Quarantine Musings on Peru

Being quarantined again for 2 weeks have given me the opportunity to think about Peru. We met so many wonderful people and had so many good experiences. I have been sharing through Instagram a snapshot of Peru. Just little bits and pieces of our life there.

April 5, 2020 Day 6 of New Quarantine

Every Sunday in Peru we would travel to Cieneguilla to go to church. We would call for an Uber and be on our way around 8 am. It would take us about 45 minutes to get there. It was nice to greet all the members of the Ward with a kiss on the cheek or a handshake. (Thor would only greet with a handshake.) Some of them would check up on my Spanish! After church we would catch a bus or a colectivo (a colectivo is like a taxi; it fills up all the seats and drops you off at certain places) to get back home.

Our favorite sacrament program was the primary program. The parents all took pictures of the children after church. It was really sweet.

The Obregon Family

Tatiana and Kirstin

The Guevara Family

The Primary Program in Cieneguilla

April 6, 2020 Day 7 of New Quarantine

Monday nights in Peru means Family Home Evening Senior Missionaries style. We had a fun group of senior missionaries! Three times a month we would cram into someone's apartment (byoc--bring your own chairs) to discuss the latest Come Follow Me lesson. Once a month we would meet at the church area offices for a potluck dinner and something special. We learned how to do the salsa on the roof of the building! We built balloon towers, learned about earthquakes, and found out about different humanitarian projects in the area. We even went Christmas caroling in our neighborhood. It was so much fun to see the people look out their open windows and clap at our singing. Plus the added bonus of it being nice and warm at Christmas time. It was always a good time with our friends!

Learning how to salsa on the Area Office roof

Pot luck dinner on the roof

Family Home Evening on Leadership styles

Family Home Evening at our apartment

Christmas caroling in the neighborhood

April 7, 2020 Day 8 of New Quarantine

Today I was thinking about all of our office elders. These young men are all wonderful. It was so much fun working with them. Elder Pardo would take Thor out to do apartment checks and preach the gospel to every driver they had. Elder Tenney would always have a huge smile. Elder White always looked very serious-- maybe because he was the finance secretary. Elder Recalde tried to help me with my Spanish and I would help him with his English. Elder Wilcox and Elder Davis helped me so much with the English program. Elders Napier, Leite, and Kimball would get a hard time from me just because they were the assistants to the President. (I was trying to keep them humble.) Our health secretary, Elder Armstrong would give me flaming hot chips, just so he could see my reaction. They all loved french toast and scrambled eggs. We would feed them every once in a while and boy could they all eat!

Armstrong, Wilcox, Tenney, White, and Pardo

Armstrong, Wilcox, Pardo, White

Napier and Leite

White, Recalde, Armstrong, Pardo, Colton

White, Wilcox, Davis

April 8, 2020 Day 9 of New Quarantine

A big shout out to all the sister missionaries! These young women are so amazing and filled with so much faith. Every day they would put on their biggest smiles and go to work for the Lord. They experienced many miracles. When we saw each other we would exchange big hugs. Elder Lindstrom always felt bad that he could only shake their hands. We are so grateful that we could serve with them 💗

Mayta and Stephan

Niziato, Morales, Cuellar, Black

Hansen and Lester

Suarez and Morales

Santana, Copa, Pacheco 

Royal, Estevez, Hansen

Pozo and Santana

April 9, 2020 Day 10 of New Quarantine

Mototaxis are quite the adventure to ride in. You can describe them as a tricycle motorbike. The driver sits in front of you. (See 2nd picture and top left corner.) This is your view out. You sit in the back. Make sure you brace yourself, because if you go over any bump you will experience it. Big time! In some areas they are very prevalent. They scurry around like cockroaches. Thor and the grandkids were able to squish in the back of one. One day we saw a parade with mototaxis. It made me happy!

Mototaxi

Thor with the grandkids in a mototaxi in Cieneguilla

Mototaxi parade in the Sacred Valley

April 10, 2020 Day 11 of New Quarantine

The Peruvian people love their folk dances. Each region of Peru has a dance that is specific for that area. The dances generally tell a story. The costumes are all colorful, different for each region, and even the hats are unique. We saw folk dances in many different venues. One of our favorites was the primary children of the Mayorazgo Stake. Each Ward preformed a different folk dance.

We were first introduced to the folk dances in their big Independence Day parade. We saw dances at a graduation and at a Christmas luncheon. They have national contests for folk dancing!

April 11, 2020 Day 12 of New Quarantine

The Peruvian people believe in God. There are many that are religious and will talk to you about God. They have religious processionals. I suppose they would have had some this Easter, but they are all in quarantine. This processional went through our neighborhood last October. It was for the God of Miracles. They would stop at different houses where a shrine had been erected. Several days before there was a children's processional. Many of the children were dressed as angels. Thank heaven for a God of Miracles!

Processional for the God of Miracles

Processional for the God of Miracles

Children's processional

Children's processional

Plants of Peru

Random Photo of the Week

Weaving of cuy (guinea pigs)

Another Week and a New Different Quarantine!

It's amazing what a new week can bring. We didn't think we would be leaving so early! There were Senior missionaries that were older and that had health problems that we thought would go before us. But here we are all packed up and ready to head to the United States. We will head to Miami and fortunately stay the night there. Then our flight will take us to Atlanta and then on to Salt Lake. We were able to travel with missionaries from the Lima South Mission. They were a blessing to us as we traveled homeward.

March 29, 2020 Day 14 of Quarantine

All our bags are packed. We are not ready to go. Our friends were standing outside our door (to help us take our bags down to the taxi.) Already we're so sad to leave we could cry.

But first to the embassy to stand in a long line. Then on to a bus to spend some time. Where do you think that Taruka Tours really goes? We don't know. But it's heading today to the Air Force Base. Because we're leaving on a jet plane. Don't know when we'll be back again. Don't know when we'll be back again…

Leaving our apartment at 193 Montevideo #201

Other people trying to get to the United States.

The line at the Embassy.

Waiting in line at the Embassy

On the bus!

The Air Force Base

March 29, 2020 Day 14 of Quarantine continued

Event:  On Sunday, March 29, 530 Americans departed Peru, bringing the total number of repatriations to approximately 2,830.

We were part of that 530 Americans.

We were processed in a hanger. Since they didn't have the regular scanners, they had two different dogs come through and smell the bags. Then finally off to the American Airlines plane to fly to Miami. It is hard to leave Lima. Many of the passengers cheered as we ascended into the sky. But Elder Fristrup (from Lima South) is shedding a few tears (as was Elder Lindstrom) as Lima receded from our view. We reached Miami about 7:30 pm. The airport was a ghost town and so many cancelled flights... We got to our hotel and then blessed sleep.

Elder Romney and Elder Jones in the airplane hanger

One of the dogs checking the luggage

Thor boarding the plane 

Elder Fristrup watching as Lima departs in the distance

The terminal in Miami--it looks like a ghost town

Cancelled flights in Miami

March 30, 2020 Transitional Day

We officially weren't in quarantine today. Unless you can say we were in quarantine because we were in two different planes with a lot of people and no social distancing! I don't think that counts though.

We started in Miami. We flew to Atlanta and then the last leg to Salt Lake City. We spent the day with the cute sisters and elders that were flying home from the Lima South Mission. They reminded us of our missionaries from the Lima East who are still stuck in Peru.

After landing we were picked up by our beautiful chauffeur. Thanks Mari! She drove us to 700 east in Kaysville where Ward members lined the street and welcomed us home. Thanks Kaysville 4th Ward! We feel so loved.

Miami Airport

A smiling Elder Fristrup

On a plane again

Atlanta Airport--they have good chocolate shakes!

With the Lima South Elders

With the Lima South Hermanas

Salt Lake Airport

March 31 & April 1, 2020 Day 1 & 2 of New Quarantine

Hard to believe that we are still in quarantine! We do have the blessing to be able to take walks here.

In Peru, it is sunny and warm (no snow on the ground, like this morning). One of the things that I love about Peru is the bougainvillea. It is a beautiful flowering shrub. It comes in many colors. People have it growing up and over their walls. It seems to bloom all year. Every morning I could look out my window and see the one growing across the street.

Kaysville snow in April

bougainvillea

April 2, 2020 Day 3 of New Quarantine

The blessing of technology is wonderful. We were able to meet with our Pathway students this evening. 7:30pm Lima time through Zoom. We are just finishing up the second semester with this group of great people that we love. We have watched them grow so much from last fall. When the quarantine happened we all had a steep learning curve with going online. (In person gatherings are more interactive.) All of us did pretty well this evening!

The students took this picture one night when we weren't there and our sub didn't show up. They said it was the best night ever!

Our Pathway students

April 3 & 4, 2020 Day 4 & 5 of New Quarantine

Meet our upstairs neighbors in Peru, Elder and Hermana Pratt! We had great times with them. We would usually be together on Monday nights for Family Home Evening with all the seniors. I was able to teach English Connect with Hermana Pratt on Friday mornings. When we both had a free evening (it wasn't too often) we would get together and play games. Our standard game was Five Crowns. Elder Pratt made a spreadsheet of who won and lost. Just want you to know that I was the consistent loser.

Julia and Emron Pratt, our Five Crown buddies

Plants of Peru

These are the flowers that bloom on this pokey tree.

Pokey tree bark

Random Photo of the Week

Bones from the catacombs