred to that area and was able to baptize the new member. Sweet. J

We are sharing some scenes we have become accustomed to seeing, gates for every neighborhood, houses behind walls, security guards and bars on the windows of stores and houses. We thought it would be important to share a little history about Peru to understand how this came to be and the struggles the people have had while the Church was growing so rapidly in this area.

In 1985, the per capita annual income of Peruvians fell to $720 (below the level of 1960) and Peru's Gross Domestic Product dropped 20%. The national reserves were a negative $900 million.

The economic turbulence of the time partly contributed to the rise of the violent rebel movement Shining Path. The García administration unsuccessfully sought a military solution to the growing terrorism, committing human rights violations which are still under investigation.

Then in 1990, voters chose a relatively unknown mathematician-turned-politician, Alberto Fujimori, as president.  Fujimori implemented drastic measures that caused inflation to drop from 7,650% in 1990 to 139% in 1991. As other dictators did, Fujimori dissolved Congress April 5, 1992, in order to have total control of the government of Peru. He then eliminated the constitution; called new congressional elections; and implemented substantial economic reform, including privatization of numerous state-owned companies, creation of an investment-friendly climate, and sound management of the economy.

Fujimori's administration was frustrated by several insurgent groups like Shining Path which carried on a terrorist campaign in the countryside throughout the 1980s and 1990s. 

We heard first-hand experiences from our dear friend Monte Moser who visited us here in Lima from Brentwood. He served his mission in the outskirts of Lima during the 1980's. At one point during the rise of the Shining Path, it was announced that on a particular day, if anyone was found out of their homes after 7:00pm, they would be shot. Shining Path was declaring their power and supremecy when, to their delight, no one left their homes in fear of the terrorists. Monte said the missionaries were finally taken out of the surrounding areas except for the native missionaries. BUT it didn't matter . . . Monte heard a few months later that his native companion had been shot and killed in his old area. 

During that time, the people from the countryside moved to Lima to be safe. One taxi driver we had told us all about the migration because his family were among those that came to Lima. They came in droves, with no money and no jobs. As we drove to the airport, he pointed to the hundreds of houses on the hills, many different colors and with no roads, poor water and little sanitation, where the people settled. The population of the city grew ten times its size in one year. You can imagine the problems that created. Fujimori cracked down on the insurgents and was successful in largely supressing them by the late 1990s, but the fight had many atrocities committed by both the Peruvian security forces and the insurgents. The stories we hear today are from people who lived through those terrible times, people in our ward, whose family members were shot in the street, who were eye witnesses to mass murders.

During the difficult years of the 1980’s, the people of Perú changed the face of the city with block walls and barbed wire fences around their homes. The homes are all enclosed within walls with security gates for every neighborhood and many electric wires on the rooftops. Even today, if your home is not protected, it is common for “squatters” to make use of your property. The land owners have to be on constant guard to keep them out. That’s why the temples and our office are under the same protection with gates, fences and guards . . . to keep the squatters out.

While Elder Bednar was visiting last week, we had such an incident across the street where a number of “squatters” had been living on a vacant lot behind a fence. It took quite an army to get them moved out.

The end to the story: In 2000, Fujimori fled to Japan to escape conviction of his war crimes against human rights and corruption charges by the new Peruvian authorities. BUT, he did rid the country of the Shining Path terrorists. His main man and chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, fled Peru shortly afterwards and he was arrested in Caracas, Venezuela in June 2001, the time David was serving his mission in Venezuela. He is currently imprisoned here in Lima.

Week 27 ~ "We learn by repetition"

Joe is busy teaching an English class to many of our office workers and also teaching Spanish to many of the senior missionaries. As part of the challenge to read more, We had the great idea to go to the library and get some simple children’s books to pass around. We Googled for public library close to us so as not to be confused with the many school libraries dotted on the map. We found a big library close to us, so Monday we took the bus about 20 minutes to the big national library. Great idea gone awry. When we got there, we had to go through a security gate and a guard house with well-armed guards. We thought wow libraries must be very important in Lima.  Joe said "maybe they have to have heavy security because of all the wild children who may try to leave with a book in their backpack."   He told them we had come to see the children’s books. They looked at us kind of funny and said “well, we have a few children’s books. but not many”. They politely directed us to the information desk where Joe told them, “we have come to apply for a library card and would like to “prestar" or check some children’s books out.  They smiled and politely said we could look but had to make a special appointment to do so and would be accompanied by a guard.  we thought, “wow, they really love their books and want to make sure we don’t have crayons with us to color in their books.  We were asked what kinds of books we were interested in and we said “children’s books”.  After conversation they replied….. guess what?  “We have a few children’s books but no many”  It suddenly dawned on us that this was a different kind of library.  Joe said, “this isn’t a public library where we can borrow books and take them home is it!”  They laughed, yes actually laughed and said we could try and take them home but would be chased by about 35 policeman.  This library is THE National Library of historical books and records.  We just laughed out loud.  Bet they really thought we were crazy gringos.  Only in the U.S. can you borrow books, take them home for a few weeks and then bring them back.  Not so in Peru. The few library here are only to read books at the library or use a computer. We are so blessed to have a wealth of information and books available at the local library.

Thursday evening we went to the circus! All the senior missionary couples loaded a bus to go downtown Lima. Cesar Aedo is in our ward and is the circus owner/manager. He was the comedy relief clown for the show and man, was he funny . . . and an excellent mime artist. We saw incredible acrobats and strength talent. Cesar’s son did a fabulous fire dance routine. There were no animals involved but lots of balance, strength, and, oh my goodness, limber bodies with bones that bend! We didn’t get home until after midnight that night. 

The taxi picked us up at 4:30am to travel to the Lima airport to meet the new missionary couple arriving from Wenachee, Washington, Roy and Mary Merrill. They will be serving a humanitarian mission, working with five areas: wheelchair distribution, vision, well baby care, emergency response and sustainable clean water service through wells, traveling a lot to the different areas. Tuesday about 2:00, we picked up the Merrill’s to introduce them to the office staff, show them around and have them meet the other senior missionaries. We had dinner with them, along with four other couples, at Don Mamino’s. A good chance to visit and get to know them.

Thursday we were privileged to have Elder Bednar in our office for a devotional. He has been in and out of the office for two days causing some excitement, and then he spoke to us. His message was clear, “we learn by repetition!” It’s okay to hear the same conference talks over and over, to repeat the same lessons on Sunday. When all the members are paying a full tithing, then they won’t talk about tithing any more. When all the members obey the Word of Wisdom, we won’t need to hear about it anymore. He also discussed the current condition of the Quorum of the (10) J and mentioned that another four members of the Quorum are in their 80’s. When asked about lessons he had learned, Elder Hales stated, “When I can no longer do everything I have always done, then I will do the things that matter most.” We will see a lot of change in the next few years.

The same day Elder Bednar was at our office, there was a very large police eviction happening across the street with armed guards and creating quite an excitement. Turns out it was an eviction of a group of people from the premises. All their belongings ended up on the street, they were escorted out and the gate locked.  No, those people in yellow shirts are not "Mormon Helping Hands".  The shirts actually read " Equipo Desalojo de Molina" or eviction team of Molina.  Guess this is their version of "Helping Hands".  Evictions of so many people (who are actually squatters) sometimes are nasty, thus the reason for so many police. 

Week 26 ~ Don't burn the beans!!

I started cooking the black beans in the morning after soaking them all night and then went to the office! I forgot to turn off the beans! Very fortunately, Joe came home after the English class to meet a man installing an upgrade to our internet service. When he opened the door, the smoke was so thick it looked like fog. He found the pot still on the stove, the beans were ashes and the pot had seen its last day! He opened all the windows and using fans tried to get the smoke out of the apartment. When I came home, it was still so bad! I cooked bacon, sausage, potatoes and onion to try and get the smell down or at least covered up, but no! We should have gone to a hotel for the night because it was making us sick to our stomach and headache to be in it. I got up in the middle of the night because the smell was so bad. All day Saturday, we washed all the bedding, sprayed vinegar on the drapes and couch, ran the fans, and then today another missionary gave us an 0-zone diffuser that is filling the apartment with an orange smell. Our lesson to all . . . DON’T BURN THE BEANS!!

WEEK 25 ~ Maestro Cheney

Hello to all,
We enjoyed another very busy week in the office.  Every minute of our day is full and rewarding.  A few weeks ago our co-workers approached Joe and asked him  if he could teach them an English class.  Some of them speak a little English, most do not.  They agreed to spend an hour overlapping lunch for the class three days a week.  Joe decided to use some of Blaine Ray's TPRS, translating his Spanish power points into English for the class.  It has been a hit, very tiring for Joe but still very rewarding. We also decided to offer a Spanish class for the senior missionary couples who want to practice their Spanish.  Joe is teaching two days a week using the same TPRS program.   We are having a lot of fun and hopefully learning too.

Yesterday we were invited to an exclusive regatta club in Lima. We met this cute young couple at our jungle trip to Iquitos who were included in our group. They live right here in Lima so it was fun to get together with them again. The resort is really a mini town but very tight security and membership rules. They conduct many sports events and competitions, rowing, regatta races, beach volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, squash, and a huge Olympic pool. The Club is located right on the coast with three private sandy beaches, nice clothing and sports shops, video game arcade, a huge play structure area and lazy pool, and many fast food and high-end restaurants. We sure enjoyed just walking around and enjoying a fabulous lunch. I bought two scarves :).The weather, though cloudy, was very mild and comfortable. The Club was right next to the fishing pier and it was delightful to see the brightly colored fishing boats bringing in their catch, the dozens of pelicans wanting their share, and the open-air market selling the catch of the day. Oh, it made me smile to hear the waves and seagulls and to smell the salty air!! We even thought it might be worth it to have our own membership BUT, alas, it’s about $40,000 USD in addition to a monthly fee.

     The temple here has been closed for a few weeks. They replaced a lot of the stone on the front of the building and some other stuff. We’ve missed not attending but will start up again on our weekly schedule this week. We have five new missionary couples this month and it’s fun to get to know them. One couple, Craig and Lesley Raeside from Australia, have the cutest accent! It’s great to hear them speak Spanish! Also the Burtons from Utah, Blunts from Medford, Oregon and Merrills from the Seattle area are coming in this week and Mike and Marilyn Woods arrived a few weeks ago. That makes us one of the old timers. It makes for a fun bunch to have activities and Saturday day excursions.

We are loving our mission and realize more each day the tremendous challenges and rewards found in this area. 1,299,577. Only Mexico has more members at 1,344,298.  It also contains the 4th largest number of congregations at 1,874 all of which we monitor and are intimately involved with in  the bi-annual financial auditing process. It certainly keeps us very busy and we have a great office support team. We are so blessed to be here.  

It is missionary "rich", meaning the hearts of the people are opening more and more to the message of the restored gospel. The other day we took this picture of all the missions in our area, the South America Northwest Area. We didn't realize that this area has the second largest membership of any area in the world.

Week 24 ~ More of the Amazon Experience

    Our stay at Ceiba Tops was delightful.  The idea for the resort/jungle experience was was conceived by an American, Peter Jensen, some 60 years ago.  He wanted people to come and experience the Amazon River and Jungle and yet he did not want them to be completely uncomfortable to do it.  He located some land along the river and began building simple huts that provided adequate shelter and protection from the daily down pours and copious mosquitoes.  Some years later a lodge/mess hall was added, then more huts, a swimming pool, and finally modern air-conditioned-hot water cabins.  Ceiba Tops is far from being a luxurious 5 star resort "play ground."We were glad it wasn't, but it was comfortable, and very well planned, nestled unobtrusively just off the river and into the jungle with the actual feel of the jungle with all the night sounds and glowing in the dark eyes of the cayman, tapir and who knows what else kinds of animals.  The food was delicious and the workers incredible.  It really was the only location on the Amazon with electricity, kind of like an oasis in the jungle.....  Can their really be an Oasis in paradise?  Anyway. We loved it!

 The second day we had several options, rest and enjoy the jungle around the lodge or go fishing.  I opted for the latter, Diane stayed at Ceiba Tops and took a hike into the jungle.  The courageous Amazon "fishermen" took some small skiffs and ventured into some of the Amazon tributaries to look for the ferocious, and voracious flesh eating Piranha.  We were given a little stick for a pole, some fishing line, a hook, and cut raw meat.  It took a while but I finally got the hang of it and pulled in two Amazon catfish and two "dangerous" Piranha that became part of our dinner later that night.  They don't look so scary or dangerous now, do they!!

We also went to the native village of the Yagua. Joe learned how to blow a dart from a blow gun and hit the target several times. They also did a little jaunt in a circle to the beat of a drum. The (actor) natives were dressed in the traditional skirts and grass headdresses and the women were topless except for the grass around their necks. I had brought some little candies and toys for the children and giving it away was the highlight of our visit there.

We visited the little villages of Indiana and Mazan, really unique interaction with the locals in the motocars and markets. The fish loaded on the tables fresh out of the Amazon, some still breathing.  I loved to see the children. I brought some candy to share with them and bring a smile. We drove the motorcar from Mazan back to Indiana where we had a boat ride back to Ceiba Tops. The ride was an incredible experience seeing the back country of the rain forest. We saw a lady washing her clothes in the Amazon, the rain coming down enough to flood the road. The road, well, it was more like a sidewalk just enough room for the motorcars. There were houses on stilts with thatched roofs, no glass windows and no electricity, often no furniture except for some lounge chairs. There was one man who was cutting the bananas from the tree and loading them onto his little buggy. It was a great ride back to the boat. Since it was a national holiday, the children were everywhere. It poured rain every day but only lasted for an hour or so.

We've had a number of opportunities to travel throughout the South America Southwest Area.  We've been to the high mountains of Peru, visited a cacao finca in Ecuador, enjoyed the beauty beneath the shadows of majestic volcanoes, but our most memorable and interesting experience thus far was our little jaunt to Iquitos Peru and the humble, simple life along the Amazon River.

Week 23 ~ An Amazon Experience

Well the past week was one of those kinds of July weeks that just wraps itself around your mind and stays there for as long as you want it to.  Diane and I decided to go to the Amazon jungle (the Selva).  We had heard so much about it and ever since childhood, stories of the “jungle” intrigued and excited our minds.  We left last Saturday and flew to Iquitos, with a short stop in Pucallpa and then on to Iquitos. Iquitos is the largest Peruvian city in the Amazon jungle. We enjoyed a few days in the city attending church, walking the streets and walking along the riverfront. Iquitos is the center of the mission.  People seemed to know of the Mormons (in a very favorable way) wherever we went. There are three stakes in Iquitos and we saw several ward meeting houses as we rode about.  We heard from one missionary there are about 80 missionaries in the surrounding area, towns, and in Iquitos itself, a city of about a half million people. The sun was just setting and the sunset was beautiful on the Amazon River. There were some little tourist shops where we bought a few bracelets and trinkets. 

Some of the pictures below: left column the riverfront, us with the Amazon behind, Joe buys a t-shirt and a little girl playing princess outside. The middle is the plaza where our hotel was and the right column, the perfect picture while we were stopped at an intersection (love this picture of an elderly man leaning against a post), in a motocar going to church and the national guard getting ready for the Independence celebration in the plaza. The bottom five, the iron house created by the same man who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris (his practice project I guess), another picture of the plaza from our hotel window, a typical neighborhood, and our friend we met, Gerald Mayeaux, originally from Texas now runs a restaurant/bar called Yellow Rose Texas. It was completely full of sports memorabilia since he played professional baseball for Texas.

When we arrived in Iquitos at the airport, not realizing motor taxis and motorcycles are the primary mode of transportation (very few cars and buses) we opted to take a regular taxi.  It would be our last since regular car taxis are just so scarce.  The streets are full of motor taxis, morning to night, circling the streets and the city square, like massive group of motor cycle gangs,  putt putt putting along, with one or two cars in the mix.  When we landed and had gathered our luggage, we were immediately “assaulted” or a better word, swarmed by taxi drivers.  We quickly realized that 95% were “motocars” or motorcycle taxis.  These are a made to order (mostly made by Honda) combination of a motorcycle and a buggy, with a seat that holds 2 comfortably, 7 or 8 if you’ a Peruvian family) with a canopy covering the top to protect against the sun and the rain. They don't know what a seatbelt or helmet is. One site we saw was a man driving with his two-year old daughter behind him and then his wife, nursing her little girl. We saw the same lady a few minutes later with the baby on her hip talking on a cell phone. 

We also visited the Quistococha Lagoon and zoo. The zoo was not much to look at but the big cats were the best. We felt bad about the animal habitats that were not very good. The zoo is part of the Quistococha Lagoon so we walked down by the beach and found the locals just hanging out there, families and sweethearts. There were several open-air eating places with the fish to cook on the table. So we sat down and put in an order and enjoyed the best grilled fish ever, eating until only the fish skeleton was left! 

Week 22 ~ Men of Faith, Commitment and Testimony

This blog represents more of the a "typical" week for us and our mission.  Not every week do we have the opportunity to spend our p-day visiting the many interesting places in this marvelous country of Peru.  Most of the days this week were spent planning for our "in country" meeting with our Peru Central AAAs. We did spend Tuesday evening, along with other, missionary couples, at a wonderful cultural event full of dancing and singing to celebrate the Peruvian Independence day.  We had a marvelous training meeting with seven amazing brethren from Iquitos, Huancayo, and Lima.  This now completes our nearly four months of training in four countries, including North and Souith Peru.

We have been enriched by these 35 wonderful brothers who are serving so faithfully, mostly on there own.  They are talented and knowledgeable, many of which are former stake presidents, mission presidents, and even area 70's.  We now enter the midyear audit cycle and then will begin planning our area wide training in December.  We are so thankful for the experiences we have had the past 5 1/2 months and await the next 6 months with wonder and anticipation.