Everyone in the moto-taxi


This week was full of great experiences. It started with some sad news but ended on a high. One of the most difficult things on a mission is to see missionaries go home. It’s difficult for us because we know it is going to be difficult for the young missionary. They have all come on a mission expecting to stay the whole 1 and a half or two years. There have been a few missionaries who went home during the time we have been here, all of them for health reasons. This week one of the Hermanas in our area hurt her knee and after an MRI the doctors in Salt Lake decided it was going to take more than just a couple of weeks to heal so she needed to go home to El Salvador. She really wanted to stay. She tried to do everything possible to convince the Mission leaders that she was healing faster than expected. One of the friends they were teaching was a Physical Therapist. She worked on her knee and reduced the swelling a lot! The Hermana showed us how she’s all better now by jumping on it and bending it all the way back. The therapist here told her that she could get her all the way better no matter what the MRI said. I told her that the inflammation was not the real problem. The damage in the knee as seen on the MRI is the real problem. She went home early Sunday morning. We already miss her a lot. She has a love of the work and the Savior that is contagious. 


There was a silver lining to this bad news. We have been trying to help a new young adult member go to the Temple to do Baptisms. There always seemed to be some sort of reason he couldn’t make it. The mission just started to let the missionaries go to the Temple with new members if it was the new member’s first time to go to the Temple. Since the Hermana was going home and this new member had not gone to the Temple we helped them arrange to go the next day. The new member has had a Temple Recommend for a couple of months and has been blessing the sacrament in church so he was ready. It was a great experience. We started by me baptizing the new member, then he baptized me. The new member then baptized both the Hermanas. It was a great experience and a wonderful highlight for the Hermana going home.


But wait that’s not all! On Saturday one of our good friends was baptized. He is the man we have mentioned in the past. He is 67 years old and basically referred himself to learn more about the church. He was especially interested in baptism. He has not missed a meeting since he first talked to the missionaries. He was baptized Saturday by the new member that we went to the Temple with the day before. Hermana Borup and I were asked to be the witness. It was a powerful service. 


One of the traditions for baptisms here is to have some sort of treat after the Baptismal Service. We bought a simple cake (the cake in Peru is very good and very cheap) and some soda, but as we were coming into the church building the new member was carrying a couple of bags full of fruit and cake. It also turned out that one of the members also bought soda. After the service, the newly baptized member walked home (he lives only a block away) and brought back some tamales his wife made. Peru is famous for its great food. Many say it’s the best in South America. We have had some really good food since we have been here. However, the tamale I had was the best thing I have eaten since I have been here. It was amazing! 


The week ended with me being able to confirm our good friend a member of the Church and give him the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I was very nervous about doing such an important ordinance in Spanish. I worked on the Spanish a lot. The more I thought about it the more comfort I got. After the confirmation and giving him the Gift of the Holy Ghost anything else I say is less important. He has just received the top 2 gifts Our Heavenly Father can give him, the Holy Ghost and becoming a member of the House of Isreal. I blessed him with a few other things but they pail to those 2 blessings.


We are grateful to be serving here with such amazing people. I saw a YouTube video this week that was made by a couple who spent a couple of days in “Lima”. They didn’t come to our “Lima”. The video would have been a lot different. The highlights of our “Lima” would not include beautiful green belts and views of the ocean (however we did see the ocean from our area this week). It would include the wonderful high-energy and loving people who we are so grateful to get to know.


Until next time,

Your friends


Hermana Y Elder Borup

a $6 burger at TGI Fridays

Empty seats on the Metropolitano, it's rare enough to take a picture.

The cake in Peru is the best!

Moto-taxis lined up to give their rides

Just a picture

Hermana Borup has an Aunt and Uncle and cousins with this name.

If you look close you can see the ocean.

In the back of a Taxi on the way home from the Temple

Last minute Temple trip

A great goodbye photo, without crutches.

Temple selfy

Baptism Selfy

It's not everyday you get to see the sunset

Everyone is happy

Hermana made it home at 5 am


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