Please Read-I know it is kind of long

Hello dear moms!
This is long overdue but I promised a quick report of our Peruvian
trip before
I signed off.
I know there are many new members and if this will make you homesick
for your
missionary--just delete it.
Last November, my husband and I went to pick up our son in Peru. We
spent 12 days touring around. The first half was spent visiting his old areas and the last half was spent flying to Cusco and seeing Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.
It was THE trip of a lifetime and so very exhausting and enlightening. We were
able to get round trip tickets for ourselves for $800 a piece and coordinate our
missionary's return flight. You have to fly DELTA because that is the only
airline the Church uses to travel to Peru.
Rather than give a play by play for each day, I would just like to
give some general observations.
1. Peru is a country of contrasts--extreme poverty and beauty. The
Saints
are wonderful generous people. One of our son's Pensions couldn't stop kissing
my handing and thanking me for sending my son to Peru. There were many tears
shed.
2. I saw with my own eyes the places where our son lived, worked,
slept, and
ate. It seems that every picture he sent home always had the nicest background
he could find so I wouldn't worry.
3. Taxi rides in Lima are crazy--noone obeys traffic signs. The
roads are
rarely paved and if they are, there are huge potholes. I was bounced around so
much that I felt like my kidneys would pop out of my ears.
4. What I thought were telephone booths on the corner of residential
streets
in Lima were really private security guard booths. The people pay to have
someone guard their streets and many streets are closed off by an iron gate at
night.
5. Trash is placed on waist high iron baskets in Lima so the dogs
won't get
into the trash.
6. A flushable toilet is a luxury and toilet paper isn't standard
issue in a
bathroom. A street vendor selling toilet paper came into a cafe in which we
were eating to sell this precious commodity.
7. I wouldn't have made it if our son didn't speak the language. He
was
always proselyting taxi drivers and bargaining for the best prices. Prices on
things are always negotiable.
8. I am glad I brought along food because Peruvian food wasn't too
enjoyable
for me. I can't lie. By the end of the trip our son would order bread "pan"
for me and I would spread tuna brought from home on it and eat it right in the
cafe.
9. Our most expensive day was the day we flew to Machu Picchu, took
a train
then a bus there and then paid 120 sols apiece to get in. You MUST have
Peruvian $ because they don't take credit cards or exchange American $. It was
so worth it, though.
10. I was am amazed at the American things you could buy in the
larger cities. The drugstores carried Head and Shoulders, Pantene, Axe body spray,
anti-perspirant, feminine hygiene products, etc. It was a bit costly but much
cheaper than sending a padded envelope. I asked our son why he didn't tell me
and he said he loved getting envelopes from home. It was hard to find good
American candy. They really don't have anything sweet-- They do have OREO's
and some Frito chips that are a combination of potatoe chips, cheese curls and
corn chips--NOT too bad.
11. INKA COLA seems to be the national soda pop--it tastes like
watered down
cream soda. Our son thought it was great but I told him that his taste buds had
died!! HA! HA!
12. If your missionary is serving in the providences and not in a
larger city
it will be almost impossible for them to get anything American. Our son spent 7
1/2 months on the top of Cedrro de Pasco and I barely lasted 7 1/2 hours there.
The altitude (14,500 ft.) made my head feel like it was in a vice, my heart
race, and I immediately felt better when we got off that mountain. Our son said
he was sick for 2 weeks trying to adjust to the altitude. Now we find out, we
had no clue when he was a missionary. Our son said it made a man out of him and
he really loved that copper-mining city. The people were so lovely--all got on
their cell phones to spread the word so they could come and see us.
13. If you go, take plenty of cash, some sunscreen, good walking
shoes, and leave behind your vanity. We spent 3 or 4 nights riding buses and the whole trip we lived out of a backpack. My attire for Church was what I had worn for
two days straight, jeans, dusty tennis shoes, and a sweater. My face and hair
were not washed--I looked like something the cat dragged in but the beautiful
Saints didn't give me a second glance. They found out I played the piano, ran
to the library to get a keyboard, and had me sit up front near the pulpit to
play the hymns for their meetings. It was amazing. Our son said I played them
with much more enthusiasm than they usually sing them---apparently they sort of
drag them but they adjusted to my tempo. Pianos aren't standard issues for
chapels, either. ALL Church chapels have iron gates around them.
As you can tell, I am not an outdoorsy type of person. I had to go
to Peru to appreciate what our son accomplished during his time there. My husband and I served stateside missions and had it a lot easier than those who serve in
foreign economically challenged countries. I came back firmly believing that
our kids are superheroes as well as missionaries. The challenges they face with
the language, culture, food, etc. are something that I don't think I could have
managed. I was very happy to get back in the US. We have our problems in this
country but it takes a trip like that to truly appreciate what we have. God
knows our son and Peru really was the palce for him. He thrived there--his boy
scout training came in handy. He learned to appreciate our home more, actually
thanked us for all the FHE's, family scripture studies and family prayers we
have had over the years. Our son gained what we really wanted for him. Upon
his return and his official release our Stake!
President asked him what he gained from his mission and he replied,
"I gained a firm testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ." Our family errupted in cheers--that is all we really ever wanted for him.