No more Peru!

  It now turns out that we are no longer going to Peru, so this blog will have to be replaced.  We were called and asked if we would like to go to the Dominican Republic instead of Peru, since Peru didn't seem to be in any hurry to grant us visas.  They need to have us in the DR to replace a couple that left in March.  They wanted a Spanish-speaking couple.  Now, in my case, that is relative, but I think we can get along okay.  I hear they speak very fast there, so that will be more of a challenge.
   So, now we get to repack our bags.  Have to take out the chilly weather items that we packed for the mountains and replace them with cooler tops and swimsuits and sandals!  Yes, reeeeeally!  We can even snorkel there, we hear!
    I will put another entry here when I figure out what to call the Santo Domingo blog!

Older and Newer

Catedral huancayo/ Huancayo Cathedral

   As in most Latin American towns, the cathedral in the square is a focal point.  Thought I would share what the one in Huancayo is like.  It really gives the feeling of the older aspect of the city.  It goes back centuries, but part of it is very modern too.

      Universidad el Centro de Peru Huancayo

    This view shows a little of the more modern side of the city.  Quite the contrast!

Huancayo Coat of Arms

  Coat of arms of Huancayo, given by King Phillip of Spain, 18 March 1562.  It was given in gratitude to the Wankas for their collaboration in the defeat of the Quechua Incas.

   Escudo de Huancayo.  Dado por el Rey Felipe II de Espana (sorry, no correct punctuation) el 18 de marzo de 1562 en Barcelona.  Fue dado en agradecimiento a los huancas por su colaboracion e la derrota de los Incas del Cusco.    

   This is such a colorful coat of arms!

Peruvian Baptism

  Saturday, after General Conference, we attended our first Peruvian baptism!  Santiago moved here a few months ago to marry Kendall in January.  He had been learning about the Church when he was in Peru, then in an effort to get to know more members, tried the LDS Singles site and met Kendall.  It took a long time, but they finally were able to arrange to have him move from Peru to Kansas!  He had been meeting with the missionaries here and decided to be baptized on the special day of April 6th.  He was baptized by his father-in-law, John Goodman.  Congratulations!  We spent a delightful evening with the family last week, learning about Peru--good food, good buys, weather--and having an opportunity to practice Spanish!  He was very encouraging!  He told me that Peruvian chocolate is absolutely the best in the world!  I knew there was a reason I should go there.  He thinks gold should be a good buy in Huancayo--hmmmm!  I liked the dessert recommendations--arroz de leche (rice pudding) and tres leches cake (3 milks).

There will still be work to do!

   An article appeared in LDS Living that talked about exactly what our mission will be--records preservation.  I would like to include a few excerpts from it.   To quote Karla Tomlinson, the lady we first talked to when considering possibilities of what we could do on a mission, who was quoted in the article,
      “Many of the missionaries have expressed wonderful and unique experiences while capturing images of records,” she said. “Many of these records have been buried in archives for hundreds of years."...
      Since the Church started making digital records in 1938 (who knew?), there have been 3.2 billion images captured.  Plenty of work remains, however. By Ron DiGiulio’s [vice-president of the Global Records Division of Familysearch International] analysis, the 3.2 billion documented images represent about 6 percent of “top priority records.” Given the current capture rate, it will take 140 to 160 years to make all of those records available. Consequently, the Church is making it a priority to increase the rate at which they are making those records available.
     Wow! When we spoke to Elder Lowe, who is in Huancayo now working on the records, I asked if there would still be work to do when we get there since he seems to be accomplishing a lot.  He said he thought the project there would take maybe two or three years, so I guess there will be work.  He told us that they would be putting another camera there for us to use and he is currently working with the archives to figure out a nook in the library there where they can put us.

While waiting....

  We do get plenty of entertainment while waiting.  Scott, Laura and three entertainers moved into our house.  The plan was for them to live here while we are gone, but they moved in January 12th and we are still here!  It was very helpful to have Laura here to get me started on this blog!  Thought I would share some "moments" with you!  Here we have "The Rescuer (her own title that day), The Grinner and "The Smiling Butterfly/ Fairy!

Waiting to go south...

  So many people have suggested we have a blog for our "Peru Adventure" and we are starting it now, even though we are not there yet!  We were originally supposed to go January 14th, but were visa-delayed to March 4th, then to April 8th, and now to May 6th.  We missed most of the bitter cold weather in Utah, where we would have been training, so that was a plus!  We had some record snow in Wichita, though and it was fun to watch grandgirls on the snow boogie board!  We've been told that it isn't because of our past misdeeds that we have not received Peru's welcome.  They just move on Peruvian time!  The plan is to go to Huancayo, 10,700 feet up in the Andes, where we will digitally photograph Peruvian National Archives to be made available through familysearch.org to people all over the world.  It is quite an exciting project!  We don't have to set up the contracts, fortunately. Other people have that responsibility.  Another couple is in Huancayo now doing it and they have been very helpful already in finding us an apartment and giving advice on what to bring and what we will do.  Another couple is waiting as we are for visas and they will then go to a different city.  All of those people speak Spanish and so does Earl.  I know a lot more Spanish than I did in September, thanks to Hector, our tutor from the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo--via skype.  We also have another couple who have become friends who are in Peru and have been doing this same thing.  I do know that blogs are better with pictures, so I will try to include some!