CHIMBOTE - We Love You!

We had our Multi Zone Conference in Chimbote Yesterday.

It is so much fun to be with my missionaries that I don't get 

to see as often.  Chimbote is a great place

where the work is flying.

And it is due to all these great missionaries.

Elder Whitelock led a beautiful choir of Elders

from the Chimbote Peru Zone.

President Turk was talking about becoming as a child

to our Missionaries so he asked this beautiful mother and son

to come to our meeting so that he could 

use baby Luis in his talk.

President Turk didn't know that he would get so emotional holding this

darling little boy.  I am sure that the grandsons were 

coming to his thoughts.

What he said was very touching

and Luis was the sweetest thing ever.

Elder Wright and Elder Vera 

the hardest working Elders around

had some excellent training with all the Zones.

Here we are at lunch all together.

There are ten of the best Hermanas here in Chimbote.

They are all in one Zone too... the Chimbote Sur Zone.

After the Multi Zone Conference we kept the Casma Zone 

for the afternoon and did Interviews and training with them.

See the next post!

Long Days.... How do I keep going?

I will tell you...

I am BLESSED!

Not Many Valentines in the Mission...

Happy Valentines Day!

I didn't even say that once today while we were with 

the Central Zone.

It's not from lack of Love.

I love each one of these missionaries so much.

This is the most loving group of missionaries around.

They love the people here in Perú with all their hearts.

They just know that the Valentine love is something

to look forward too.

There is a time and a place for everything.

Sweet Elder Hargis has been doing double duty as Zone Leader.

His companion has been back in the financial office

and Elder Richards has been filling in as a mini Zone Leader.

But the brunt of it has fallen on this great missionary.

Thank you Elder Hargis.

Elder Hargis and Elder Richards did do some excellent training today

as well as the assistants Elder Vera and Elder Wright.

Hermana Montes and Hermana Pillco won the prizes for

Snakes and Ladders in the morning session.

The missionaries in the Central Zone are...

Elder Hargis, Elder Hurley, Elder Beazer, Elder Richards, 

Elder Randall, Elder Massey,Elder Ramos, Elder Zapata, Elder Quiroz, 

Elder Sumi, Elder Espinoza, Elder Frietz,

Hermana Avendaño, Hermana Bond, Hermana Pillco, and Hermana Montes.

President Turk and the Assistants are also pictured

Elder Vera and Elder Wright

I have no idea what is wrong with my side bar... but it won´t let me 

post my daily activities.  We are heading to Chimbote 

tomorrow for a few days

for a Multi Zone meeting and Interviews with three Zones.

Here we Come Chimbote... We can´t wait to see you!

Sisters are the Best!

How sad... My sisters are gone!

This is our last photo together taken with a phone while we are saying

our goodbyes and crying at the airport.

Not the best photo but they are the Best!

I can never repay them for coming.

We had a so much fun.

It is a difficult trip to make.

In fact, I said goodbye last night at 9:00 pm

and they are still traveling today until 1:30 in the afternoon.

Come again real soon... 

Thank you is not enough.

Guest Blogger: Bonnie Shill

Cuy anyone?

Please don't eat these.  They are too cute!

I did not try this peruvian dish...

I loved the lomo saltado and Aji de Gallina and

Lucy made me Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies, YUM!

We spent the morning with two zones on the beach.

Amy and Julie were coaching one of the teams

and Janet and Ruth the other.

I was the photographer and Beth the Cheerleader.

Look at the winners!

They all won Chuyos, the Peruvian beanies.

They were very happy.

Ruth's team got snickers and reeses from the states

so they were even happier.

After preparation day with the missionaries 

we went into town and did a little shopping.

We are leaving tonight at 10pm.

We have had so much fun in Peru.

It's hard to leave but we will be watching the blog.

Thanks Turks...

We Love You!

Guest Blogger: Ruth Collins

I am Hermana Turk's favorite sister, Ruth.

We are having so much fun here in Perú.

We were able to attend the baptism of this cute couple

yesterday.  She is about to give birth to their first child.

They bore sweet testimonies. 

The missionaries helped this couple get married

so that they could be baptized and on the road to 

an Eternal Family.

I loved singing the hymns in Spanish. 

We also had the opportunity to eat lunch in the mission home with

Elder Uceda of the First Quorum of the Seventy and 

Elder Ibanez an Area Seventy from Venezuela.

They were on their way to put in a new Stake Presidency in Chimbote.

Terry's counselor, Brother Giraldez took them to Chimbote

so that President Turk could stay and host us.

Isn't that nice of him.

I am sure that Terry is thrilled to be with all of us cackling women.

The Mission in Trujillo is exciting.

The work is moving forward and we have loved to 

see a little piece of it.

Thanks to the Turks

Great Memories!

Guest Blogger: Julie Ashby

We went to the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna today.

Terry hasn't changed a bit after a year and a half.

Look at this picture of him.

Actually this is the famous face of the Huacas

known as the destroyer.

We were able to tour the ruins with these great 

office elders.

There is nothing better than being with the Lord's Missionaries.

It's bringing back a lot of great memories.

Perú is fascinating.

We are having so much fun meeting the people here

and experiencing the culture and food.

When you travel with sisters there is never a dull moment.

We have laughed way too much.

This has been an amazing opportunity..

one that we will never forget.

Besos y Abrazos

Guest Blogger: My Sister Amy

(My Sister Amy Ahlstrom)

Had a great day in the Mayorista! Haven't been to an open market before.  My

favorite part was the meat market.  

There were items for sale like hooves, (don't know what animal),

stomach, intestine, liver, and many other things I could't figure out.  

My favorite were the goat heads!  Soup anyone?

Love the idea of the mosaic wall!  Who came up with that idea?  Genius. It

adds a artsy, unique flare to the city. The design above was my personal contribution. (jk)

 Was happy just to add my piece to the wall!

 

Favorite part of a great day was the temple site of the future 

Trujillo, Peru Temple.  

Had a spiritual thought by President Turk 

and thought about how the Peruvian people

will be blessed when it is here. 

We are loving Trujillo!

Another Round of Interviews...

Here is the first Zone back in for the next cycle of Interviews.

They were in for a treat with my sisters in town.

After training and during the interviews...

...We had a giant game of Snakes and Ladders

One of the companions would roll the dice

and the other would be the game piece.

There was a lot of unity and laughter.

They learned a lot about missionary work by playing this game...

the ups, the downs, stay positive, things can change in a minute,

never give up, stay far away from the snakes, climb ladders, 

work together, stay focused...

Okay I might be exaggerating but ...

they all had a great time.

Now we are on to new adventures for the day.

We are Family... I Have All My Sisters With Me!

 Here they come... One by one

off the Plane in Trujillo

I started to cry.

Ruth was first

Oh now they are coming two by two

Amy and Julie

We unpacked ate lunch and ran to the horse show

It was so much fun

These horses are the smoothest walking horses on the earth.

They always have one foot on the ground.

We went all over trujillo and then ended up 

at the salon for a Peruvian facial.

It's a miracle. They all look twenty years younger.

Come and try them.

I LOVE MY SISTERS

I love to laugh!

More fun plans today.