During free time in Choquehuanca we run onto this young man getting ready to start walking on these frozen potatoes. after a few days he will have chuno. Umm, I can hardly wait.

 This is this the only hotel in Choquehuanca. It is pretty scary. When we got up in the morning all the pipes were frozen so the toilets wouldn't flush. Oh well they don't flush them much anyway. We didn't even think of a shower. Poor Choquehuanca, the branch president has quit functioning and the only other priesthood holder with a recommend turned me down. One young man that has his mission call and the elders are pretty much running things. Things in Ayaviri are just a grim. Everybody is discouraged and we can't seem to pick it up. I visit Choquehuanca every three weeks or so. They may end up in the Juliaca stake and they would send leaders down. Or they may just close it down and tell everybody they have to attend in Juliaca. I hope not, there are some very good people in Choquehuanca and they will have four missionaries serving from there.The area is deciding now. They really want to be part of the Juliaca stake. I think we will know this week.

 I knew if we hung around here for awhile we would run into Cusco. I didn't think it would be in front of Orion pushing a shopping cart.

After Susan got her purse stolen we needed to replace her cards and phone. As luck would have it some people from our ward were coming down so they brought a care package. Real brown sugar, peanut butter, bacon bits, cards for fathers day, and my repaired hearing aids. Things are good now. As luck would have it some other people are coming next week and I think they are bringing more stuff. We are really spoiled!

I finally got my llama tie. I have been wanting one of these for a long time but couldn't ever get the price low enough. I finally had to bite the bullet and pay 18 soles.

Elder Westbrook and Elder Boulter are leaving the office so Susan took a cake by with cream cheese frosting. It was gone in about 60 seconds. Two elders weren't there and I told them to save some for them but I doubt they saw any cake. Around here if you snooze you loose.

We had no idea how many hotcakes missionaries could eat. We got a shipment of mapeline from home so we invited the office elders over for hotcakes last p day. We finally ran out of flour, eggs, whipped cream, mangos, milk, strawberry jam, and orange juice so we had to quit. don't let being skinny deceive you, these guys can tuck away the food. It was a lot of fun having them here, seeing them eat till they couldn't eat more and hearing them laugh. We used to love those days when our kids brought friends home and they raided our cupboards and would sit around the table and talk and laugh and eat.

 Doesn't matter what country you are in, give some kids a box and they are happy. I took this picture in the Plaza de San Francisco.

 We went to Urubamba to have a district conference. We ate at a restaurant (on the hill behind) and after we went down to the river below. These llamas were there but they weren't very well behaved so I jerked them around a little and they fell right in line.

 Some may recognize the Plaza de Armas in Andahuaylas and the feria. We were there there for a couple of days last week. A note of interest for those that remember President Huayapa. His wife had to take a teaching job in Ariquipa so the only see each other once in a while. It must have done the trick because she is going to have a baby. At least that is what the Elders told me and they wouldn't lie. We left Sunday night on the sleeper bus which is very comfortable and got home at five in the morning. The seats fold down into a bed and they give you a blanket and pillow and a snack. It takes only eight hours which is not bad. Last time on a taxi I got stuck in the back middle. The girl on one side slept on my shoulder and the girl on the other side threw up. Its the bus for me. The bus costs only 45 soles.

 We took a hike up to Christo Blanco the other day.