Happy New Year!

As we say goodbye to 2015, we are excited and looking forward to what the next year will bring while we continue to serve our mission here in Trujillo.  We wish all our family and friends a healthy and prosperous New Year.

We spent a fun day on New Year's Eve, going to Real Plaza.  We ate lunch at TGI Fridays and decided to go to the one other movie in Trujillo that was being shown in English.  It was a good way to end the Christmas season by watching "Love, The Coopers".

Real Heinz Ketchup

Frozen Lemonade 

Yummy Onion Rings

Love those chicken strips.

Bill was thrilled to have a cheeseburger.

This is 5 minutes before the movies started.  It looks like we bought out
the whole theatre.  A few others came in during the previews.

This movie won't win any Academy Awards but it was fun
and entertaining.

            Selling fireworks on the street in preparation for the New Year's Eve celebrations.

Right before midnight the City of Trujillo and surrounding Barrios started shooting off fireworks.  We watched them from our balcony.  They lasted for more than a half hour.  It was so pretty.

For New Year's Day lunch we met most of the Senior Missionaries and Temple Presidency at Pardo's Chicken in the mall.  We ran into Elder Talbot & Elder Chapman from the Trujillo South Mission and we all chipped in to buy them their lunch.  Some of us got ice cream cones afterwards.  

It is back to the temple tomorrow, starting our new 2016 schedule, adding sessions every day and closer together.  


Back on the homefront, our little Max is trying to stay warm in the sun during the frigid temperatures in Utah.

Our beautiful & talented granddaughter, Sadie, has moved to Utah to continue her education. She will be living with our daughter in Providence.  She is 17 1/2 and wants to pursue Graphic Arts. 

                                                   Here is some of her artwork.  

Moche, Salazars & Brass Band

We went to the Moche Ward for church on Sunday.  Moche is on the way to the Salaverry Beach and is about a half hour by Taxi.  It is away from the city and more peaceful out there but it is also a very poor area.  Brother Inchaustiqui and Sister Asmat from the temple attend this ward.  I played the piano and we were both asked to bear our testimonies again.  The Church members here really love the missionaries and treat us with such love and respect when we show up in their wards.  You would think we were a General Authority or something.  We sure do love the Peruvian people.  The Moche Ward has their own building so they meet at 9:00 AM.

Hermana Asmat (in pink blouse) with us and her family.

We took a taxi for 20 soles ($5.89) to the church but the Asmats insisted on bringing us home afterwards and they wouldn't let us pay for his gas. There were some interesting photo opportunities on the drive home. Moche is also the area where the ruins, Huaca del Sol and la Luna are located.

Restoration of the Huaca del Sol.

On Monday the Temple Missionaries and the Casos's were invited to the Salazars for lunch.  It was also little Obed's first birthday, although he is not so little.

Obed

Jan with Haru.

With President & Sister Casos.

She served Aji de Gallina, a traditional Peruvian chicken stew in a spicy
nutty, cheese sauce.  It is served over potatoes with rice, boiled egg and olive.
It is really good.

The Salazar family.

The Gomez's.

That evening we went with the Casos's and the Hawes to listen to the Trujillo Brass Band.  Armin Tolentino (our choir director) plays the trumpet.  They put on a performance at the Chan Chan building for those who wanted to come for their Family Home Evening.  Armin is the only church member in the group.  They played a variety of songs including a Beatles medley, Christmas music, movie themes and 2 LDS hymns we all sang to.  They were excellent.  It was a great evening.

Armin is the one on the right. 

Some of the people in attendance. 

Wayne and Jan Haws in the back of the Casos SUV, ready for the ride home.