Week 53 ~ Is There a Doctor in the House?

It has been so hot. Even the Peruvians say this has been 10 degrees hotter than usual. Because our power bill was so high last month, we have cut way back on the amount we use the air conditioner or dehumidifier. Thank goodness we enjoy the comfort of the church office building all day because when we are at home we sit right under the fan to stay cool. Yesterday we took the crowded bus to the mall and enjoyed the afternoon there where it was cool, having lunch and seeing a movie, Gods of Egypt. We thought it was entertaining, good against evil, and no different than the latest Transformer, X-Men or Super Hero movie with great special effects.

In our area of five countries, including Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia, there are somewhere over 6,000 missionaries, 32 missions and 2 MTC’s. There are three doctors here in the area office who help with mental and physical health issues throughout the area and of great help to the mission presidents and their wives in handling the many health issues that arise.

Elder and Sister Raeside are the mental health missionaries. As of this week, there are 30 new cases and about 130 follow-up cases. So in looking at the numbers, it’s about 2% of the elders at a given time which is very good compared to any given college student body. The area doctors here are active with the English speaking elders and the Latino elders pursue treatment with local doctors. Some of the issues would be stress, depression, anxiety, and in very rare situations severe mental health problems or suicide thoughts. In the six months Elder and Sister Raeside have been here, they have had 3 such cases with previous mental health history before their mission and the missionary had to be escorted back home, one as far away as Washington.

Elder Raeside shared a sweet story from last week. He and his wife were visiting Guayaquil, Ecuador for mission president training. He went in the mission office and met an elder serving there who confided he needed a little help. Through a series of questions, Elder Raeside learned the elder’s father had served a mission in Rome, Italy. “That’s where I served,” he responded. “When did your dad serve?” Come to find out, he had served the same time AND was Elder Raeside’s zone leader! Small world. Since then, the elder shared with his dad who he had met and the two have been in contact. A week later, Elder Raeside received a note from this elder in Guayaquil sharing the difference their visit had made on his mission. He knew his Heavenly Father loved him, knew him personally and answered his prayer with the tender mercy of the visit from a doctor from the area office who knew his dad. God is very aware of his children in this great missionary work.

Elder and Sister Burton serve as physical health doctors, dealing with a variety of ailments and weird illnesses. Elder Burton is a retired heart surgeon and finds his missionary service FUN! He loves going back to the medical basics after 40 years in his specialized profession.

Some of the issues include appendicitis, knees and back pain, and gastrointestinal problems. An unusual case a few weeks ago was a bite from a Chilean Recluse Spider which caused a huge deep welt on the man’s calf that had to be excised. There have been three cases of a tape worm that lodges in the brain and causes terrible headaches. It is detected through a scan and is removed surgically. It is suspected to come from undercooked pork. Ugh! At any one given time, there are about 15% of the missionaries who are sick but that would also include the companion not able to work during the same time. That would make it about 30% out for sick leave.

Of the Latino missionaries in our area, there are almost 50% whose parents are not members or maybe only one is a member. Elder Burton talked to one Elder who had the memory of elders coming to his home and teaching his parents the Gospel. “Now,” he says, “it’s my turn to share what I know.”

In 1985 the Church began the missionary medical online service with quick reference guide for typical health issues. In addition, there are currently 2-3 doctors in every specialty field who are ready to answer calls 24-7 with questions from the mission field. Elder Burton knows everything about hearts but nothing about Recluse spider bites or intestinal parasites, but medical help is readily available through the Salt Lake hotline for any problem. Right now there are about 40 missionary doctors serving throughout the world and about 150 nurses.

Elder and Sister Sheffield went home last month and we will be getting a new medical missionary couple to help in two weeks. We are so thankful for their energy and service.


The other day Joe was riding his bike to work and he passed the MTC.  There on the corner were three young men sitting patiently.  He stopped and spoke with them and asked them if they were missionaries for the Mormon Church.  His own tag was hidden by his bag.  They spoke up and said, "not yet but we will be someday".  Joe told them he was a missionary and thought they looked like young missionaries.  They had come to Lima the day before with a group to do baptisms for the dead.  They had just finished their second day at the temple which had begun at 5:30 am.  They lived in Pulcallpa, Peru which was an 18 hour bus ride over the mountains and down to the jungle.  Joe was amazed and humbled at the love and dedication of these good good people.  He gave them a little money for their long ride home on a crowded bus and had a passerby take their picture.  He calls it "My little brothers."  

We love being with the other missionary couples who serve with us. We are in good company and enjoy sharing stories, sightseeing together, eating out, and talking about new discoveries. In our part of the office, Diane is trying to practice Spanish with the co-workers and they like to practice their English with us. Joe still teaches a class in English once a week and the English and Spanish join together every few weeks or so.

Week 52 ~ ONE YEAR in Peru

Sometimes it’s hard to think of something to write about. It seems like this week was no different than any other but it gives us a chance to really think about the little things that make up our lives, probably not very interesting. We received two Christmas gift packages Friday, sent Dec 5 and Dec 15. That was exciting missionary mail!

Just to highlight the economic problems of Venezuela due in part to the dropping oil prices, just yesterday there was a segment about Venezuela on World News. It really helps to understand and see first-hand what’s going on in that country, and it helps us as we deal with the AAA’s and local stakes and leaders in the country with their challenges. The people stand in long lines in the heat, many of them with their children, waiting to get in the grocery store. Ironically, one person had a Disney umbrella for shade. Then the camera took us into the grocery store and it was sooooo sad! The Church is not allowed to have Bishop’s storehouses because the government sees that as hording food. The only answer is to go to the streets and buy the needed items for twice the money on the Black Market. 

The Church is very aware of the problem. From our Senior Missionary, Bill Murray, we hear one of our ward buildings was confiscated by the government and is now being used for a school house because they needed it more than church services once a week. Yea! Hard to believe. The Church is just reconciled to the fact that the building is no longer church property.

Venezuela is an unusual country. In the five countries in our area, Venezuela and Colombia have the most difficulty in way of economic distress. With all five countries, the misuse of funds is pretty equal. In all, there are a total of 250 stakes with almost 3,000 local units. Problems occur when there are missing funds, embezzlement or sometimes due to robbery. With such great numbers of leaders, we are only dealing with 6-8 real problems a year. Awesome percentages when compared to world averages for business losses. Of course, the Church is more concerned about the worth of a soul, proper training and policies in place to protect the leaders

Sure helps us know how blessed we are!

Imagine the faith of the Saints who give their tithing and fast dollars freely when they have so little. The job through our office here and those we work closely with is to check the receipts and expenses of how the fast offerings are spent. When there is an irregularity, a special audit is made and questions asked. If and when the questions are not answered satisfactorily and through the spirit, the case is turned over to the ecclesiastical leaders for appropriate action.

Dianna taught the Relief Society lesson yesterday and she had quite a surprise. Sister Holland was visiting and attended the little English class. What a blessing to have her present. Diane had a video for the end of her lesson, actually with President Monson, but she asked Sister Holland to bear her testimony instead. It was so sweet and tender as she expressed gratitude for being in Peru and being able to travel with her husband. Last year she woke up one morning with a bad cough and congestion and learned she had pneumonia. She was in the hospital for two months! Finally, the doctors told her they had done all they could do and she should call her family around and make final preparations for this life. Having been through that, we knew what that was like and her testimony of God's love and answer to prayers was a blessing to hear.

Billie Murray is finishing her project of creating a timeline of the history of the church in Peru. What an awesome undertaking and accomplishment as she rolled out the timeline on the table. This will saved on a disc and copies of the timeline will be placed on a wall in all the institute buildings throughout the area. She is matching pictures to upload onto the timeline and then it will go to the publisher.

Week 51 ~ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

We were asked to present family home evening for the missionary couples for the month of February.  They asked us since we are the "newly weds" of  the group.  We decided to do something differently and began the evening with a potluck variety of finger foods and pastries. Sisters Burton and Raeside helped with the decorations, bless their hearts.  We then gathered in the large auditorium where all our big meetings are held and Elder Burton began by singing a song from Elvis, "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You". He has been a member of the Tabernacle Choir so it was really good even though he really hammed it up.

Joe presented a short lesson on the "patriarchal order of the Priesthood" and how the PH in the church is vertical and different than the PH in the home which is horizontal.  Diane conducted a wonderful and fun activity that we called The-Not-So-Newly-Wed game".  She did a fantastic job of identifying the questions and being the hostess.  Everyone had a fun and entertaining time. We closed with a very tender little church video, "Enduring Love."  We really did enjoy our time with our dear missionary couples.  They loved the evening and so did we, BUT we are glad it is over.  We felt the spirit together and delighted in the love and tenderness that each couple has for their partners.  We are so blessed to be able to rub shoulders with such a wonderful group of brothers and sisters.


For our little Valentine get-away, we spent the night in downtown Lima at the Sheraton Hotel with our good friends, the Murrays. We had dinner at a real authentic Mexican restaurant which are very rare here in Lima with enchiladas, burritos and nachos!

In the morning, after a delightful full buffet breakfast, we took a taxi to the City Center, the government palace, the Cathedral of Lima, Convent of Santo Domingo and Convent of San Francisco. The government palace is like our White House where the President lives and conducts the affairs of the country. The changing of the guard was at noon which included a full dress band. The guards posted at the palace stand at attention for shifts of two hours, in the sun or rain. Pretty amazing.



We caught the tail end of a street parade at the Plaza de Armas giving a festive mood with music and dancing. The sailors were handsome young men, the Amazonians nearly naked with one holding a large boa snake, and the colorful highland Peruianas liked to have their pictures taken.

Cathedral of Lima

Originally built in 1535 has been restored three specific time periods after major earthquakes destroyed the underground vaults. The last restoration was in 1940.


The main alter used for mass is in the middle surrounded with pictures of eight other chapel alters within the church. There are a total of 14 side chapels. Since the Catholic religion believe in one trinity, in order to pray to the Father one needs to go through an intercessory or Saint. All these chapels are dedicated to different Saints. The alters are made of wood painted to look like marble.

Top right is a room dedicated to Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire. He was a bad man and the wall mural shows slaves being shipped to Europe. The pictures in bottom right are his remains which were found under the alter of this church. They were verified as his before DNA testing by the damage to the bones as he was beat to death. The white Christus is ivory elephant tusks from the 1600's and the other is made with wood from Italy as were the carved choir chairs.



The top pictures are of catacombs and crypts under the cathedral used for the leadership clergy. There was a room discovered with small baby coffins and since it was against policy to have general people buried in the church, these came at a high price with the belief that they had a better chance of getting to heaven if the body was buried in the church. Ironic how this grand edifice is just a hallow shell and the bones that lay underneath are only dirty piles of bones.

Look carefully at the articles of the Bishops and Cardinals. The red shoes are studded with rubies and gold lace as is the hat made with gold tassels and vine. The vest is intertwined with gold thread and very heavy. The sunburst eucharist is made of gold laden with precious stones of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires.

We are so thankful for the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We know our prophet receives constant revelation for us today. After visiting the convents and viewing the religious practices of others, we can more fully appreciate the knowledge we have of our Heavenly Father and of our elder brother, Jesus Christ. We are privileged to know we can pray to our Father in Heaven and that he will answer our prayers.

Week 49 ~ Blessings with Adversity

Here are a few routine challenges we experience that might not be a big deal on an infrequent basis but day after day get oppressive:  We wake up most mornings at 5:30 to the stench of burning garbage. We have the constant noise of dump trucks, buses, cars, horns and car alarms. Every day the announcement of the garbage truck is made with the clanging of a large triangle and then it stops in front of our apartment to empty the two little barrels of garbage.  Diane wears her grubby shoes to walk to work through the dirt. As we walk along the road, we can reach out and touch the dump trucks and buses that speed by us kicking up plumbs of dirt and exhaust. When we need a few things at the grocery store, the walk is 20-30 minutes each way and, of course, carry the groceries home. We can always take a taxi but generally they are dirty and cost $3-5 each way and the bus is usually standing room only and packed in, so, it’s not an automatic decision but we usually take a taxi home with the groceries.

Now for the blessings! We are up early every day and get in a good exercise before going to the office. Diane likes to stay indoors and work out on the elliptical because of the dirty air and it’s just too darn hot at 6:00am. Joe bought a bike and enjoys riding and discovering new areas. Out of the office, our time is our own. Good thing because we are old and it’s nice to relax in the evening. We are so fortunate to have several good grocery stores and have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. We really enjoy eating out and Peru has some wonderful restaurants close by that are very inexpensive compared to eating out in the states. We enjoy all the sports broadcasts and Netflix, Fox News and movie stations. We enjoy being in a mission with so many other senior couples so we can do things together and hear their stories. We are fortunate to be able to travel throughout the country of Peru and visit Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia and experience the different cultures and people. The best part is that we can talk to our children any time and FaceTime or Skype with the grandchildren. It doesn’t seem as though we are so far away when we can just call. Almost all the pictures are posted on our Blog page so the family can see a visual of our world.

Joe finally got a new chair to replace the old recliner. The old one kept shedding the cheap Naugahyde, flaking off onto his clothes and floor. We went to Jockey Plaza and picked this chair out. S/. 599 = $189. Pretty good, huh? And the owner paid for it! When it was delivered, the delivery truck couldn't get down our little street so the man had to carry it by hand two blocks. Amazing. This chair will be great!

At the office, there is a pretty big humanitarian project going on. The Merrill's are busy cleaning 36 computers, screens and laptops that came from many of the church meetinghouses in the area. They all need to be boxed up to be shipped to a school in Arequipa, very south Peru. It is a preparatory school for entering college to help the students be more successful.

We are really enjoying our mission and the rich experiences we have here. Whether spiritual, fun, educational or inconvenient and mundane, they are still rich experiences we wouldn’t have anywhere else. We are so blessed.

Week 48 ~ We Found Gold Here

We had stake conference today. It was really good and the large chapel was packed including the stage. The Peruvians are beautiful people. Diane doesn't understand much of what they say and she feels uncomfortable just smiling and saying “Gracias” and wants to just go home.  Joe likes to visit with everyone. He loves that interaction and would stay until there was no one else to talk to. Joe explained that especially the women love to see Diane and give her a hug, actually it’s always a kiss on the cheek, because she is an American and a missionary. Trying to be more patient even though she doesn’t know who they are or what they’re saying.

We enjoyed a day out yesterday with Jerry and Jeri Prince from Canada. They are a great couple we enjoy being with and it was sure nice to get to know each other a little better, our background, work and families. We went to the Gold Museum of Lima not very far from our apartments. We spent three hours looking at all the fascinating collections. There were two floors of the private collection of Miguel Mujica Gallo, a dedicated Peruvian who spent most of his time and fortune collecting items of Peruvian history and world weapons.

The first floor was the Museum of World Weapons. Very impressive with huge quantities of ornate knives, guns, medieval armor, shields, helmets and battle axes, cemeters, clubs and swords. Amazing. There was a room strictly devoted to Japanese weapons and Samurai warrior armor that was great.

The basement was dedicated to Peruvian history and the different cultures through the centuries. It was here that we saw the metal craftsmanship of the people in silver, copper and a lot of gold jewelry, head dresses, earrings, and funeral masks. Most all the artifacts were found in the graves so it is assumed the items were not used for every day but were made specifically for the burial of a high ranking individual. We saw some wonderfully preserved pieces of pottery, along with two fancy litters to carry an important person, a perfectly preserved mummy of a woman complete with hair and fingernails, and woven tapestries. No pictures were allowed but I managed to get a few. Joe was sure I would be reprimanded since there were cameras and security guards everywhere.

This is our wall at the office with pictures of our children and all the grandchildren. It is quite the conversation piece with those that come by to talk, especially our local workers who are fascinated by the blond American families.

Week 47 ~ Missionary Service

Not much unusual or exciting this week to report....except our "exciting" and interesting couples we associate with on a daily basis.  We decided it would be a good time on a slow week to introduce you to these wonderful friends and fellow missionaries. They have added so much to our mission just being our friends and such wonderful examples of dedication and service.

Manny and Lydia Acosta from Salem, Utah. Elder Acosta serves as assistant to the president and Sister Acosta helps with the missionary applications from the area and translating before sending them on to Salt Lake. She usually has an interesting story to tell about these valiant young people. The Acosta's have served four missions.







Bill and Billie Murray from Bountiful, Utah. Elder Murray serves as a real estate lawyer and deals with all building transactions in the area. He just told us a few days ago that Arequipa temple site has just received clearance for building as the agriculture zoning was finally changed to building and development. Now the permits can be obtained and building started for southern Peru. Sister Murray teaches an institute class and also works on the historical timeline for the South America Northwest area with relation to church growth and area politics and growth. Elder Murray serves as Branch President of the MTC branch and always shares wonderful stories from the new missionaries. The Murrays know Joe's brother Tom very well as they lived in Walnut Creek at the same time.


Rob and Mary Merrill are from Winache, WA and they both work Humanitarian. They are very involved with eyeglasses, wheelchairs, improved water, new baby care and food production in many remote and jungle areas of Peru. In fact, just Friday a family came in the office about 4:45 from Ica (about 4 hours away) wanting a wheelchair for their son. They didn't have any paperwork from their Bishop and we don't have them in the office, of course. They need to go through our partner who serves more groups than just our church. The family wanted to take the wheelchair right out of the lobby! It was sad to have to send them away where a phone call would have saved them the hassle. Rob is a retired dentist.


Robert and Kelly Bluth are from Medford, Oregon. They also serve in the legal department. Elder Bluth is a lawyer and helps with legal matters while Sister Bluth teaches an institute class. They have eight children so she spends a lot of time keeping up with internet and facebook, pictures and birthdays.









Steven and Janna Rogers are from Lehi, Utah and serve full time in the temple. We see them on Sunday in our ward and at many of the missionary activities but don't see them every day at the office so don't know much about them.









Steven and Linda Record from Santa Barbara, Califonria. Elder Record serves as an assistant to the area presidency. Sister Record also serves in the presidency office helping with missionary applications and other office work. This is their second mission.









José and Monica Gonzalez are from Pereira, Colombia. They have served as President of the MTC next to our area office. Sister Gonzalez figures she has seen over 2000 missionaries enter and leave the MTC during the last two years. They have been released and will leave here Tuesday for their son's wedding in Provo. Another son is the bishop in my daughter's ward in Arkansas. Joe has been playing ping pong with President Gonzalez and gets quite a workout!






Jerry and Geri Prince are our youngest and newest missionary couple from Alberta, Canada. They bring a sweet spirit to our group. He is a retired owner of a dental lab making teeth for implants and crowns. They serve as self-reliance missionaries and are still understanding their calling and scope of their responsibilities. Sister Prince now plays the organ for our Sacrament meetings and fills in for Primary music.






Nelson and Amy Burton are from Virginia and are serving in the office as missionary medical. Elder Burton is a retired heart surgeon who trained under Elder Russell Nelson. Sister Burton is a nurse and she also organizes the FHE events each month and organizes the special farewell dinners. She teaches the 9-year-olds in Primary in English!








Kim and Julie Lowe are from Santa Rosa, California. They are serving in downtown Lima in self-reliance but we get to see them often as they have reason to visit the office. They are active with workshops for all people in different parts of the city. Sister Lowe is also teaching an English class using the same technique Joe uses from Blaine Ray. I heard Elder Lowe talking to someone and mention Garberville. I know that is just north of Ukiah so I told him I was born in Ukiah and grew up in Sebastopol. He marveled and shared a memory of doing car ralleys with a guy from Sebastopol who had a blue volkswagon named Randy . . . . I was speechless and told him that was my brother, Randy Portlock.

Roger and Linda Sheffield from Highland, Utah just went home last week. They served as missionary doctors for the area and did some traveling. They were well known for their day trips all around Lima and an expert on the best places to go. He and Joe have been on many bike rides together.








Juan and LaPriele Hernandez are from Kennawick, Washington and serve in the mission office as assistants to President Boswell. There are 5 missions in Lima but the Lima East mission is right here so they get to join us for many of the activities. LaPriele also teaches in English the 6-year-olds in Primary.









Craig and Lesley Raeside are from Adelaide, Australia. They both have that great Aussie accent. Elder Raeside serves as the missionary mental health doctor and Sister Raeside is busy teaching piano lessons to 23 students. She has been choir director for the high school for years and headed up our Christmas choir. Elder Raeside also serves as a counselor in the MTC branch presidency.






Peter and JoElla Hansen are from Half Moon Bay, California. Elder Hansen serves as assistant to the area presidency and JoElla helps at the front desk. We have Walnut Creek in common and know many of the same people. They are serving their second mission. He serves as a counselor in the MTC branch and is wonderful with the missionaries.







Couple missionary service is great and we enjoy our time here with our dear friends.

Week 46 ~ The Sun God Left in Ruins

We are grateful for weeks that are easy going even though there are a lot of happenings with our responsibilities and those we work with. Elder Montoya was to arrive in Lima last Wednesday from Salt Lake but there were complications with his family and he will not arrive until February 13. We do a lot of Skype and phone conversations with him as our direct leader. We are trying to replace two assistant area auditors even as we enter another audit cycle in two weeks. They will need to be trained and able to follow up on the stake audits during the month of February.

We enjoyed Saturday with four other missionary couples as we rented a van to travel about 45 minutes south to the ruins of Pachacamac, the most popular ruins in Lima right on the ocean. 

The tour was informative but the ruins, although massive, were only about 25% uncovered . . . if that. Let me explain a little: fifty years ago archeologists would begin the excavation work for a particular site and rebuild, so to speak, the broken down adobe walls to what the original building would have been. Some of the work is extensive. But then in the 1990’s, new laws came out that prohibited replacing original work. Currently, only cleaning, uncovering or stabilizing work is allowed so to the regular tourist only sees piles of rubble.

 Ruins

Ravaged by time and weather,

Stalked and haunted by shadows

And ghosts of the past.

What was once a royal temple

Standing proud and strong,

Now blows away with the wind

And is buried by the sand.

After our tour, we went to lunch at a wonderful resort that had play areas for the children and a small bird aviary with a friendly toucan, several parrots, doves, a hawk and others. There were rabbits, llamas, sheep and goats. During our meal, we had live entertainment with the Peruvian flute and Folklorico dancers. We got home about 4:00 and it was a pretty perfect day. The weather was even perfect being mostly cloudy so we didn’t have the sun beating on us as we were in the open. Being so close to the beach, we wish we had time to just walk along the shore and dig our toes in the sand. THAT would have been perfect!

We actually had a rainy day!! We really had to watch ourselves as we walked the narrow path to the office because the buses and trucks would spray water and mud ten feet wide. It was still 80 degrees with rain coming down most of the morning, the first we have seen since we’ve been here. They say, whoever “they” are, that this is the El Nino year and we will have torrential rain the first quarter. I imagine that will be mostly in the mountains of Peru because Lima doesn’t get rain and it would definitely be a disaster if they did because there are no windows, no run off, no gutters, and no underground drainage. 

Until we wash away . . . 

Week 45 ~ 2015 Ends with no Regrets

Just before midnight, we walked over to the church office building and climbed up to the roof and then up more stairs to the air conditioning box to watch fireworks all over the valley. We could see about 180 degrees. It was unbelievable and hard to put in words. Joe says it was like the bombing of Bagdad, constant and noisy.  

Even going to the Oakland Temple to get a view of the whole Bay Area was a treat, but, even then, the fireworks were in pockets, here, there, over there. But our view New Year’s Eve was one spectacular show. The whole sky was exploding as far as we could see. New Year’s Day we had Belgian waffles with strawberries, bananas and whip cream, watched the Rose Parade, Joe went for a bike ride while Diane just scrapbooked and watched football.

Joe wrote this poem for the New Year we want to share:

       Goodbye Old Friend – Hello New Friend

                By Joseph Cheney – January 1, 2016

Three hundred and sixty-five days ago the old year quietly died

And a new year like the ocean deep, rolled in like the thundering tide. 

We can reflect and remember the good and the bad the year we just laid to rest

And now we must build and strengthen again, this new “friend” with which we’ve been blessed

We may not know what lies up ahead, or of things which we may be afraid,

But the old friend to whom we just said goodbye, if we listen, can still give us aid.

He would tell us, “be strong, have courage and faith, remember you came through just fine.

The new year and friend you have just welcomed in will help you become more refined."

Be kind and be patient, love and forgive, just as you’ve done in the past,

And when this year ends and closes its eyes, this truth you'll see you have grasped:

A year is just a blink of an eye, especially the older we get,

And someday we’ll know and understand well these words on our own epithet:

“It mattered not the years that he lived, most important to him he said,

Are relationships built on respect and trust and strengthened in family and friends.

So this new year, full of wishes and dreams, written goals to which we devote,

The thing that will last through every New Year are those that give us most hope.

And the one that to me will matter the most, that strikes the most sure chord

Is to love and to trust and give of my life to Him who is Savior and Lord. 

Week 44 ~ A Missionary Christmas

Christmas in Peru. Wow. What a busy and entertaining few weeks we have had! I know it’s busy at home with last minute preparations, buying gifts, party gatherings, music and family. Here it was busy in such a different way and we really felt the spirit of Christmas.

Wednesday we joined six other missionary couples to attend a Christmas music celebration at the National Theater. We went to dinner first at Scarlatti’s next to the La Rambla Mall. The food was excellent! Then we attended the music performance that included a full orchestra, about 150 members in the choir and then the Peruvian Cultural Dancers. What a show and performance! The music was so magnificent and spirited and the dancers and costumes were fabulous! And to think we got in for the price of S/. 30 or $10 USD. Everything was perfect, the company, the food and the entertainment.

                                                                                                     This is an ice cream crepe!

Look at these cute dolls. This is Sister Acosta who lives upstairs. She brought these dolls down to show me what she's been doing the last several months. Yes, she made these dolls by hand without a sewing machine to give to her dear friend Jessica and her daughter who live here in Lima. Everything about them is handmade. Truly remarkable and precious! I can sure appreciate the hours of handwork required for each doll. Wow!

We went caroling all through the neighborhood for about two hours. We had many, many who came to their windows and doorways to listen, to take pictures and videos and give us warm hugs and wishes for a merry Christmas. I must say, our little choir is pretty good with some very strong voices. It was really quite heartwarming, something I don’t think the Peruvians have seen before AND we sang in Spanish so they were quite impressed. We ended at the Bluth’s apartment with volcano cake and ice-cream, cookies and candy. 

Week 43 ~ Celebrating Christ's Birth

Our week in the office was a little crazy because of all the reimbursements that needed to be made to all the brethren who attended the annual meeting. It was complicated by the fact that Friday was the cut-off date for the bank card transactions and setting all the accounts to zero which included the eight men from Colombia and Venezuela. Vilma Ramos in our office helped Diane a lot, especially with communication with those having questions and problems. 

We had some incidents in getting all the men back to their homes. One brother got very sick in the Lima airport and had to go to the hospital. He was throwing up and fainted. Another flight was cancelled to Bolivia and the dear brother had to stay an extra day and then take a bus all night to his home because he couldn’t miss another day of work. On the way to our meeting, a brother from Huancayo took a group taxi with his wife. He was afraid of flying and even after our encouragement to take the nice bus Cruz del Sur, he still took the taxi which went off an embankment and rolled three times. No one in the car was hurt badly except for bruising and cuts.

The traditional craft fair at the Cultural Center is a little way past Jockey Plaza and artisans come from all over the country to sell at Christmastime. Some of the missionaries went down Thursday to spend a few hours browsing all the vendors. There were dancers in native costumes and Peruvian music which made the atmosphere festive. We saw so many amazing things and bought a few items, like our Amazon wood bowl, some Christmas tree ornaments, bird whistles, earrings, a roughly carved wood soup ladle, homemade bread (YUM!), and stuffed alpacas with real alpaca hair (for the grandchildren to play with). Each of the missionaries had their own treasures and we enjoyed sharing what we bought.



There is a group of all the American sisters that get together once a month called Lunch Bunch. It is held at various homes of the sisters, not missionaries because our places are too small, but those whose husbands work in the office or Embassy. The homes are always very spacious and beautiful with huge gourmet kitchens and large patios and backyards. Monday I attended the Christmas lunch and the home was huge but decorated for an old fashioned Christmas. It was charming with teddy bears and lots and lots of Disney everywhere with ornaments, pictures and toys. I bet there were seven Christmas trees, all decorated and one with the traditional train track around the tree. Each tree was a world in itself AND the wife is 8 months pregnant and three small children. Okay, okay, she has a nanny and her niece, two housekeepers, one cook and a yard maintenance man to make it all possible. We had a gift exchange and I ended up with a darling ceramic pot hand painted with Peruvian pictures.

Friday morning at 7:00, the finance department gathered for a traditional Peruvian breakfast and gift exchange. Joe and I went down early, yea, 6:15am, to set up table decorations for a surprise. We used the garlands and Christmas balls we had from our meeting and the cafeteria looked very festive. Otherwise, it would have just been “the lunch room.” It was quite unusual to have a typical Peruvian breakfast . . . a pork sandwich! Needless to say, Joe and I were pretty surprised. There were no eggs and bacon, no cinnamon rolls or doughnuts, no fruit, orange juice or hot chocolate. Instead, we had the Peruvian favorite, Sanguche.   Pervians have a sandwich for breakfast, lunch or dinner, in between, before going out or at the end of a long night, actually any time, and always with tastes of Peru. This Sanguche was with roasted chunky pork on a Kaiser roll with some cooked red onion. It was missing the mayonnaise or cheese as the sandwich was a little dry. It was served with Inka Cola or Maracay juice to drink.

At a mall close to us, there was a life-like manger set up with stable and animals and characters . . . except there was no baby Jesus, just the empty cradle. Diane thought maybe someone took the baby. How sad. Then Joe asked a worker at the Dunkin ‘ Donuts and with a little chuckle told the Americans that the baby hadn’t come yet. How unique! We had never heard of that. They put the baby Jesus in the manger Christmas Eve.