conference week

Dear Family,

This week was the week-long Stake Conference blast in the local Esperanza Stake. Monday featured Family Home Evenings in every home of the members, focusing on the importance of reading the scriptures daily. Tuesday night was a "Missionary Night" in every meetinghouse, where members and visitors were delighted with a church video presentation. Tuesday, we had a work visit with the Assistants, so I was with Elder Carrillo, trying to help the members get that organized in our building (which is the Stake Center).

Wednesday was a "paseo." That means anything from hike, walk, and trip to picnic, party, and pool. All the members (and several nonmembers) got together at the Stake Center and took myriad buses out to a beautiful park and played all day. We stayed here. We had interviews with President Mora from 8am to 2pm. That was a blast, too.

Thursday was a sports competition with another stake. We whomped them in soccer and volleyball. One young woman knew how to do an overhand serve and won our team nearly a whole game before the other team could figure out how to pass the ball. We didn't stay to watch the games, but we popped in and out between appointments and searched for referrals from the members who invited their friends.

Friday night was a dance festival. They danced several different cultural numbers from Peru. It was impressive. The place was full of spectators. Every opening in the fence was full of people watching from the outside. Even the guy who sells churros was there. We wanted to buy churros from him, and we couldn't find him near his cart. We eventually got some half-cold churros. Still good.

Saturday and Sunday, I got to play the piano for hours on end for all the meetings involved in conference. It's an opportunity to serve and strengthen our relationship with the stake leaders, so I was happy to do it.

I'm going to include some pictures now, and my time's about up. Thanks for your letters and your prayers and love. I'd put in exclamation points but the 1 key on the left side of the keyboard doesn't work. All I can do is these weird upside down ones¡ Upsetting.

Love,
Elder Withers

p.s. Included are pictures of Elder Caviedes with Edita ("Granny", with care), our pensionista in Chimbote, the huaca, and Gisela's baptism last week.