Our Ward in Lima

We attend this wonderful little chapel located about a 15-minute walk from our apartment. It's in an upper-middle class area of Lima. This chapel houses two wards. Ours is La Molina Vieja.

Today, we arrived at the Gospel Essentials class to find that the instructor wasn't there. So I filled in and gave the class. My only vocabulary mistake was to say that Jesus gave hearing to the "cerdos" (pigs) instead of "sordos" (deaf). The class really laughed at that one.

After the meetings, the ward held a baptism for an 8-year-old boy. Beverly and I decided to stay because no one was there to play the piano. Beverly accompanied the audience in singing childrens' songs. Then, just before the meeting started, the counselor in the bishopric asked me to perform the confirmation. I was happy to do so, because I haven't done a confirmation in Spanish for over 43 years. This picture shows me with the newly baptized boy, Diego, and his mother and sister.

Beverly was also asked to accompany a special musical number that the Young Women are doing on Friday night. Here's she's practicing with Pamela Gomez (the flutist) and Hma. Yenny (vocalist).

Several of the brethren stood around and chatted after church. Almost all the men and boys of the priesthood are diligent in wearing white shirts and ties. During the cooler months, they almost all wear suit coats, too.

This ward has very wealthy and very poor (by US standards) members, but they all dress nicely for church. They are wonderful, faithful members, even though they face many cultural and family challenges.

We are happy to attend this ward and to support the members as best we can. We have begun to visit some of the less active members in an effort to encourage them to attend church. Beverly plays the piano most Sundays. I have been asked to pray in at least one meeting every Sunday since we began attending here. I will teach Sunday School again next Sunday. We pray daily for the wonderful members in Peru.