Here’s a fun fact about the southern hemisphere: when the water goes down the drain the vortex is counter-clockwise; I believe it is clockwise in the northern hemisphere. Can someone check on that for me, please? Now, on to an update of the past week’s activities:

On Sunday, we attended meetings in La Molina Ward[i]. An American couple accompanied us to our meetings so we knew where to go for each class. There are so many English-speaking members that they translate Sacrament Meeting[ii] to those who are wearing a headset. Sunday School and Relief Society[iii] have separate English-speaking classes for those who wish to attend. The teacher in the Spanish Sunday School class speaks so slowly and clearly that Faye could understand him…and she attended with me. She went to the English Relief Society class. Lessons and talks were as good here in Lima as I have heard anywhere.

After the block of meetings, the American couple took us to their house to introduce us to some of the Peruvian fruits and juices. Wow! Amazing flavor! Then they took us on a walking tour of the local area – so we know where we could shop and eat.

That afternoon, I had a much-needed nap after having arrived late the day before.

South America Northwest Area Medical Advisors (and wives)

Then we attended a class taught by the other Area Medical Advisor (AMA) serving here. I will oversee the missions in Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia and 3 in Peru (17 total); he also has 17 (the rest in Peru and all of Ecuador); each of us oversee about 3,000 full-time missionaries. He is a retired interventional cardiologist and the topic was “The Ten Commandments of Missionary Health.” I liked the way he approached it: he started with Doctrine and Covenants Section 89[iv] regarding the Lord’s guidance on how we should care for our bodies. He then linked that to what missionaries should and should not do to maintain adequate health…and thus allow them to perform their sacred proselyting labors.

Then we ate dinner with the two American couples mentioned previously. We had some delicious food and great visiting.

I spent much of my week learning about my responsibilities. I think this will be a very rewarding experience as I help these very dedicated missionaries – and their presidents and presidents’ wives – to perform the Lord’s work.

One day, the other AMA and I visited a hospital in Lima that has very nice facilities. One of the missionaries was admitted there. I feel like she received very good care.

In a previous post,[v] Faye told you about our experience getting our Peruvian ID card. It was great fun to talk to the Venezolanos! Their faces really lit up when I asked them about their families! They are earning money here in Peru to help support their families in Venezuela – because the economic situation is so difficult in Venezuela. One of them showed us the picture of his wife’s ultrasound; she is due with twins!

Faye also mentioned the Mission Presidents’ Seminar. What a great blessing it was to be there with such great people! I hope I conveyed adequately to the mission presidents how much I want to help them care for their missionaries! They really are their surrogate parents while they are on their missions! I treasure the mentoring I received as a young missionary in Venezuela by Wesley Craig and Karl Fenn; those men made an immeasurable impact on my life.

I served with one of the Lima mission presidents as a young missionary (1982-83) in Venezuela. He was and is a great man! It was great to visit with him!

It was great to see John Boswell again…and to meet his wife!

I can’t express adequately how much I enjoyed visiting with the four Venezuela mission presidents and their wives Friday night. I became slightly emotional when I asked them how many stakes[vi] there are in Venezuela now: 32! And there were only two when I serve there 35 years ago! I asked them how the Church is doing given the current political crisis in Venezuela: they all said that the Church is strong. The members have been forced to watch out for one another and to be more self-sufficient. One president commented that the Lord always outlasts any political conditions. Once the current political situation there is improved, I see the membership in Venezuela exploding! Apparently, that’s what happened here in Peru: there was a terrorist group that made things difficult for the Church for several years. However, those external challenges made the Church stronger. As part of our meetings today, the bishop led a discussion with the adult and youth members about the growth of the Church in Peru. They showed a 15-minute video that outlined the history of the Church, which had its first small congregation in Peru in 1956.[vii] There are now 103 stakes in Peru! The gist of the discussion was about how the Church has blessed their lives and how they can bring more people into the Church going forward.

A dream come true: to be with Venezolanos again!

It has been a tender day for me as I have remembered Ashton on his 25th birthday. I have thought today about the many things that I do not understand about Ashton’s death. I am thankful for the gifts of faith and trust in my Heavenly Father. I have confidence in His justice and in His mercy!

Another great blessing of serving a mission with Faye now is the very close friendships we have formed with some amazingly good people we have met in the MTC and here in Peru! There may be some “honeymoon” feelings with how positive I feel about being in Peru; those feelings may wane over time. However, I talked with an older Church member from the US who is overseeing some renovations on the Lima, Peru Temple. He said he has lived in Latin America for 14 years throughout his life. And every day was a joy for him. I certainly feel that way right now! I pray that that feeling continues. I think some of that feeling may be because I am here to serve; service brings me closer to God, which brings indescribable happiness!

Written by Carter

[i] https://www.lds.org/maps/meetinghouses/@-12.072135,-76.938473,18&lang=eng&id=meetinghouse:5823137-01-01

[ii] https://www.lds.org/topics/sacrament?lang=eng

[iii] https://www.lds.org/topics/relief-society?lang=eng

[iv] https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng

[v] http://ashtonslegacy.com/we-are-in-peru/

[vi] https://www.lds.org/topics/stake?lang=eng

[vii] http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics/country/peru