The Hills Around Lima

Unlike in Utah where the rich people live up in the hills, here in Lima the hills are where the poor people live, and their homes are usually drab brown in color. That is, except for an area called Rimac where the houses and apartment buildings are brightly colored. Here's Scott's picture taken from the highway.

FHE Group Activity

We are not the only North American missionary couple serving in Lima. Here are some members of our Family Home Evening group on an outing to the Manos Peruanas Museum (a folk art museum in Miraflores, an upscale part of Lima).

Members of the group shown in this picture include: Sister Drake (her husband, squeezed out of the picture, is medical doctor for the Lima missions), Bowmans (Lima temple president), Elder Lamb (Perpetual Education Fund), Goedes (Lima East mission office), Davies (Area office), Brother Messinger (US Army officer, working at the US Embassy in Lima), Ramirez (temple missionaries), Hawkins (temple presidency), our museum guide, Scott and Beverly (Lima East Mission presidency), Sister Earl (PEF), Cleverlys (Lima Central mission office), and Andersons (retirees living in Lima).

The museum contained prize-winning work by Peruvian artisans in metalwork,


embroidery,


pottery,


wood carving (a bird, snake, turtle, and crocodile are carved into this piece of driftwood),


and ceramic.


Most of the work had a religious theme. This picture shows Scott standing by a large ceramic work of Mary and Joseph's flight into Egypt.


If you'd like to see other pieces from the exhibit (and a beautiful Peruvian sunset from a high-rise apartment in Miraflores), go to Scott's picture albums at http://picasaweb.google.com/ScottnBeverlyinPeru.

Zone Leaders Council, Peru Lima East Mission

On Tuesday, January 27, we attended a meeting with all the Zone Leaders in the mission. Beverly gave a 5 minute talk and Scott gave a 45 minute presentation on studying the scriptures.

President Leyva presented the goals for the missionaries in our Area for 2009:
1. Read the Book of Mormon and to use it in our teaching,
2. Improve the quality of our teaching,
3. Prepare for the Sacrament and to partake of it worthily,
4. Understand the importance of planning in our missionary work,
5. Work with ward mission leaders and the members, and
6. Help families achieve the blessings of the temple.

After the meetings, we went to dinner at the Yeyas Hotel and Restaurant near the temple. These pictures were taken while we were getting ready to eat.

Another table of missionaries waiting to eat.

The same table as the previous picture, only looking from the other end. (President Leyva and his family are standing at the back.)

A table with some of the North American zone leaders. Each companionship of zone leaders has one North American and one Latino missionary.

This pictures shows some of the appetizers: Ceviche (marinated fish), camote (sweet potatoes), papas a la Huancaína (potatoes in cheese sauce), and chicha morada (a drink made from purple corn).

Our Miracle Home in Tarma

The Area Presidency asked us to move to Tarma to help the Tarma District prepare to become a stake. We've had several spiritual experiences that have helped us know that we need to be in Tarma. But most Peruvian mountain towns lack satisfactory housing by North American standards. We've had US missionaries, as well as a former president of our mission, tell us we would probably not be able to find adequate housing in Tarma.

We knew it would take a miracle for us to find a place to live, so we fasted and prayed for a miracle. We also asked for help from members of the Tarma District.

On Monday, January 19, after a weekend in Tarma working with leaders and attending church, we were shown various rental options by the district executive secretary, Brother Román, and the Modelo Branch elders quorum president, Brother Durmán (whom Scott met during a temple recommend interview in Lima a couple of months ago).

We looked at 9-10 places. None of them had hot water, refrigerator, stove, sufficient electrical outlets, or places for our automatic washing machine, etc. Most were dirty and run down.

A Miracle. But then we found the three-level home shown above. It's more than we could have hoped for. We will rent the first two floors. Other renters will be in the third floor and the owner of the home will move to one of three adjoining apartments. Our part of the home has a large living room, large kitchen, two bathrooms, and five bedrooms.

The home is clean and fully furnished, with refrigerator, gas range, tables, beds, etc. Furnished apartments are unheard of in Tarma. They're even rare in Lima.

The kitchen and bathrooms have hot running water. We don't even have that in our apartment in Lima! This is probably the only home in Tarma with hot water in all the sinks and showers.

Another Miracle. It turns out that Brother Durmán works for the largest banking chain in Peru and he deals with contracts and other legal matters. He drew up a rental agreement that both we and the landlady signed on the spot and which will safeguard us. We will move to Tarma in mid February.

The home also comes with a big yard, as you can see in this picture.


This shows the entrance to the house. It doesn't look like much--which, for security reasons is exactly how it needs to be. You can see the battered blue steel entryway and the high walls around the lot. It is located on a quiet side street about four blocks from the main town market, about seven blocks from the main city square (Plaza de Armas), and about a mile from the LDS chapel.


We would be unfaithful servants if we failed to bear witness of God's mercy to us. He has answered our prayers so that we can serve Him in Tarma. We know we are engaged in the work of the Lord in fulfilling the prophecies of the Book of Mormon that the truth would go forth to the children of Lehi and the house of Manasseh.

Tarma: Pearl of the Andes

The mission president sent Scott (and the other counselor in the mission presidency) to Tarma (at 10,006 ft.), known as La Perla de Los Andes (The Pearl of the Andes), to interview priesthood leaders for the reorganization of the Tarma District. We were excited because the Area Presidency has asked us to live in Tarma.

This was our first glimpse of Tarma during the daylight, as we descended into the city. In the foreground you can see the small farms on the outskirts of town, and in the bottom of the valley (to the right) you can see the city, which appears as a brown cluster.



During our stay in Tarma, we visited the home of Hovita Oscanoa, a church member who is an artisan. She makes beautiful tapestries. Beverly is shown walking with the daughter, Luz Karina Tinoco, on a path near their home.


The town center is in the valley, but many people live in the hills surrounding the city. This picture shows one of the dirt paths lined with homes, located about 200 feet above the city.

Tarma is a town of contrasts. The following picture shows an elderly woman near the central open-air market. She is wearing the traditional native dress of the Tarmeña women, but most people wear regular clothing.

We were in our hotel room one morning when we heard a band playing sad music. Scott leaned out the hotel window and captured a picture of a funeral band, with the men dressed in black, walking on a path on the side of a hill.


Leaving the city, we drove through the picturesque farmlands on the outskirts of town. Here are some of the farms at the bottom of the valley. (This and the other subsequent landscape photos were taken by Scott out the window of a moving car.)


This is a closeup of some of the farms. Click the picture to enlarge it, and you'll see people and sheep.

During our ride back to Lima, the taxi ("colectivo") that we had rented overheated. We were stranded for an hour out in the middle of nowhere (at 13,000 feet), but Scott got pictures of sheep, shepherds, donkeys, and high mountain hills. This woman lives in a nearby village. Scott gave her S/. 1.5o (about 50 cents) and asked her to pose for him. The bag she carries is full of wool, and she knits as she walks along.

Here's a close-up of her weather-beaten face.

Going over Ticlio Pass (15,800 feet) always provides stunning landscapes. Here's the picture Scott took this trip.

Our trip to Tarma was a spiritual and cultural treat.

Lesson on Missionary Work to Young Woman

Scott was asked to give a presentation to the Young Women of Las Viñas ward (the ward which shares the building with our ward). Here are the YW and their leaders. The YW president is on the far right.

For the lesson, Scott told about our daughter, Andrea, who fellowshipped two of her friends (Teresa and Pua) into the Church. This picture shows the missionaries with Teresa. (Andrea is on the far right; Teresa is second from the left.)

Scott used suggestions from Andrea to teach the lesson: Be a good friend. Accept your friend's beliefs. Set a good example. Invite your friend to Church activities. Be patient. (Teresa went through 8 sets of missionaries before she was baptized!)

Scott also told about the Hewitts, who Beverly fellowshipped. Sister Hewitt was already a member, but through Beverly's friendship and help after Sister Hewitt had surgery, her husband started attending church. Brother Hewitt is now a member of a Stake presidency in Florida. Scott then showed this updated picture of Beverly with her daughters and daughters-in-law.

The Peruvian YW absolutely loved the pictures and came up after the presentation to look through them again on the computer. We gave each of them a copy of the Book of Mormon and challenged them to give the book to one of their friends. We hope they will accept our challenge.

Farewell to Two of Our Favorite Missionaries

Elder Ebert and Elder Leiva, two of our favorite missionaries, are leaving the office, so we took them and their companions to dinner. This picture shows Scott and Beverly with the Office missionaries: Elder Davis (assistant to the president), Elder Clark (new personal secretary to the president), Elder Ebert (former secretary, being transferred), Beverly, Scott, Elder Leiva (assistant to the president, going home to Arequipa), Elder Oliveros (mission supplies clerk).


Elder Leiva and Elder Oliveros celebrate the great food and drink.

This is Parrillada de Carnes (Grill of Meat), served at the Leña y Piedra (Firewood and Stone) Restaurant, located near our apartment. The grill of fillet mignon, tenderloin, chicken, and sausage is brought right to the table. It stays sizzling hot from the coals below the grill. The meat is delicious.