Family History training in Caraz -

On Saturday, May 24, we traveled to Caraz, which is about an hour and a half from here. We had hired our favorite taxi driver, "the professor", who picked us up at 12:30 on the dot, one of the few Peruvians we know who is punctual, and headed north down the Huaylas Valley to Caraz. The road was good and the traffic not too bad. It was interesting to see more of the countryside--there are lots of fields of different kinds of vegetable growing along the road and on the hillsides and also many orchards of fruit trees. It was also noticeably warmer as we went down from 10,500 ft. to 7,500 ft. and we could see the difference in the vegetation and the extensive agriculture at the lower elevations.

The road to Caraz. You can see the airport at Anta between Huaraz and Carhuaz. Yungay, that we visited last month, is on the same road.

The purpose of the trip was to do some family history training for the members and investigators in the Caraz Ward, a part of our Stake. The two sister missionaries serving in Caraz had asked us to come and be a part of the training/"fair" that the bishop had planned. We were told it would start at 2:00 with the youth learning how to do indexing and then the training of leaders and anyone else who was interested at 4:00. Since the chapel does not have Internet access, the bishop had rented some booths at an Internet store across the street from the Church.

Well, that is not exactly how it happened. We arrived a few minutes early and no one was there and the building was locked. We called the sister missionaries and they contacted the elders who came about 10 minutes later with the keys.

The ward here meets in a rented building which they call a "casa-capilla" in Spanish (house chapel). The casa capilla is the second and third stories of a building that previously was a bank. Many of the interior walls are glass--very interesting. Even the bishop's office has a glass wall next to the meeting hall, so anyone can see who he is meeting with or interviewing at any time. All of the outside walls have windows at waist level that can be easily opened. The elders said the stake wants them to look for a different building because they don't think it is safe for the children.

Anyway, no one else came for at least an hour. Finally the other elders and two members came and about 4:00 the bishop came and opened the meeting with about eight people present. The opening prayer was given by a young man of about 15 who had just been baptized a couple of hours before. We asked him if his hair was dry yet.

Then we (the bishop, the stake president who had arrived by then, and the missionaries) took several large stacks of Liahonas (the Church magazine in Spanish) and went downstairs on the street corner by the Church. We started talking to people as they passed by and giving them a magazine. It was a real missionary experience and the first time we had done any "street teaching" in either of our missions.

I had made a "family tree" display to use in our training and we had it sitting on a table and used it as an attention getter and to introduce the concept of family history and the importance of the family in the Church. People were really interested in the fact that we have eight children and 20 grandchildren. The missionaries got over 30 referrals from our activity.

Marilyn's family tree with photos. Our fan charts of ancestors are on each side.

 

A closeup of the family tree.

After about an hour and a half we took everyone who was interested back upstairs to the chapel and Tony used an interactive video to show people how to use the "My Family" booklet to get started on their family history. There were about 25 people including church members, investigators and missionaries. I took most of the younger ones (about 7 or 8) upstairs to the primary room and kept them busy until the training was over.

All in all, it was worthwhile trip for the most part. On the way home we had the driver stop at a bakery and we bought some empanadas and cookies for dinner. We got home about 8:30.

Perhaps you are wondering how much it costs to hire a taxi for that many miles and that many hours. We paid him about US$90 which sounds like a lot. But as we were discussing it, when you compare that to a car payment, insurance, gasoline and repairs that we do not have to pay while on the mission, the cost of local transportation (about US$70 - 80 per month) plus an occasional trip like this, is reasonable . It is nice to have a safe driver to take us places in his nice car (2013 Hyundai sedan). We could have taken a "combi" (see our earlier blog on transportation) for just a few dollars each and risked our lives, but we think the taxi is well worth the cost.


 

Transportation in Huaraz -

There are basically seven means of moving around the city. Here is a brief summary and photos of each one. We have seen a few donkeys with loads of grasses and herbs on their backs being driven by ladies from the countryside but did not have our camera when we saw them.

Combis - These are essentially very small buses with seating for 16 to 20, depending on the size of the combi. At busy times they will often crowd in an additional 5 - 6 standing passengers. They generally run fixed routes in the city and to nearby towns. In the city, the fare is S/.80 (80 céntimos or about .30 US cents) for the fixed routes. It varies for the trips to the surrounding towns. They drive very fast and are noted for their reckless driving style. We have taken them several times from the archives to our apartment (about a 10 minute ride when the traffic is normal) when they were only partially full and we could get a seat.

This combi just picked up passengers. They often drive with the side door open between passenger pickups. Note the helper in the door who collects the fare.

This one just dropped off a passenger. The helper is standing by the door.

Taxis - These float all over the city picking up passengers whenever they are flagged down. The fare in the main part of the city is fixed at S/3 soles (about US$ 1.07). From the archives, it can vary from 4 to 5 soles, depending on what part of town we are going to. To our apartment they usually charge 4 soles, since the archives are on the outskirts of the city and on the same side of town as our apartment. 

In the beginning we took taxis everywhere we went but now we generally only use them when we are in a rush, or the destination is outside the collectivo routes, or when we come home from shopping and need space to carry our stuff. 

The legitimate ones are licensed by the city but there are "piratas" (pirates) that often work evenings and weekends to make extra money and they are not legal or authorized but continue to operate. We have taken them on occasion and they generally charge the same as the licensed taxis. Since they are usually driving their own car and it is often newer than the regular taxicabs, they usually drive with a little more care, but that is not saying too much.

This is the standard issue taxi color and as can be seen, they come in small station wagons and four door sedans. The station wagons are handy when bringing home sacks of groceries.

These are the small taxis. It becomes pretty crowded to try to fit 4 people in these when they operate as colectivos.

We even have "yellow cabs".

And blue cabs. This was parked in front of our apartment.

Hailing a taxi with a cellphone in hand.

Colectivos - Any of the above taxis could also operate as "colectivos". These are taxis that run fixed routes and take up to four passengers (sometimes 5 if a mother has an infant or small child on her lap). They give real meaning to the saying "packed in like sardines" since they all drive small, compact Toyotas, Hyundais or something similar. They are also very noisy and many sound like they are ready to fall apart. 

Like the combis, they charge a flat 80 céntimos for the route they run. We take them now to and from the archives every day because they are less expensive and their route passes within a block of the apartment and they pick us up and drop us off right at the archives. 

They are the most reckless drivers, however, and every intersection is a game of "chicken". Marilyn often closes her eyes as they weave through traffic and run stop signs (all cars do, they are only "suggested stops"). It seems that taxis and colectivos are interchangeable, since if you ask, a colectivo will often take you to your destination as a taxi and charge accordingly.

Moto-taxis - These are the most interesting modes of transportation. These are basically either motorcycles or scooters that have a seat for 2 or 3 passengers in an enclosed cabin behind the driver. Some have been modified with the addition of a cargo bed on the back for hauling things. They are very colorful as can be seen in the accompanying photos. 

We have not gathered up the courage to ride in one yet since they are down the pecking order in terms of safety and are often crowded out or forced to swerve toward the curb by the larger automobiles. The fare is 80 céntimos. They seem to be utilized for short trips around the city but are prohibited from entering the main downtown area that has heavy traffic. They are very popular in the coastal towns and we were told they have only invaded the high country in recent years as they have been modified to run in the thin air and with sufficient power to compete with the larger autos. We plan to take a short ride in one sometime for the experience.

A "Che" taxi

A plastic body covering. Pretty fancy!

A classic!

Take your pick.

 

This was parked in our neighborhood. We took a look inside.

The driver's cab. Notice the little jump seat on his left.

The passenger area.

          A different moto-taxi but notice the passenger in the jump seat              on this side of the driver.

They serve as trucks. Here's a small load on the back.

A major modification makes this a small pickup.

A mobile fruit vendor near the central market.

Check out this fancy number with roof rack and spoilers.

A stretch version with a cargo bed.

We passed this wild little rig on the way back from the bread store. We had stopped for an ice cream cone on the way.

Motorcycles/scooters - There are not a lot of these on the streets of Huaraz, at least as straight bikes, probably because of their cost and the danger of riding them among the massive number of automobiles in the city.

Two of the nicest ones we have seen.

Bicycles - There are a few brave souls, mostly youth and some elderly men, who ride regular bicycles in the city. They are next to lowest on the safety list. Most are tricycles used to haul cargo or for vending food and ice cream.

Pushing his trike up the street.  Not nearly as nice as Mom's at home.

Pulling his load of various herbs to market.

Two young girls selling warm food at a school volleyball tournament.

Ice cream vendor.

Pedestrians - They would be the lowest on the list in terms of safety. Although everyone agrees that if an auto hits you, legally the driver is at fault, but no one has told the drivers this. You cross all streets at your own risk, even if there is a traffic light in your favor. You especially have to watch behind you for left turning vehicles or cars coming around a partially blind corner. Walking is exciting to say the least. We will have a future blog on the hazards of the sidewalks.

Fuel - Gasoline is very expensive here. The current price for regular unleaded gas is about S/15 soles, or US$ 5.35 per gallon. Yes, gasoline is sold by the gallon although most everything else is measured using the metric system. Gas stations here are called "grifos" rather than "gasolineras" as in other Spanish speaking countries. Grifo literally means "tap" in English, so apparently the Peruvian meaning is that you open the tap and fill your tank.

Parking - We have only seen two public parking garages and no open parking lots, so parking space in the downtown area, or anywhere else for that matter, is very limited. Double parking, or parking in prohibited areas, like store fronts and people's driveways, is common. 

Over the Semana Santa weekend (Easter break) the landlord had many guests staying at his "hostal" which is located in front of our apartment building. Sunday morning there were 8 cars in our enclosed parking area. I was able to get two photos before they left for the day. The don't like to leave their cars on the street at night due to possible theft or damage. 

The view from our front window.

The view from the second floor of our building. The landlord's truck is the 4-door blue next to the yellow concrete mixer. The couple above us own the red pickup visible on the right. The rest were guests at the hostal.

No story of the autos in Peru would be complete without mentioning the old VW bugs that we see everyday on the streets. Some nostalgia shots for those of us who remember them.

A little beat up.

A yellow beauty.

How about this two-tone number?

A very special baptism -

About two months ago, a couple and their 11 year old son came to Stake Conference. As the meeting started, we noticed that the son sat on a chair facing his parents on the front row. We soon realized that he was signing to them. They are deaf and cannot speak. The son's name is Fabian and the family is the Mendozas.

Prior to that, Fabian had approached the missionaries on the street one day and asked who they were and what they were teaching.  They briefly mentioned their message and he invited them to his home. When the elders arrived at the house they discover that Fabian's parents were deaf. Fabian served as interpreter, signing as the missionaries taught the family the Gospel. In the process, Elder Hackleman has learned enough sign language to be able to communicate fairly effectively with the Mendozas.

On Saturday, May 3, the mother, Teresa Mendoza, and Fabian were baptized. It was a wonderful service. On Sunday, they were confirmed and Fabian sat in front of his mother and translated for her as she was confirmed. It was a beautiful experience.

In my 57 years in the Church, this is the first baptism of a deaf person that I have witnessed. Sister Mendoza is so happy and Fabian has already made friends with some of the boys his age in the ward. Her husband did not get baptized but remains very friendly to the Church. 

We are all trying to learn a few words of signing so that we can communicate with her and her husband. Elder Hackleman says that Spanish signing, at least what is used here in Peru, is different than English signing in the U.S. He thinks it is much simpler.

Yesterday we took our large OxFest picture from the November family reunion to their house and Señor Mendoza is going to make a frame for it.  He is a carpenter and apparently can make anything out of wood. Fabian was there to help translate but the dad manages pretty well with a few words and some gestures.  We will send a photo of the framed picture when we get it.

Elder Hackleman, Brother and Sister Mendoza, Fabian, Sebastian, a friend of Fabian, and Elder Robles at the baptismal service.

Zone Meeting in Barranca with Elder Waddell -

On May 8, we were invited to a multi-zone missionary conference in Barranca, a city of 80,000 on the Pacific Coast and about 135 miles from Huaraz. The 24 elders and sisters from the Huaraz zone chartered a nice bus with the scheduled departure for 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, the day of the meeting. We decided that was a little too early to start a 4 hour bus ride and then participate in a 5 hour meeting that same day, so we took a taxi with our favorite driver, "the Professor", and went down Wednesday afternoon. It took us 4 hours also, but we stopped several times on the way to stretch our legs and take some pictures.

As we climbed up the mountain from Huaraz toward the summit, we stopped to see if these fishermen had any fresh trout to purchase. They had not caught anything big enough to sell, but they did tell us about "the big one that got away"! They said he was at least 40 centimeters long (about 16 inches). True fishermen, they knew how to tell a whopper story!

 

The Laguna Conococha, near the summit of the mountain pass. This is the headwaters of the the Santa River that flows through Huaraz and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean. Seen from the air, the lake has the shape of the map of Peru.

The road climbs out of Huaraz until you reach the summit at 13,500 ft. elevation and then drops over 13,000 ft. to sea level at Barranca. It is consists of a series of many hairpin curves and switchbacks as it winds down through the mountains
to the dry lowlands.

A view of some of the switchbacks on the way down the mountain.  This road gives new meaning to hairpin curves.  It really is quite scary.

The scenery gradually changes from the green of the mountains to the dry desert-like hills and valleys of the coastal region. 

The only green was in the bottom of the valley as we drove down from the summit.

The entire highway is only two lanes wide but well paved and marked. Nevertheless, there are very few places to pass and we were glad to arrive safely to our hotel in Barranca.

We stopped at this little town along the road to use the bathroom and buy some fresh fruit. Note the dry hills in the background.

A fruit stand across the street.

A close up of the fruit stand.

More fruit stands on this side of the road. The large green fruits are chirimoya that come from the jungle area of Peru. They make juice, ice cream and eat the fruit fresh. It is very good. Also notice the oranges and mandarins. They are in season now. As we reached the lower elevations, there was sugar cane, bananas and other fruits growing.

The hotel in Barranca, the Hotel Chavín, was nicer than our hotel in Lima and very comfortable. The rate for one night was $US66.00. 

Our hotel in Barranca

 
After breakfast, we took a taxi to the church for our meetings. There were 3 zones of missionaries totaling about 80 elders and sisters. Our mission president, Blake Archibald and his wife DeAnn, as well as Elder W. Chris Waddell, 1st Counselor in the South America Northwest Area Presidency and a member of the First Quorum of Seventy of the Church, were our speakers and trainers for the entire meeting. Elder Waddell served a mission as a young man in Barcelona, Spain and then was mission president of that same mission some years later. He speaks excellent Spanish, albeit with a slight Spain Castilian accent.

The main theme of the training was the importance of retaining new converts and reactivating less active or inactive members. The difference between having a testimony and being converted was discussed at length. Obedience to mission rules was stressed as the key to having the influence of the Spirit during the mission and being successful. We really felt that we were missionaries as we listened to these messages. They did serve us lunch in the middle of the meeting--chicken, french fries and salad--such a surprise!  In Peru, that is the equivalent of a hamburger and french fries.  Elder Waddell said that a missionary that wasn't hungry wasn't a true missionary. 

The chapel in Barranca. Missionaries after the meeting waiting for transportation to their areas.

The sister missionaries from our stake jumping for joy after the meeting. Sister McIntosh from Panama on the right obviously got some air on this jump.

The elders from our ward. We got photo bombed by another elder on the left.

Here we are without the photo invader. These are the four elders we had over for dinner this past Saturday and they are true missionaries.  I couldn't believe or I have forgotten how much young men this age can eat.  I fixed a Mexican meal and there were NO left-overs. From left, Elder Gomez - Peru, Elder Schenk - Utah, Elder Hackleman - Nebraska, Elder Robles - Nogales, Mexico.

Sister Lopez - Guatemala and Sister Cardoso - Argentina. We are going to their ward in Caraz (about an hour drive) on the 24th to train on family history.

This is the bus we came home in with the 24 missionaries from our stake after the meeting in Barranca. We left at 4:00 p.m. and it took about 4 1/2 hours due to fog, rain and large trucks and buses that we could not pass on the winding road. Another white knuckle experience! The driver was careful but the roads are scary. We will probably fly whenever we go to Lima. We were an hour late to the evening stake training meeting in Huaraz and finally got home around 10:00--it was a long but enjoyable and spiritual day.