P-day

Yesterday on our P-day in the late morning we went over to the office and worked on a few things and Karen needed to fax the presidents tickets to return to Lima. We decided to call George and Rochie Anderson to see what they were doing. It was decided that we would have lunch together. So we caught a bus on Javier Prado and transferred buses at Salaverry for Miraflores. We made it without incident. Went to this little restaurant that we had gone before with them. Then we went to this little out door market. We bought some fruits and cantelope. We bought some bread that we pay 5.2 soles at the Wongs grocery store and here we paid 0.2 soles for the same thing. Notice the clump of grapes that Karen is holding. They must weigh at least 10 lbs. Also the picture showing what is equivelent to their hardware store. Click on the picture and you will see WD-40 and even a toilet seat. After the market we caught our two buses back home.

US Embassy

On Thursday we went to the American Embassy to have a form notorized. That cost us $50. What a difference between our embassy and that of other countries. The Mexican Embassy is just at the bottom of our street and is nothing more than a large two story house. It was like going to the airport and all the security you have to go through to get into the building. The doors are at least two feet thick. It is very different from when I was here in the 60's. It is in a different location of the city. Now it sits at the base of the Andes mountains. Ironically across the street is a McDonalds. We thought there would be a whole regiment of Marines guarding the place. We never saw a single Marine. In stead they were the Peruvian armed forces.

Sisters at conference

At our last Lima multi zone conference all the sisters had their picture taken with Elder Nunez and President Nash of the Area presidency. They are of the first quorum of Seventy. We have become really good friends with elder Nunez. He served his mission here in Peru about 10 years after me.

Valentine Day

Yesterday was Valentine Day. I went to the grocery store for Karen and picked up ths floral arrangement. Clik on the picture to see in more detail. Flowers are quite reasonable. On our way to the Stake Presidents meeting last night Sister Elmer bought 92 roses from a street vendor for about $9.00. Where could you do that back home on Valentines Day?

Trees in blossom

I love this type of tree. We walk by this one on our way to the office each day. It really gives a lot of shade and has these beautiful orange blossoms that stay on for most of the summer.

Four hermanas

The president gave us permission to have the hermanas in the Lima portion of our mission to dinner. We can only do it Sunday afternoon since their p-day is Monday and ours is on Saturday. These are the four who came today L to R: Hna Cleverly, Hna. Morales, Hna Norris, Hna. Null and Hna. Barrus. It is a lot more fun having the sisters over for some reason, but we love the elders too, and make sure they get their cookies and an occasional home-cooked, American meal.

Breakfast

Yesterday on Saturday sister Montoya and sister Cantenada took us out for breakfast. These two sisters are from our Magdalena ward. Sister Montoya joined the church the year I left Peru in 1963. Her husband was one of the first bishops in Peru.

They took us to this Peruvian cafe at about 9:15 am. The place was packed. We had deep fried pork, a bowl full of onion, bread, a smothie type drink. We also had a tamale. Inside was a real hot pepper that Karen got that literally took her breath away.

Beauty Salon

Karen went to the hair dresser and ask that he only cut 1/4 of an inch. He asked if she wanted that much off or her hair just that long. Everyone laughed. Come to find out he was serious. The longest her hair is on top is 1 1/2 inches. He tried to give her one row of spikes down the middle of her head but she told him "No! Soy una abuela no soy chica!" or in English "No, I am a grandmother not a young girl." She fusses everyday about her hair when she does it. On the bright side she won't need another haircut for a couple of months! :-)

Manual labor

Just down and across the street from us they are doing some remodeling and adding on to this house. Everything is done by manual labor. No Bobcat or electric drills etc. Everything is done by hand. They haul the dirt from the back yard by wheel barrow and put it in a pile on the sidewalk. Then a couple of other guy shovel from the pile into the dump truck one shovel at a time. I have seen 4 or 5 truck loads hauled away.