Terry and Janet

Terry and Janet

Friday, September 30, 2011

Paint and the Priesthood

The mission home is being repainted.  
This means that we have had workers around the clock
for a couple of weeks.   If I open my window in the morning 
they say "buenos diaz."



A couple of days ago I looked out one of the windows
and the wall around the 
outside of the home was being painted a florescent yellow.
I thought that this was a strange primer.
I told President to look at the primer and he said
 No, that was the new color.
I said... "what are you talking about."
He said that he came into my room several days ago
when I was in my drug induced coma for my ear infection
and asked me to choose the colors for the walls.


Without skipping a beat I said....
"There is no way, even in my drugged state that I would ever
choose that color, period."

He said that it really happened
and I said ... "well let's go stop the madness"

Thank goodness they had only started on one small piece of the wall.

We got the color all straightened out 
but I think the pain from my ear is traveling to the other one.
I had a little tear streaming down my face today at the office.
So I asked Terry to please get one of the Elders to help him
give me a blessing.
He asked a couple of them to step into his office
and then a couple more followed in
and then the doorbell rang
and it was three more
By the time we were ready to give the blessing
there were nine great Elders 
and my husband
laying their hands on my head
to give me a Priesthood blessing.


If people truly understood what these missionaries were really all about
there would be no hesitation in listening to them.
But people are cynical about religion.
Which is very sad.... because you won't want to miss this!
We had our friend just tell us that she thought that these missionaries
were all being paid a lot of money to talk about the church.
She thought they all lived in very nice apartments and 
made a great living.

Please know that our missionaries pay for their own way
on the mission.  It is two years of dedication
and the hardest work ever
with no salary except the pure joy 
of seeing peoples lives change
including their own.

Thank you worthy Elders for the priesthood blessing today.
Les amo mis hijos.

The Hermanas


President was out teaching with these two Hermanas this afternoon.
Sister Cevallos from Ecuador and Sister Oliveros from Lima.
He said that they were excellent teachers.
They taught a several lessons with the President.

They also had some great contacts.
They will be teaching two new families
from the contacts they made.

They are preparing for some scheduled baptisms in the next few weeks.
Congratulations Hermanas.

Our Sister missionaries are strong.
They know that we expect the best from each one of them.
We want to keep the tradition of hard working
and high baptizing Sisters here in Trujillo.

They add so much to our mission. 
We are grateful for each one.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Power Lunch


A few days ago we were invited to the Peña's home for lunch.
He is a big business man in town.
We met him at the groundbreaking of the Temple
He has a cable company and had visited BYUTV in Provo. 
 He has added the BYU channel
to his cable stations here for the Peruvians.
They are the couple on the left.

We had them over the other night for dinner and family home evening.
They are involved with the University here
and are opening a University in Iquitos.

The couple on my left are the Hondas.  He is the director and attorney
of the Employment Center for the Church.
Our offices are right next to their offices and they are also 
in our ward (which we never really get to attend)
and on the right of us are
Richard Williams and his wife here from BYU
to speak at the University about 
Ethics in Business.


This is Mrs. Tejeda, the director at this University who 
put this speaking assignment together.
She and her husband are also a great couple here in Trujillo.


The Williams live in Provo and he teaches and the Y
and is the director of the Wheatley Institute.

Chunky Monkey Baby... oh and a baptism

What a wonderful baptism.
Elder Erickson and Elder Brian invited us tonight
to this sweet service.
The father is a member
 and now the wife has joined the church.
They have the most beautiful children.

Watch how my camera starts zooming in on the baby.

This baby is a chunky monkey.

Look, I cut out the family and am just focusing on that delicious baby.

I act like a deprived grandma...  Oh how I love rolls on a baby.

I will say this... the Trujillo parents dress their children
 in clothes that are made for ice cold climates.  
I always feel like the babies are sweating in their snow clothes.
Remember, Trujillo is the "City of Eternal Spring"
The weather every single day is PERFECT.

Before I came to Trujillo I thought it was the city of eternal Spring meaning
a spring of water.  I thought that there was a river running through the city.
It took me awhile to get that the Spring meant the weather.
There is absolutely no river running through here.

                                                   Elder Erickson leaves us on Monday.
 It seems like right when the missionaries get in their groove.... 
when they know how to be great missionaries, and they are very successful,
they thrive on hard work, their teaching skills are fantastic, 
they love every minute of every day...
then it's time for them to leave us.

But the next group steps up and takes over.

This missionary calling is full time for two years 
but will be in their blood and part
of their lives Forever.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Serving with Smiles...

President and Elder Pickett went out with these Elders this afternoon.
Look at all their smiles.
They make me happy.
Elders: Casanova, Sancé, Pillajo, Aquino, and Pickett



President had some great teaching moments with these two.
They gave the baptismal challenge and the family accepted.

They were out in the area called Milagro
where there is a lot of construction going on.


As the missionaries were passing a ladies house,
she was in this ditch digging up her water line.
The Elders grabbed her shovel and jumped in and started digging.


The missionaries look for ways to serve people.
Every day they do small acts of kindness just because.

It blesses others lives and it blesses their own.
Where on earth are 19 to 25 year old young men and women
looking full time for ways to help others and bring them happiness.

And in return, these missionaries receive the greatest lesson of their lives...
That true happiness comes from lifting and helping others.


Another set of our missionaries were teaching a woman the lessons
 and found out that her birthday was coming up.
They went and invited a family in the ward that was less active 
to go with them to this woman's house
to take her a cake and wish her a happy birthday.  They reluctancly went
and when they got to the woman's house and she opened the door and saw
them with a cake and heard them sing to her, she wept.
She hasn't had anyone wish her happy birthday for years.
They went in and enjoyed each others company and had cake together.
And the family that went with the Elders was so touched that they want to 
go with them much more often and do anything they can to help
serve others.  They are all back at church and loving life.

Through small and simple things...  Great things are brought to pass!

Thank you Elders for your Love and Kindness 
and 
Selfless Service

Monday, September 26, 2011

It's That Time Again...

Our favorite Elder Marcos Chacaltana leaves on Monday.
He has been such a great Assistant and Missionary.
He will Return Home with Honor to Lima.
(oh boy.... sad)



You don't get a lot of sympathy from the other missionaries when you leave
Especially from the new Assistant.


This is Elder Llatance that has been called to be President Turk's 
new Assistant.
He is very eager as you can see.


In the two weeks of training there is always the battle over
who controls the phone.


It is amazing that the mission doesn't skip a beat
The world keeps spinning faster
and time is slipping through our little fingers.


Welcome to the office Elder Llatance!

Un Gran Dia!

 President Turk went to Otusco yesterday and picked up the missionaries
and then drove with them to Millauchaqui
to be with the family group.
They are not a branch yet.
Elders:  Mikesell, Contreras, Espinal, and Hurley

Here is one of the Sisters kitchens in Milluachaqui

She made the Elders and President some hot cereal and bread 
for breakfast


This family group is too far to meet with the Otusco branch
so they are meeting on this back porch
of one of the members.


This little girl will be a great leader someday.
She was the first baptized in her family 
and now her parents are preparing to be baptized.


They also attended a baptism there yesterday.
The younger brother who is 74 baptized his older brother who is 84

The font is outside 
in this garden next to the house chapel


Here is the cute primary group 

and the Gospel Doctrine Class

We love the faithful saints all over Peru.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Saturday is a Special Day....


Congratulations to our Missionaries.
This was a huge week for baptisms.
We wish we could attend them all but that is impossible.

We attended this sweet baptism yesterday.
This is Segundo and his family.
He is the security guard at the Institute downtown.
His wife has been a less active member for a long time.
He had been given many Books of Mormon by the institute students.
He had listened in on many of the classes.
But to no avail.
He didn't do his homework.

The missionaries were passing by his house one day
and his wife was outside and asked if they had any pamphlets for 
Segundo to read
while he was in the hospital recovering from surgery.
They of course had several they gave her and they were on their way.


The Elders followed up with the family
and he had read the pamphlets and wanted to hear more.
Segundo knew that it was time to make a change in his life
and get his family on the right path together.
He and his daughter were baptized yesterday
by Elder Erickson and Elder Brian.

The church is not an obligation
It is a path... to a glorious destination.

Below is Diego...
Hermana Sanchez and Hermana Mori were able to teach him.
They said that he is a great man
with honorable intentions.
They had tears as they witnessed his baptism and
 listened to his new found testimony.
He has a bunch of great friends that invited him to get involved.


There were many baptisms in the East Zone yesterday.
A very sweet spirit was there.
Elders Machaca, Morales, Sandoval, Martinez, Herrera, and Berroteran
were there with all of their investigators... now members.


One of the sweet elderly men that was getting baptized was crippled 
and couldn't walk down into the font.  
So Elders Berroteran and Morales
carried him down into the water and the Stake President 
was able to baptized him.
It was difficult.  He was nervous.  And the first attempt he 
only went under part way....
He swallowed some water and really had a hard time
recovering and getting ready to try again.

As I watched all of my Elders witness this event, 
every single one of their 
heads bowed down in a silent prayer asking for help
for this gentle courageous man that was
following the Savior's admonition
to "Come Follow Me"

He let them start over 
and the second time was a success and you could
see the joy in his face as he came up from the water
Renewed and Obedient.
The room was filled with tears for his strong spirit 
and brave example.

Thank you missionaries for your prayers and your efforts
in building the Kingdom of God
One sweet soul at a time.

We want everyone to feel and receive the sacred blessings
that come through being 
baptized and confirmed a member of 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints






Saturday, September 24, 2011

Makin' Huacos...


 This morning I took the office Elders to a Huaco Factory.
We had each of them learn to make Huacos.
Huacos are the little statues that I collect.
First you roll out the clay...

Push the clay into the molds


Make sure the molds fit together perfectly...

After 45 minutes you carefully take them out of the molds...

And voila... you have the beginnings of a Huaco.

They are of course rough on all the edges and there are some cracks...

You carefully shave them down and smooth them out

You use tools and fingers dipped in water.

Some of these were very detailed.

Poor Elder Glasgow is always on the phone.
He was getting behind on his Huaco.
Elder Facer was finished with his Huaco so...

He held the phone for our Secretary while he finished his Hauco.
Elder Facer is a great companion.


Now they will be painted or stained and placed into the kiln.
 

We will pick up the finished product on Thursday.


Great job office staff ... Can't wait to see the finished pieces.