Sept. 3, 2009 CCM/MTC Lima Peru

Here it is our second week in the MTC in Peru. The menu has not changed, rice, potatoes, bread, although one day you may get a bit more potatoes than rice. yea, not really. Every lunch they serve jello in small dessert bowls. 2 nights ago we had chocolate cake for dessert. Last night, molded jello with all the leftover jellos of the past 2 days and...the chocolate cake! Nothing goes to waste here, except to my waist. Our hardcore schedule for learning the spanish language did change. It had to or they would be carrying out 2 body bags. We were dragging everything. We no longer have class with the young missionaries, which I miss as we sing hymns in spanish at the opening and closing of our day. Doug and I, not so much. We have a tutor in a classroom to ourselves. We were under the impression that we would be leaving Lima to go to Canete which is where we will be living. It is about 1 3/4 hours south of Lima. It was shaken quite badly 2 years ago by an earthquake. And a lot of the rubble is still waiting to be gathered up. The MTC Pres. and his wife went down there on Sunday and took pictures of the area, and our apartment! It still has no hot water tank, stove hook up or a kitchen sink. It did get a lovely leather couch.(really) We are still not sure if we will leave Friday as had been previously arranged as we have to come back next Tuesday to go to Interpol to get our resident cards. Now I don't know about you but when I hear the word Interpol, I think James Bond. An office that is high tech, clean, bight lights, roomy with a lot of really important people just waiting for you to look at them wrong and they push a button and you fall through the floor, never to be seen again. Well, in Lima that is not even close to what you see. This office is on the main floor of a building that is at least 90 years old. (not well preserved) there is a guy sitting at a desk looking a a computer screen, probably playing frogger. You step down into a room that has a few desk type chairs in it, not enough for everyone to sit down. It has windows but they are covered with blinds that have never been opened, and the only other light is from 2 ceiling lights with 10 watt blubs in each one. Not that you would want too. Here your escort (someone has to help you apply, the church as a young lady that works for the Church that does this) First you wait, and then wait because you are never the first person there. Then, you get your teeth checked. This is in case you are incinerated while in Peru they can identify you. A man has you lay down on a chair that at one time about 6 centuries ago could have been used by a dentist. You open your mouth, he does not use any instruments, he has a piece of paper with your name on it and he marks a X on a diagram of upper and lower teeth, he puts a mark on the paper that looks like it may be a tooth that has a filling in it. Then you stand and wait to be called again. This same man... now is going to finger print you. But not just your fingers, your whole hand ! You then get to have your photo taken, and you can smile, if you know that before the picture is taken. I, of course look like I just robbed a bank. Our transportation while in Canete will be our very own, legs. Which is fine, I can work off some of the total starch meals we have been getting. But if we need to come back up to Lima we have to take a bus. Now we have heard about the buses in the city and of course we have seen and heard them. These are 2 of teh very most important items on any vehicle in Peru, the brakes and a horn. If you are walking down the road every taxi driver honks to see if you want a ride, not just the ones going your way either. Or they honk because you have slowed down to turn a corner or they just got their horn replaced because the other one wore out. Driving in Lima, no thanks. Almost every car we see has some kind of dent in it or has patches of bondo where it got hit.Our adventures continue. We are thankful for all of your prayers and well wishes.Tune in next week...love to all, whitneysinperu.