Peru trip part 6-Trujillo temple dedication (This was the best part of our trip)

We were so blessed to be able to attend the first session of the dedication and to be in the Celestial Room. The spirit was so strong during the meeting but specially during the closing him, The Spirit of God. I could not sing because I was crying and neither could the brother that was sitting next to me. He didn't have a tissue so I handed him and extra one I had.

Brother Teofilo Puertas, Sister Perotti, Sister Puertas and Brother Perotti. Brent served with the Perotti's son on his mission. President Perotti is the Lima temple president. They were so happy to see us and when they found out I was from Puerto Rico they were so excited. They lived in Puerto Rico for about 6 years and their daughter is married to a Puertorrican and they live in PR. Brother Puertas was a Stake President when Brent was a missionary.

Members waiting in line for the next session of the dedication

Peru Trujillo mission President, President Marler and his Kathy. President Marler served his mission in Puerto Rico in 1970 when the mission was fairly new. He served in my city of Ponce. I did not meet him there because I was 5 years old and was not a member yet but he said he remembers my uncle. It's such a small world. He used to play the piano at church in Ponce.

This is the building where temple patrons can stay when they come do temple work. It is a very nice building, way nicer than a hotel. There is also a cafeteria and a distribution center.

 Sunday afternoon we visited the Silva family. I met them when we went for our honeymoon 27 years ago. Now the parents live in Utah along with one of their sons. A daughter, Magda lives in Wisconsin. The parents still own their home in Trujillo and some of their children and grandchildren live in it.

 Later on Sunday we went to dinner with returned missionaries from Brent's mission

While at the restaurant Leslie came in to eat with her friend. We knew each other on Facebook but never had met in person. It was a great surprise when she walked in the restaurant and we finally were able to meet. She is from Trujillo but lives in Utah. Her dad Brother Castillo served with Brother Puertas in the Stake Presidency when Brent was serving his mission.

On Monday we left Conner at the Silva family's home with their daughter in law who was also watching Magda's son who is about 10 years old and since he was born and lives in the Wisconsin they could understand each other and got along really well. Brent and I went to the sealing of Carlos and Tania Verbeck. Brent baptized Carlos' mother, Elena Guzman de Verbeck. She was Brent's last baptism in Viru. Carlos and Tania were the first sealing of the Trujillo temple, along with another sealing going on at the same time in the temple that morning. It was a historic moment. That was the first time for Brent and sister Verbeck to see each other. It was very emotional, they both hugged and cried, they had not seen each other since we went to Peru in 1988. Carlos Verbeck's mission president was President Uceda, who is now Elder Uceda of the Seventy. Elder Uceda was there for the temple dedication, he spoke in the morning session. Elder Uceda performed their seiling. 

Sister missionaries that attended the sealing. Sister Tania Verbeck is incredible. She goes out with the sister missionaries almost daily.  She also their pensionist which means she feeds them everyday.

Sister Mazzei is from Buenos Aires, Argentina and of course I had to speak with her about Parker.

Sister Verbeck, Brent baptized her and her sister, Sister Guzman.

With the Verbecks and Elder Uceda

The missionary couple on the right are the Frackell's. They are also friends of the Verbecks and were at the sealing. Their son also in a yellow tie, served in Trujillo,Peru. When the Frackells went to pick him up off his mission in Trujillo, a couple of years ago, they mentioned to President Marler that serving in Trujillo would be fun. President Marler said, "we could make that happen." The Frackells went home and prayed about it and felt it was right to retire a little earlier than planned and serve a mission in Trujillo. So now they are missionaries in Trujillo Peru. It was fun to meet them after the temple dedication. They are on the front cover of the Church News. Shortly after the Church News took their picture is when we walked up to them and met them. We had no idea that they would be on the cover of the Church News. Their son and his wife were staying in the guest house of the Trujillo mission home, just like we did 27 years ago. 

The Verbecks with missionary couple on the left and President and sister Marler