Have you seen this face before?

Zoe and Andy seemed to have a special friendship going on at the Bear Lake Reunion. Andy can't resist a pretty face!

It was just a few short years ago when Andy returned from his mission in Japan. He couldn't resist that pretty face then either! Zoe is the spittin' image of her mommy!

Back to School!

As you study the J.A. Barfuss family Coat of Arms, created several years ago by Chad and Grandma Slly, you will notice that education is a prominent component of our family values.
As a new school year begins we are so proud of all of our Wilfardos and Wilfys as they eagerly go "Back to School"!
Did you know that there are Wilfardos and Wilfys on every educational level from pre-school to graduate school?
We thought it would be fun to have a contest to see how well you know your cousins and where they are on the education ladder. Those steps include pre-school, middle school, high school, college, and graduate school as well as the "School of Hard Knocks"!
Grandma will send an e-mail to each of you with a form to fill out for your answers. You will get a point for every correct answer. There will be extra points for those who can give the name of the schools. Just fill out the form and send it back to Grandma at jsbarfuss@comcast.net We will announce the winners and the prizes in an upcoming Barometer.
There are some keen competitors in our family so this should be fun!
Good Luck!

New address for Nick

Hey everybody! We just found out today that Nick is being transferred back to Switzerland. His new address will be:

Elder Nickolas Barfuss
Schweiz Zürich Mission
Grünbergstrasse 1
CH - 7000 Chur
SWITZERLAND

Hope everyone is having a great week! :o)

Friday, August 15, 2008

ok, so today was VERY interesting. We woke up early this morning, we drove to Puno at about 6:45. It was a 40 minute drive, and we went straight to the airport. This is where the, quote on quote ¨fun¨began. When we arrived, we all got shunted in a separate line because we were a big group, but it actually took LONGER than the other line!! then we still had to pay an airport fee of about 4 dollars or so in order to get on the plane, like we have the security tax. Anyway, so we made it through to the gate. When we boarded though, it turned out they had overbooked, and Will Love had to stay in Juliaca ( like the worst place in peru) until the 400 flight in the afternoon!!! but he had to wait, so we went on to lima. we checked into our hotel, then went to see the city.

We took taxis all over town it was hilarious, yet slightly sickening. The People here are insane!!! Nobody stays in their own lane, nobody blinkers, it is such a rush!!! On a 3 lane highway, we had 5 lanes going, it was nuts. we went to the main plaza, and we waited while everyone else drove up in their taxis. Everyone was coming at different times, (different drivers have different styles of driving: fast, really fast, and fast combined with recklessness.) so we were first there. We went to lunch together and got into some really stupid argument with a kid named Nate. He left the church about a year ago, and he really seems to have twisted views about what the church believes. Anyway, every time we have a debate with him, he ends up totally contradicting himself.

Well, after we went to the Catacombs in Lima and saw chamber full of the bones of dead priests and saints. There was one room where you could look down a well and there were skulls and bones aranged into patterns!! It was cool. Then we walked a few blocks until we got to the museum of the Peruvian version of the spanish inquisition. IT was really cool to hear a lot of the things i learned about in AP European history about the original Spanish inquisiton and the 3 Popes at the same time and stuff. And about Martin Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. Anyway, they had one reoom that depicted the tortures they inflicted to try and make them confess. There was one where they tied your arms behind your back then lift you 15 feet in the air by your wrists, it destroys all the muscle and tissue in the arms. Then there was the stratching rack.... and some other stuff, way wierd.

wellthen we split up. Dad and Grandpa and a few others went back to the hotel, and two groups went to the Mall. It is supposed to be way beautiful and amazing. Well they got there and went to dinner then did some shopping. In my group ( me, Elena, Valerie, and Caitlin) got into a taxi, but halfway to the mall, stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, decided to take a 15 minute detour to see the Lima temple. It took 30 minutes, but that was ok. WE took some picutures, then got a book of mormon in spanish for our taxi driver. he was not LDS, but he said he loves to see the temple, and he really wanted a book of mormon. So we each wrote our name and favorite scripture on the inside of it. It was really cool, he was really excited. So then we went to the mall, but it was taking forever, and we werent hungry, so we ended up just going back to the hotel. But everywhere we went, the trafiic was buts, and we werent really moving. But there were buses that were all over the road, trying to squeeze into tiny gaps, etcetera, so we honestly hardly even were crawling. Instead of the 30 minutes to the mall and 40 minutes to the hotel for 15 soles, it turned out to be a 3 hour taxi ride for 100 soles. RIP OFF!!! we were feeling so sick from the fumes frim all the cars, it was not good. well, we got back, eventually, and we went and got ice cream (the most amazing banana split ever made) then i started to type it all up. Well, that is today. This is also the last time i will be writing about my escapades, for we leave peru early tomorrow morning. So long!!!
Jake Lythgoe
Peruvian Explorer
Signing Off

Thursday August 14, 2008

Ok, so this morning we woke up at about 5:30 this morning so we could leave the hotel at 6. We had to be at the airport to catch our flight from Cuzco to Juliaca at 7:20. We drove from Juliaca to Puno. then after we dropped off our baggage at the Hotel Plaza Mayor, we took little bike taxis and raced through town to Lake Titicaca. there is a joke about the name. The Peru side is the titi and the Bolivian side is the caca (poop) :). Well, we took a boat to the Floating Isles ( yes they really exist) and went to three of the islands, including Mormon Island. They really are floating Islands, because the people did not like others taking over their lands, so they created the Islands. The people take huge blocks of lake ground that are the roots blocks for reeds in the lake. So the dirt has lots of layers of reeds placed over the top, just places, and the reeds from the roots in the dirt grow and intertwine into the reeds and holds it together. Then, they untie from the land and it floats. They build everthing out of reeds. Seats, Houses, beds, everything. Once they had the original islands built, they were able to build more on the islands themselves. Now, there are 48 Islands, each with 8-10 families on it. It was really cool. Well, we went back to the hotel and rode in a Motorcycle taxi, really cool!! Then we did some shopping around the city. I found some really cool things. Well, i am really tired, and lots of people are waiting, that is why i am not going into very much detail about the Floating Islands and MachuPicchu.

Well, Love you!!
Bye
Jake Lythgoe

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Sorry, i ran out of time last night, but there are a few things you just cannot miss. So i will start with our arrival at Machupicchu. We met two guys on the train that had decided to come with us to machupicchu the next day. Juan decided to come and hike Waynapicchu early in the morning with us.

Anyway, when we arrived in the city, it was about 8 at night, but the moon was out and it was really bright. So we walked to the Hostal ( not hotel) where we were staying. But it turned out they didnt have enough space and some of us had to go to another hostal down the street and around the corner, where they had shifted our reservation. Well, Dad grandpa and i had the room on ground level, and there were about 3 stories of rooms above that. The thing was, above the first floor, the wall opposite the rooms were all blown out, and there was junk everywhere on the other side of the stairs!!! It was so nasty!! ok, and there were a few problems. First, i believe every single person in our group had left their flea collars in our other luggage!!! ( we had only packed an overnight bag.) so a lot of the girls were having problems with sleeping in the beds. As far as i know, almost all of them slept with just one sheet on them and all the blankets on the floor. But grandpa dad and i slept great, we used the blankets and still didnt get any fleas. Also, Valerie and Caitlin had a problem with their bathroom window. IT WOULDNT LOCK CLOSED!!! I ended up taking a chunk of tile from the constructiontools all over the ground. WE used it to brace the window shut.

So on Wednesday morning, 9 of us gathered at six to catch the bus up to MachuPicchu. We arrived up there at 6:30 planning to be at the top of Waynapicchu when the sun rose. But, the whole way up, we were completly surrounded in fog! We got to the gate to WaynaPicchu, but there was a huge line to get in. We werent able to get through the gate until 8:30!! But we made it in. They only let 200 people in at 7:00, and 200 at 10:00, but they only let them in a few at a time! We ended up barely making it, Dad was number 194, only 6 more people made it in!!!

The climb was beautiful, the fog made everything so surreal. We got t0 the top at about 9:00 ish, and the fog was just starting to clear. It was very Beautiful, but we couldnt really see Machupicchu. The top was really scary, it was so steep!!! Amazing. Well, It turned out Grandpa was the oldest person to hike that day, at 70 years old!! Well, most people were in their twenties, and we had them in the teens, the forties, and grandpa. It was awesome. Thenwe explored the ruins, it was amazing how much work the Incans were able to do on top of such a steep mountian!! They had been building it for 94 years, but never finished it. They abandoned it when they thought the Spaniards were invading. Anyway, I will post pics later so you can see.

We took the train back to Urubamba, then took a two hour drive to Cuzco, then slept for 5 hours at the Maybe Hotel.

Jacob in Peru, Day 8 (ish)

Ok, today is Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 11:25 PM Peruvian time, 10:25 Utah time.

Sorry i havent written for a few days, things have been pretty CrAzY!!! haha. ok, well, i guess the last time i had a chance to write was on sunday night, so i will start with MOnday.

Monday, August 11, 2008 (Day 6)

We woke up at around 6:30 on Monday morning, because we were doing things a bit different.

We had to leave by 7:30 because we were going out to work on the Farm for El Girasol (the sunflower, the name of the orphanage we were working at). One of the other groups that has been here in the past helped start a farm for El Girasol to help it be self sufficient. So, we ended up splitting into two groups, Dad Grandpa and I went back to the orphanage and everyone else went to the Farm. They were using pickaxes to dig a channel for water to reach a trout pond they are build, and they poured cement in some other places, i dont really know all the details. Anyway, We went to Girasol to help Antonio finish the Guardhouse we had started building earlier in the week. The basic structure was there, the walls and the windows and door, but it still needed the top half of the back wall, another few layers on the walls, and a roof. So we started to help finish it.

We started out by mixing a huge pile of mud using sand we had sifted on saturday and buckets of water from a rain barrel. This was used as a kind of mortar, wierd, i know. Then, we would give him buckets of Barro ( mud) which he would spread all over the adobe bricks already in place, then we would give him the bricks for the next layer. it was very cool because he uded a string and a weight as a plumbers line in order to keep everything level. Also, he was more or less balanced on the wall, and he would just keep standing on what he had just built in order to build the next level!! the back wall is what we mostly did, and it started about 5 feet tall, but when we were done it was like 15 feet high!!! at the top, he used a string tied to a bamboo pole to set the blocks so the wall ended in a point, like a triangle, but just on the one end. After we finished the wall, we had to use the new chainsaw grandpa had constructed ( with the help of about 10 adoring orphans) to cut up logs for the framework of the roof. We cut the logs into long segments, then had to carry them onto the roof and kinda piece it together so we knew where to cut the ends to make it sit solidly. We used the chainsaw to cut it. Then, we used big long nails (clavos) to hold them together. The shape of the roof was like one of those circular hawaian huts cut in half, like half an octagon.

As we worked, one of the boys, a 14 year old name John, was being adopted by a couple we had been working with, the Andersons. it was really cool to watch how the orphans and the adults handled the adoption. Each of the boys said something about their time together, then they would hug. It was so much fun to watch, one of those bitter/sweet moments. He had to leave his friends, but now he had a home in the USA. I was way happy for him.

Then we had a fiesta!!! We played games with all the little kids, but really they played, and we helped them figure it out. We had races, where they had a starburst on a spoon and had to run around a cone and back, then pass it to the next teammate. Then, We did a lot of different games with jumpropes that i learned. We had badmitton, tetherball, tons of stuff, the kids loved it!!! We were all extremly tired, but it was tons of fun!!

Ok, now for Tuesday August 12, 2008.

This was by far the most interesting day so far, i think. I think you will agree for obvious reasons.

Today we went to a small village called Tucson (Tuck-sawn) like in arizona. WE were going to help them pour cement for a new schoolhouse and help them bathe kids. The thing was, it was built on a fairly sttep hill with flat spots for houses. First, we had all the men get together. We had to take a cement mixer, and get it probably 200 yards uphill!!! it was so tough, but we found a way to get it up switchbacks!!! IT was a fair sized mixer!!

NExt, we had people take buckets, and we had to carry sand all the way up, ususally we could only take half a bucket at a time, because we had to go so far uphill, it was way hard, but all the peruvians were helping carry it up. ( right before we took the mixer up, we had to carry 90 pound bags of cement mix up the mountain to the schoolhouse) We finally got all the sand up after a few hours, but right as we were down to the last few bucketfulls, he drove up with a whole other truckload!!! He started to dump it there, but Grandpa and I convinced him to drive it up the same way we took the mixer. it was such a relief!! By this time, it was almost 12:00 noon. We had been there for hours!! ( this whole time, the women had been showing the village ladies how to bathe their kids with soap and tubs they had brought.) ONce we got the majority of the sand up there with the cement, we started to mix it up. We had four wheelbarrows going, one right after the other!! the wheelbarrows would get the cement, then you would have to get a running start to get it up part of this slope. Then you had to go into the schoolhouse (we had just finished laying big stones for a foundation) and go across the stones and dump the cement wherever the two guys who were spreading it out wanted it. All of this was happening at the same time.

We were supposed to be leaving for the orphanage at noon, but we didnt leave until 2ish becasue we had to finish the floor. When they were done, they had a ceremony where they hung a clay pot full of cement mix over the doorway, then Will Love and Dad got to break it using a hammer. It is considered the christening or something of the house. Then we went down to the main plaza of the village and they wanted to have us participate in some ceremony. It turned out that we had to dance with them to the music, and this one guys kept pulling the girls out of the chairs and dancing with them (he had like 1 tooth, and he was like 3 feet tall) they would dance and he would randomly start yelling!! it was way wierd. Then we sat and they brought out food for us to eat..... And you know that it is offensive if you dont eat it....

Well it turned out they had this really big pieces of corn and wierd nuts, but that was ok. Remember they dont have refrigerators... Next They brought out Cuy, Freshly caught and cooked. I have been looking forward to trying Cuy, but in a proffesional restaurant, not in some backwater town!!! Anyway for those who dont know, Cuy is basically Guinea Pig. There you go! Well, I ate it, and it was suprisingly good!! once i got past the fact that there was a little bit of fur on the end of the leg, and you could easily see the little claws on the end of the feet, i had two!!

After, we went back to Girasol for the last few hours we would get there. We helped put the bamboo poles on the roof, and nail them down. Them they were covered with mud and clay tiles for roofing, but we left before it was finished. Then we hopped on the train to Machupicchu.`

Well, I it is 12:30, and i am going to bed. I will write early tomorrow about today, If i can.

Lova you all!!!
Jake Lythgoe

Congratulations Jake and Andrea!

Jake and Andrea are graduating from BYU on Friday! (Well actually Jake is graduating, but Andrea was right there with him all the way!) We are so proud of them and hope that their future graduate school plans will work out just the way they want them to. Their little family will be growing with the up-coming birth of "Henry" in November!

Way to go Jake and Andrea!

Congratulations Alison!

Alison Curtis has been chosen to be on the Olympus High Volleyball team for next year! Congratulations Alison! We are so proud of you and your courage to go to Olympus High instead of Skyline where many of your friends are going. You made up your mind to go to Olympus and you knew that would be right for you and now you can "show your stuff" on the Volleyball court.

We love you and look forward to seeing you play!

Aunt Thelma Passed Away

Grandpa Barfuss' oldest sister Thelma Jenson passed away on Sunday Aug.10, 2008. She was 89 years old. On Sept. 13 she would have celebrated her 90th birthday. Grandpa and I were with her, along with her four children when she peacefully slipped away. We had a chance to tell her that we loved her and she mumbled, "I love you guys too". It was a sweet experience to be there with her. She had pneumonia and there was no chance of her getting better.
She was such a sweet, down to earth lady. She had a strong testimony of the gospel. She worked in the Logan temple for over 15 years. She had three sons and one daughter who were very attentive to her. She always said that her kids were so good to her. She loved to read and was one of the most positive, optimistic people that I knew. She endured much pain due to arthritis, but she never complained. We will miss her, but know that she is now free from pain and is with her husband and parents that she has been separated from for many, many years.
We are all better people because we knew Aunt Thelma!

August 10, 2008 Day 5

Hey, Today is Sunday, August 10, 2008.

THis morning we woke up at about 7:30 again, and we got ready for one of the most interesting things we have done to date.

WE went and atended the LDS Sacrament meeting for the Urubamba branch at 9:00. It was very cool because the whole thing was in Español, and most of the orphans from the Sunflower Orphanage were there. They were very reverent, which was impressive for 38 orphans!!! The talks were about tithing, Missionary work, and searching for the talents God has given you. I actually understood bits and pieces of what was being said. I try to speak spanish whenever i can, it is fun to try and learn how to say different phrases. Anyway, two of the speakers were youth speakers, and one was my new friend, Naftalia. He is way cool, he speaks a little english, and is about 15. For the prelude music, they had a CD Player. For the hymns, we just sang with whatever pitch the choruster person started on. There were hardly any hymnals, but most people had small, personal ones. After, we went back to the hotel and changed.

After Sacrament, we split into two groups. One group went to Cuzco to see the catherdral and some of the places in the Plaza Del´Armes. They also went to visit some families from their time in the mission field. BUt we went to the ruins called Ollantaytambo (Oh-Yawn-Tay-Tom-Bow). It was massive, and looked like a giant set of stairs because of the terraces that had been built by the Incas. The Incas had to carve out huge granite blocks from mountains, drag them 18 Kilometers, then drag them up huge ramps to reach the top of the mountain where Ollantaytambo was located. Then they would chisel them into smaller blocks to make the walls. The Walls were made with no cement of any kind. The blocks had knobs sticking out and holes in them, and the pieces would fit together like a giant puzzle, it was pretty cool. They were made to be ultra earthquake resistant. They had massive earthquakes every 300 years or so, and tons of cities and villages were destroyed during one, so they learned to stop it.

Anyway, the original building had been built to resemble a llama, with each part of the body representing something different. The "head" was the section used for religious ceremonies and such. the tail was mainly used for astronomy. In this section, they used the position of the sun and certain stones to "forecast" th season and its prosperity. I guess it was prett accurate!!!

After touring Ollantaytambo, We drove to the Pisac Marketplace. I didnt get to go to the actual marketplace ( which is supposed to be amazing) because Grandpa, Dad and I (and Elena, Jodies neighbor) decided to go and see the Pisac Ruins instead. I think they were totally worth it, i could have spent hours there. IT was way cool, it was built on steep cliffs, way crazy to hike on. :) At the top, in the religious section, there was a series of small shelves that were used during the winter. The Cultural belief was that during the winter, the sun would move away from the earth. They were very afraid it would keep going and leave them in total darkness with the animals, so they would "bind" the sun to huge golden images of the sun which were placed on the shelves. This would Draw the sun back to earth. Apparently it worked, because last i checked, the sun was still shining during the day. ;)

well, we returned, ate dinner, and just played around.

OH!!! Ok, so i was playing chess with grandpa lythgoe to see who could use the computer first, and I ACTUALLY WON!!!! I actually had him beat, he said it is the first time anyone has beat him in years!! The last time he lost was when he played againt the computer on his cell phone!!

Well, I bought a hat yesterday made of Alpaca, it is so soft, i love it!!!

goodnight, feel free to comment:)

Love you!!
Jake Lythgoe

PS, right now, it is actually the 11th. It is 12:11 and i m going to bed.

Ok, Jake is Signed In. Here is Peru...

August 6, 2008

Hey, this is Jacob Lythgoe calling, wait speaking.... (am i 46 or 47?) haha anyway, we just arrived in Cusco, Peru. We have been either at an airport or on a plane for the last 24 hours, so we are all pretty wiped.

Starting at the beginning.

Dad and I went to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix Arizona at 11:00 AM so we could catch our plane to Atlanta at 1:20PM. It was a four hour flight that we mostly spent reading or listening to music, watching Kung Fu Panda, and doing Sudokus. (By the way, dad actually started laughing, so that proves that it is actually a funny movie and i was not under any kind of influence at the time). We met up with Grandpa Lythgoe in the Atlanta International Airport (or whatever it is called). We had about a four hour wait until our midnight flight out of Georgia. Grandpa had actually arrived at 2 in the afternoon (georgia time) and we arrived at eight, so he had an additional six hours to wait!!!

We spent our time just reading, eating, and sleeping. Eventually, we got on our plane for the 6 1/2 hour flight to Lima, Peru. The flight was during the night, but they had the Chronicles of Narnia playing (the second one) so grandpa and i settled down to watch. Dad was already asleep by then :). During the Flight, there were some storms outside. I could only tell because every so often, the pitch black night woud light up with the blinding bolts of sheet lightning. It was very cool. We all slept part of the flight, and landed in Lima Peru at about 6:30 AM Lima time.Then, we had another five hour wait before our flight to Cusco, where we are now. We had to recheck our bags and go through security again, but we ate breakfast at a Dunkin´ Donutsin the airport before heading to the gate. By the way, I want to all to know that yes, i did buy a deck of cards in Lima. :) anyway, we had an hour flight to Cusco, and as we waited to collect our luggage, a group of natives started to play the peru flutes and drums, it was very cool. Then we found the guy who was supposed to meet us, and drove across town to our hotel. Courtney, the driving here is crazy, they were constantly cutting each other off and swerving and stuff, even I was starting to get a little nervous!!

Well, thats all for today, We have free internet access at this particular hotel, but i dont know about the future.

See ya later!!
Jake Lythgoe

August 7, 2008, DAY 2

Hello from Peru everybody!! Ok, it is about 11:00 PM on Thursday night here, we are at our hotl in Urubamba (or however you spell it). I am going to give quick recap of the end of yesterday that is not there.

After we got to the hotel, we went to the Plaza d´Armes and looked around in the shops. We found one shop with some very cool chess sets and some masks, great store. Anyway, we just looked round for a bit before getting dinner. We ate at a restaurant that overlooked the square. Dad had this good looking Chicken, but Grandpa Lythgoe and I had Filet Mignon blah blah bla Alpaca. Basically, it was really delicious Alpaca steak more or less, it was totally delicious. Then we looked around, but not too much because it was raining. Before we went back to the hotel, we stopped back in that shop and i bought a beautiful small chss set that was very detailed. The two teams were still black and white (kinda), but the figurines represented the Spanish Conquistadors, and the other was the Incas. Very cool. It was 25 Soles, or about 9 dollars.

As for Today:

We woke up around 6:30 so we could see more of the Plaza d´Armes before we had to meet the rest of the group at the airport at 11:00. We went into the Cathedral during thier worship services, it was cool to watch. There were some very cool painting and statues in many different alcoves, it was beautiful. The woodwork was all very inticate and detailed. Then we went and checked out the famous "12-Angled Stone" It was located in an alley that dad walked down many times during his mission. IT was a part of the original Incan Architecture (over 500 years old at least) and each block was carved perfectly to fit smoothly together with all the other stones. This one was carved with 12 corners so it was a perfect fit into its spot. Wierd. It is a very famous peice of the Incan Architecture of Peru.

Next we toured the ruins of the "temple of the sun god"known as Qorikancha. Before the Conquistadors arrived, The Incas had lined the walls with pure gold. We compared the stonework of the Spaniards versus the Incas in one of the alleys. One wall, (Incan) was very smooth and the huge stone blocks were intricatly pieced together like a puzzle. The Other side (Spaniard stonework) was rough and had uneven stones hed together by stucco. Very ugly.

We had to hurry to get to the hotel so we could get our bags ad still get to the airport by 11:00. We settled down to wait the 15 minutes until they arrived. By the time 11:30 rolled around, we were a bit worried, but we didnt think much of it. While we waited, I got a picture with these peruvian ladies. They were all at least head and shoulders shorter than me!!! Finally ( and by this time grandpa and i were nearly dead with hunger) they arrived at 3:00!!! It turned out that their plane had been cancelled because of weather, and they had to wait to get another one. No one was even sure they would be able to get to cuzco that day!!! Once they got on the plan and down to Cuzco, they still had to circle for an hour to wait for a break in the rainclouds.

When we were all together, we took a bus out to Urubamba (spelling error) where we arrived at about 8:00 ( after dinner). Dad and I got to talking with a lady named Elaina in our froup, and it turns out she is Jodies Next door neighbor!!! they go to church together!! How cool is that!! anyway, it is 11:30 and i am tired. Talk to you later!!

Love you tons!

Jake Lythgoe

August 8, 2008, DAY 3
Today was a great day. We spent the night in Urubamba, and woke up at seven to get ready for the day. We gathered as a group to eat breakfast, then we took the bus to the orphanage we were working at. It is called the Sunflower, but in español. When we got there, there were some of the cutest little kids i have ever seen!! When we got off the bus, all the kids were lined up, dressed in traditional clothes, all cultural. It was so cool, they were all lined up, and dancing while the older kids played instuments. When we walked between them, they threw flowers petals, it was so pretty. Then, all the kids suddenly starting running at us!! they all grabbed us by the hand and took us to seats around the edge of a grassy area. we took our seats, then they introduced themselves, saying their name, age and grade. There was a really cute little boy named Christpher, and he was probably the smallest one there.

After we sat down ad they introduced themselves, they treated us to three cultural dances. They were very cool to watch, and they are very good dancers. The last dance was one about the prosperity of the crops and the harvest, and it was a participational dance. They took all of us up, a few at a time, and we danced with them. They gave us these hard fruit things, and we "bowled" in a sense. We had to knock over two pins using these fruits, and it was a lot of fun, Grandpa Lythgoe and Dad were the first two guys that were picked to dance, i got some good pictures of both of them.!!
At the end of the dance, the kids all swarmed over and pulled all of us to dance together.

After the dance, they sang the Peru National Hymn, and we sang the National anthem. It was fun, they sang a lot better than Us!! then we took a tour of the orphanage, it was very organized, clean and very pretty. Then we got to work.

We had a few main work groups. One group organized the supply closets and the things we had donated, one group planted flowers and plants along the main path, one group mixed adobe bricks, and Grandpa, Dad, Todd Love and I helped fill in holes, make cement, and other odd jobs. At the end, Todd and I de-barked logs while dad and grandpa and Will love sifted dirt to get finer dirt. At the end of the day, we said goodbye to all of our new friends and returned to the Hotel to clean up. Then we went to dinner at a really good Chicken Restaurant, it was great. I ordered an Inca Kola, but I said the wrong thing!!! instead of getting the small bottle the size of a normal plastic soda bottle, I got a Huge 1 Liter bottle!! It was enormous!!! I shared with Todd Love and Jeff Cook so i wasnt overloaded on soda. :)

We decided to walk back to the hotel, it was about a mile or so, it was very beautiful weather. It gets dark around six here, it is very strange!!

It is so much fun being here, I love the people down here. All the peruvians are so nice and courteous!! Also, i have made some really good friends wit the people in our group, it is a lot of fun.

Well, i miss everyone so much!! I love you all a tone, see you soon!!!

Love,
Jake Lythgoe


August 9, 2008 Day 4

Sorry i did not realize what was up with the old barometer, i hadnt realized what was going on.

Anyway, We went back to the orphanage today and continued our work. Todd and I continued to debark the logs, Dad continued shoveling dirt, and the others continued planting, making adobe bricks, and organizing the storage closets. But, there were a few differences.

After Todd Love and I finished debarking, we started to saw these logs, but not all the way. We had to saw partway through, to a line on either side. Then, Juan Carlos would use some cool tool and break off a part of the log (lengthwise, ) so it created a small platform. Then we (and dad and grandpa and a few of the girls) started to "shuck" some bamboo poles, much like shucking corn. Except this corn was 25 feet long (or so) and we shucked them using sickles, and in mine and todds cases, machetes. (very cool blades, by the way.) we did about a hundred or so, i didnt count. :)

Well, it turned out that all of our labors had been put towards construction. We were putting a roof on the "guardhouse" next to the orphanage gate. The logs would form the outside edge, providing a solid base for the roof. Then, the bamboo poles will be laid across the logs and nailed and plastered down. Then, they will cover it with tile and put the adobe mud on top to seal it from the rain. We were a part of the whole construction process, from cutting down the trees to creating adobe bricks, firsthand.

We worked all day, and at four o clock, we had a fiesta!! We had lots of games for the kids, they had to carry a balloon from one side of the courtyard to the other between their backs. One game was basically limbo, except they were going back and forth as fast as possible, all at the same time, it was hilarious to watch!!! One kid, Jhon2 (Jhon, like john, Dos because he is the younger of two jhons.) would go, but forget to bend over. the rope would catch his throat, but he would keep walking!!! Christopher, the youngest kid, would get the funniest look of intense concentration, stick out his arms for balance, and slowly stalk towards the rope. It was especially funny because he would almost make it, then the rope would get caught on his nose. he would totally tip over backwards!!! It was awesome. Then, we went inside and had cake, because we celebrated the birthdays of 8 kids (out of 38) whose birthdays were between now and when the next group is coming. It was so much fun.

I forgot until just now, but one of the funniest parts was giving all the boys haircuts!!! We were going to cut it way short, they get a haircut twice a year, but none wanted it cut!!! so.. we used girls hair clips fo intimidation. We told them if they didnt want their hair cut, they had to wear the hair clips. I have never seen boys so eager to get their hair cut!!

Next, we tried telling them that they could have a sucker, but only after their hair was cut. It was so much fun!!!

After the fiesta, we left to return to Urubamba for dinner. We all got to split up and choose where we ate, but a ton of us went up to a hotel/restaurant. I wanted to try Cuy (guinea pig), but they ddnt have any. So i ordered an Alpaca Hamburger ( an alpaca is a very close relative of the llama, but the meat is sooooo delicious!!) THe actual name was sandwich de la Alpaca Hamberguesa. We didnt know it, but when they said Hamburger sandwich, they meant it. It had all the same stuff on it, but the burger was between to toasted pieces of bread!!! it was so cool!!

When we returned to our hotel, we tried playing some pool. It was so funny because the pool table is almost like an obese american slept in the middle, so if you hit the ball straight to the pocket, it will eventually curve. Once, it did a full u-turn without hitting any wall, and went right back to where it started!!! it was nuts. Then we asked the bartender if they had any Inca Kola (my nw favorite drink, it is like cream soda/bubble gum flavor, so good) and he said it was 5 soles, or about two dollars, for a half liter bottle. So we walked acros the street to this old lady´s shop. They didnt have any of the small Inca Kolas, so Jeff Kuck (sounds like cook, spelled kuck) and Todd Lova and I bought a 2 1/2 liter bottle for 5 Soles!!! Wow, what a difference!!! It was even bigger than the one i accdently got at the restaurant yesterday!! (see previous entry). WE only got half way through it though.

When dad walked through the front door and saw the size of the bottle, He almost went into shock!!! He about died laughing!!!

Well, it is about midnight, and i am way tired. Talk to you later!!!

Love you lots!!
Jake Lythgoe

Grateful Grandparents!

The reunion committee out did themselves with wonderful mementoes to help us remember the good times at the reunion and to help us remember the importance of our family.

We are soooooo proud of all the Wilfardo's and Wilfy's. Thank you, thank you! You are wonderful!

Grandpa and I were totally overwhelmed by the beautiful tributes given to us by our wonderful children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Grandpa's book is priceless! We can't even imagine the hours and hours it took to put it all together. And the best part is that everyone participated!
The pictures are darling and the expressions of love and appreciation are so individual and unique. We were beyond surprised. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone and especially to Ray and Julie and Christie for pulling it all together.

The DVD was amazing. Ray has a new talent as a movie producer! When I die there will be no need for a funeral---it's all been said. Everyone was so very generous. I was deeply touched by your expressions of love and appreciation. Thank you!

Beautiful Bear Lake Barfuss Reunion 2008!

The Barfuss' started arriving at the Inn at the Lake Friday afternoon and evening. Everyone was excited to be in this beautiful facility again. It is so clean and accomodating. There is so much room and many amenities that made for a wonderful time for all.
The girls in the "Secret Circle" had fun just visiting, playing games, soaking in the hot tub, eating until they were ready to pop, and sharing thoughts and feelings about life. It was just fun being together.
There were good opportunites to just sit and chat and get caught up on each other's life.
The Wilfy's especially enjoyed the swimming pool. We've got some pretty good swimmers among the group!
The boys ran their heads off playing ultimate frisby out on the lawn. There was plenty of room. The competitive genes were evident on the playing field.