We’ve had a couple of weeks with missionaries arriving on
days other than the typical transfer day. On Saturday, Dec. 18 (a few days
before transfers) we received 4 Peruvian missionaries (all elders), and then
this past week we received 2 American missionaries…an elder and a sister! They
have been at the Lima CCM for the past several weeks (which is essentially the
Garden of Eden, relatively speaking), and have now entered mission reality! But
so far, so good!
About a week before Christmas, the Peruvian government sent out
a Health Alert which set forth Christmas and New Year’s Restrictions which
included the following:
·
All people in Peru must remain in their homes
from Friday, December 24, 2021 until Saturday, December 25, 2021 from 11:00 p.m.
to 4:00 a.m. and Friday, December 31, 2021 until Saturday, January 1, 2022 from
11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
·
All gatherings and social events, including
those at home and visits with family, are prohibited in all four levels of
alert in Peru.
·
On December 25, 26, and 31, 2021 and January 1
and 2, 2022 the sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited.
I almost laughed out loud when I first saw this. Would
people abide this directive? Well, during the week before Christmas there were
parties in the apartments directly above and below us on Wednesday and
Thursday, but on Christmas Eve it was pretty quiet. So we wondered if this
would hold true for New Years. Nope … around 11:30pm on New Year’s Eve we
started hearing people out in the streets. Then at midnight, fireworks lit up
the neighborhood and sky. What surprised us both was how the parties seemed to
start at midnight and continued well into the wee hours of the morning. And it
wasn’t just adults/youth … we could hear kids talking, laughing, and crying,
too.
We woke up to peace and quiet in the morning … until about
11am and then the partying started up again and went all day. It felt like we
were at the BYU Dansport competition in the Wilkinson Center, with Latin dance
music blaring all day, and people laughing and yelling. Good thing we both grew
up in big families and can pretty much sleep through anything!
Mission office work continued and we press forward.
This past week I’ve listened to a couple of podcasts
discussing the book of Genesis. One of the podcasts was Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints focused, and the other one was an academic/secular
discussion of Genesis. I loved hearing both podcasts and gained valuable
insights. One key take-away was how important it is to view ancient texts through
the cultural lens of the day in which the text was written. Hearing this
reminded me of one of my favorite professors whose motto was “Seek first to
understand...” (from Stephen R. Covey). I did not see eye-to-eye with this
professor as he and I were 180 degrees opposite in our political views (and
this was a poli-sci class!), but we had some great discussions. I learned a lot
from him and his point of view, and after I finished his class he wrote me an
email thanking me for my “thoughtful and well explained answers.” So, this is a
good goal for 2022: Seek first to understand!
¡Feliz año nuevo! (Happy New Year!)
Love,
Lane & LeAnn
Happy New Year! The assistants to the Mission President surprised us at the office with these New Year Eve celebration paraphernalia.
Two new missionaries from the United States! They were actually able to attend the Lima MTC, and obtain their religious visas to be able to start their missions after finishing the MTC. Unfortunately, another U.S. missionary is still waiting for the Peruvian government to issue his visa.
View from our apartment window, looking across the street, and showing the type and style of buildings in our neighborhood, as well as the typical cloudy day in Lima. We rarely see the sunshine, although they say it should start coming out for the summer time.
A local mercado a couple blocks from our apartment. This little store sells turkeys out on the street.
We are so thankful for a washer and dryer in our new apartment! As well as hot water in the kitchen sink! Because most places (like ours) are not plumbed to have hot water, the mission area people had to do some creative make-shift work by installing a little water heater that you see hanging on the wall, that is normally used for showers, and attaching the shower head down near the kitchen sink. At least it works! And most kitchens, like ours, don't have kitchen cabinets or cupboards or drawers... so we stash all our kitchen things in white plastic bins and place them under the counters. The bins all have lids to help keep the never ending supply of Lima dust out.
We don't have a car, but the mission President lets us use theirs when needed. So thankful for that! As we were driving one day, we looked over and saw this family riding one of the three-wheeled motorcycles attached to a cart. We thought the little girl in between the man and woman was sleeping, but upon taking a closer look we noticed she was playing on her cell phone!
A better view of the three-wheeled motorcycle cart as it took off down the road ahead of us -- carrying a mattress and who knows what else.
We went to the Lima coast late one afternoon to see a few new sights, and never cease to be amazed at how completely different it is from where we live! But it is a beautiful cliff-lined coastline.
The cliffs always look dark, and almost black-ish, but on closer inspection, they seem mostly brown like all the barren hills around Lima -- but they are covered with netting, probably to help maintain erosion, that gives them the darker look.
The famous faro (lighthouse) along the top of the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
We visited the Larcomar mall that is built at the top of the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
Ate delicious Lomo Saltado (steak and vegetables, somewhat like fajitas) at one of the Larcomar restaurants, with a beautiful view over the ocean.
We also visited the Circuito Magico del Agua (Magic Circuit of Water), which is a large water fountain display with music and multimedia. This image of the word "Peru" was displayed on the water fountain as part of the multimedia presentation.
Not sure what this purple-lighted guy was all about at the water park, but he was having fun doing Power Ranger-type poses with the kids for photos!
Just outside the water park were many flower shops selling their goods. They all smelled so good!
Another street corner entertainer on our way home. This one on a unicycle, spinning and balancing something on one of his feet, as well as out of his mouth and on his head and juggling. The sad part is, he didn't make it to our car to receive a donation before the light turned green and everyone was honking to go!
Looking out the window from our apartment at the New Year's Eve fireworks.
