Final Mission Post

Final Mission Post

We had such a great mission!  

We are so happy to be home with our family and loved ones.  There's no place like home, but there will always be a part of us in Trujillo Peru!  We made so many friends and wonderful people.  I can see why Wayne for 40 years wanted to come back to serve another mission with these wonderful people.  There is just something special to him about the Peruvians and now I get it.  

I will be forever grateful for the time we were able to serve in the Trujillo Temple!  We loved getting to know and love,  the temple missionaries, the mission couple missionaries, the young missionaries, the temple workers, and the members who came to the temple.  We have been so blessed!!

I posted this saying before, but it seems to fit.  

And this one too .......

.... and so Hasta Luego!

... see you later!

Going Home * Saying Goodbye * Bittersweet

Going Home

Saying Goodbye

Bittersweet

It hard to explain the feeling you have when it's time to return home from a mission.  After living next to the beautiful Trujillo Temple in a beautiful apartment on the temple grounds for 23 months, with guards who keep track of us coming and going and missionary couples who I've tried to communicate with for almost 2 years, it's kind of hard to say good bye.  July 10th 2017 was the day for us to finally go home, it was a happy day but a bittersweet day.  

We got up early, packed a few more things, washed the bedding and went to lunch one last time at Chili's.  Brother and Sister Wood went with us, Wayne and I had our usual, Chicken Fired Chicken with limonade frozen con granadina.  It was delicious.  We had a good visit then we went back to finish packing and getting ready to go home.   

We rode the Huanchaco bus back to the myorista one last time to see the sights and the crazy shopping place that is.  We took in all the sights and the scenes we were going to be leaving.

Our apartment are the two windows you can see on the top level.  

Where we've lived for 23 months.  

Our dresser

Our bedroom. 
The bedding is all washed and ready for whoever lives here next.  We bought the memory foam and left it there for the next people who come to live in our apartment.

Bathroom
Towels and wash cloths are washed and clean.

Shower and tub

Kitchen
I wished I'd have taken a picture inside the cupboards, oh well.

Our living room.  We spent many hours here watching TV and watching out the window for people we might know.
My favorite way to have the room arranged was when I brought in an end table from the common area and the two lamps from the bedroom.  I put the orange chairs om the Noah's Ark wall and the couch where the chairs are in this picture.  That way I could wrap up in a blanket at night, laying on the couch and watch TV with Wayne, well I should say fall asleep watching TV.  

The dining room.  

After leaving our apartment, we went outside with our bag.  We said goodbye to our missionary friends.  I  will miss these sweet sisters.

Me * Nelly Gomez * Dora Guvarra * Rosio Wood * Marlene Casos

Wayne and President Romalo Casos

Freddy, he was the driver of the truck with our bags in it.  

Brother and Sister Gomez * Brother and Sister Guevara * Me * Brother and Sister Wood * President and Sister Casos

Truck is packed and all loaded

We got in the vehicles and went to the airport.  We rode with President and Sister Casos.  Miguel's boys and Suzie we walking up the walk coming to say goodbye to us.  We stopped, gave them hugs and said goodbye.  

Samir and James LaSerna

Samir and James with their mom Suzie

We checked in our luggage, then waited and said goodbye to those who came to the airport to see us off.

Woods * Casos * Diaz

Annali * Amy * Me * Wayne

our plane left at about 6:30 pm.  We got on the plane and were off to Lima!!

In Lima, I walked outside to take a few pictures.  I also took some around the airport.

As we waited in Lima for our plane to go to Los Angeles, we met a missionary going home.  Elder Richmond.  We visited with him and his parents.  I can't remember where they were from.  

Wayne got us good seats for the long flight to LAX.  We were in the middle section with a seat between us, that way we hoped no one would sit between us and we'd have more room.  We did have more room.  It was rally nice.  

We arrived on time in Los Angles.  We were back in the USA!!

We had a shirt layover in LA, awaiting the final flight home.

We were happy to be home.  All of our kids and grand kids were waiting for us, hugs, loves, tears, kisses, a new baby, posters and balloons to welcome us home.   It was a grand sight, a sweet moment I will always remember.  I didn't get any pictures, there were too many to hugs to give and loved ones to greet, including our new little baby Hazel Verlie.  Jim and Patti Fackrell were there too, they stayed in the wings waiting for their turn to welcome us home.  

Best Welcome Home

We are home!!

Mom and Dad came to see us too.  

I don't think anyone missed us as much as my dad did.  

Mom with a quilt, the air conditioning was too cold.

Dad holding Jayne

It's so nice to be home!!

Last Sunday * 3 Sacrament Meetings * Alva Lunch * Malca Dinner * Cynthia Experience

Our Last Sunday

 We began today with mixed emotions.  We are excited to be going home but at the same time we will miss the many wonderful friends we've made as we've served here in Trujillo. 

As I made the bed this morning, I decided to take a picture This is the last time I"ll make this bed.  

I want to remember our bedroom.  

 Today we're going to the Palermo chapel.  We are going to go to all three of the wards,  Encandencia, America, and Palermo.  We videoed along the way as we walked to the road to get a taxi.

*****Insert here the video*****

Our Friend Elmer!!!

We can't forget the Huanchaco Buses!

Can anybody figure out this?

When we got the chapel, I wanted to take some pictures of it but Wayne told me we already had pictures, so there you go.  We didn't take very many pictures of people either because they were the same people we already have pictures of.  

This was on the bulletin board at the church

We had the chapel to ourselves for a few minutes.

Sister Carman Leon and her daughter Carmen

Our two friends we met last week.  We gave them a picture of Christ with the Lamanite Children.  

Elder Luna and Elder Near

Elder Fernandez and Elder Garcia

Well I guess we really did get a picture of church outside.

Wayne * Me * Elder Rice * Elder Hart
They are the assistants to President Rios in the South mission.

Me * Wayne * Elder Rice * Elder Hart

We went to the Alva's for lunch!  It was so fun to visit with them and be in their home. There is just something special about Brother and Sister Alva!! 

As we visited, I took several videos of Wayne talking to his old friend.  Wayne will always have a special spot in his heart for Brother Juan and Sister Emma Alva!!

*****Insert Videos*****

Sister Alva made us Lasagna which was delicious!  Wayne loves Lasagna a lot and this hit the spot for us.  She was who cooked for Wayne when he was a young missionary here 42 years ago.  Such a wonderful lady.

This is a picture of some of the family that hangs on the wall in the Alva home.

This one hangs by the door to the kitchen. 
The first time I saw this I though it was something I'd seen before, a deja vu. 

Diana * Wayne * Emma Alva * Juan Alva * Me * Rosemary

Brother Alva is 97 years, this will probably be the last time we see him in this life. 

We will always love and remember our friend the Alva's!!

After the  Palermo ward meeting, we went to Sister Malca's for a light dinner.  She served us some sandwiches and yummy dessert.  Elder Near and Elder Luna were there also.  It was fun to be in Sister Malca's home again.  She is another one of those special friends we love so much and will always remember. 

Wayne * Elder Near * Elder Luna * Sister Malca * Sister Malca's Daughter

Wayne and a grandson of Sister Malca

Sister Malca's Great Grand Daughter and her Grand Son

We got home late but we had such a good day!! 

Cynthia and me

Cynthia was helping sister Wood with genealogy.  We were happy to see her again.
She's the sister Wayne helped at the temple one day a while ago as he was passing through the halls.  Cynthia was late and had just missed the last session of the day.  She was so sad but was told she could still do initiatory, which she did.  After she was leaving, to go home, Wayne passed her in the hall and stopped her to tell her she could spend some time in the celestial room.  She started to cry and explained to him that she really wanted to get in the last session so she could be in the celestial room because that day was the 15th anniversary of her father dying and she wanted to spend some time in the celestial room.  Wayne had no idea, but was so happy that he was able to be inspired to invite her to the celestial room that night. This is one of the special experiences we'll cherish for serving our mission in the Trujillo.

We will always miss these wonderful people but know that someday, when we both speak the same language, we will meet again.

  

The evening was too beautiful to let it just vanish, so we took some selfies of us one last time in front of the beautiful Trujillo temple at night. 

  

We had a very busy day but it was so full of warm hugs, sweet memories, and lots of love!