I have been reading Brent's grandmother Isabelle Hanson's journal on familysearch and found this entry of a letter she received from Brent's father Bruce. It is a description of when Bruce and Joann went to pick Brent up from his mission. Some things Brent didn't remember so it was great to read it. It made Brent and I emotionally to read it. I am so glad she kept a journal and it inspires me to continue to write in my blog.
(Letter from Bruce)
July 27, 1987
Dear Mom and Dad,
I have wanted to get this letter written since we have been home. It was good to hear you when I called and appreciate all you both do. Thanks for the book for my birthday I sure do appreciate it.
I do want to tell you a little about our trip and how neat it was. I can’t tell you all the feelings we had, but it was by far one of the neatest trips I have ever been on in my life.
Let me start from the beginning when we left for Peru. We left on Saturday the 20 of June. We flew from Los Angeles to Mexico City where we had a 7 hour layover. We have a missionary from our stake here and His parents ask us to bring down a package to Him and President and Sister Millers Son is also here. They also ask us to take a package. When we got here we had to go through customs and had our luggage checked because we changed Air Lines and it took us two hours to do all this. The missionary waited all this time and it was good to see him. He then had to leave for a baptism so only had a ½ hour to see him. This time was long because knowing at the other end of our flight we were to see Brent and I could hardly wait.
We finally left Mexico City at about 1 AM and it was to be a 5 ½ hour flight. It was uncomfortable flight and hot and cramped on the plane. We slept a little and finally arrived in Lima Peru at about 7 AM. Brent had told us that there would be someone here to help us and make sure we got on the right plane to Trujillo so as not to get mixed up. We got off of the plane and went through customs and immigration with little problem. We had so much luggage because the mission presidents wife had asked us to bring down two extra suitcases with things for them. We took 19 dozen tortillas and dishes and personal things from their family. So when we got through customs we felt a lot easier.
There was a luggage man to help us with our luggage and I wasn’t to sure how I was going to pay him because I didn’t have and Peruvian money. When we got through there was an elder there looking for us and said Brent had told them to be there and I didn’t pay any attention to Joann and all of a sudden I heard a loud voice of Joanns saying Brent and to our surprise there was Brent. The president had let them fly over and meet us. I couldn’t believe that Brent was there and the other missionary was the Elder that was going to travel with us.
Our plane for Trujillo was 4 hours late but now it didn’t matter because we had Brent and Elder Clark to talk to. We talked constantly for the 4 hours until the plane was ready to leave. The flight was only 50 minutes but to think we are in Peru was incredible and to be with Brent even more so. Brent looked so good.
We arrived in Trujillo and took a taxi to the Mission Office and started meeting the different missionaries and so friendly and all the people. We then went over to the Mission president’s house where we are going to stay and met the mission President and his wife. What neat people they are and how special to meet and see the ones who have been with Brent for the last two years.
They had dinner for us and oh it was good. We have been warned that we were not to drink the water or there was no milk but could only drink bottled soft drinks.
We spent Sunday and Monday and part of Tuesday in Trujillo and the surrounding areas and meeting all the people that Brent worked with and had the opportunity of baptizing and bringing them into the church. Sister Rodriguez the Mission president wife told me one thing that helped my very much and that was you can’t look at the surrounding atmosphere and only at the people themselves and the spirit of which they are. When I did that all else was blocked out, the conditions and their homes. These people were just special and to see Men whom Brent brought the gospel to their family cry and embrace Brent and tell Him thanks for bringing them the gospel.
The town that Brent had the opportunity of opening and seeing it go from 3 members to 27 and now hearing it is going to be a branch. We met almost all the members in Viru and what members.
From there we went up to Huaraz and just had a wonderful time and up to the base of the mountain Huascaran is the highest mountain in Peru at better than 22,000 feet.
While there we went up to a Glacier which was 16,400 feet and I got a little altitude sickness. We then came back to Trujillo and Brent baptized an investigator which He challenged just before we went to Huarez and told her to pray which she did and was baptized.
We then went to Iquitos which on the Amazon jungle and stayed in little huts for two nights. We went down the Amazon to these huts. It was a great experience. We then went to cusco through Lima and what a wonderful time. Cusco is 11,000 feet high and we went all around and saw the ruins. We then took the train to the base of Machu Picchu and then a bus up the mountain. Oh what a sight. We had one of the neatest times of our life. We stayed up there all night and when all the tourists had gone down went out all alone and you could feel the presence of the people there. To see what a continent was the disappeared and only the ruins are left.
We met a family while there that I started talking to them and they were from Palos Verdes and they wanted to know why we were there and we explained about the church and He worked in Restaurants and knew about the church and knew that Brother Marriott was a member. He wanted to know where he could find LDS people to hire and we told them. Joann had been somewhere and came in and ask what they knew about the church and if they would like to know more and they said they would. They gave us their address and we told them we would send them the missionaries and they said that would be great. We saw them again at the airport as we were leaving and were so friendly. I hope to hear what happens now that we gave their name to the missionaries.
We then came back to Lima where we met this family that Brent had baptized where the father died of cancer 5 years ago at the age of 40. They have 4 children a daughter 16 and 3 sons at 13, 12, and 5. What a joy to go through the temple. Brent was able to baptize the oldest boy for His dad and then Brent went through for him and then we were able to witness the sealing where Brent was the Proxy. They ask me to be a witness and oh what a spirit was in that room. The Sister came up to Brent and said thanks for bringing the gospel into our lives.
We then left Lima and headed home. It was the same trip home to Mexico City and them to Los Angeles. We finally arrived on Saturday July 11 and had to go through customs. They ask why we had so much luggage and we said we had gone down to Peru to pick up our son who was on a mission for our church. He asked if we were Mormons and we said yes and he said just gon on and didn’t ask us to open our luggage.
It was neat to be home again. All were there to meet us and even Dave and Joyce were there to meet us. It was exciting to be there and see them. They had come down to be with us and go to Brent’s Homecoming. Brent reported to the High Council the next morning and ten in our Sacrament He reported. It was one of the neatest meetings I have ever been to. I know I am prejudice but it was neat. I have had so many come up and say the same thing. To hear Brent talk and bear His testimony. One sister came up to me who understood Spanish and said I only wish you could of understood Brents testimony. She said you could feel his spirit and know that he knows that He knows the gospel is true.
Steve and Joyce and their family and Fred and Cathy and their family were there. Kirma and Barry and their family were also there. They couldn’t have come to a better meeting.
We hope this finds you well and as you can see we have had a special month and want to see you and share it more with you.
It looks like Joanns family are getting together on Wednesday August 5 up in Salt Lake. Joann and heather will be there for BYU conference for our youth and we are planning on leaving on Tuesday Night and drive all night and get there on Wednesday and go to the Reunion and if OK will stay there Wednesday night and Thursday night. I’m not sure if we will leave Friday night on stay and leave early Saturday morning. We will let you know which we do. Joann and Heather will not be staying with us. It will just be Me, Brent, Sara, Bradley, Nathan and Matthew.
Well this has been a long letter and hope again all is well and we will see you when we get there. We will call and firm up the details. Take care and we just want you to know how much we appreciate you and all you do.
Take care and we will see you.
Love
