Cookies - 3/29/16

Today we had an early missionary session. Wayne and I were at the temple a little before 6:00 am to help the missionaries. We had 38 missionaries, 21 Hermanas, 17 Elders, and President and Sister Marler. It was such a neat sight to see them arrive at the temple.  I love their spirits and the love I feel from them and for them.  It is always worth getting up early for.  Wayne and I officiated the session. He did a really good job. He had a great experience as he was saying the prayer in the session. This is what he said about it.

"We had 40 missionaries in our session this morning. I prayed for blessings for the missionaries in Belgium and I didn't even know how to say Belgium in Spanish. It came out as Belgia. I wasn't sure what I was even saying. Later a sister came to the desk and that was her name, Belgia. I asked her what her name meant and when she told me I asked if that's where the missionaries were injured and she said yes. I did not know that I knew that word. It just came out of my mouth. Sometimes I do that."  I know he was inspired. It was neat.

A couple of weeks ago I was making cookies and I saw Elder Marshall and Elder Craft teaching a family here on the temple grounds. I was making chocolate chip cookies and was anxious to get them baked so I could share them with the Elders and the family they were teaching. As I got the plate ready to take out to them, the Elders were gone and their family was leaving in a car.

I missed my chance. I mentioned this story to Elders Marshall and Craft and they felt so bad they missed the cookies. Today I made cookies and decided to share them. I took some to the Hartman's and took a bunch to the mission office for the Elders, Marshall, Craft, Olsen, Espinoza, Sisters Vaughn and Angel and of course the Marler's. Wayne and I delivered them to the mission office.



This is a view I don't get tired of seeing.

American Lunch - 3/29/2016

Yesterday on our Monday off, the American Senior Missionaries met for lunch at Romanos, a very nice restaurant near the Plaza de Armas in Trujillo.  I got these pictures off The Hartman's blog. 

Sister Angell ordered Shrimp & Yucca.

Sister Whitney ordered Ceviche.

Elder Whitney, Wayne & Elder Fackrell.

Elder Hartman had steak and tallerines.

Sister Hartman had Hawaiian Chicken. 

We had a wonderful time together. It was fun because the Sisters all sat together and the Elders sat together. It's sad to think Sister Angell and Sister Vaughan will be completing their mission in three weeks. 

Barker Easter Party - 3/27/2016

They had the Barker Easter party at our house on Saturday, the 27th. These are pictures from that.

Ronola's Great Grandkids

Ronola's Grandkids

Our yard. It looks so good!

Great Grandma and Duncan

This morning we got this picture of home.

I love our home, our yard, and our family that works and hangout here.
Home Sweet Hooper Home!

Easter Fireside - 3/27/2016

At 5:00 PM on Easter Sunday we went with the Hartman's to the Tri-Stake Charla Fagonera (Fireside) put on by the Trujillo North Mission.  President and Sister Casos brought the two Guevara couples as well.  We all sat in the same row.  It was a great way to celebrate Easter.  The talented missionaries from the mission sang and played instruments.  Several Easter videos were shared as well as testimonies from President Marler, President Rabanal, President Quinones & President Davila.

Sister Zamora from the temple was there with her little granddaughter.

Elder Parkinson from Draper & Elder Carman from Bountiful. These two elders fathers were best friends and were in each others weddings. They lost touch with each other over the years, then their sons were both called to serve in the same mission.  They met briefly with their families before coming to Peru and have now become great friends.

Sister Marler, Elder Craft, Elder Marshall, Elder Heward, Elder Olsen & Sister Vaughan. Such cute Elders and the sisters aren't so bad either.

Part of the choir, led by Sister Marler.

Seven Elders singing.

Sister Coleman & Sister South playing their violins like angels. Very talented girls.

Elder Olsen on the cello & Sister Coleman on the violin.

Sister Pineda from New York sang "I Stand All Amazed".

Cynthia Garcia and James Apolinario both work in the temple. They started dating and are now engaged. They will be married in September.

Zoimy my new convert friend from the California ward. 

After the fireside we had banana splits with the Hartman's. It was a good Easter. 

Easter Sunday and Duncan's Blessing - 3/27/2016

Today is Easter. It is different to see how Easter is celebrated in Peru. They have Holy Week which I talked about in the last post. There isn't much to do with an Easter Bunny. 

It was testimony meeting today at the California ward. I enjoyed being there, I feel at home in this ward. We have a lot of temple friends in this ward. I have another friend Ziomy who was baptized when we first got to Peru. I felt a bond to her the first time I met her. I feel her love.

Sister Layva gave me two Easter treats, one for us and one for Sister Hartman. This was a wonderful treat. At first I thought it was a filled plastic egg wrapped in aluminum foil.  When I opened it, it was a chocolate egg with candy inside. Sister Layva had made them!  It was so nice of her to share with us. 

Our meetings didn't really have much to do with Easter but we went to a multi stake fireside. The Trujillo North Mission sponsored it and it was wonderful. There are many talented missionaries. They sang, played instruments and we saw videos and pictures of Christ and the resurrection. It was great. 

These next three pictures are if the missionary zones.  The three that came to the three special missionary sessions. 

Today our little Duncan got blessed. Brady recorded the blessing and shared it with us. He did a great job. 

Barrett's primary sang this song today for Easter. It say it all.  

I am so thankful for my Savior , I know he lives and loves me and I 'm so grateful for Him.  I am so thankful for our family and I love them!

Pancakes and a Busy Holy Week - 3/26/2016

Pancakes and a Busy Holy Week

The Fackrell's stayed in the Alberge Wednesday night, so we invited them and the Hartman's to have pancakes with us Thursday morning. We saw the Bentley's outside and invited them too.  The Hartman's came and took pictures and we all visited for a little bit. 

The Bentley's are new missionaries from Layton, Utah. They are serving as MLS missionaries in Pacasmayo, on the coast, about 2 hours north of Trujillo.  They were here for a couple of days. Thanks Sandy for the picture. 

While we visited we saw three busses pull in. We knew we were in for a busy day. We were serving on the afternoon shift, so we watched as all these people arrived and walked around the temple grounds outside. 

Wayne knew they would need extra help at the temple, so he got dressed and went over to help. Bill did too. They were there most of the day and night. 

It's Holy Week in Peru, because of Easter and people had time off from work and school.  This is why the temple was so busy.  All of the baptismal jumpsuits were used because there were so many of the youth who had come to do baptisms. It was odd when I walked by the clothing area and saw empty hangers. 

Extra sessions were added, and were all very full.  There were several special missionary sessions at 7:00 am on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. We officiated the one on Friday morning and the Hartman's officiated on Saturday morning. It was so fun to be with the young missionaries and feel their energy and wonderful spirit. They are wonderful kids.

 I'm so thankful we are serving here and can serve the wonderful people of Peru!  It was a great week!

California Stake Conference and Wayne - 3/22/2016

We start another week at the temple.

Today I went with the Hartman's to the California Stake Conference. It was a good meeting. I don't understand much of what was said, but I love feeling the spirit. 

Pres. and Sister Marler spoke. It was kind of a farewell talk to the stake, the end of June they will be completing their mission as President and Mom of our mission. They are wonderful people. It didn't take long to feel like they were old friends.

This was taken at lunch last week. It's not the greatest picture, but it will have to do. We sure love them.

Me, the Sister Sisters and Sandy Hartman

The  Pedro Miranda family, Bill and Sandy, the Sisters, and Sister Marler.

The young man with the pinkish tie is Pedro's son.  He got his mission call to Huston Texas.

Wayne is back in Trujillo and I'm glad to have him home. He wouldn't let me get a taxi by myself to meet him at the airport, so I waited anxiously for him here at our apartment.

Wayne had a 10 hour layover in Atlanta. He rented a car and went to church.

From Wayne: 

"I am in Atlanta Georgia. I met the Andersons from Star Valley. When I said Hooper...They were on a mission  in Washington DC with Ralph and Sonya Nelson, Susan Harrop, Robert and Diane Widdison and Keith and Maureen Flint. There is my two degree separation.

The two missionaries from this ward are both on missions to Salt Lake City.

The other ward's missionary is in Iquitos Peru.

The stake president is the black man from that church video we saw who was a bishop.
His name is Sullivan- Jermaine Nicholas Sullivan

I apologized to the people behind me in church for texting. I told him about you and Peru and he said he went to Lima on his mission."

He sent me these pictures. He saw a Chic Fil A I asked him if he ate there, he didn't, they aren't open on Sunday.

I was so glad to see him, I didn't take his picture. I made him a welcome home sign.

He brought a bunch of stuff back for us, the Hartman's and the Fackrell's. This is a blurry picture of the stuff!

It's just nice to have him back. I am so thankful for my family. They are everything to us and our love for them is impossible to measure.
Families are Forever!

I want to remember this 3/20/2016

I have been reading the Book Of Mormon, this week I had a lot of me time to read it.  I love the counsel Lehi gives his sons.

Lehi's words are good advice for all of us.  Chapter 2 is good about the fall of man and that we are here on earth to find joy.  All of the chapters are so good.  I read about the signs of the times that are getting more fulfilled. In a way it makes me sad, but then I realize that I should be happy. I also realize that we all need to be the best we can be. We have been warned and we have also been blessed.

I would suggest you go back and read 2 Nephi, I know the Isaiah part is hard to get, but it is still there for us. Chapter 9 we need to be faithful and humble. I like chapter 10 verses 20-25. I especially like chapters 26 through 28, to the end. I also like that it says over and over again, "if you keep the commandments you will prosper in the land."  I will keep reading, I hope you do too. I am so thankful for this great book of scriptures. I love it.

3/18/20164
Today at the temple,  one of my assignments was to help officiate a session. There weren't enough patrons for two of us sisters to officiate.  I asked, and was given permission to be a patron instead of an officiator. I got a head set and went through the session listening in English. It was so wonderful to hear the temple endowment in English.  There are many promises and covenants made, but the blessings for  being faithful and enduring to the end are beautiful and almost hard to imagine.

I am so thankful that I was able to do the endowment for Paula ????.  I felt the spirit let me know that she had accepted what I had done for her. As I sat in the beautiful, peaceful Celestial room, I felt the Spirit let me know that things will be ok, and I felt the warm love of my Savior as I was comforted.   I am so grateful for the blessing of being able to serve a mission with Wayne in the Trujillo Temple. It is a great blessing to me and our family!