Christmas in Peru and more

What was intended to be a weekly blog has turned into a monthly blog.  In the last month, we've experienced Christmas in Peru, had a Christmas Devotional for the missionaries, took another trip to Chivay and been navigating the Peru health care system to get some relief for my newly arthritic knee.  Nothing like arthritis to make you feel your age.

We had the opportunity to go back to Chivay with the Chipmans and the VanDusens (office couple).  Chivay was holding a celebration and we wanted to be there to see the dancing and costumes.  When we arrived they were still setting up for the festivities, so we asked around and we were a day too soon.  Unfortunately, we couldn't stay another day, but here are some photos of the decorations and costumes.

This is the native dress for the area.

They attached stuffed animals and toys to these arches for some reason.

We missed the festival, but we came across some of them practicing their dance.

While in Chivay we went to see this geyser which is similar to Old Faithful, but never stops.  We found some boiling water in spots near the geyser as well.  It was very cool!

Us, the Chipmans and the VanDusens

This volcano you can see from Chivay.  It is always smoking.  Hermana Chipman took this photo with the pretty sunset.

I finally got brave and made an appointment to get my hair cut in Peru.  It had been a year since my last haircut and it was starting to make me a little crazy.  Luckily Hermana Chipman gave me the number of the stylist who cuts her hair.  It turned out to be quite the experience.  There were 3 ladies there and I was the only customer.  Tim came with me so he could translate and then he ran some errands.  One of them washed my hair for about 20 minutes.  Then another stylist took over.  I asked for something very simple and she did a good job.  It was the actual blow dry and styling that was unusual.  Two ladies dried my hair each with a large round brush.  Then when the stylist who cut my hair started with the straightener, the third lady stepped in and started fanning me.  It was quite the experience, but I liked what they did and will probably go back in a couple of months.

The mission held 3 Christmas devotionals for the missionaries.  The missionaries spoke about charity and what it means to them.  We then took a break for some Christmas activities.  Tim and I played Christmas Bingo with the missionaries and handed out prizes.  We had a good time!  The missionaries also decorated Santa hats and we took a group picture with all our hats on.  After the activities, President Chipman spoke about the prophets who prophesied of the coming Christ and we watched a church video on his birth.  The real treat were the musical numbers by the missionaries throughout the devotional.  Afterwards we ate lunch which was a carbon copy of the Thanksgiving meal which we posted about on the last blog.

This is a sample of the prizes.  This was towards the end, so it looks pretty sparse.

The Chipmans entertained the missionaries with this Latino Christmas song called "Mi Burrito Sabanero" ("My Little Donkey of the Savannah").  This is just a little snippet so I could get it to download.

Christmas day was mostly just like any other day in the mission.  We FaceTimed Sydney's family and watched the grandkids open gifts.  Sam's family was in Tennessee with Kailie's family, so we did a video call with them a little later.  And we talked to Jackson who stayed in Seattle for Christmas.  They celebrate Christmas here by having a late dinner Christmas Eve with family.  Late means around 10:00.  Then at midnight the fireworks all over the city begin.  Here is what it looked like from the balcony of our condo.  This was actually New Year's Eve.  They do it all over again a week later:

We went to dinner at the plaza with the Chipmans one night before Christmas and then walked around and took in all the decorations:

The sister missionaries stopped by Christmas day and sang a Christmas carol.

We took a Christmas gift to the ward mission leader's family.  They weren't home so we took it to his wife who works in the market at this juice stand.  She blended up some yummy juice with fresh fruit for us.  We had to ask them if the water was boiled though before we could drink it.  It was!  We didn't get sick.

We found various nativities around the city.  Here are a few:

This is the nativity at the cathedral at the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa.  There was no baby Jesus at this time.  When we returned after Christmas, Jesus was there.  We assume they placed Him there Christmas Eve, probably at midnight.

This was the nativity at the hotel we stay at in Chivay

This at the Plaza de Yanhuara near our apartment.  This was made out of straw.

This nativity is carved from Sillar (more on that later)

New Year's Eve and Day were like Christmas.  Mostly missionary stuff.  On New Year's Eve we went with the Chipmans to dinner at our favorite restaurant.  They had a special menu for the occasion and didn't start serving it until 8:00.  New Year's Eve is Christmas Eve all over again.  Late dinner and fireworks.  They use sunflowers to celebrate the new year.  It is summer here after all.

One p-day Tim and I went to a museum that houses a mummified girl of about 13 or 14 years old.  She was a sacrifice to the gods in about the year 1440.  She was discovered on the Ampato volcano near Arequipa in 1995.  She was very well preserved by the freezing conditions at the top of the volcano.  She has been named Juanita.  Other girls have been found on these volcanoes, but she was the best preserved and they learned a lot from her through MRI's, etc.  She was killed by a blow to the head and then buried with different artifacts.  It was quite interesting.  They didn't allow photos inside the museum so I took this picture off the internet.

Getting on with the mission, we had a Family Home Evening with our friends Bryan and Alicia which was fun.  We hadn't seen them for a little while.  Here we are with them and the missionaries:

We had a baptism in our ward!!  The missionaries there work hard but have really struggled in that area.  His name is Josue Hope and he is in his 20's.  The ward did a really good job planning the baptism and welcoming him.  He was one of about 30 baptisms in the mission this week.  The mission has been averaging about 120 baptisms per month.

This is most everyone that was at the baptism.  A few came late which is common here.

Elder Alverca and Elder Rivera with Hope in the middle.

With the mission leader and the 1st counselor in the bishopric

This is a family in the ward

These are his friends that came to see him get baptized.  Maybe they'll be next!

We haven't been joining the missionaries out and about for a little while because it has been too painful for my knee.  I finally bit the bullet and saw an orthopedic doctor here and he told me to rest it for 20 days.  So we are really missing getting out and joining the missionaries on their lessons.  We've got a lot to keep us busy during the day, but we'd like to get out at night again soon with the missionaries.  

I got an x-ray and ultrasound on my knee.  The doctor diagnosed me with osteoarthritis and I have inflammation and fluid.  I sent the tests to my doctor brother and he concurred.  I'm now on a strict diet to help reduce the inflammation (and my weight) and I received some exercises from a physical therapist we know in Colorado.  I'm told that the flare up should subside eventually, but it is taking its sweet time.

Here is a photo of Papito navigating the Peruvian health system for us.  He is amazing!!

And finally, last Saturday (p-day) we went with the Chipmans to a Sillar mine here in the city.  Sillar is hardened volcanic ash and is mainly white, but some is a pink color.  Arequipa is referred to as the white city because they use a lot of Sillar in their buildings.  The stone is very light and pourus.  It was very interesting and we enjoyed the many carvings they have there out of this volcanic ash.

And lastly, I don't have any dog on the roof photos this time because we've been taking mainly taxis because of my knee, but I am told this is food for the guinea pigs which eventually end up on someone's plate.

Here is a pretty sunset at the Yanahuara Plaza:

We are looking forward to going to the temple this evening.  We have been very blessed to have a temple only 5 minutes away.