Hola familia y amigos,


We are only a week late with this instalment of our adventures in Canete Peru. In Peru we are actually early as nothing happens on time or on schedule. Even Mormon Standard time is early, if you get my drift.


This group of people are very important to us. We are very fortuneate to spend a lot of time with the Hermanas Labeau and Mendoza and the Familia Macha. We really love these four people. Pedro and Carmen and I visit families every week and until this week Hermana Lebeau went with us as my interpreter. Debbie, Hermana Mendoza(or Hma. Cure) and Jessica Macha would visit investigators.

Mi casa es su casa! This welcoming picture is Debbie at the door of casa familia Whitney. This is one of the nicest places in Canete and when you consider that we call it home it is the nicest place in Canete. Truthfully there are not many like it out side of our little enclave. Take note of the object on the top our home on the left side.

Here is a close up of nerve central. This high tech instalation is my internet access point. It is fastened to a broom handle and wired to a piece of scrap metal that the installer found on the roof. The protective coating is the plastic bag that the device came in. I know that this sounds a little flimsy but I have reinforced it with black elecricians tape and a very secure basal wrap of precious duct tape. The cabling is spliced together extension cords and a single 30 foot run of cat5. Not in view are the five bricks that are providing balast and holding it in place. I buy my internet from a neighbor for the equivalent of $17 USD per month.

This is us saying goodbye to Hermana Cure who just completed her three month extention to her mission. She lives in Lima, loves the gospel, and is a fantastic missionary.
Elder Saavadra was transferred to week to become a trainer in Lima. He and his companion have provided many hours of service to us and although we had a little language barrier we communicated spirit to spirit very well. We miss him but know that he continues to serve well.

Elder Martinez and his companion (below) were the missionaries in Quilmana and were moved to new assignments in Lima as well. These are two fantastic Elders.

Elder Lopez was the branch President in Quilmana. He and his companion (Above) were sent in different directions. We loved working with both of these young men. Their families can certainly be proud of them.

(now from Debbie)
Slip slidin’ away, slip slidin’ away… thanks to Paul Simon for that little bit of a song. It fits perfectly. Not like our sheets. We had believed we were getting a queen size bed so when we bought our sheets we bought queen size. When we ordered our bed from Electra we still believed we were getting a queen size bed. \e got a double. These sheets were not going to stay on this bed. So I got out my straight pins, needles and thread and went to work. I put a large pleat down one side of the bed, and hand stitched it on the top and then the bottom. It took me the better part of one day to do that. There will be no pictures as it is not pretty. Well, that helped a bit, but it was still coming off the mattress. So today I got busy and stitched elastic under all 4 corners. I want to thank Marilyn (Doug’s sister) for making me skirts for my mission and leaving a lot of elastic on them. I brought the extra elastic with me, and I am happy I did.
We had done laundry one morning and the dryer was broken so that night Doug and I were ironing our sheets so we could make our bed. Now that is a first, we all know how much I like to iron.

Here is a picture of our zone.

Back Left : Elder Grossman, Lewiston, Idaho, Elder Saavadra, Bolivia, Elder Fuents, Peru, Pres. Manning, Hermana Manning, Hermana Nash, Elder Nash, Hermana Cure, Lima, Hermana Lebeau, Logan, Ut, Hermana Whitney, Elder Whitney, Calgary Alberta, Elder Tanavasa, Hawaiian/ Oregon,
Front Left : Elder Bolten, Riverton, Ut. Elder McAllister, Las Vegas, Elder Martinez, Calif. Elder Juarez, Lima, Elder Leon, Calif., Elder Lopez Guatemala.

Elder Saavadra, Elder Martinez, and Elder Lopez were transferred this past week and Hermana Cure has gone home after serving a 3 month extension on her mission, so we could have Hermanas in our area. We purchased a huge cake and had a transfer/going home get together with the zone on the Sunday evening.

We love all of our missionaries. They have been so good to us helping set up our home, getting internet, showing us how and where to get stuff. They tell us where to go and where not to go and what not to eat.

WE have asked the missionaries to spend one hour 5 times per week tutoring us and practicing Espanol. On Thursday the Hermanas came and gave us our first, of many I hope, Spanish lessons. Our new Hermana, Hermana Mendoza is from the jungles of Peru. Her pronunciation is different than some other Spanish speakers.

After our zone meeting last week the Elders from Mala told us about this really, really good restaurant that is very busy during the summer when everyone comes down from Lima. So we went with them after the meeting. It is very good. I had stir fried rice with shrimp. Doug had a mixed sea food plate. There was so much we both took home enough for another meal. This week we received an e-mail from Doug’s cousin and his wife, David and Erica, with a picture of them coming out of this very restaurant two weeks before. They were on a Murdock Travel tour of Peru. Go figure.

When we attended church in Quilmana (picture in last weeks blog) we met this awesome retired couple that live there, the Ayllon’s. Brother Ayllon was an aircraft electrician and they lived and worked in the USA most of there lives. Ten years in Burbank California and fifteen years in Boise Idaho and when they retired they moved home to Peru. They bought a farm and live very well here. Their children all live in the Boise area and they travel frequently to see them. They are one of only three families we know that own a car or truck and they even gave us ride. They are wonderful strong members of the church. Peru is their home and they love it here.

Along our way we see things that I sometimes wish I had taken a picture of and then I think, well, maybe it is better that I hadn’t. We were in a bus one day and in front of us was a moto, Doug says, “don’t look” well who is he talking too? Really, if you want some one to look at something for sure, just say, don’t look. Well in the basket behind the moto are 2 huge hogs, just flopping along, they were on their way to market, and who knows how long they have been in this state of death and how long until they get to where they will be …well, you know what I mean, processed. Then several days later we are on our way to Imperial and there is a truck in front of us, one cow standing the other down, for the count. The transportation of livestock to the butcher is not a matter of concern for anyone living in Peru, except me.

Here is a picture of a moto, like the one the hogs were in.

Through various means we asked our landlord to come and pick up the rent a day early so we could go. He came Tuesday evening and we paid him, we didn’t have exact change for the electric bill, he said he would bring it back on Thursday when he brings the lock smith to fix the lock to the front door, that doesn’t work properly. So we do the “Peru” wait and wait. Thursday evening there is a knock at the door, and we look at each other like, it’s about time. Doug opens the door and one of the security men is standing there and hands Doug a piece of paper. It’s in Spanish. Thank goodness for google and ‘Spanishdict.com.”

Doug translated it and it said, your water will be turned off on Tuesday the 6th of Oct. because the landlord is four months behind on the account, $430.00 soles past due.

There goes the trip to Lima, we have a new priority.

So who do we call, not ghost busters? Elder Tanavasa. If you recall he is the tall one standing by Doug in the picture above. Wouldn’t you call him too?
He says don’t worry, be happy and YOU ARE IN PERU, NOW. He says that a lot. We know he will get to the bottom of this but we don’t know if we need to start looking at another place to live? The landlord has this months rent plus a months deposit. Who knows what this guy is thinking?

We could not get in touch with the Elders until Friday morning and it took them until Saturday morning to get something worked out with the home owners association that controls the water for our home. We have our fingers crossed and are praying that it is really been taken care of. Remember, YOU ARE IN PERU, NOW!

Until next time, WE ARE IN PERU, NOW!