Tacna Zone Conference then on to Ilo

This is a continuation from the last post.  Saturday we went to the Tacna Zone Conference.  The conference went well.  Tim and I helped distribute packages and mission supplies to the missionaries and we had lunch with them after.  

Lunch after the Tacna Zone Conference

Presidente Chipman and Elder Candia (Assistant to the President) singing the birthday song after lunch

The missionaries in the Tacna Zone

The sister missionaries in the Tacna Zone (with me and Hermana Chipman)

We then took off for stake conference in Ilo.  Ilo is on the coast.  We checked into our hotel, then walked down to the ocean and found a place for dinner.  Presidente is still lamenting about what he ordered for dinner.  It was a traditional peruvian dish, but instead of beef or chicken, we ordered fish in it because we were right on the ocean.  We know now to just stick with the beef or chicken.  Hermana Chipman was the only smart one who ordered just the plain grilled fish.  

This is where we at dinner on the beach.  It was called the Monkey Beach Club (in English)

View from our hotel

The next day we went to stake conference where Presidente and Hermana Chipman both spoke.  Hermana Chipman doesn't speak Spanish, but she's amazing the way she writes a talk, translates it and gives her best effort at delivering it.  The Area 70 who was presiding had asked for an hour to speak, but he actually took 1 1/2 hours so it was a 2 1/2 hour conference (in Spanish of course).  I'm told he had a lot of good things to say, but he spoke on a lot of different subjects - marriage, tithing, temple and on and on.  I especially felt for the missionaries who gave up their seats to their investigators and had to stand the whole 2 1/2 hours.    

Here are some photos from our trip back to Arequipa:

We had to take a detour around this protest.  The farmers were protesting the plan to put in a mine.

This was a beautiful valley full of rice fields

This week I want to work harder at preparing thoughts and testimonies in Spanish that I can share when we go with the missionaries to lessons.  I have been working my way up to it and I believe I am starting to feel more ready.  We'll see how it goes.

Last week we also meet some missionaries for a Family Home Evening where their 13 year old daughter had a date to be baptized.  She was baptized on Saturday.  It was really fun.  We sang, had a lesson and they served some peruvian snacks. Both missionaries are gringos and one has only been a here about 3 weeks or so.  He did really well with his Spanish.  I get a little jealous how well the young American missionaries learn Spanish and how quickly.  If you are wondering, I did not participate.  I'm ready if they ask me, but I'm not volunteering yet.  

We were quite late because it was on the other side of the city and raining and rush hour, so couldn't find a taxi who wanted to drive out there.  When we finally found one, he had to stop and get gas.  It was quite comical.  I was little nervous about getting home, but we found a taxi very easily later on that evening.

Here is the Family Home Evening group.  The missionaries are on the left.  The chica in front is who was baptized.  The mujer on the right is the missionaries pensionista who cooks their meals.  She kept teasing the vegetarian missionary while we were there.  The kids were super cute.  The youngest didn't want to be in the photo, but she ran up and gave us the biggest hug when we arrived.