Machu Picchu

Path to Huana Picchu

Anna and Paul on path to Huana Picchu

Look at this amazing view!

The Guard House

Waiting for the sunrise at the Guard House

After the sunrise

Path to Huana Picchu

Machu Picchu

Guinea Pig here I come!!!! Ready or not!!!

Anna wondering what she is getting ready to eat

Anna, Paul and Desmond with the special guinea pig

Our day began very early 4:00am we stood in line for an hour then boarded a bus and then went on the scariest ride of my life. Up this narrow road with sheer drop offs and sharp corners where you would think the driver would slow down but no. We followed hundreds of people up to an inka guard house where we watched the sun rise over Machu Picchu. We then saw the inka homes in the city of Machu Picchu. These homes are 70% still intact and they were not built on top of by the spaniards which makes this the most important inka city. We then were able to hike Huana Picchu. This was many step up and down. The beauty was not able to put in wards or pictures. The fun part was seeing people's reaction when seeing Elder Jeffery's name tag. They were so excited to see a missionary in such a wonderful place. The hike was a bit scary but no one fell off the mountain. 

We definitely did not have enough time but we saw a lot. 

After much needed rest on the bus and train back to Cusco, we were treated to a full meal of potatoes, rice, chicken and wait for it... cuy (guinea pig).

Visit to Calca

Today our new friend Joel Silva offered to be our driver for the day. We were so blessed to have him with us for the day. We visited Elder Jeffery's pension who has a humble restaurant. She welcomed us in and served us lunch. I watched in amazement as she ran from the small humble kitchen to the out door eating area helping everyone. Her restaurant was surrounded by her humble home. We spent the day driving around the city visiting many members and investigators. The one family we will never forget lived in the most humble home we had yet to see.  As we sat on small stools in the dirt admiring the view of the mountains around, finally understanding why they build there homes with this roofless living area. As always the mother and children were busy in the small kitchen.We not knowing what they preparing. We went in to say our final good byes to find they had killed a family chicken and the 17 year old was prepairing it for us to eat. There style of living I would compare to camping and not like camping at the camp grounds realy roughing it. 

Aimachoque Family

Befor we left calca in search of more people to visit we stopped at the chapel it was cool  to see where Elder Jeffery whent to church. Spoke and served.

 Brother Leonidus Quispe

 Damian at his shop in Calca

While visiting Calca we got to see a traditional paradade 

 Quispe Yapo family's home

 the metal shop with Roger and Elvis

The Tovar Family

City Tour

Look at the beautiful colors of yarn and the plants and roots they came from!

Indigenous Woman showing the different colors of yarn.  

Indigenous Woman with cute child

Indigenous Woman Sewing

Indigenous Woman cleaning wool before dying it

Parasites that live on the cactus that were used to make red dye

Woman demonstrating the cactus that parasites live on 

Seeds and roots that were used to dye the yarn traditionally

Indigenous woman demonstrating how the yarn was dyed.  

Look at all the beautiful yarns that were dyed using plants and roots.

Anna, Paul and Desmon at Salt Terris

Anna and Desmond at the All You Can Eat Buffet

House full of Guinea Pigs

We went on a city tour of Cusco. Gezell our tore guide took us to see some beautiful seanory from the top of Cusco. We could see the beautiful architecture of the pre inkas. We visited a place where inka women showed us how they used the plants and even live paricites from cacti to clean and color alpaca and sheep wool. We then went to a saldonado a salt Terris and saw how the inkas as well as the people today collect salt from the salt water that flows out of mountain. 

We stopped for lunch at an all you can eat Peruvian buffet and were able to try some authentic food such as alpaca, Kenna soup and the best avocado dip and chips I've ever had. 

Next stop was the oldest inka village where we saw the narrow streets and the walls where you could see how the Spaniards built their buildings right on top of the inkas. We were also able visit an original inka home and talk to the lady of the house who lives there with her husband and 2 children not to forget the herd of guinea pigs just roaming free. In the stone hut in this inka village, we saw a mountain the inkas carved to look like a man with a beard. We all can't help but wonder if this important man could be Lehi. 

Exhausted, we boarded a train for Machu Picchu. We arrived late in the dark and were greeted by our tour guide and were taken to our hotel. 

Touring Cusco

Trip Planner Brother Betho

Representation Of the original Temple of the Sun

Original Inca Door

Cathedral with Giselle our tour guide

We visited some cool cathedrals and inka temples 

They were beautiful. My favorite part however was watching Paul and Desmond talk and laugh in Spanish as they observed the beauty and ahh of the architecture. "Mom"

Representation of the constilations. 

Entrence to an Inka Alter

Inka Alter with lama head entrence 

The Catedral in Cusco
Took 94 years to build, built with stones from the Inca  Temple 

Inside The Cathedral in Cusco
we viewed canvas oil paintings, as well as art work in gold and silver sculptures.  

The Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral. The door has a unique shape. 

The throne the Incan king was carried on 

Different Incan stones 

Qorikancha, The Temple Of the Sun

Sacsayhuaman

Saqsaywaman, Royal House Of The Sun

Saqsaywaman, Largest Incan stone 

Saqsaywaman

Saqsaywaman

Cristo Blonco

Reuniting With Elder Jeffery

Went to the mission home and was reunited with Desmond. Words can not express the joy I felt when I was able to see him and give him a big hug. We enjoyed a devotional complete with testimonies  given by all including Paul and myself. This was all done in Spanish, The spirit was so strong.

A Boy Like Me

I was walking with an elder in my district yesterday and he asked me what I liked most about the mission. I said, ´´I never thought that my own life would come together so well by serving other people.´´

 We are so busy this week and I´m just loving the khaos. Maria and Abel are getting married in two hours from now and we´ve been running around all day getting everything ready. They get married in the town square where twenty nine other couples will also be getting married. WOW; it´s going to be great! Our pension is in charge of making the cake. The mayor will be marrying all of them. This Saturday is Abel´s baptism and we are so excited for him. His children are also getting baptized. I´m also very excited for Gloria and another investigator, Judith who are planned on being baptized on the 16th!! 

I know that God lives! I don´t know how it all works. How Jesus Christ could take a boy like me and change my heart. I don´t know how God could bless a boy like me and give me experiences that this world can´t explain. I don´t know how the Holy Spirit could council and lift a boy like me up from the dust so many times. I don´t know how, but I know that only God could do so for a boy like me. I love this work!! I´m ready to mantain this wonderful spirit I feel inside me and help many others to feel it and enjoy this life. 

I love you MOM and FAMILY and FRIENDS! I am anxious to see your lovely faces! Let´s go with the P.R.O.S. together!  

Elder Jeffery