FRANTIC FEBRUARY

As we travel around the city, we will see the "one" and sometimes a "two" horse power vehicles transporting fruits and vegetables to the ferias, or construction material to construction sites.

We tried to buy the best mattresses for the missionaries.  We were not able to get these mattresses for $39,000 because we did not have a "Club Lider Card."  We had to pay $59,000 - regular price, but we were happy we could buy all five, and take them back to the office in the van.

We drove over one hour to replace a broken bunk bed headboard.  The Elders left a bag of the famous cookies from their city to show their appreciation for our efforts.  The Elders had an appointment so we did not get to see them.

We enjoy preparing  the apartments for the missionaries.

These Elders were happy to see the clean curtains in their future apartment.

These Elders were walking by when Dad and I went to sign a contract for a new apartment. 

The Morales family came to Chile from Peru seeking better working opportunities and a better future.

The Wilsons invited us over to enjoy sweet watermelon and a brief visit.  He served here in Chile 45 years ago.  They are great missionaries,  and are loved by their bishop and ward members.  Their Sector is next to our Sector.

It is a happy day for these Elders.  They have been living about 45 minutes from their Sector, because they could not find a house or apartment in or near their Sector.  A member decided to build an apartment for the Elders.  Now the Elders are only about 5 minutes from their Sector, and the landlord will have a steady income for a long time.

Notice the sink.  It is the only thing  that was in this kitchen.  Most of the builders only put a sink in the kitchen.  Even when they advertise that the apartment has an American kitchen, there are no cabinets for groceries or dishes.

We will miss the Wilsons.  They are excited and looking forward to their new assignment on one of the islands.  We had a quiet farewell lunch for them.

CHRISTMAS IN CHILE 2011

We invited Higenia to the Christmas Concert at the Obispado.  We also enjoyed the nativity and Christmas lights of the Santiago Temple.

We love shopping at Lider.  We select fresh fruits and vegetables, then we take them to the scale center.  There an employee will weigh the bag and puts a tag with the price of the fruit or vegetable. 

I like to sweep and keep the Mission Office an example of cleanliness in Recoleta. 

The Wilsons with Elder Eulitt - buying a new tire.  The office Elders had a blow out after dark on the autopista.

This is what was left of the blown out tire.  It was a miracle the Elders survived.

The smiles tell it all - we love birthday celebrations!

A Sister Missionary walked through this glass door and survived with minor cuts. Here we are replacing the glass door.

Repairing a shower that was not being used in Quilicura.

Happiness for the Elders - a new working shower!

The Laborers eating on the run.

Walking home for lunch; in front of our 18 story apartment building.

A popular small park in front of our apartment; very poplular with people and dogs.

Temple tour group - one of our favorite activities to do with investigators and on this occasion with Los Wilsons.

Chinese lunch on El Salto and Lircay with Los Wilsons. This became their favorite place to eat.

These Hermanas locked themselves out of their apartment in Los Andes for two days. It was a miracle to find this locksmith at 6:45pm on a Saturday in a town we were unfamiliar with.

Fermin Vivaceta close to the chapel. Moving day for these Elders who looked for months for an apartment in this sector.

KIA van - the workhorse vehicle in our mission. We moved many, many missionaries using this KIA.

Moving more missionaries, this time in Circunvalacion.

Hermana Eulitt - mission seamstress, curtain-maker, taylor, and master of many skills. She is making her first set of curtains in the upstairs of the Mission Office, which was the former La Paz chapel. 

Elder Eulitt learns about curtain-making from his eternal companion. This is the beginning of many, many curtains for missionary apartments.

THANKSGIVING IN CHILE

It is a  "Small World" when you are a member of  the Church.  Here we are with a special couple who is serving here in Santiago, Chile.  We met them here when we arrived in July.  Their son's family and our son's family had Thanksgiving together.  Way down here in the historical Mission Home,  we enjoyed our wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with this great couple as we shared some of our mission experiences.

Dad and and another senior missionary serving in the Santiago North Mission.

After our Thanksgiving dinner, we were blessed to be intertained by several talented friends and missionaries from our mission.

The beautiful Mission Home is the perfect place for large gatherings and celebrations.

We love visiting with the other senior couples in our mission.  Elder Waldron served here 50 yrs ago, and Elder Wilson served here 45 years ago.  Now they enjoy serving in Chile again with their eternal companions.

At the end of a delicious dinner and fabulous program, most of us walked to the Metro Station to return home.

As missionaries, we make sure we find opportunities to serve.  The Vergara family's had a huge fire in August.  They lost most of their belongings.  We invited the Wilsons to help us tape and paint.

This room was designed to store food and other things. The family had left over paint from the other rooms, and decided to make good use of the paint.   

The room turned out beautiful and colorful.

This cabinet is for the bathroom on the 2nd floor.  It was pushed up by family members, and Dad and Elder Wilson help by pulling it up, and into the large beroom then took it to the bathroom.

The Vergara family appreciated our help and insisted that we stay for lunch.

Higenia has become our good friend as we continue to visit her, and remind her of the great blessings she can enjoy by returning to activity in the Church.  She made several Christmas trees, and selected the nicest one for our apartment. 

We purchased some Christmas decorations for the Gutierrez family.  We have been teaching this family for a few weeks.

We like to celebrate birthdays with a cake from Lider.

It is time for our Mission Secretary to return to work in a sector.  On this day we will take him to San Felipe over one hour north of our Mission Office.

On the same day that we took the Mission Secretary to San Felipe, we took a crew of 3 to paint a house that the Mission was returning to a landlord.  We are able to transport so much in our "Mission Wonder Van."

Dad and I are presenting a box of "Super 8" candy bars to these Elders who worked hard  pulling weeds and cleaning the yard of the house we were preparing to return to the landlord. 

The Wilsons and Eulitts stopped at this bakery to buy  a treat in Colina near the Chapel.

The Office Elders introducing themselves to a dog near our apartment.