Elliot has been in Cusco (actually Puno now) for 4 weeks. The big question is…will he get to stay? Apparently he and 10 other missionaries traveled on a visitor’s visa and don’t have their regular visas yet. So, next week we find out if they will all fly back to the United States on August 15th. We are praying and crossing our fingers that he will get to stay, but realize that his mission is in the Lord’s hands.

Meanwhile, he has been having some great experiences in Puno with his companion Elder Cardenas from Mexico. They have been busy opening a new area, which means they are starting from scratch. Their mission president is also brand new, so I’m sure there a few kinks to work out. Elliot sounds good though and hasn’t had any altitude sickness and only an occasional problem with the food. I think having a pensionista — which is a sister in the ward that shops, cooks and does the laundry for the four of them — hasn’t been too much of a problem either!

Excerpt from his letter about his first P-day: “There’s a giant bird statue on top of a mountain. And if you´re a missionary that has nothing better to do, you can climb up the steep streets to the beginning of the stairs. Then you can climb the 646 (who´s counting?) stairs to the top. Pretty tiring, but the view was pretty great. I could see my area and beyond, Lake Titicaca and lots of mountains.”