¡Feliz
junio! (Happy June!)
This past
week was the week before transfers and in some ways, it feels like the calm
before the storm! We did lots of prep work for the missionaries that will
arrive on Tuesday.
Very early
Monday morning we sent 4 American missionaries to Interpol to start the process
of obtaining their Peruvian identification cards. The Area Office representative
likes them to arrive at 7:30am – a full 45 minutes before they can even enter
the building – so that we are pretty much guaranteed to be first in line. Anyway,
one of the chauffeurs messaged us at 7:19am saying that they had arrived at
Interpol. Well, at 8:45am I (LeAnn) received a phone call from one of the
missionaries saying, “Hey Sister Simmons, the Area guy hasn’t shown up yet. We’re
just going through the process ourselves, but they are asking about an $18
check for the FBI. Do you know anything about this?” WHAT??!! The Area provides
a special check written out to the FBI for each missionary’s background check. How
could the rep not be there? Then Lane told me that the time he’d driven
missionaries to Interpol, the Area rep had fallen asleep in his taxi, and the
taxi had taken him to the Area Offices, not realizing that he needed to be at
Interpol! Aargh! I quickly got on the phone to try and locate our Area rep, but
thankfully, he messaged to say that he had just arrived at Interpol. (And yes,
I refrained from asking if he’d fallen asleep in his taxi again!) And everything
turned out fine with their Interpol visit.
This week I
listened to Rebecca Craven’s recent general conference talk where she tells the
story of a young woman who asks, “Sister Craven, how do you know that anything
about the Church is true? Because I feel nothing.” Sister Craven responded by asking
this young woman about her personal scripture study, family scripture study,
and prayers. The young woman replied that she didn’t do any of these things, to
which Sister Craven simply stated:
“If you want
to know anything, you will have to do something.”
Sister Craven also shared the following scripture:
“…Blessed
art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done …” (1 Nephi 2:1)
Here’s the
link to the full talk:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/33craven?lang=eng
¡Que tengan
una semana maravillosa! (Have a wonderful week!)
Love,
Lane &
LeAnn
We already spoke about Elder Christofferson's visit, but afterward received this photo of our mission with him. An amazing experience to be with an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
Leadership council in the mission office this week. President and Sister Packard and the Assistants train the mission leaders. We don't attend the council, but occasionally take advantage of some of the goodies the Packards provide.
Leadership council.
Sister Packard serving the treats after Leadership Council.
OK ... the next few photos are a little boring, but I wanted to document some of the day-to-day work we do. This big desk is where LeAnn puts together the "Bienvenido" Binders (Welcome Binders) for the incoming missionaries.
Has anyone else noticed what a pain it can be to dig the brand ID tag out of the binder slot? An untwisted paperclip makes it easy!
Binders are almost done!
Behind the big desk is where the emergency backpack supplies are stored. Each missionary has an emergency backpack. Unfortunately, the definition of "emergency" isn't always understood by some missionaries. On her apartment check visits, Sister Packard occasionally finds opened and void-of-food emergency backpacks ... even though we haven't had an "emergency!"
On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night we baked batches of chocolate chip cookies which we froze for an upcoming activity. Corinne has also been baking lots of cookies!
The front door of our mission office is now double-serving as a door to the third floor university prep classes being offered by a private business. Usually someone hired by the business sits just inside the door to tell interested people about their university prep classes. Having their sign out front, Grupo Villareal, doesn't exactly feel like it's our mission office anymore, but we do leave Books of Mormon just inside in case anyone wants to learn about the Gospel. Lane was able to give a couple of Books of Mormon away to the people that sit just inside the door and explain to them a little about the book and the Gospel.
Driving to events this weekend we noticed this fun little family travel arrangement. A three-wheeled motorcycle-type vehicle with the back holding a woman in a chair and three kids with a dog.
While driving we also saw the typical watering truck on the road, blocking and slowing all the traffic, but seemingly enjoying spraying all the trees and shrubs along the edge of the road.
We were able to attend the temple with the Packards and two companionships. The American elder finishes his mission and returns home to the States this week.
At the Lima temple.
After the temple we stopped at the Area office to deliver some documents relating to legal processing for our missionaries. The beautiful grounds inspired the photo. We don't see any manicured grounds like this in our actual mission office area and where we live.
Dinner at home, enjoying some delicious corn-on-the-cob the Packards occasionally find and generously give to us. And eating it with the wooden carving of a traditional Peruvian playing his huge Zampona that Lane's sister Corinne gave us!
We saw this as we walked home today ... another "pop-up" party room partially blocking our street. Lane heard music around 3:30am and it likely came from here!
And this was the best news of our week! This little angel arrived straight from Heaven to our Taylia and Izzy!
What a sleeping beauty!
Alair's husband, Josh, getting ready to take his son on the Fathers and Sons Campout! What a stellar Dad! Anyone brave enough to take a 2-year-old camping deserves the Father-of-the-Year award!
Entrepreneurial grandchildren selling lemonade. Our 8-year-old granddaughter took complete charge of the project ... making the signs and the lemonade.
Grandson pitching for his baseball game.
And same grandson reading to his little brother. We love to see this!
