Saving the one

As most of you know, we lost our camera. Hope you enjoy this of the elder saving the one.

Stakes in church up to 2004

We thought you might find this interesting

New Years Day

On New Years day the Ramirez came

and visited with us. They are serving in the temple and were
in the MTC

with us. But they haven't seen much of Lima yet. So we decided to go to Callao and the ancient Naval fort that goes back to 1747.

The fort is in the shape of the pentagon.

Ft Real Felipe is amazing as well as being huge and filled with lots of history.

Christmas morning

We received stockings filled with fun goodies from friends who
taught and baptized Karen and her family.
Our Christmas tree was made from hand prints of our kids and grandkids. We have decided to keep it up all year. We have some additions coming and it will be fun watching it grow. One gift that was very special and a surprise was from Noemi, our adopted granddaughter. She gave us some home made Peruvian Christmas ornaments. During the morning and early afternoon we called our kids and other friends on Skype on our computer.

Our six missionaries, Elders Barry, Rodriguez, Worsham and Briggs and Sisters Coombs and Gonzaga arrived at 5:00 p.m. for dinner. Joe Elmer, our president's brother, brought us a spiral sliced ham from Cost Co. After eating a scrumptious dinner of ham, turkey, salads and mashed potatoes, Kay read/told the Christmas story intermingled with us singing Christmas hyms. Our window was open so our neighbors and the guards at the end of the street heard our sweet heart felt singing.We had a very fun time together. The missionaries left at 8:00 p.m. to go to the office to make their phone calls home for Christmas.

Manchay Christmas

There are several American couples down here who get together a couple of times a month. For Christmas we went to one of the poorer branches and a Christmas program for the children. The Cleverly's, Anderson's and Drake's were in charge of the treats for the kids. Some of our friends in St. George donated $100 which bought cookies, candy, candy canes, crayons and the printing of 10 page booklets of the Christmas story for 70 kids to color. Sister Elmer picked up the bags to put the treats in when she went to Salt Lake City to her son's wedding. Here we are filling the bags. Sister Hawkins made 150 pop corn balls to go into the bags and to give to the parents. The Ramirez' also purchased 70 one peice nativity sets, one for each child. We did the Christmas Story with the kids enacting the parts of Joseph, Mary, shephers, angels and the wise men. The choir of gringos and the congregation sang Christmas hymns. We were all very humbled when we left. This is what Christmas is about.

For the Christmas story we had Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus, Shepherds, angels, and of course the three wise men.

Some of the couples that helped with the Manchay Branch Christmas program. These are the nativities we gave to each child. We presented the program on Sunday evening. It was so fun to sit on the stand as a choir and sing the Christmas hymns in between the different parts of the Christmas story as the youth acted out the parts.

The kids and the parents of the Manchay branch were so appreciative of this Christmas program. From the money that every couple donated we were able to buy several cases of scriptures to be put into the branch library. We gave each of the parents a popcorn ball.

Kids getting their Christmas treat sacks and nativity after the program. The parents were delighted that they got a treat too.