July 15, 2012
Elder Mark Lahtinen is home at last!
Peru does not have grass
July 15, 2012
the "family welcome home" at the Spokane Airport
Welcome Home Elder Lahtinen!
Elder Lahtinen at the San Francisco Airport
waiting for our flight home. (34 hours of travel to get home)
July 13, 2012 Machu Picchu
Duncan, John and Mark
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Mountains surrounding Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Otlantaytambo 12,000 feet in elevation
Notice the houses built into the rocks
July 12, 2012
Mountains of the Sacred Valley
Pisac (craft market)
July 11, 2012 Tambomachay
Mark, Jane, John, Mark
the 296 stair climb
Duncan, John, Mark
City of Cusco
Jane, Duncan
Korichancha in Cusco
People of Cusco
Typical neighborhood in Cusco.
Notice the house made of straw
July 10, 2012 (16,000 feet in elevation)
Glacier and lake on our way back to Lima from Huancayo
July 8, 2012
Policia station where we spent 5 hours in the car.
Very scary area. We had cheese for lunch and chips for dinner.
We stayed in the car and ate what I had in my backpack.
This is the most polluted city in the world.
They process all the mining here, and there are NO environmental controls.
The family we had the FHE with in Huancayo.
The girl in the front on the right is the one that is 21 and in love with Mark.
We had 3 non-members at our FHE. Two are now baptized.
We have not heard about the 3rd, but he was really moved by Mark's FHE.
This family is one of the few that has electricity, a fridge,
a computer and Internet. They also have a wall of books.
It was clear that education and food are important to them.
(notice the hanging wires)
Most people, who have electricity have a wire that
comes into their house and goes to a light bulb or two.
This lady was 9 months pregnant when Mark baptized her.
Mark was in Huancayo twice. This was his Pensionista
(cooks for the missionaries all three meals each day)
in his first area in Huancayo. She has been a member for 22 years.
She has been a Pensionista for 22 years. She is a great cook.
This was Mark's Pensionista in Huancayo in his last area.
Very sweet lady, but terrible cook. Mark would tell her they
did not want much food. Then he would give the sons some
money and send them to buy a chicken.
The older boys are 17 and 15 and are preparing for missions.
This family owns a bodega (store) and the dad is a professor at a college.
We are standing in front of their bodega.
Mark in front of a typical house in Huanyco.
The homes are made of adobe and have a steel door with a pad lock.
Most homes are only one or two rooms, very small, and many
have dirt floors or stomped down concrete.
This house is in a very dangerous area.
Two of Marks converts live here.
Farms at 16,000 feet in elevation.
There are 30 types of Llamas or Alpaca.
They roam the land in herds like our cattle or sheep do
Waterfalls that come out of the rocks, without any apparent source.
July 7, 2012 Tingo Maria (jungle)
Mark, Jane and Duncan in a cave in the jungle of Tingo Maria
John was very sick and stayed at the hotel in Huanuco, 2 hours away.
This is our shyster driver with Mark in Tingo Maria.
Miracles happened to keep us alive and safe.
The driver drove very fast on narrow, winding, steep roads, with no guard rails.
He would pass cars with semi trucks coming towards us. Even he said he
did not know how we were still alive. We were stopped at policia blockades
6 times. One of which we spent the 5 hours in front
of the policia station. One of the brake shoes fell off while coming
down from the 17,000 foot pass. He used the emergency brake, aound the curves.
The driver said he saw a higher power at work. We had prayer in
the car, in Spanish each day, so that the driver could understand and hear it.
He is now taking the missionary lessons.
Duncan at the sacred pool in Tingo Maria
Eduardo, Mark and Steffany at the sacred pool
A girl from the ward that vomited all the way to
Tingo Maria and all the way back.
Steffany and Nellie
The family that the father was killed in a car accident 2 months ago.
Because of Mark's visit, the mother is now preparing to go to
the temple to be sealed to her husband and daughters.
Typical neighborhood in Huanuco.
All the streets are dirt, steep, big ruts and rocks.
No cars or trucks, only walking.
This is the family that the teenagers are all active and the parents
did not show up to their own baptism. They did not feel they could
take the leap of faith to pay tithing. They were so touched that
we would visit them. They are now baptized.
This is Nellie, her daughter, two sons, some nieces and Mark.
Nellie is the reason the ward is so strong. Most of Mark's converts
are her friends. She always goes out with the missionaries. Her two
sons are preparing for missions. The oldest one in the front is 21 and
was just finishing his mission papers. The other one is 18 and
wants to turn in his papers with John in September.
The dad left this family and they are homeless, but you would never
know it. They do not let that stop them. They are an amazing family.
Grand Huanuco Hotel
This family lives in Cerro de Pasco at 16,000 feet in elevation.
There is an open pit mine in the center of the city and the town
is built around the edge of the pit. They have nothing but wanted
to give us a gift. They gave us rocks from the mine. The rocks are
really heavy. We could not get them in our suitcases. John carried
them in his backpack. He was detained at customs in Houston,
while they tested the rocks. They are just cool rocks.
This lady was Mark's Pensionista in Cerro. It is really cold
this high up, and there is no heat. Notice they are all wearing
coats in the house. Mark had us bring her lots of little toys.
The children in the ward are very poor and have nothing at
Christmas. She always tries to give them something for Christmas.
This is Mark with David. He is the one Mark spent 5 months
working with to receive permission from the First Presidency
to be baptized. David went from prison, to several years of
repentance, baptism, receiving the priesthood and is now the
Elders Quorum president.
This is the pass at 17,000 feet in elevation.
John, Jane, Duncan and Mark
These are the people that live at 17,000 feet with John and Jane
notice how Jane is taller that these ladies
Mark, Jane John and Duncan in Lima at the Ocean.
Typical neighborhood in Zarate, near Lima
Notice the colorful houses up the mountain.
Typical bodega (store). There are no grocery stores, just
these little tiny markets everywhere. This one is owned by a member.
There is refrigeration in the bodegas but rarely do homes have refrigeration.
Typical moto taxi. It is a three wheeled motorcycle.
No one has cars. Everyone walks or takes these moto taxis
July 3, 2012 Lima Temple
Mark, John, Jane, Duncan
Sister Ardila, Elder Lahtinen, President Ardila
Mark's Mission President.
Lima Peru East Mission
July 2, 2012
Picking up Elder Mark Lahtinen at the mission home!
John, Jane, Elder Lahtinen, Duncan
So great to reunite!!! 2 years is a long time!
Mark lost 40 lbs and grew and inch. He has grown so much
in every way! He was an outstanding, obedient missionary
according to his mission president. What a joyous day!
Elder Lahtinen was released via skype, by our Stake President. Larry Larson.
Notice the colorful houses going up the mountain.
This is in Lima. The higher up the mountain, the more poor the people.
Duncan, John and Jane in front of a cathedral in Lima
John and Duncan with our guide at ruins in Lima
John, Duncan, Jane and Eduardo from Lamoni Tours.
Eduardo is a friend for life now.
July 1, 2012 LaMolina Ward in Lima Peru
Duncan, Jane, John, Elder and Sister Cavanaugh.
His was our Bishop in Spokane several years ago.
Our first day in Peru.
John and Duncan at the LaMolina Ward
Lima has 12 million people, and 7 missions.
Each mission takes a part of the city and then goes out into the country of Peru.
All 7 mission presidents, the MTC presidency, the Lima Temple presidency,
the Area presidency and several U.S. Embassy employees live in this ward.
Double Tree Hotel in Miraflores in Lima Peru.
