New Missionaries and Old Missionaries

Something New

This week we received new missionaries. We have four new hermanas and nine new elders. It is always fun to see the new ones come. They are nervous and a little worried. We give them a big mission hello and hugs and handshakes to welcome them to the Peru Lima East Mission. That first day they are introduced to their "trainer" companions.  They get to play a fun little game--like speed dating-- to see who their trainer is. We then have a very traditional meal of Lomo Saltado with papas fritas and arroz. Translation: Lomo Saltado is like a beef stir fry with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and a sauce. It is served on top of french fries and rice.

New Sister missionaries speed dating to find their companions!

Finally it is time to pack up all their stuff and head off in a taxi. This is also quite a feat, since they have two large suitcases, usually a large backpack, then they received an emergency backpack, a pillow, blanket and sheets. Finally they make it to their apartment. They put they belongings inside and then they head right back out on the streets to start working.

New Missionaries with President and Sister Amato

Something Old

This week Thor and Miguel Serrano did a training for the missionaries that will be leaving in three cambios (transfers).  Miguel Serrano is an local psychologist, who is passionate about youth and career orientation.  Thor has often thought that if he was to have chosen an 'office job', that it would have been something like being a guidance counselor.  So now he gets to do that, and he loves it.  The missionaries learn about study habits, and how personality and natural and acquired abilities and interests can influence their career choices.  They then take a vocational aptitude test to identify career areas in which they would most likely succeed.  Many of them have no idea what they want to do when they return home. This training provides them a good starting point. Thor and Miguel designed the training from the ground up.  They are also provided resources to determine where in their home countries they could study for their chosen fields, what the labor market looks like in those fields, etc.  This is very important for our Latino missionaries, since many of them don't know what they will do when they return home. They have two more trainings to help them with job interviews and resumes, and being realistic and prepared for the challenges they will likely face when they return to their homes.

Missionaries working on their vocational aptitude test

Something Really Old

We went to the Larco Museum in downtown Lima. 

"The Museo Larco is housed in an 18th century viceroyalty mansion. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, the Museo Larco permanent exhibition invites visitors to explore the more than 5000 year history of ancient Peru, through a fascinating collection of pre-Columbian art."

They had a marvelous collection. They were so many different kinds of pottery from the different eras and different societies that lived in the area. There was the silver room and the gold room. Many of the items at the museum came from grave sites. These items would not be used everyday. They were made to help the dead in their new place. 

Something Silver with really big ear plugs and a nose cover!

If you prefer it in Gold, you can have a huge collar necklace!

There was a beautiful garden at the museum.

We are still alive! And doing great.

Plants of Peru

Random Picture and Event of the Week

There was an earthquake on Thursday, October 24 at 9:35 pm. It was really weird. We heard the earthquake first and then we felt it. It was a 4.5 earthquake and located out in the ocean.

Birthday Ice Cream--it is high in sugar and in saturated fats. Warning on carton--Avoid excessive consumption.

Another Week in Lima

Doce Semanas (12 weeks)

When the new missionaries come to the mission, they have a program called "The First 12 Weeks". With their trainers they complete certain tasks and assignments. One of the assignments is reading the Book of Mormon cover to cover!

The Doce Semana graduates with their trainers

When the 12 weeks are over they have a special training and graduation. It's amazing to see how much they grow and progress in those 12 short weeks. Most of them become quite fluent in a new language! (Definitely better than me.) They look a lot older and more confident. They have become missionaries for the Lord.

Hermanas Stephan, Suarez, & Royal--Happy Graduates!

Another Graduation

Friday was another graduation! The refrigeration class at Fundet graduated. These guys were the first group that Thor taught a self reliance training to at Fundet. He has gone back each week to supervise their "Starting and Growing My Business" self reliance class. He was excited to be there with them as they graduated!

Fundet Graduation

Cars and more Cars

Our friends, the Hixsons, invited us to go to the car museum with them on Saturday. This is a very large private collection. All of the cars have been found in Peru and lovingly restored. The owner drives them at times. ( We assume the early morning hours, because the traffic is horrific here.) There were interesting little tidbits that they had written about each car. Such as: where it was found, who it belonged to, and my favorite --this was given as a wedding gift.

1929 Rolls Royce British Phantom II

1949 Station Sedan Woody (That is real wood paneling.)

Auburn (U.S.A.), modelo speedster 851 SC (supercharged) de 1935. 

Plants of Peru

Random Photo of the Week

One man and a moto moving company

We found this parade as we were riding in our taxi!

The Week in Pictures

The Week in Pictures

Demonstration of life 

Multi-zone conferences this week! Two full days of being trained and helping with the training. Thor taught the second self-reliance course for the missionaries. It was on being good stewards over their money. We also learned about the atonement of Jesus Christ and how to apply it in our lives.

Central Zone singing "Gethsemane"

We had the chance to go to the Lima Temple this week and work in the baptistry. Thor was able to baptized some sweet young ladies. Most of them had brought family names to do. For one young woman, it was her first time to do baptisms for the dead.  By the way, the water was very cold. You could see the shock on their faces the first time they were baptized.

Sister Quipse (on the right) Her first time at the Temple!

We spent an evening in Las Vinas with Hermana Lester and Hermana Hansen. They put on a missionary activity for their ward. Returned missionaries talked about their missions and then they served food from the country they had been to.

Hermana Hansen and Hermana Lester

Saturday was a special Primary Dance Festival in the Mayoragzo Stake. The children performed native Peruvian dances in full costume. It was so much fun to watch.

Sunday we traveled to sunny Chosica. Thor gave a self-reliance training there. There were a lot of people that attended. We are always grateful for that.

Training at Chosica

Plants of Peru

Random Pictures of the Week

Elder Wily and Elder Pardo posing for a picture for the training presentation

Elder White--our financial secretary--posing for  a picture for the training presentation

Life Happens!

Something Normal

This past week has been quite normal. We did a lot of missionary things that we do every week. On Monday morning we had our normal weekly meetings at the mission office. That night we had Family Home Evening with all the senior missionaries. Elder (Dr.) Hixson explained to us why the word of wisdom was written for our day, not for Joseph Smith's day. It was very interesting and we learned a lot.

We had mission leadership council on Tuesday, which lasted until the early afternoon.

Wednesday we were able to go to the Lima Temple with our zone. It was really neat to be there with those missionaries that we work with. They look great in white. We also had time to work on presentations that we are giving.

Thursday we worked in the office until the afternoon. On Thursday nights we are the missionaries for a Pathway Connect group. This means we go to the church and set up the room, greet the students, and try to encourage and support them. Later that evening we ended up going to the health clinic to take Elder Wilcox and Elder Armstrong back to their apartment. Poor Elder Wilcox had been very sick and was dehydrated, so he received an IV at the clinic.

Hermana Mayta contacting 

Friday I taught EnglishConnect class to a group of 9 women. That's what I do on Friday mornings. Thor went to Fundet and oversaw several groups doing the self-reliance course for small businesses. That's what Thor does on Friday mornings. Friday afternoon we traveled to Cieneguilla to make some visits. We stopped at the Guevarra's to see how Brother Guevarra is doing after his surgery. He had a plate and 6 screws put in his leg. He will be out of commission for 4 months. That's a long time for the main provider of the family.  Thor was able to leave a very spiritual message with them. We visited others in the area. Then we met up with the sister missionaries, Hermana Mayta and Hermana Estevez. We tried to contact people, but we weren't  very successful. We did get our first "I'm a Catholic and plan to remain one" speech. We then took the Hermanas out for dinner. 

Hermana Estevez, she's from Ecuador

Hermana Mayta, she's from Bolivia

Didn't you just love General Conference!  That was our Saturday and Sunday. We spent Saturday at Presidente and Sister Amato's watching conference with their family and the office elders.

A Shopping Expedition

A group of sister senior missionaries took a van out to the blanket factory (a 45 minute ride). We were not able to see them make the blankets, but we got to see the bundles of llama and alpaca wool in the factory yard. We were able to see the many different blankets that they make and purchase them.

Many bundles of lama or alpaca wool

A bundle of llama or alpaca wool

Some of the sample blankets at the factory.

Something Spiritual

In our mission leadership council on Tuesday, Sister Amato taught us all a powerful lesson on the atonement and life.

Life happens. We make mistakes. Do we learn from our mistakes? Do we repent and try again? Do we give our burdens to the Savior?

To illustrate these points she used a game called "Don't Step In It".  You make realistic looking dog poo from clay and place them on a green mat. The person is blindfolded and has to go the length of the mat without stepping on the poo. 

Sister Amato and Elder Lewis experiencing life! It happens!

An elder was blindfolded and he walked the mat. As soon as he stepped in the poo, Sister Amato would stop him and place a heavy bag of rocks in the backpack he was carrying. The backpack got full of rocks as the elder stepped on more poo.

At the end of the mat, she talked about how life happens. We are not perfect. Do we continue to carry the rocks from our past mistakes? 

It is through the Savior that we can be rid of our rocks. As we repent and change we give the Savior our burdens. When we forgive others who have wronged us, that weight is also lifted from our backs. As we reach out in distress or in sickness, the Savior can strenghten us.

May we all center our life in the Savior and give our burdens, mistakes, and sins to Him.

Plants of Peru

Random Picture of the Week

This is how they water the grass in the curb strips and medians.

Barren to Green to Lima in 13 Hours

Something Historical

One of the many buildings at Caral

On Saturday, September 28th we took a trip with the senior missionaries. The first place that we visited was Caral. It is about 4 hours from Lima. (And yes we got up very early to catch our 5 am van.)

Caral is one of the oldest civilizations on the earth and the oldest in the Americas. They estimate that it started in 3000 BC. They think that it was a very peaceful society, because no weapons have been found.

The senior missionaries at Caral.

The city was build on the benches of the valley overlooking the fertile river bottom. They think that they farmed down by the river, and that they went to the ocean to catch fish. (The ocean isn't too far away.) They developed a counting system. They had a amphitheater where they think they had dancing and music. They have found musical instruments. 

They don't know what happened to them. They left the area and they covered their buildings with rocks and earth when they left. The area that they lived in was enormous. Their buildings were made of rocks. It was a very impressive place.

Caral the oldest civilization in the Americas.

Lomas de Lachay--Look how green it is!

On the way back to Lima we stopped at Lomas de Lachay. This is a national reserve. It has many unique plants. There are also many birds. We were amazed at all the birds that we could hear. It is also unique in that there are green plants in this desert coastal region. The reason that it is so green and things grow, is that a mist covers the area. Fortunately we went on a day that wasn't too misty and were able to see all around us. It was very beautiful and so different from the mountains that we see in Lima. Those mountains have nothing growing on them.

This is a carpet of flowers. Lomas de Lachay

Posing in front of all that green! Lomas de Lachay

This is what our mountains look like in Lima. Green is definitely beautiful!

Something Spiritual

On Tuesday, September 24th we went to Cieneguilla. That is where we go to church. It is about 30 to 40 minutes away on a good traffic day. We were able to go visiting with the relief society president, Hermana Flores, and her counselor, Hermana Dorita.

The settlement in Cieneguilla

We didn't realize how big Cieneguilla really is! It is a very large area. The first area that we visited was a newer settlement. The roads are all dirt. The houses are made of plywood. There are no glass windows, only an opening in the wall that they cover with wood. We visited with some very nice families. In one family that we visited there is a single mother trying to make a living for her family. She sews clothes to sell. The next family that we saw have a small tienda (store) in the front of their home. The father also works in Lima.

Estrellita and her mother, Norma with items that she sews.

Carmen and her daughter, Lia at their tienda.

At the next home we found out that the father had just broken his leg and was scheduled for surgery on Friday. Thor was able to give a priesthood blessing to this good man. Alvaro Guevara was very touched by the blessing and started crying. 

We visited more people that day. Each one was left with a message of the love that the Savior has for them. As I look back on that day, I realize that each of us can deliver that message to those around us. Our Savior loves us dearly. As we love and reach out to others, they can also feel the Love that the Savior has for them.

Plants of Peru

Flower at Lomas de Lachay

Flower at Lomas de Lachay

Random Photo of the Week

Tourist photo at Caral