The road to Quirza - Sharing memories with friends who were mission companions 47 years ago

The Road to Quirza

Often missionary companions are forever friends. Two of our senior sister temple missionaries served together 48 years ago in Argentina. They were invited by Elder Scott to go with him and his wife to witness the first baptisms in Southern Bolivia. We were privileged to drive them (and their husbands making 6 of us) to revisit that same pueblo they visited 48 years ago, with Elder Scott. They were able to see the first chapel built in Bolivia which was built after they left. It was a tender trip. They say little has changed in this pueblo.

                 The pueblos are scattered in this area. This sweet sister was on her way to church. We picked her up - then added two more on our way. Seatbelt rules? Not here, The more the merrier.

The shallow River de Oro is swollen from the sudden summer storms.

                                                                                                                                                                     Greeting old timers at Church. This is Diohenes, 

one of the first members baptized  in Southern Bolivia.

                                                                                                                                                                                 And of course our faithful missionaries. The elders in Quiriza have a missioni full of service. They become experts at growing garlic.

I love entering this chapel with the beautiful hand polished benches, the people here love their chapel.It was evident that they had carefully and lovingly prepared the chapel for Sunday morning. Below are photos of before and after the church services.

The members of the Quirza branch. They are the most loving people. 

Isabel, (baptised that first day with her husband Diogenes) took our sister missionaries to see where the first chapel was. Some of the children took me to see their home.

Following a lunch of humitas, we took our young missionaries and the temple missionaries to see some of the places which hold special meaning to the Saints and early missionaries in Quiriza.

We then took a short walk to the river - Rio de Oro. Enjoying the animals and the fields of choco, garlic, etc.
.

Adobe blocks drying in the sun. Soon they will form a new home.

 All to soon our visit is over. Children wait with left over
water balloons from carnival. Kind friends wave goodbye. We stop quickly to avoid the herd of goats suddenly let loose from their corral and head home just in time as thunderstorms  form in the skies. We love visiting this incredible pueblo.

Our Second Christmas in Bolivia

December began with calling for help to decorate the Mission home. The sisters were delighted to come - but were saddened to learn that all the packages were just for decoration. They know this is a great month to share their testimony of Jesus Christ- which is the greatest gift of all.

Sonya and I baked and baked to be able to give cookies to each of our missionaries.

Our Christmas stash was organized. Many items appeared in the mail from kind and generous parents, some of the items we brought down when we arrived on our mission, (again donated by others).

 Two of our secretaries came to help me stuff the stockings.

I filled our largest suitcase with stockings for our missionaries down south. Another second large suitcase carried hundreds of cookies. Off we went, to bring Christmas to Sucre, Potosi and Tupiza.

The Plaza in Sucre was decorated beautifully with lights.

The Tupiza missionaries

Potosi had one of the best nativities in our hotel.

I loved the creative way the missionaries took their group photo. All these cameras were on timer and the camera owner then ran to be in the photo. I wish I had a video as it was super fun to watch them do it.

This ward taught me a great lesson this year. We had a Christmas Fireside with them and following the fireside the Bishop asked everyone to go to the Cultural Hall for a surprise and a photo opportunity. My North American culture kicked in and I wondered - will they have Santa here? Well, eventually they opened the curtains  and this was the surprise and the photo op. A beautiful nativity scene. This is just another thing I love about Bolivia. The focus is where it should be, on Christ. 

My brother and his family came to visit for Christmas. It was wonderful to spend time with them. This time our adventures brought us a toucan. What a beautiful world God created for us!

With the wonders of technology, I received this photo Christmas eve.   These are some of our grandchildren following family tradition and enacting the story of the birth of Christ. The photo arrived just as we were going to bed, and I knelt thanking Heavenly Father for the faith that is being passed down through generations.

Christmas day. I watched as a mommy rocked her babe to sleep in this home made cradle on her clothes line. It touched my heart. This little one may not have many earthly possessions but he has a mommy who loves him. 

Feliz Navidad

Penguins in Peru and Mission Miracles - Here we COME! OCTOBER 2015

  Twice a year the mission presidents from our area (South American North West) gather for a seminar. It is an extremely helpful time, a time for strengthening, learning and a little relaxing. This last October we went to Paracas Peru for training.  

                                                                                                                                                 The five Bolivian Mission Presidents and their wives. (Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz North, Cochabamba, La Paz, La Paz El Alto) 

P day!!! Did you know there are penguins in Peru?

We got to see the candelabra of the Andes.This hieroglyph is carved 2 feet into the rock and is dated 200 BC. It is large enough to be seen at sea, from 12 miles away

We also went sandboarding on the sand dunes of Paracas. Beautiful!

Mission Miracles

A year ago we had to send one of our missionaries home, because a brain tumor was discovered here on her mission. She did not want to go and pleaded to stay, wanting to delay surgery until her mission was complete. That of course was not reasonable. The Cochabamba mission prayed and fasted for a successful surgery, and all went extremely well.   In October, one year after her brain surgery she has returned, full of faith and smiles. She is one of our miracles.

In October and November we received a LARGE number of missionaries. In fact for a while over 30% of our missionaries were in training. They came with faith and energy and love. We had just finished a zone conference and during that conference we talked a lot about what it would mean to be a Zion Mission. Just a few days later we were greeting missionaries at the airport. As is our custom, we began singing "Called to Serve" as soon as our first missionaries walk through the gate. One missionary, with tears streaming down his face said to President Hansen, "I feel like I have arrived in Zion".  To us, his words were another mission miracle.

Discovering Bolivia, a lost little girl and a special conference NOVEMBER 2015

DISCOVERING BOLIVIA

Both our mission cars needed to be changed because of their mileage and age. So in bringing a 'new' car to Sucre we got to travel new roads, and discover new cities. 

Someday perhaps we can send missionaries here, but for now we build from centers of strength (we teach close to the church buildings so we do not have members in far away areas without support of local wards or branches.)

As usual, the trip was full of things to see alongside the road.  The mama pig was leading these little piglets down the road but I did not get the camera fast enough to get her too.

Goats love to run across the street. President Hansen has to be very watchful. This is taken through the car window.

A MISSING GIRL

We arrived in Tupiza to participate in a district conference only to     find our missionaries hurrying down the street. One of the little girls whose family had traveled from Uyuni for the conference, was                                                  missing.

 We joined in the search and every time we went down a different street we saw missionaries, out in force, looking for this little girl. We were so proud of their united efforts and prayers. The police finally found this little one, VERY far from where she went missing.  

One of the amazing things about Bolivia is the distance the Saints travel to attend meetings. This entire choir was from Uyuni, they traveled MANY hours by bus or train arriving in the wee hours of the morning. But they came to enjoy the District conference, smiling and enjoying their journey. 

A SPECIAL CONFERENCE

                                                                                                                                           The end of November brought a wonderful gift. We were privileged to have Elder Godoy come for a special zone conference with ALL missionaries in Cochabamba and another conference with ALL missionaries in the south, held in Sucre. He lifted, taught and inspired us.