Mother's Day on Skype-May 12, 2013

Mother's Day was amazing!  We were able to Skype with Elder Dixson and find out all about his new life.  He is doing well in Huancayo, his first area.  His companion is from Chile.  He lives in a very small apartment.  I don't think there is a kitchen in it.  He doesn't have a shower like we do.  He stands in a tub and uses something like a hose to fill a cup and then he pours the cup over him to shower:)  I guess the water just trickles out of the hose so that is why they need the cup, ha ha.  Now that is roughing it! He walks to his pensionista's home for 2 meals a day.  She is a lady that cooks for them and most all missionaries in Peru have a pensionista.  He usually eats rice at every meal with some other things.  He is still having some issues with nausea after eating.  They walk A LOT!  He said it could take up to an hour sometimes to walk to an appointment.  He has blisters to prove it! There are wild dogs that roam around that you need to be careful of. There are not very many people from the USA where he is at in Huancayo.  He gets stared at a lot with his light-colored all American features.  They also get cornered by people who have had too much to drink which can be a bit frightening. It gets a bit cold there in Huancayo this time of year.

Zach also shared another interesting food experience with us.  He ate soup at a member's house.  In the soup he found a claw and an eyeball.  Yep, an eyeball.  He asked what type of meat it was and they said chicken.  Zach thought that the eyeball was way too big for a chicken, more like a sheep eyeball.  He ended out eating the eyeball.  I asked him if he swallowed it whole, but he said no that it was too big and he chewed it.  He tried hard to get the full Peruvian food experience.  He did gag though.  Zach is braver than I would be!  Either that or starving!  He is doing really well and we are so proud of him.  He is teaching the gospel to others and learning a lot.  Although he really misses us, he is loving his mission and says he is "Livin' the dream". He is so dedicated to the Lord and wants to bring the gospel to the people of Peru.  It was hard to say goodbye....killer hard!  We love and miss him so much!  We can't wait to Skype again at Christmas!