Surrounded by New Pioneers This Year

Sister McGinn snapped a picture while we were waiting for our interviews.  Who are these lovebirds?

2 dozen hamburgers, a dozen hotdogs, 3 batches of banana bread ... just another p-day with the missionaries.

We'll be playing sports afterwards so overeat at your own peril!

Ultimate frisbee!

Hermana McGinn practices English with the missionaries while President is conducting interviews. She makes it a lot of fun.

We were able to have the McGinns over for a bite to eat before they headed to their next round of interviews in Ica.

We have 2 Mirellas getting ready to serve missions.  President McGinn calls them Mirella 1 and Mirella 2.  This is Mirella 1 and she is working on her papers here before her inteview with the president.

Family History lessons, helping new members start identifying their family tree.

Sometimes the family history center gets a tad crowded and other times we have no one come in all evening.

This week the adventure was with electricity!  We never take an entire shower without the breaker popping.  This week it wouldn't switch back on.  The electrician came 3 times, first he just jiggled the wires and we'd try the shower again after he left and it popped the breaker.  He came back and exchanged the wire, the first time it just burned out as soon as he left. He came again and replaced the wire again and now it's stayed on.  We were trying to get ready for our english class and needing our internet and printer.  We couldn't go to the church until after the electrician finished up. It all worked out and we got there on time.   

Spending an afternoon exploring in Marcona before a meeting there. Joyce got her hair cut this week - $2!

Creating accounts and teaching some family history to the Elders Quorum in Marcona.

We had several using laptops and cellphones to get things done.

Went to the Vista Alegre Museum (Incawasi). We had to pose by the condor picture - guess they have them down on the coast here.  We haven't seen them yet.

We enjoy getting to relax and spend some time exploring together.

There's Always Something

 We want to get this posted tonight because we will be cooking for the missionaries from our zone tomorrow, playing some sports and then later in the afternoon, President and Sister McGinn will be here. I don't want to start posting late every week!  

We had transfers this last weekend and we saw the last of the missionaries that were here when we arrived, leave the area.  Elder Moran, Sister Russell and Elder Lucero were transfered.  Elder Gutierrez from Salta Argentina is beginning his mission in Marcona, Elder Gonzales is from here in Peru and will be serving in Vista Alegre. Sister Onate is now serving in San Carlos.  Elder Moran had introduced us to Sister Onate right after we got here.  They are from the same stake in Equador.  We've enjoyed getting to know her a little and now look forward to working with her here.

This is looking out onto a little flowerbed outside our dining room window. Straight across is our bedroom and then bathroom.  Above the bedroom/bathroom area is where some of the neighbors hang their clothes etc.  They had a big birthday party with all their family here last weekend (it sounded like they had a little construction project going on while they had help here).  There were lots of kiddos playing with some sand and rocks up there. Sometimes they would toss them this direction when I was sitting at the dining room table.

The next day, my sink wouldn't drain. Hmmm, doesn't look good!  This pipe is packed with rocks and sand! Looks like the little ones might have been filling the vent pipe while they were playing!

Labor is cheaper - two days of pulling rocks out of the pipe before the water started flowing.  Not the same cost as it would have been for two days of having a plumber work back home!

We went out to eat twice this week! The weather was wonderful and we enjoyed sitting and people watching as we ate.

I got the chicken foot in my soup but Curt was willing to eat it for me! That's true love!

Hermana Fernandina came over for some computer help to prepare for sharing time and some songs they will be teaching.

English class in Vista Alegre this week. We ended up having a small group this time.

Now to say "cheese!" thumbs up (Erick) goes all the way to Lima to take a class in English every Saturday. He comes over during the week for some homework practice/help.  He's very dedicated!

The Elders have been working hard and Curt was able to baptize this fine young man yesterday.  Future missionary?!

The Young Women playing a little volleyball before they sang a special number at the baptism.

The Young Men playing a little soccer before the baptism.  They always play soccer on cement down here.  One of the Elders said he always played on concrete in Bolivia too.

Blaming Curt

I was going to start out by saying it's all Curt's fault this blog is late getting posted tonight!  He forced me to take a break from it to relax and spend some time with him!  I (picture me with a halo here) didn't want to shirk my responsibilities but he made me do it!  Haha truthfully, why would I want to turn down a nice evening with my honey? The blog will still post a few hours later right?  Well, not if the internet has anything to do with it!  It now looks like nothing is going to upload for me and if it does, it's going to do it very very slowly!  Goes to show me that I shouldn't be falsely blaming my hubby for things - karma and all that!  So it's Tues, I couldn't get anything to go last night but the internet is working now so I will finish this before I get out of this chair!

Usually we post about Curt's adventures with food.  This week, I had a bit of an experience of my own.  We went out to eat at a small restaurant and there were not a lot of options - mostly chicken.  I wasn't really in the mood for chicken again so I ordered the only other thing on the menu.  I had patita con mani ... which ended up being pork feet with potatoes and peanuts.  It didn't taste that bad but it looked like opaque gelatinous blobs in with the potatoes. Note to self - know what you are ordering or be prepared to be surprised.

This picture was taken Sunday of Pres. Tejada from the Lima Sur Mission Presidency, Jose Coche and Curt.  After not being able to find a taxi, a missed bus, another bus ticket purchased, arrangements adjusted in Lima for pick up, and a lost itinerary and ticket, I believe Elder Coche is now heading for the mission training center in Bogata Columbia.  Whew

I was feeling kind of crummy this week.  Curt let me sleep in and went to the feria for our fruits and vegetables.  This is what I found waiting for me when I got up ... Awww how did I get so lucky?!?

This is a weekly scripture study that the Elders/Hermanas teach at the church.

We found a quiet secluded spot during our walking around this week.  It was good to just sit down and relax amongst the foliage.  We had picked a new direction to go and walked about an hour and a half.  We were lucky enough to be able to catch a taxi ride home.

Selfie time!

We found a nice spot to sit and look out over the fields.  Only downside was this tree had thorns that were about 2 inches long that you had to be super careful of!

Cattle being herded down the river.  We hadn't seen that before but they knew where they were going.

An area broadcast had just started.  We were the only ones there at the start of the meeting.  We are finding this is not that unusual but we still think it's kind of interesting. Ronald (a counselor in the branch pres) had been there to set up the projector but had stepped out for a bit.

Accompanying Mirella to the hospital for copies of medical papers she needs.  We're being escorted by a security guard.

In the family history center with Mirella entering information into the computer to get her missionary papers ready to submit.

I finally got a picture of Bad Rock!  Right after we got here, we were quickly walking to the church. There are some nails sticking out of this block that lays on the sidewalk (right next to a hole) and one of the nails caught on my clothes as I went by and I nearly walked completely out of my skirt.  We were passing a man and he saw this happen,  he stopped and scolded the rock for me telling it it was a bad rock!  I appreciated him helping me to laugh instead of cry about it. I think this was about the first thing anyone had said that I understood too!  

The fun continues

We tried a new restaurant this week.  It's called the Broken Egg.  Curt had carapulcra (it's a dehydrated potato and pork stew with peanuts).  He thought it was delicious.  I stuck with my usual lomo saltado which is kind of like a beef stir fry with french fries under it and rice on the side.  We each had a big bowl of chicken vegetable soup as our appetizer, our main dishes and cebada (a cold barley drink) and it cost 9 Soles each which comes to less than $3 per person for the entire meal.  Why cook?!?

Playing around on the whiteboard while Curt finishes up a meeting. 

Hamburgers and hot dogs for our USA Independence Day feast.

Elders needed to catch a bus to Lima so only a few bites and then the rest was to go. 

Sisters were kind enough to put the burgers and hot dogs together for us. 

He doesn't look very excited about eating a cupcake does he? Looks can be deceiving!

Showing off some family pictures before Family Home Evening starts.

Playing a little pictionary before we end the night.

Did I mean for the word to be popcorn or dove? My language skills made it interesting!

Ninet will be leaving soon to serve a mission in Equador.

Curt drew some challenging words and his drawings had everyone stumped for a minute.

Going with Marella to the dentist so she can submit her papers for a mission.

I hope we don't end up needing a dentist while we're here although he was a very nice man!

Trying to help Roselli. She is teaching some English to her school class in Lima.

Curt fights a never-ending battle with the sap and the grape arbor. Luckily he hasn't asked me to get on his shoulders and knock gunk down lately.

We've been wanting to take a little hike to the top of this hill and we finally made it this week.  It doesn't look to big does it?  You can barely see a cross at the top.

Here is Curt next to the cross with Nasca behind him.

Two rivers come together and give life to this beautiful valley.

From the top of the hill, looking south, things are green and alive.

There's our house - can you see it?  Right...there.

This is on the northern side of the hill.  The only thing we could see was a small cemetery. Very dry and barren.

That was a nice hike.  Now to hurry and change clothes because we have a meeting in just a bit.

And just for fun ... a picture of this little cutie.  She brought her mom and dad and grandma to church on Sunday.  She's growing fast!