It's almost 5pm and I'm sitting in the hotel. Katie got a sharp pain in "her lower area" so we are resting a bit. It's a nice "r" hotel, actually nicer than the one in Lima. So I thought I'd spend a little time and write.
We expected Puerto Maldonado to be hot and humid. It usually is. It really hasn't been too bad. It's rained quite a bit and it seems that rainy season is lasting longer this year. It's obviously been humid, but not overly hot and actually nice. (I'm wearing jeans at the moment).
My first impression of Puerto was "wow, this is really poor". Everything looks old and dirty and almost falling down. The moto cars are run down and dirty too. People didn't seem to be smiling much. Kind of depressing and thinking, "What did Carly think when she was sent here for her first area? She was expecting a quaint, old, historical city with the temperatures around 70. She must have been in shock and I didn't even know. All I remember is Dad telling me everyday what the "real" temperature was and that her goal of being the cute missionary was out the window and the new goal was drink lots of water." I felt bad.
Now after being in the jungle a couple days and seeing things and learning things it's different. There's a respect for things. Like Monkey Island - it's a natural reserve, but the guides take you there and you feed the monkeys bananas. It's pretty awesome. Then some monkeys are more aggressive and you have to be careful. Now the monkeys know that when the people are there they will be fed. More monkeys are coming and they are staying in that area. They are interbreeding and when that happens they become extinct. And we were at an ecolodge. I'm sure there are other places that don't respect nature as much. I know there are many wonders of the Amazon. Trees that need sunlight to survive. Walking trees that form roots to move and let others die, trying to get to the sunlight. Only the strong survives. There are many uses and natural medicines that come from the jungle. We ate suri last night. They are a thick worm that grows in decomposing aguaje palms. Dad and I only ate one - gooey and when I got to the crunch I knew what that was. Carly and Cassie ate five or six. They are suppose to be good for everything respiratory. There are similar plants and flowers and trees and density like Hawaii.
We spend most of the day yesterday with the Condori Family. Carly lived there as an Hermana. Sis. Condori, "Mamacita" has a little market and then a family room with a long table like ours. The chairs and couch aren't really comfortable and are closer to the ground. Then there's a kitchen area and then a patio/hallway area. Beyond that it is rooms and the missionaries live in one of the rooms. One of the first things I noticed was on the wall was a picture of her and her husband. To the left is a picture of the First Presidency and to the right, the picture of Christ knocking on the door. Good people and great family. I felt love for each other, for the missionaries, for their friends that stopped by and for us. We laughed and had fun as we went in the back of a truck to a reserve area where there is a lookout tower and ate lunch. It was really quite beautiful and a resort area feel. In the evening we watched the finale of a show called Yo Soy. I guess like American Idol, but they impersonate famous singers. It was quite funny and very melodramatic. We've rode moto cars and walked a lot. Some paved streets and lots of gravel muddy streets. I'm sure we stand out. We get lots of stares and smiles. We look odd I'm sure. I seemed to get more out of church today, wrote in my journal and read the lessons during Sunday School and RS. In RS at the beginning everyone stood up and raised their hand and recited "Charity Never Faileth". It never does. Everyone is so friendly and of course expressed how wonderful Carly was. To think after 3 years (she's been home a year and a half and this was her first area so she came here almost 3 years ago - in August) everyone still greets her and remembers her. Everyone comes and greets us too. I wonder, "Why don't we do that in our wards back home?" I think we do to a small degree. One man who spoke was a drunk three years ago and was going to leave his pregnant wife. He spoke of having fhe with his family. The change that the gospel brings into our lives! There are five branches here. There's not enough worthy priesthood although it seemed there were at church. Carly says that tithing is a hard thing here. There are really good people here. Good families that need the ordinances of the temple. I found myself crying during the sacrament (surprised huh:) ). I want the Lord to bless them, but then a peace came over me when I realized he already is. And some of those blessings came through the service of my daughter, Carly. I feel humbled and honored and grateful.
I'm so grateful to have this experience where we can meet the people that live here. That changes everything. Instead of thinking Puerto Maldonado is poor and dirty I think "This is really a cute, little town. I would like it here."
When I think of what a couple days has done and meeting a few people, it gives me hope. The Lord judges us by our hearts. HIs perspective is already changed and he sees us differently. I am not poor and dirty. I am loving and strong and serving.
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