Time Flying!

It is unbelievable how time flies.

On Sunday evening we went for a walk to the park before our Sunday night devotional that kills us. We have to stay awake until 10PM! People were gathered in a mass dancing to Salsa music in the arena of the park. The park is full of cats normally but it was so busy that they were all in hiding.

On Monday, Rich took missionaries to get their residence cards in downtown Lima in the immigration office. It pretty much looks like pure pandemonium but they seem to move things right along. 

It will be our turn soon. We went to the Interpol offices on Thursday and lost the whole morning there. We waited in lines, got photographed, fingerprinted and our dental records checked. This is preliminary to getting a residence card called a carné de extranjería. As near as we can guess, the Interpol requirement is simply so that they can identify you, if you turn up dead.

On Wednesday, we attended district meeting up in San Gabriel. This is where we went when we set up the apartment the week before last. It is up in the heights, ie poverty zone. Everyone warns us when we go up there. Julie always says how sad she is for the missionaries working up there in this dusty, hot hellhole.

Rich reminds her that they are in their glory there. They don't see it as suffering for anything. It is a huge adventure to live in such a place and then they get to tell about it. 

We made several medical appointments all the way from clinical depression to ingrown toenails. This is a huge blessing to our way of thinking. It is something that we can do that really helps these young missionaries to do their job. Many have never been to a doctor since they come from poverty. We have gotten eyes fixed and appendix removed and just so many things for them.

In many ways this was a quiet week. We had a lot to do but it was all worth it. We love our mission. It would be virtually impossible to put into words the way we feel about this service and the lives we touch. We speak to literally every cab driver about the Gospel. Many are actually sincerely interested. The other night we talked with a man in his taxi all the way home. He did not want anyone to come and visit  but he wanted a Book of Mormon. We obliged him and you would have thought it was Christmas! He was absolutely thrilled and took it with such glee.

Jacob said, "by saying that the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream," We feel like that. Time is passing and we feel so privileged to serve here. 

Waiting in immigration

At last, Arequipeña cuisine; rocoto relleno and pastel de papas!

Apartment hunting view out the back of  a downtown apartment building