We traveled to Huaraz for our last time.
It is absolutely beautiful.
Huaraz is being divided off our mission
and put into the Lima West Mission.
These divisions are happening all over the world.
This means growth and growth is good...
but it is not easy.
We stayed in our favorite little Swiss Hotel that we always stay in.
I was thinking about the first time I stayed in this hotel.
President Turk was out with the missionaries one night.
I was in my room alone. And I had only been in the country
for a few days. All of the sudden there were guns being fired
right on the street in front of my room.
I was nervous.
The barrage of gunfire kept going and I found out
that it was the Virgin Mother Mary Statue
traveling around the streets
and they just shoot to draw attention to her.
Thank goodness!
We had our Zone Conference with Huaraz missionaries today.
The fantastic Zone Leaders are
Elder Chacon and Elder Felt.
There are 18 missionaries right now in Huaraz.
The Hermanas are not going to the new mission.
So we will send 16 missionaries to the new Mission.
We will have the last changes on Tuesday
and I will then put pictures of those who are going.
Changes are still being made.
Two years ago… we had our first mission division
It was very similar to this one.
We were dividing off Cajamarca…
the beautiful mountain town that was a lot like Huaraz.
There were 22 missionaries that would have to go to the
Chiclayo mission.
Well, I wanted nothing to do with this.
These missionaries were my children.
How do you decide who leaves and who stays.
The missionaries that were going to be sent to the other
mission
were going to think that they were not as loved
Or that they didn’t work hard enough
Or that they did something wrong.
President Turk and I did not want any missionary
thinking any of these things ever.
We didn’t want any of them to go.
We cried…
And we cried some more.
It was the most difficult thing that we had been asked to do
on the mission.
We had to take it to the Lord in fervent prayer
And let him hear and feel our heartfelt concerns.
He first filled us with calm and peace
And then he let us know
That these really weren’t our missionaries
But they were His missionaries and He loves them even more
than we do.
(which seems almost impossible)
He knows what is best for each missionary
And He is in charge
and He is going to
take care of the missionaries better than we ever could.
President Turk prayerfully and thoughtfully chose those he
felt inspired to send.
They all knew how much we loved them
And understood that they were on a mission to serve the Lord,
Jesus Christ.
And they were going to do whatever it took to be His hands
wherever He wanted them to serve.
We were so proud of them.
They each decided to become the best missionaries in the
Chiclayo mission
And represent the Trujillo mission with extreme dedication.
They all knew that they belonged to us first
And would always be Trujillo Missionaries and our beloved
children.
After they returned home from their missions
they have each become our friends on Facebook.
It was as if they never left our mission.
Here are the Huaraz missionaries right now...
Hermana Martinez and Hermana Carbone
Elder Robles and Elder Cachique
Elder Rojas and Elder Fullmer (Elder Yaicate not pictured)
Elder Rocha and Elder Montesino
Elder Johnson and Elder Sarria
Elder Garcia and Elder Vera
Elder Garcia and Elder Herrera
Elder Rojas and Elder Salazar
These missionaries are strong. And whoever is asked to
go to the other mission, they understand
that we love and adore them.
It's not where you serve... it's who you serve and how you serve.
I was making President Turk and the Assistants pull over for
some last photos on the way home.
They were thrilled.. haha
As President and I were out in this heard of sheep...
the big sheepherding dog ran up the hill
and started to chase us with his loud vicious bark.
President turned to go to the car while I was still
trying to shoot some more photos with the camera.
At every turn there is another breathtaking vista.
And believe me there are a ton of turns.
I did get car sick and we had to pull over.
Thank heavens it was the first time and the last.
Well, if you count the time I had
Elder Nash of the Seventy
pull over because I was car sick,
then this is the second time.
But I have blocked that out of my memory....
too embarrassing!
Huaraz... All of the saints, the city, the missionaries, the memories...
you will hold a special place in our hearts forever.
