Esmaro turns 1 - Family Home Evening

The first day I worked in the Trujillo temple, I met Diana Guzman.  She was about 6 months pregnant and spoke very good English.  I was immediately drawn to her and we became good friends.  Her husband is the Bishop of the Laureles Ward and was also a temple worker.  Their little boy is now 1 year old.  We were invited to his birthday party Saturday night. Wow! I have never seen a party like this.  There was dancing, food and laughter. Many people came to celebrate the first year of this cute little boy.  

The invitation.

They had rented this little restaurant and lined the chairs up along the walls.

Sisters from the temple.

Hermano Bustamante with two of his granddaughters.

Diana and the birthday boy.

Here's Esmaro!

The proud Mama and Papa with their sweet boy.

Great Grandma (white hair, red glasses) helped raise Diana. She came all the way from Colombia for this big event. Next is Bishop Guzman's mother.  She also works in the temple.  The young man on the right is
Bishop Guzman's brother.  He is preparing to go on a mission. 

Saturday was a busy day in the temple.  There were three buses from Cajamarca (6 hours north), Chimpote (3 hours south) and Chiclayo (3 hours north).  The temple as well as the grounds and Albergue were bustling with people. They arrived early in the morning and stayed all day.

Children played on the lawn while they waited for their parents to come
out of the temple.

We worked our temple shift and went to the birthday party.  When we returned the buses were loading and ready to leave.  It was after 7:00 PM and the temple would soon be closing.  It was a long day for these people, leaving their homes early in the morning and arriving home late in the evening.  But they were happy and excited to spend the day at the temple.

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago.  President Casos wanted a picture with Bill and Wayne. All three served in Peru as young elders.  Bill and President Casos were in the same mission 50 years ago.  It was called the Andes Mission and included the northern part of Chile, all of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia.  Bill and President Casos came down on the same airplane but Bill spent all his time in Peru and President Casos was sent to Colombia.  President Casos helped teach their group English in the LTM (Language Training Mission - pre MTC).  Wayne came to Peru 40 years ago and served at the same time as Bill's younger brother, Steve.

On Monday Bill and I were asked to do Family Home Evening.  It is hard to prepare a lesson in Spanish/English so we talked about conference and had quotes from the First Presidency and Apostles for them to read and decide who said them.  We then played Bingo and celebrated three birthdays.  We held it in the Haws apartment because theirs is a little bigger and we can all sit around the table. 

The Birthday people.
Elder & Sister Guevara and Sister Coacalla

Monday morning we went to the mall with the Hawses.  We like the special at Chili's, chicken fried chicken with our favorite drink, "frozen lemonada con granadina".

Bill and Wayne went to the ATM to get some money while Jan and I ordered.  They found 6 starving Elders in the mall and brought them back to eat the special with us.  Bill and Wayne paid for their meals.  They all loved it and were so excited to have something besides chicken and rice. The special is 15 soles ($4.40).  You get a big piece of chicken fried chicken, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes & gravy and toast.  I think we filled them up for a few hours.

They are all from the Casa Grande Zone, about an hour away. The one on the left is from Idaho and the one on the right is from Irvins, Utah (near St. George). He has only been out 3 months.
Elders Garrison, Leon, Plazas, Jimenez, Chacon & Harrison.

Afterwards we went to Tottus for some groceries and ran into the Elders again as well as a young family from Lima.  They are members and were visiting their parents here in Trujillo.  

Wayne and Jan checking out.

The oldest boy is Nephi, the middle one in Lehi and the youngest is Carlos Elijah.

We had to take a picture of thisTV because Machu Picchu was on the screen.
You can buy this for $942.

These pumpkins and apples reminded us of fall back in the USA.


Back home in Missouri, Abby and Hannah dressed up to go to the Renaissance Festival.
Abby was the White Rabbit and Hannah was the White Queen.

And last but not least, it is time for another bit of Pickes wisdom.