We had a very busy and exhausting week. Elder Vaca left for Cuzco and so Elder Cleverly is flying solo. Sister Cleverly and Elder Barry are on their own also but Elder Worsham who is now the Assistant to the President is in the office frequently so they can ask him questions.
Last Monday the missionaries that are going home started to arrive. We had 19 missionaries going home and there was luggage and missionaries everywhere which made it difficult to do much working. They kept coming in so that President Elmer could interview them. We left the office early to go to the other side of the city, to the Area Offices, to the monthly Home Evening with the other American couples that are serving down here. It took us a good hour to get over there by bus. Soon we will take a picture of the busses that we ride on. We can go from our apartment to the Area Office, MTC and Temple for about .30 cents. Transportation is quite reasonable here. When we got to the Area office the home evening was already in progress. We were to take about 5 minutes and tell something about General Conference that had a special meaning to us. Just as we finished we felt our first earthquake. It lasted for just under a minute and was fairly strong though I don´t think there was any damage anywhere in the city or country.
On Tuesday the Elders went to the temple with the President and Sister Elmer in the morning and then had lunch with the president. In the afternoon we went to the Magadalena chapel where we had a testimony meeting for the 19 departing missionaries and the chapel was full of all the members that came to bid them farewell. In the evening the elders left for home and a few with their families went to Cuzco and Machu Pichu. We didn´t get home until quite late.
On Wednesday the new missionaries arrived from the MTC here in Lima. There were 19 of them and we were included with this batch of new missionaries making 21 in total. Also we received new missionaries that were called to go to Bolivia but are unable to because of the unrest in the country. The president brings all of the missionaries together in Lima at the time of changes. He has the new missionaries sit up on the stand and the other missionaries down in the chapel. After he introduces each new missionary and tells something about them he then announces the new companships.
Thursday happen to be a holiday in Peru. All banks closed, no correo, etc. We finally were on our own. The President and Sister Elmer left for the Providences. President Elmer interviews every single missionary every month and we have exchanges every six weeks. We know that the changes for when it is time for us to go home will be June 29, 2010.
Friday was the day to teach brother Fernando. He came by the office and told us that his novia couldn´t attend and so we rescheduled for next week and they will both come. We also met a single woman that has never been married that said she would like to have the discussions. There is a Chineese restaurant right across the street from the office. It was very crowded and she said that we could sit with her. She had heard of our church and would like to know more. She said that if we had any problems whatsoever or needed to go any place she would go with us. She gave us her telephone number and address.
Saturday we went to the temple. There were 100´s of people outside the temple waiting to go in and inside it had all that it could hold. Five or six busses came in from up north, Trujillo and Piura. After our session we ate in the cafeteria. We then caught a bus and went directly to the grocery store. We took a taxi home with all of our groceries.
Yesterday we went to our meetings and after we had been home for about an hour sister Swan came to our place from Cuzco with her mother and another friend to hang out until it was time to go to the airport to head home to Lehi.
