Quick, GREAT trip to Utah...

The Slide Show above presents a bunch of pictures explaining the reason for our quick trip. Check it out after reading this. :>)

Last Friday, Lonny Ward, our dear friend from Elberta Valley Ag., Utah, who was over us and the other missionaries, called me to say that my sweet Peruvian friend, Irene Samaniego Estrada was being baptized! My heart leaped for joy at this news! I have been hoping for this for a very long time. I first met Irene (pronounced Eee-rain'-ae) and her husband, German, (pronounced Her-mahn'), along with another gentle Peruvian man named Edward, in December of 2005.

This was quite an experience. They had just gotten off the plane from Peru, spoke all but NO English, and my Spanish abilities was sad, to say the least! We knew they were coming to work at the Dairy, but were actually expecting 3 men and had made living arrangements for them, thinking they would live in the "Bunkhouse" where the single men live while they work on the dairy. However, with the arrival of a married couple and a single man, the living accommodations made ready wouldn't work. So, everyone hustled around and prepared a 1-bedroom apartment in the 6-plex for the couple. (The 6-plex being an apartment building having 6 units where some of the missionaries and other workers lived.) Edward would go to the bunkhouse. My first assignment concerning them was to take them to Wal Mart for food for all of them and some necessary items with which Irene could set up housekeeping.

And what a experience that was! With Spanish/English dictionary in hand, we started at Wendy's, as they hadn't had anything to eat all day. I went up to the counter and said, "Help! These people just arrived in the country from Peru and speak no English and they're hungry!" Then I asked for a Spanish-speaking employee to help them and I told her, "They're hungry. Give them whatever and as much of it as they want!" So, after getting through the ordering process, (I was surprised how little they ordered... polite!), We sat around while they ate and tried to communicate. I found out there were fast-food places in Peru, too, so they were use to eating this food. Then, with full tummies, we headed for Wal Mart in Payson, Utah for our shopping adventure... and an adventure it was! We played a lot of charades, pointing, repeating ourselves, and pawing through the dictionary. It was fun to watch the way they shopped and the things that were important to them. Of course, a big bag of rice was on the list, but I could tell that they were use to fruits and vegetables being cheap where they came from. They wanted things that were so costly that I'd never bought them before... like artichokes... at the time they were $1.50 a piece... they bought 4. $6.00 is a big part of any one's grocery budget for only one item! Just things like that. It was fun to watch and I tried to explain the benefits of buying Great Value brand products and saving money... not sure I got it across. But I'm sure they've picked up on the finer points of shopping Wal Mart by now!

During the ensuing months, we became fast friends... they missed their family and I missed my kids, so we kind of adopted each other. They called me Mama, or Mother most of the time instead of Sister McKinnon. Once in a while it was Sister Christina. -ha! Irene and German are about the age of my oldest children; Edward is some older than they are. I taught them in English classes where we 'talked' alot about family, life styles, American life and things of life in general. I always had a Book of Mormon in the classroom and one day I was trying to finish a crocheted hat made from red and white yarn... the Peruvian National Colors... for Irene before class, and she went to the bookshelf and picked the book up. She was looking at the pictures and kind of ooo-ing and ahhh-ing about them. I stopped what I was doing to tell her that that book was the true word of God, a second witness of Christ, as He visited this continent. In my very poor Spanish, I was able to tell her that I knew it and the Church were true, and knew it with all of my heart. I was also privileged to attend one or two of her discussions with the 'teaching' missionaries. It was really sweet, but they decided they would like to wait to be baptized until their teen aged daughter could join them here in the States. Their daughter, Angela, has still not been given a Visa, however.

Our friendship grew very quickly and deep in our hearts. I learned that you didn't really need to speak the same language to have a loving relationship coming from the heart. We had them to dinner with all the missionaries and Lonny and his family where we learned much about their families and life in Peru. You see, Lonny is fluent in Spanish, so he was our translator. They fixed dinner for us at their home, and even brought in dinner one time when we were sick. We had birthday parties in the classroom for each other and just had a great time. Every time they came to or left class, I was given a tender, brushing, kiss on the cheek from each of them.... or hugs, too, as time progressed.

As the time for our return home neared, they became sad and said they were going to tie me to the chair and nail the door shut so I couldn't leave!!! They were so funny! Before I left, I took the opportunity again to bear my testimony of the truthfulness of the teachings of the Church and of the Book of Mormon, and promised them I'd be there when they were baptized. It was a very tearful and achy goodbye when we finally had to leave for home. We have seen them several times in the year we've been home and each time it was a sweet reunion.

The joy that has come to me because of knowing these people has been one of the greatest blessings of serving the Lord in that part of His vineyard, one for which I will be forever grateful.

Enjoy the slide show.