Where's Waldo?

     Fourteen months ago we were new missionaries in a "strange" country.  We didn't know where anything was, how to get there, or how to communicate even the simplest things.  Thanks to one of the other amazing Sister Missionaries here we found ourselves experiencing our very first shopping trip to Jockey Plaza Mall.  Not just a small mall, but one of the largest we been in.  The phrase we looked like a deer caught in the headlights described us perfectly.  When Norma asked what we needed to buy, we just stood there hardly knowing what to say so she guided us through a few stores to make some necessary purchases.  Then we went outside one of the stores to catch a taxi.  At that time even that simple task was daunting.  How much to pay, how to understand what the cashier wanted to know, how to describe where we lived, etc.  In the end, we ended up in Waldo's cab.  What a nice man.  We couldn't say much but we did get his phone number.  We tried a couple of other times to use his services, but we couldn't find him.  I think maybe I had the wrong number.

     Flash forward to yesterday, Saturday, March 28.  We have been here for fourteen months and had the privilege of sponsoring a new Senior couple.  They had just arrived that morning at 12:30 am. They are living in the apartment below ours and without even giving them much time to get a cat nap, we planned a shopping trip.  Since we were experiencing internet problems, Brother Murray stayed at the apartment and Val and I took Sister Murray shopping.  Because of what she needed, we ended up at Jockey Plaza.  After loading up a shopping cart to overflowing and with our hands full, too, we set out to find a taxi.  Val said, lets get one of the taxis here at the mall instead of going out on the street. That done, the driver helped us load all of our stuff into his car and we took off.  He asked how long we had been here and I said fourteen months.  I asked if he knew about the church and he said, "Yes, and I know you. You are the Kendell's, right?"  At which point Val says from the back seat, "Waldo?"  Of course!  What a wonderful blessing.  Our first taxi driver is the first driver for the Murrays.  We got his card, gave him a Resurrection pamphlet and our new Easter message and are so excited to be able to reconnect with a wonderful man.

     This is really what it looks like sometimes.  I just read an article that said there were 330,000 taxis in Lima in 2011. We have been in taxis that are new, taxis that are old, some where we have felt comfortable, others weren't. If you go very far, it is always scary because they weave in and out of traffic as they try to get you there as soon as possible.  Fares here are determined before you get into the taxi and depend upon where you are going.  We often feel, like we did in Chiclayo that we get charged more by some drivers because we are Americans and "They can afford it!" It is a delight to find the Waldo's in Lima because their cars are nice and so are they.  It is well worth a few extra soles because they give excellent service and truly seem to want to get you there safely.



     Had a delightful evening last night at President Boswell's home.  He is the president of the Lima East Mission.  He and his wife served all of the senior couples that work in the Area Office and the President of the MTC and his wife a traditional Easter meal: Ham, au gratin potatoes, carrots, green beans, homemade Lion House Rolls, jam and banana cake.  Yum, yum.  That's about 20 people. (Val appears to have caught a cold and decided to stay home and rest. That shopping trip really did him in.)  At the end of dinner he shared with us the amazing work and success of his missionaries.  They have increased their lessons taught by about 100% and their baptism rate is increasing, too.  And he really made my day when he shared what they have been doing to encourage English in the mission. What a blessing!  One of their assistants decided to do his whole zone meeting in English and he is a native Spanish-speaker.  The Learn English initiative has really caught on.  We are so proud of these young people and their efforts to be obedient.   Preach My Gospel says, "If you do not know English you should study it as a missionary."  They are doing just that.