September 18, 2012 - Independence Day Celebration

18 de Septiembre - Chile's Independence Day celebration at the Independencia Stake Center with Missionaries in our District. This is the biggest holiday in Chile.

Here we are with Pablo Oyarzun, Hno. Vergara (1st counselor in Los Olivos Ward Bishopric) and his wife, and grandson Matias Chacon.

Bishop Huentecona and Hno Vergara with their wives standing in front of the ward's refreshment table. The Bishop is wearing the traditional Chilean black, flat rimmed hat.

Members of the Los Olivos Ward drinking the popular Chilean beverage mote con huesillo, consisting of wheat and dried peaches.

Traditional dance at the Independence Day celebration. Colorful national costumes adorn the festivities.

A dance from Chilean coastal fishermen.

Awesome saints from Los Olivos Ward in traditional dance costumes. They were frequent first place winners in musical and dance competitions.

Sister Eulitt with Coni Aravena Segura. She helped us activate her family back into Church and helped prepare her father Cristian for baptism. She plans to serve a mission in a few years when she turns age 19.



Rapa Nui dancers from Isla de Pascua (Easter Island). They look Polynesian because Rapa Nui's are Polynesians.

Guitars, accordion, and lively Chilean singers bring everyone on their feet clapping and foot-stomping. 

Cueca dancers performing the most traditional national Chilean dance.

We transferred these Elders to their new home. The traditional missionary 'thumbs up', smiles up.

This sacred board has photos of all the missionary companionships in the mission by zone, by district, by sector. It is a humbling experience to be numbered among these elect, set-apart servants of Jesus Christ.

Higenia Suarez knitted the sweater for Mom and purchased one for Dad to show her love and appreciation for all we did to help her. Her many talents were shared as a counselor in Relief Society. Dad dedicated her home and gave her several Priesthood blessings.

All four of these youth were recently baptized and we had the joy of teaching them.

This is our humble apartment in Recoleta. We invited Higenia Suarez and Hna. Josefina for lunch. Hna. Josefina walks 45 minutes to Church each Sunday. Both of these sisters are valiant in faith and works. 

 

Here we are at Higenia's home for Family Home Evening and "once", which is the Chilean light evening meal eaten around 9:00pm or so. It is pronounced own-say.

Service project. The weeds grow just as tall in Chile as they do in the USA.

Everyday Mom bandaged the bottom of her feet which consisted of many blisters. We went through boxes of moleskin and bandages. Mom never complained and never slowed down. She is my hero.

This is the Chilean "lawnmower" we purchased for Missionaries who had lawns. We got this idea from watching the locals cut their lawns in similar fashion. Pollution free lawnmowers! These Elders serve in Los Andes, north of Santiago.

September 2012 - Feeling the Savior's love.

Nachita's blessing was a special event in the Barro family.  We met the grandmother, and Rodrigo's family.  Rodrigo and his wife were fortunate to graduate from BYU in Provo, Utah.

This mother and son were delighted to see Elder Ferreyra and Elder Sanchez when they knocked on their door.  They were ready to learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the Elders. Both embraced the Gospel and were baptized.

Dad and I are holding the Chilean flag outside the Chile Santiago North Mission Office.  This flag was adopted by Chile many years before Texas became a state.  The blue color on the flag represents Chile's long, long coast line.  The white represents the snow on the Andes Mountains, and the red represents the blood that was shed in battles to gain their freedom.

One morning when we delivered the mail, the missionaries in the Quilicura Zone gave us a cake to show their appreciation for the many acts of service we provided for them. We are more then happy to help the missionaries when our help is needed.  We love the missionaries and feel it a privilege to serve them.

On a different week, when we delivered the mail in Quilicura, these two Sister Missionaries gave us a plate of delicious empanadas they had prepared for us.  We love and appreciate all the missionaries in our Mission. 

This was a new apartment for these Elders in San Felipe about one hour north of Santiago.  Everything they needed  we transported in the Mission KIA van.

Office Elders determine to fly the Chilean flag for the week of September 18th, Chile's Independence Day.

The Mission Office had the largest flag in Recoleta.



Another special Sunday for the Ramirez Chambi family, for us, the Elders and the our Bishop Huentecona.
Carlos and Jose Alfredo were glad to be baptized and become part of the youth group in the Los Olivos Ward.  The twin brothers and their sister walk over 45 minutes to participate in youth activities and attend church on Sunday.

These Elders have completed their 2 year mission.  We wished them well, and will have special memories of so many of our missionaries.

Elder Durrant was a great "Financiero" before Elder and Sister Terry took over the responsibilities of  the finance department .  Our Mission was fortunate to have great financieros like Elder Durant, and the Terrys.

We will never forget Elder Jonny Vance's musical talent.  I promised him that I would take our grandchildren to one of his concerts when he performs in Houston.

This house was near the Mission Office, and this tree was covered with white blossoms.  The blossoms looked like "pop corn popping on the apricot tree!"

August 2012

Santiago Mission Service

Feliz Cumpleaños Hermana Suarez! Tatiana, Suzana, Luis, and Sis Arellano and Bella joined us for a great celebration.

These Elders were happy to get a "Super 8 " treat at the end of their day when they came to our apartment.

 

These sisters wanted to show us their appreciation for spending several hours at Clinica Alemana with them late one evening.  They gave us rice pudding with Mas Mora on their preparation day.

This Elder from Argentina wore out  his shoes in the service of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.



The last day of a mission is always sad and glad.  These two sister missionaries are on their way to the airport back to their country.

We are on our way to the Mission Office early in the morning with clothes we have washed for the Missionary Warehouse.

We are thankful for the opportunity we had to help feed the elderly Catholic women of the "Fundacion De Las Rosas."

Most of the elderly women need a bib at meal times.

One of the elderly women I helped had the same name as my grandmother.  Her name was Ines.

Sister Terry was another missionary serving in our mission, Santiago Norte.

Here is Elder Terry feeding another elderly women.

Most of these women could not feed themselves.  This home for the elderly was on Maria Graham St. in Recoleta about four blocks from The Mission Office.