Lindstroms in Lima: March 2020

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Quarantine Week #1

I have been posting on Instagram all week and thought I would just share the thoughts and pictures from there (with a few added items). We hope this finds you all well and healthy! We are doing fine. We have plenty of food, air conditioning, and company! Our upstairs neighbors are also senior missionaries. We are blessed!

Quarantine Day #1

The whole country has been put in quarantine. We can only go out to buy groceries, go to the doctor, the bank or get fuel.

The last flights out of the country left before midnight today. (March 16)

All the little stores have closed. So have all the restaurants. We don't know what will happen to all the little businesses. We don't know how they will get money to support their families during this quarantine.

This is the last remaining store open in a line of little tiendas.
It is only opened because it has groceries.

Quarantine Day #2

We ventured out to get groceries from the supermarket. There was plenty of toilet paper! If you need some you could come and visit. Oh sorry no planes flying into Peru. What was missing on the shelves was all the rice and dried beans.

Get all the toilet paper you want, within reason!

All rice and dried beans are missing from the shelves!

Quarantine Day #3
These pictures were taken during our rush hour traffic! This is a major road, normally it would be completely full and backed up during rush hour. No one is on the roads. Only authorized taxis can drive. Thor read an article that said that the particulate matter in the air has dropped by 30%, just because no one is out driving. We have cleaner air to breath! What a blessing--because some days it was really bad.

This is the major road, Javier Prado, that many of the cars, buses, and trucks travel on daily.

At the ovalo (round about) on Javier Prado.

One senior missionary reported this about his trip to the doctor. ( Plus the doctor wasn't even there!) "We were stopped by police/army 3 times on the way there and once on the way back. The taxi driver had to show a paper authorizing him to be on the road, and I had to show the email confirming my appointment."

Quarantine Day #4

Besides being in quarantine, we also have a curfew. The curfew goes from 8 pm to 5 am. 462 were arrested last night for violating curfew.
Since we have a curfew and are in quarantine our Pathway group met by Zoom conferencing. Our first night was a bit of a disaster to get everyone on. Some of the students internet would go on or off and not enough WiFi 😡. Our student who was leading the discussion was finally able to get on with 20 minutes left!

This is our Pathway group before corona virus!

You have to go out in disguise if you just want to go for a walk. You have to carry a shopping bag so if you're stopped you can say you're going shopping!

Hermana Ames going out in disguise!

Quarantine Day #5

We received a new fashion directive today. The government would like all those who go out of their homes to wear face masks. We have two different styles to choose from depending on what you are wearing that day. 
The choice in face masks!

Our Area medical doctors are showing the proper wearing of the latest fashion. 
Our area medical doctors, Elder and Hermana Hixson.

You can see that it has caught on rapidly because of all the people wearing them in the grocery store! Remember don't go out without one and you will be properly dressed for any occasion.
Our local grocery store with the latest fashion.

Quarantine Day #6

Planning a vacation while you're in quarantine! Where in the house could you go? Maybe outside? Nope can't go outside, not even for a walk. Maybe we could go camping inside! A tent is always a good diversion. 

You can do all sorts of things in a tent! Like call the grandkids. Three of the grandkids are out riding bikes and practicing their social distancing. The other has a tent of her own, so she understands Grandpa.

Plants of Peru

Random Picture of the Week

Lima Peru Temple

This picture remains me of who is in charge! It reminds me of whom we need to put our trust in. As we rely on our Heavenly Father he will bless us with the peace that we need in a troubled world.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

The Little Virus that Changed the World

A Week of Changes

The week started very normal for all of us here in Peru.

Last Sunday Thor had the opportunity to talk in church. There was only time for him to bear his testimony. After we had a lunch invitation. We went to the lovely home of the Zuniga family. They are in our barrio (ward) in Cieneguilla. What a delightful few hours we spend with them and the sister missionaries (Hermanas Segundo and Luna). We found out that they have two sons that are both serving missions. The oldest daughter, Mari, has also served. The two girls, Mari and Gabby, and the parents shared some funny stories about their family.

We had an emergency meeting on Friday, March 6th about getting a 2 week food supply for each companionship in the mission. On Monday at our normal office meeting we finalized plans and saw an example of the food they are suppose to buy. (It had to be food that was ready to eat or could be cooked in a microwave. None of them have stoves.)

That evening we had our monthly pot luck Family Home Evening for the senior missionaries at the area offices. We had lots of good food. Then we had a lesson on different leadership styles. We were placed in groups, according to our style. We had to build a free standing balloon tower!

Balloon tower at family home evening

Tuesday was a trip to the Temple. Always so nice and peaceful there. After we had to go to the mission office for Thor to make a video on the two week supply and how they are suppose to take care of it and not open it (it's in a large bag) until they are told that they can.

Wednesday I did a training for the English Specialist in the mission. We are starting on Book 2 of English Connect. To promote more unity in the mission, we had some changes with the English homework that we went through. They received new binders and lesson plans. Added bonus, they told me funny stories about mission life and confessed what they hadn't done in the English lessons (but were suppose to). This is also the day that the church announced changes to General Conference, MTC, and large gatherings.

Elder Allen at the English Specialist Training

Thursday was the announcement that all church meetings throughout the world would be temporarily suspended for the near future. We still planned on having our Pathway students come. They are not a large group. That night just before Pathways was to start we got notification that Pathways was cancelled for the night. We met briefly with our group, many were already there and for some it takes over an hour to get there. We sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" and had a prayer. We will be meeting with them online for the remainder of the semester.

Lima Peru Temple

The trainings for the missionaries that Thor had planned for Friday were cancelled. Friday morning we decided to go to the Temple again. We came home and had lunch. We did our taxes. And then another announcement that the Temples throughout the world would be closing except for living ordinances. We walked over to the Temple once again and did some sealing ordinances. It was a great Temple day!

Pi Day

March 14th is pi day (3.14). We invited our upstairs neighbors down for pie and a game of Five Crowns. We had a lot of fun! It was good to relax for a few hours.

Hermana and Elder Pratt our Five Crown buddies

Sunday in Cieneguilla

This morning we traveled to Cieneguilla to meet with our friends for their worship service.

The Sacrament table all ready in the Guevara home

We arrived and then shortly thereafter the bishop and elders quorom president arrived. A prayer was said and then Brother Guevara was ordained a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. Bishop Palacios and Brother Zuniga then administered the sacrament and gave it to the seven people in attendance. Bishop and Brother Zuniga left and then we had a testimony from Brother Guevara and a brief lesson from Come Follow Me.

The Guevara Family

It is pretty amazing to think what a blessing that home worship service can be. Children can hear the testimonies of their parents often. They can bear their own testimonies. They can see the priesthood in action by their fathers and older brothers. It was very special for us to be in this humble home and worship and think about our Savior with them.

Plants of Peru

Random Photo of the Month

This is the dead scorpion that the Hermanas found alive under their bed in Cieneguilla.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

To Leap Day and Beyond!

Two Weeks for the Price of One

Our family went back to their home in New York on Sunday, February 23rd. Then it was back to work for us.

Nice little church in Chaclacayo

On February 26th and 27th we had Multi Zone Conferences. At this conference we had a special presentation by the Chosica Zone. The missionaries are going to do a devotional in each of the 10 stakes in our mission. It is about the restoration of the gospel, focusing on Joseph Smith and the first vision. It is a musical devotional. Chosica Zone presented the devotional showing us all how it should be done. They really did a great job and you could feel the spirit strongly. It was a highlight of the Zone Conferences.

Bougainvillea

Dos semanas or two week training was March 3rd. It was really fun to be with and meet all the new missionaries. They had arrived in the mission when we were off in Machu Picchu. We have 12 new missionaries--5 hermanas and 7 elders. One of our new elders had to wait 4 years to be baptized! He was converted when he was 14, but his parents wouldn't give him permission to be baptized. Right after he turned 18, he was baptized. His parents disowned him for a while. When he got his mission call he told his mom that maybe he shouldn't go. She told him it was a call from the Lord and that he needed to fulfill that call. His parents have been to church at least one time since he left on his mission. What a blessing for him and his family. Who knows maybe they will be baptized while he serves the Lord.

March 5th was Leadership Council. President Amato shared with us the story of Betsy Cunningham (It's in the movie "17 Miracles"). Her parents had been promised that ALL of their children would reach Zion. Her mother relied on that promise and a miracle occurred. What promises have we been given and do we have the faith to trust that the Lord will fulfill his promises to us.

Leadership Council

Here is a brief story of Betsy, taken from http://www.tellmystorytoo.com/member_pdfs/elizabeth-(betsy)-cunningham_1615_374.pdf

At one time Elizabeth ... was left for dead on the plains, as she was thought to be frozen to death. The ground was frozen so hard that they could not dig a grave so they just wrapped her in a blanket and laid the body on the ground and hurried on to make camp for the night, as darkness was fast overtaking them. After they had reached camp, the mother of Elizabeth felt impressed to go back to the child. Her friends ridiculed the idea, but the mother was determined, for she maintained that the child was not dead. She had been promised in Scotland that if she was faithful, that she and all her family would reach Zion in safety. She went back to the child and found her undisturbed by the wolves. She carried the child back to camp and worked over her. Some hot water was spilt on her foot and it caused a quiver to go through the limb. Convinced that she was still alive, they kept up their efforts until they brought her back to life. This is the Elizabeth who lived to be the mother of thirteen children, and the foster mother of three others.

Leap Day! February 29th!

We celebrated leap day by doing not one, but two trainings. The trainings were for returned missionaries for 7 of the stakes in the mission. We repeated the training again for the remaining 3 stakes on March 7th. The training is called El Aterrizaje or the landing. It is a career orientation training in which they learn about personality, intellectual abilities, and study habits and soft skills that can impact one's career choice. They are then given a vocational test to help them identify several career options that are a good fit for their abilities.

Returned missionaries at the Mayorazgo training

Returned missionaries at the Campoy training

Returned missionaries from Chosica at the Chaclacayo training

Date Night

We were able to sneak in a trip to the symphony on Friday, March 6th. We went to the Grand National Theater with another senior couple, The Hixsons. It was really nice and relaxing. One of the pieces that the symphony played was Beethoven's violin concerto. It was really interesting because the soloist was also the conductor! It was very fun to watch him play and also lead the orchestra.

The National Symphony Orchestra of Peru

Plants of Peru

Very interesting flower on a tropical plant

These are the blossoms on my favorite pokey bark tree

Random Photo of the Week

Elder White sitting in the President's chair!

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Have You Heard of Machu Picchu?

Family Comes to Peru

Erik, Julie and children--Ginny, Ezra, and Isaac-- arrived in Peru on February 15th for their winter break vacation. Fortunately for them it is summer here and very hot and humid!

With the blessing our our mission president, President Amato, we had the week off to spend with family. (The perks of being a senior missionary couple!)

We flew to Cusco on Sunday, February 16th, and traveled to Ollantaytambo. We toured the ruins there on Monday. We took the train to Machu Picchu on Tuesday. We toured the Sacred Valley on Wednesday. We stayed in Cusco on Wednesday night. We hung out in Cusco all day Thursday until our flight back to Lima. Friday we headed to Miraflores, Kennedy Park, and the Water Park (Parque de la Reserva). Saturday we checked out the main plaza in Lima and toured the catacombs. Sunday we went to church in Cieneguilla and then played games until it was time to go to the airport.

We loved having our family with us. Family really is the most important thing in life!