Changes are a good thing in the mission, it keeps everyone excited. We had our first mission leadership council. Zone Leader council will no longer be held. This change is patterned after ward councils that are held at the local church level.
Elder Blanco has worked hard to earn his English certificate. He now talks English fluently. Elder Cruz and Elder Morales also earned their certificates. Great job elders.
Best friends serving in the same mission? It doesn't happen very often but it did with Elder Truman and Elder Reber.
Some of the wonderful sisters serving in our mission are: Hermanas Vasquez, Alvear, Melo, Mamani, Martinez, Choque, Orellan, Zagal, Aguilar and Taipe
Our latest group arrived on May 7th, 2013. Half will work in Lima and the other half will work in jungle cities.
The same day we had arrivals we also had a group finishing their missions. Hermanas Sanchez, Gee, Bowyer and Elders Nurmela, Fonseca, Soto, Paucay, Castaneda, Acuna, and Frost
Andrare' en Rectitud. Walk in Righteousness
This month on May 9th and 10th we attended our last seminar for mission presidents. The seminar was held here in Peru. Twenty five mission presidents and their wives serve in our area which consists of Venzuela, Columbia, Equador, Peru and Bolivia. We have had a wonderful opportunity to meet many outstanding people. Our missions are all different but our call to serve in the missionary work binds us together.
During this seminar we receive training by our area presidency. Elder Pino, Elder Uceda, and Elder Waddell. Every six months we receive training from our leaders.
At the end of June ten mission presidents and their wives will finish their three years of service. We all entered our missionary service together and we will finish together.
These presidents and their wives will finish their service here in Peru. Pres. Turk, Peru Trujillo, Pres. Dorius, Peru Lima West, Pres. Hernandez Peru Arequipa, Pres. Calderon, Peru Cusco, and Pres. Blunck Peru Lima North.
After the seminar we were off to start our zone conferences for the month. Our first stop was Tarapoto. When we arrived much to my delight all the ginger was in bloom. I love the tropical flowers as the colors are always so vivid.
Zone Tarapoto and Moyobamba. Our training is focusing on what real repentance is, finding people to teach and the difference between having a testimony and being converted.
Bro. and Sister Mayne
Elders Raffagini, Giacoboni, and Oretga
Elders Vande Merwe, Thompson, Fisher, Flores,Valdez and Malca
Elders Scott, Murphy, Coburn, Uribe, Soto, Valencia, and Macahuachi
Elder Turley, Duante, Urrutia, Alvarado,and Carillo
Herman Simonson, Elder and Sister Mayne and Hermana Vasquez
Sights near Tarapoto. Llama is about 30 minutes from Tarapoto up in the hills outside Tarapoto. To our surprise we found this authentic castle there. A man from Italy purchased the land and is building his dream castle there. He has employed all the local craftmen to build this castle, it is amazing.
From the castle you look down upon a village where native people have a community. The Chancas have lived in this area for years. They do not intermarry and have preserved their culture. They farm the surrounding country side. On a typical day a man and his son may walk two hours to his farm. The women stay in the village preparing food or items to sell at the market. They make and use their own pottery, they harvest cotton and weave it into cloth, making bags, clothing and belts. They also fashion jewlry out of seeds they have harvested.
These sweet ladies walked into the village when we were there. They had just come in from working on their small farm. The one lady had her bag full of produce she had harvested with her machette. They walk bare foot everywhere they travel to. They are wearing their typical work clothes.
Inside their homes this is what the women cook over.
They harvest seeds to use as their buttons and to make jewlry.
Their homes are made out of dirt and clay. They are all constructed by hand. Until recently they only built them with a door to prevent the evil spirits from entering but poor ventilation promoted respiratory problems in the village. Now the state requires at least one window. Their homes have dirt floors and the people sleep on hand woven mats or in hammocks. They use palm leaves to weave baskets to carry their produce from their fields.
A beautiful view of the jungle near Tarapoto.
