Week in Review - January 16, 2016 - January 23, 2016

So, being in the office you are a part of many different aspects of the Work of Salvation. Mostly the logistical but very necessary part of the Church. Sending people home early for reasons of health or other reasons are something more common than thought. The paperwork behind these occurrences are less than pleasant on the immigration side, and sometimes they are documents that have to be done RIGHT AWAY which requires standing in a lovely public bank line for possibly up to 1.5 hours.  Oh how lovely.  This week I did that by gauging the time.  It began to DOWNPOUR Here, so we took advantage of that and went out.  Here in Peru everybody is afraid of the rain.  Amazingly when we got to the line it was way shorter. i think we were only in that line for about 20 minutes.  It was great.

This week we have started the negotiations on the house and invited a few guests over... Namely the landlady and the landlord.  Woah.  Not going to lie, the first meeting I had scheduled with them to meet in the office they scared the poop out of me.  He is the director of the main university here in Huancayo, and has even won (but not entered, not sure why) the vice president office here for the Junin Region.  They are our landlords.  Woo.  hoo. And as past blog posts have mentioned, the house in which we stay has been repaired few times, and needs a lot more help and love and continence that is Impossible for us to do. So, we have begun negotiations to renew the contract early, fix up the house with their permission and funds, and get it all done soon to figure out if we will still be here in the house or not.  When I began to be frank with them in the office meeting, they were very pleased as Elder have not spoken with them for over 1.5 years, so this was the first meeting we have had with them in quite a long time.  And since we pay a year in advance using the church areas system from Lima, Peru they really haven even seen us monthly for the rent bill.  

Just got back from meeting with Mr. Moses and his wife Gracy. (no joke, thats their names....) and they weren't as angry as I thought they would be.  I was literally DREADING this meeting we were about the have at the house.  Yes, they told me about all the plants that are no longer alive, how the house used to be... yadda yadada ya...   But we went to the house with a representative of Church Buildings Management (FM, or here known as OyM) to assist us.  Technically they have nothing to see with the house because it is rented and not officially church property, but we bring them along as council and assistance with the contract.  In the end it all worked out.  We informed them that we are looking into leaving early based on the circumstances of the house, but either way we will be making sure the house is all fixed up before we leave.  New Floors, New Plumbing system, new windows... The works. They will start coming in next week to begin repairs.  

I am sending photos from the last two weeks since I think I didn't send any last week. Last week we went to the Mate Park.  All they do there is make Mates and sell them .  That is what the whole park is about.  Nothing else.  Pretty fun, and needless to say... I bought a few mates.  

Elder Holmes and a Mate - I hope he didn't buy
that one.... ha-ha

Mate Park

Mate Park

Mate Park

Today for P-Day we went back to the Trout Farm in Ingenio. The best trout. Ever. Took a few pictures there and then called it a day.  Pretty simple, but totally worth it.

The Lego Guy is back - thanks to the family back home!

I don't think much more happened this week. Emergency Transfers, Immigration Paperwork LIKE ALWAYS, a few calls to the International Help Desk of the Church.  Global Support.  :)

Hope all is well at home for all of you.  I'm doing great here.  There are some times.... Well, many times that I am very tired here... But in the end.  I love it.  Things are good here.

Hope all is good with you guys.

Elder Holmes
Huancayo, Perú