#36 Martinez Wedding & Baptism #2

They had a beautiful cake for the wedding.

Amanda their five year old daughter watches Mom and Dad
cutting the wedding cake. 

It was a delicious cake and every guest had a piece. 

Each person who had a gift gave it to them personally and
congratulated them.

Friends and family also pinned money on them as presents.

Their youngest child, Jairo, was not feeling too well that day
so Petrona just tied him on her back with an aguillo.  He
seemed happy to be there.  

Three special sisters from Tupiza.  Sisters Muide, Huarachi, and Sanchez.

We took two pickup loads back to Tupiza.  This is the first load
with all the missionaries.

The next day was baptismal day. Eleuterio, Petrona, Erika, Luis,
and Willian were all baptized.  Amanda and Fernando are
part of this great family.

 

The whole Martinez Family with both Grandmothers. 

Elder Bradshaw baptized Eleuterio, Petrona, and Erika.
Elder Carhaus baptized Luis and 
Elder Viscarra baptized Wilian. 

Just as our meeting was getting over this group of Catholic people
marched past the Mormon Chapel carry their image of a Saint.
They stopped just a short ways down the road (not quite in
front of the Church)  and said a prayer to their image.
We have seen this a few times here in Tupiza.
There timing was interesting too.

#35 Eleuterio & Petrona's Wedding #1

This is Erika Martinez she is 13 years old.  The oldest child of
Eleuterio and Petrona Martinez.  There was a beautiful sunset
one evening as we finished teaching at their home in Charaja.

This is Willian (not William) Martinez he is 10 years old and the
second child in the Martinez family.  They are standing to
the side of their home.  

This is wedding day for Eleuterio and Petrona.  This is the oven by
their kitchen.  Some of the relatives had a hot fire going inside
getting ready to cook chicken and goat for the wedding dinner.

We brought a pickup load of members of the America Branch
to the wedding.  Everyone pitched right in and began helping
the family prepare dinner.  These sisters are washing lettuce.

This is the cooking area of the kitchen.  There is a large pot of soup
cooking on the fire .Notice the wooden stool with the blue top. 
They sit on these stools everywhere. 

This is Sister Huarachi helping make the soup.

Sister Clemencia Muide is mashing cooked white corn called mote
on a large flat stone with another long rectangular shaped rock.
They put the mashed mote in the soup. 

Here is Petrona's sister.  She is sitting on a short wooden stool on
a dirt floor in the kitchen.  They sit on these stools all the time. I 
have a hard getting down that low and then standing up is just
as hard.  

Here is the goat and chicken all prepared and going into the oven.

Eleuterio and Petrona signing the papers during the wedding ceremony.
They do not look very happy, but they really were.

They are exchanging rings.  They look happier here.  They got
married inside their house on November 16, 2012.

The happy couple with their mothers and Wilian. 

A few of the missionaries and branch members that attended the wedding.

Luis Martinez,(their nephew) Elders Carhaus & Viscarra, Eleuterio, Petrona, Eleuterio's
mother, Sister Bradshaw and Elder Bradshaw and Wilian.

Another group picture. President Ibanez and his wife on the
far right.  We are standing in the front yard.  They do not have
grass in most yards.  

All the guests ate dinner inside their house.  The woman in the black
on the right was the Justice that married them. 

The family members ate outside by the kitchen.  They did not eat
with the other guests inside.  I'm not sure why. 

This was the good meal we ate.  There is chicken and goat, boiled
potato, mote (white boiled corn) and a salad with lettuce,
 tomatoes and onions.  We ate the goat.  It was tasty and
we enjoyed the meal. 

#31 Tupiza District Tree Planting Service Project

On saturday. November 17th the members of the District planted 105
trees along the river in Tupiza.  

There was a good turnout of members to dig holes and help out.

It was a beautiful day.  We had young children and older members
that wanted to help.  

We planted poplar,  molla (evergereen) and a river willow trees.

 

We could have used a few more shovels.  Some dug holes with
picks and crowbars.  

President Davila is the First Counselor in the District Presidency.

We do not know all their names but this sister from the America Branch
loves to have here picture taken.  

These three sister are from the Tupiza Branch.  Hermana Alfaro is
on her knees.  She is the District Relief Society President. 

This is Hermana Rocio Mamani Davila.  She cooks for the
missionaries.  

The children were good helpers.  

Wilson Soza and his two sons Allen and Adam came from Villizon,
which is about an hour and half drive.  The came with other members
by taxi.

All our great missionaries came to help.
Elder Qunitanilla, Hull, Bilanzich and Hrm. Boyce

These two sister rest while we waited for the trees to come.  We
had all the holes dug.  

This man works for the city.  He came and instructed us on how
to plant the trees properly.  

The District brought empanadas from this lady.  She has this
small fryer and cart  on the corner of the street.  I think they
bought about 160.  Enough for everyone to have two each.
They were delicious.

  

Sister Boyce helped President Hurachi (District President) pass
out the hot empanadas.  This was just a late breakfast snack for
everyone.

A member had a tractor and small trailer to help out too.  They had a
load of goat manure we used to fertilize the trees.

Elder Bradshaw and President Ibanez of the American Branch.

Our pickup was useful this day.  Lloyd hauled several loads of people,
trees and Bicycles.  He made trips to get trees and food.
They had a nice dinner for everyone at the Tupiza Branch when
all the trees were planted.  

President Alfaro found a cool place to eat his empanadas.