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.

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.