New Fridge!!!

Woohoo, no more science projects!

Woohoo #2

Waiting in line for school inscriptions

Puma head

Afriel, Grecia's dad

Grecia's hugs

Grecia's family

Grecia's grandma

Grecia

Us with Grecia

Restricted gene pool

Rich went to work on Monday while Julie stayed home and did laundry and rested. She was still feeling pretty wiped out from her sickness. Rich tried to buy a new refrigerator but had frustration and no success. He determined it would be better to go to the appliance store during the morning hours instead of the afternoon.

Tuesday we had a mission conference with eight of the thirteen zones in the mission. Elder David F. Evans, the executive director of the missionary department of the church, spoke to us and taught us. The conference started at 9am and ended at 4:30pm. We learned a lot and had a great time with the missionaries. Sister Evans was having some struggles with the altitude so Julie spoke to her about what to do and all the tricks involved with surviving up here. As the day progressed, Sister Evans was feeling much better and was very appreciative.

Julie went to work Wednesday morning and Rich was able to buy a new refrigerator! None of the stores provide delivery services, and they don’t have numbers on hand of people who have trucks etc. The store clerks have done this enough and were confident in telling Rich that the style and size he bought would fit in the back of one of the station wagon taxis. So, that’s exactly what Rich did; he waved down a taxi and they all helped him get it in the back. Other than the taxi driver, everyone who helped him, from selling to loading the refrigerator were women. This is validation for a position that we have had for many years here that if you want something done right; get a woman to do it… This axiom usually applies.

He offered to pay the taxi driver a little more to help him wrestle it up to the third floor to our apartment. Fortunately, as they were unloading the fridge, Brother Agüero was home and ran downstairs to help. The three of them were able to get in into the apartment without too much stress. 

To say that Julie is excited is an understatement. No more frozen/warm food (we hope) a freezer and space to spare. We had invited the sister missionary leaders over for dinner and we were so excited because we had ice cream to serve them. Sister Ostler from Hood River, Oregon will be going home soon, so we wanted to have her and her companion Sister Valverde over before she leaves. They are great missionaries and we have really enjoyed getting to know them.

We went to the airport at noon to welcome home Grecia Yauli from her mission in Colombia. She is the third daughter of our friends Nelly and Afriel to return home from a mission. Nelly was one of the early members of the church in Espinar when we lived there. Julie taught Grecia in primary and she has grown into a lovely young woman. It was so fun to see her return, and see all of the family again. 

Julie worked again Thursday morning and Rich came in and worked in the afternoon before his Quechua class. Julie had her English class with Marvid and Yahir, and they had a great time. They are starting to read words and Julie is drilling them on body parts. She was going over the parts of the face and pointed to and said “cheeks.” This was really hard for them to say and when she asked Marvid what that part of the face was, he thought and thought and said, “Cheese.” Julie laughed and said, not “cheese,” cheese is queso. Marvid and Yahir laughed hysterically, and of course, now, “cheeks” are “cheese.” They are cute boys and learn so fast. We wish our minds would learn and remember things as quickly.

All week long there has been another art exhibition going on. There have been several artists working on plaster models of folkloric or religious motifs. It’s fun to walk by every day and see the progress. We had a good work day on Friday and are slowing moving through the big nasty books that we are working on.