Belly Aches---Food and Laughter

After visiting Olga´s family, we visited Gloria and her son, Jhon (yes, that is spelled right), who had just received his mission call to Argentina. To Bequis´surprise, she knew the new mission presidents! They were from Boston, too! We joked about how Jhon would get special privileges because Bequis could give him a good recommendation (pizza, perhaps? become assistant to the president the moment he walked off the plane?).

I failed to mention how much I have been reliving my mission. I had forgotten about the hundreds of stairs we walked up, the dogs that ran loose and barked at us (scaring the daylights out of us), the dusty streets, and all the food we ate. I soon remembered, after eating at every house a full meal. I don't know how we ate three meals in a three hour time span and walked after that, but somehow we managed.

We four (Hna. Avalos and her fiancee, Bequis and I) took a taxi and went to the apartment where Pres. Blunck and Hna. Blunck live. They soon finish their mission the end of June, which is one of the main reasons why I scheduled my trip when I did. In the taxi (much to our amusement and the driver´s bewilderment) we rehearsed our ¨show.¨ We didn´t have time to come up with an ending, but figured we would improvise. And we did.

If you really want to know about our show, contact me and ask me about it and I will tell you about it. It was hilarious (of course, I am biased). Basically, it was about two returned missionaries who try to use different habits and skills they learned from the mission to apply towards the second mission....finding a husband. I am sure you will see it on Broadway in a few years.

Although our gathering was small, perhaps 10 missionaries came, it was so special to catch up and see how everyone was doing, and, of course, to spend time with the Bluncks again. Hna. Velarde, who served in my mission, presented the Bluncks with a binder of letters that other missionaries had written for them, and had emailed to Hna. Velarde to compile. That was a labor of love, since Hna. Velarde has very limited time. She is great at organizing and accomplishing many things.

Side note: Hna. Velarde also helped Bequis and I find our great hostal in Cusco...if you need a travel agent, she is the person to talk to. I will be happy to forward her information on if you are planning a trip to Peru. She is fluent in English (and of course, Spanish).

That night was just preparation for other goodbyes we would have the next day. To be continued......