Thanksgiving in La Molina

It was an unusual Thanksgiving Day for us here in Peru compared to other holidays in years gone by. Of course no one but expats celebrates or observes Thanksgiving Day here. The temple was open as usual and we were very busy.  It was, aside from missing everyone, a very pleasant day. A few of the more exposed to Norte Americanos workers knew what day it was in America and wished us in English, "Happy Thanksgiving Elder or Hermana Fisher." Our walk to the temple was very pleasant unlike Utah and elsewhere in the West.  Flowers are blooming and trees are filling with leaves.

One of several flowering bushes along our walk to the temple

We have much to be thankful for and the day really was enjoyable working in the temple. I thought of the Prophet Joseph Smith and I am thankful for him. I realize what I have and what he didn't have here in mortality. My bones ache now and again from long hours of standing at times, but I get to grow old together with my wife doing the things we love. We can enjoy our aches and ailments together. Among my siblings we compare notes on aging and the various maladies we inherited from the Parrish side of the family or the Fishers.  Joseph never knew of the golden years in his life. He never heard the sound of feet running and grandsons yelling "Grandpa is here." He was never embraced by a grandchild and told "You are the best. I Love you Grandpa." He never held a new grandson or granddaughter in his arms as he hardly had time to know his own children.  My children unlike his have reached their majority and we have many opportunities to enjoy their company and to observe them as they are caring and engaged adults in their own lives. Joseph never officiated in a completed temple in his life. Yesterday I conducted two sessions in Spanish and remembered to express gratitude for the Prophet in my prayers. It is because of him that we are here serving in the Lima Peru Temple and enjoying our lives as senior missionaries. We are among a people we love and who love us. Our Thanksgiving dinner when we arrived home after 9:00 PM was warmed up cuy and french fried Peruvian yellow potatoes, which was very good.

There are other holidays in Peru we will observe mostly working as they are our busiest days. On  Wednesday December 8th sessions will be doubled and held every half hour throughout the day to accommodate the Peruvian Saints who will come to the temple.  Peruvian Catholicism especially pertaining to holidays, as it is elsewhere in Central and South America, is a strange mix of indigenous Pre-Columbian tradition and mainstream orthodox religious practice. For example as mentioned in an earlier post, cuy  or guinea pig is being feasted upon by Christ and the Twelve at the Last Supper in the main cathedral in Cusco. So, on that Wednesday is Dia de Immaculada Concepcion. This celebrates Mary being without original sin. For Mormons it means a day to attend the temple here in Lima. A new religion has been added or grafted into the lives of some Peruvians and impacting how they celebrate their holidays. It is not surprising how culture blends into the religious. Afterall, was not Christmas originally a pagan holiday observed on December 25th and set aside by the Eastern Emperor Constantine?

Buses will arrive from other parts of Peru bringing their often sleep deprived occupants to the temple.  Likely we will work a little longer shift that day as they will short of workers. We probably will be as tired as the travelers by the time the day is over.

These are the holidays celebrated in Peru as far as we know. At Christmas we have a long weekend of four days off but are not planning on going anywhere. We will likely stay home but maybe venture to a new restaurant or two, do some cooking. RuthAnn will likely bake bread and will see if we can get our Skype telephone account working by then so we can call everyone and wish them "Saludos desde Peru."

January 1	New Years Day	Año Nuevo
April-May	Holy Thursday	Jueves Santo
April-May	Good Friday	Viernes Santo
April-May	Easter Day	Domingo Santo (Pascua)
May 1	Labor Day	Día del Trabajo
June 29	St. Peter and St. Paul	Día de San Pedro y San Pablo
July 28-29	Independence Day	Día de la Independencia
August 30	Santa Rosa de Lima	Día de Santa Rosa de Lima
October 8	Battle of Angamos	Combate de Angamos
November 1	All Saints Day	Día de Todos los Santos
December 8	Immaculate Conception	Inmaculada Concepción
December 25	Christmas	Navidad

RuthAnn in front of our apartment in Los Forestales Calle

Some of the trees have not regained their leaves yet

The flowers are all in bloom around the temple grounds

It really is not incongruous, neither unusual to be spending and working Thanksgiving Day in the temple.  Afterall, the Lord spoke to the Prophet about a temple in Zion and called it a place of "thanksgiving."

From Doctrine and Covenants Section 97:13 we find: "For a place of thanksgiving for all saints, and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices."
From Psalms: Psalm 26:6-8 6, I will ^awash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord: 7, That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy ^awondrous works. 8, Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine ^ahonour dwelleth.