When lightning strikes you at Christmas

Christmas watermelon

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Look at that squash!

Panetone

Despedida, Los Rhoades

Little merchant

Pack

Snoozing

Lost in translation

TP

Glacial action 

Lagunita 

Ayaviri cathedral

The very friendly and extremely hairy Lobo... Really likes Mormon missionaries

Our work computer was in Lima on Monday and most of Tuesday so we couldn’t do any work in the archives. We were pretty heart broken (not). We enjoyed our days off and were able to pick up the computer from the bus line late in the afternoon on Tuesday. It has a brand new hard drive in it and is working like a charm. We’re happy about that! The down side of having to send it to Lima is that now we have no internet. Last time we didn’t have internet it took nearly three months to get it fixed! There is no hope for any help at this time of year, so we’ll start hounding the powers that be in the new year. Fingers crossed!

We worked hard Wednesday through Friday to make up for our lost days. We have eleven shelves left, we’re starting to count down. Some will go quickly, others will take a few weeks to finish. With our figuring we should finish just right with the end of our mission. At least that is our plan!

School is out for summer break so the streets are full of kids. Hard to think of it being summer here as it rains cats and dogs every afternoon and all night, and is actually quite chilly! They don’t actually call it “summer” here, it’s the “rainy season.” We’re seeing more and more Christmas lights and the Plaza de Armas is really pretty at night. 

Rich traveled to Sicuani in torrential, pounding rain on Friday night with Quique Rubio the mission secretary. They had to finish up the financial audits. They managed to borrow a car so Rich drove since he is licensed in Peru. It made the trip possible since from Sicuani they had to get to Ayaviri on Saturday morning, then on to Juli and back to Puno to spend the night. Sound exhausting? Rich woke up with one pant leg still on, on top of the covers at midnight…

On Sunday they left Puno for Choquehuanca, back to Ayaviri and finally home late Sunday night. The whole trip involved a solid twenty hours driving, much of it in a deluge. They finished year end audits!

Rich got a new folktale out of the trip. During an impressive lightning and thunder display, one of the leaders told Rich about his dad who had been struck by lightning. (This happens more than you think in the Altiplano, what you get for living above the Collegiate Range in Colorado.) Anyway, he said, “You know that when someone is struck by lightning, it splits them down the middle and the thunder snaps them back together. It is a miracle that happens…” He went on to say that the proof in the pudding was that when his dad had dirt in his bones along the impressive scar that ran through the middle of his body after the lightning strike. Rich did not gasp, gawk or gape but he felt his eyebrows near the top of his head…

Driving in Peru is always an adventure and never relaxing. It exposes every negative character trait in the rawest of ways. Rich says, “I am never proud of myself after a road trip here.” Still, it has to get done somehow.

Julie stayed home and did some Christmas baking for our zone and the sisters upstairs. Her efforts turned out perfectly, so she’s happy.

We love the carols and music of Christmas and the wonderful spirit we feel as we go about our work here. How grateful we are for our Savior, for His life and example to each of us. We love Him and we and our family have been so blessed this past year. We wish each of you the peace and joy of this season and may you feel of His love. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!