Lindstroms in Lima: Don't Text and Drive!

Trainings and more Trainings

On Sunday, November 3rd, we had a training in the Las Flores Stake. It was on self reliance in the wards. Bishops, a member of the Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidencies, and the ward self reliance specialist were invited to come. Thor talked about what self reliance is and how it can help their ward members. Thor talks and does the presentations--I make the google slides beautiful!

Self reliance training in the Las Flores Stake.

Tuesday, November 5th, we had 2 week training for the newest group of missionaries. They don't look quite as shell-shocked at two weeks. It's still really hard for them to be on a mission and all the new things they have to learn. They all seem to speak the language better. At this training they are each asked to share one funny thing that has happened to them and one miracle that they have seen in their two weeks here. One of the funny stories was an Elder was on a bus--standing up because there is no room to sit--he reaches into his little money pouch to pay for his ticket. The bus makes a sudden stop at this moment. The elder is not hanging on to anything. His money goes flying and he falls down, taking four people with him.

We shared a training on money management. Something they need to learn quickly on a mission.

November 6th was the final training for the week! Thor and Miguel Serrano did a training for the missionaries that are leaving in the next month or two. They talked about the vocational test that they had already taken. They talked about resources in their home countries. They asked if they had reached out to contact people that worked in the field that they want to study. They talked about being an "Elect" returned missionary and what choices they would need to make to achieve that. They talked about their first week home and what their specific plan is. Also goal making and how they can keep those good habits and abilities that they have developed on the mission.

Elder Lindstrom and Miguel Serrano with the missionaries who will be leaving soon.

Interviews and more Interviews

I spent three days this week interviewing missionaries. I am over the English program in the mission. We have an English Specialist in each of the zones (a missionary) and they teach a weekly lesson. It has been about 7 weeks since we started this new program. I talk to each Latino missionary in English and asked them questions from their weekly homework. Each Latino missionary is strongly encouraged to learn English on their mission. It's fun to talk with them and see how much they understand. It exactly like me and my learning of Spanish. Es muy difícil.

Hermanas Mayta and Stephan--two of the missionaries that were interviewed. Hermana Stephan is the English Specialist in her zone.

On Friday we were traveling with the mission president to Chosica to interview the missionaries there. The President was talking on his phone and for one second he looked down and the next second we had rear ended a truck. Thankfully we were not going very fast and seat belts work! We only have a few bruises from the experience. Unfortunately the car didn't fair as well.

No one was hurt! The car was the only casualty.

Notice the bumper on the truck. It is folded underneath due to the impact.

Sad History

On Saturday we went with two other couples to the National Museum. They had an exhibit on the 20 year conflict they had with the terrorists. The terrorists, also known as the Shining Path, were trying to bring communism to Peru and make it a communist country. This movement started in 1980 and lasted until 2000. Many people were killed, over 69,000 and many others went missing. Some of the pictures in the exhibit were haunting. A very sad time in their history and not so long ago.