Mission Experiences in Chile

Santiago Temple

2009-11-22T11:53:00.001-08:00

You may not realize that there are many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Chile. While we usually think of South America as being mostly Catholic, that isn't really the case in Chile. The Evangelicals in Chile represent a large group as well as do the Mormons. This blog is to update you all on a few Mormon facts about Chile. There is presently one temple in Chile. It is in Santiago right across the street from where I live. This past October, the Church announced the building of another temple in Chile. It will be about 4 hours south of Santiago in Concepcion. The following pictures were taken on Saturday, Nov. 21st on the Santiago Temple grounds. I hope you enjoy them. The Santiago Temple features the iconic Angel Moroni as do most, but not all, Mormon Temples around the world.

As you can see, the Santiago Temple has been here for sometime. There has been one major renovation.

Temples do not function as churches. They are not open on Sunday. Tuesday through Saturday, they are open only to members who have a "recommend" which is obtained by being an active member in good standing. Usually, only adults or teenagers attend the temple.

"Mormon" Temples are considered sacred by the members and are used to perform sacred church ordinaces. Mormons are unique in their belief that marriages and families are eternal. Couples come to the temple to be married for eternity not "until death do you part".

Mormons are also unique in their belief in baptism for the dead. These ordinances are usually performed by the youth. This line of young people are waiting to enter the temple so that they can be baptized for deceased individuals who did not have the opportunity for this ordinance while still living. We believe that those deceased individuals have the right to accept or reject the ordinance performed for them.

Once you enter the temple doors, the noise of the city recedes and all is quiet and peaceful. Elder Davis works in the temple on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All ordinance work is done in Spanish. He has loved working with the Chileno temple workers and has made wonderful new friends.

Since families come great distances to visit the temple, you always see people of many ages relaxing on the temple grounds.

The gardens are beautiful so those on the outside of the temple have pleasant surroundings while they wait for their family members to finish in the temple.

These gentlemen have brought the names of their ancestors to the temple for ordinance work. They appear to be coordinating and comparing notes. Maybe they are brothers, or maybe they are just helping each other sort through the names.

These young people are almost ready to enter the temple for their part in the work.

They may have travelled for hundreds of miles. Every Friday and Saturday the parking lot fills with buses from all over Chile and also Mendoza, Argentina.

They stay in housing on the temple grounds for the few days they are attending the temple.

This time of year the grounds are bright with blossoms.

If you look carefully, there is a bird on the bush.

While parents are doing temple work, children picnic on the grounds. I am sure many happy childhood memories are being made.

Teenagers, lounge on the grounds after they complete their work in the temple. They are probably talking about all the neat kids they have met this weekend while in Santiago at the temple.

Couples come to be married or to have their marriage made eternal in the temple.

Sometimes, entire families come to the temple to be united as an eternal family. With all family members dressed in white they kneel at the temple alters and are "sealed" together for time and all eternity. Elder Davis says that those occasions in the temple are his favorite. This is the goal of all Mormon families.

So the temple, inside and out, is a lovely place to spend some time. The people are as beautiful as are the flowers.

This was a special weekend for us because it was Elder Davis's 70th birthday. We celebrated with close friends.

We have loved being missionaries for the church. Our work and new the friends we have made in Chile will always be special to us. We are in the last 3 months of this amazing experience and have mixed feelings as it is coming to a close. Mostly, we are thankful for the opportunity to serve and for the wonderful plan that makes these relationships eternal. We continue to feel our Savior's love and protection as we are so far from home.

Politics & Religion

2009-11-15T02:21:00.000-08:00

Santiago is a beautiful and exciting city. Within a couple of miles or less from our apartment there is always some beauty and action. Our frequent walks take us through one of the numerous parks. This giant old tree offered an interesting background for a photo of me.

We are now enjoying spring and flowers are everywhere.

On Saturday, we hopped on a bus and rode for about 2 miles. This brought us to the Mapocho River, running brown as always. The day was less smoggy so above the buildings you can see the white statute of the Virgin Mary. Clicking on photos enlarges them.

This is an especially fine tree growing on the greenbelt along the river.

We, two Mormon missionaries walked to this fine old Catholic church to investigate.

Since, the doors were open and the sign said a prayer observation would soon start, we decided to join them. We found the church about one third full of casually dressed folks.

They sang some songs and several people spoke. We understood many of the Spanish words because the words of prayer are similar in all Christian faiths.

As we left the church we spied this lovely angel watching over us.

Looking up we noted the beautiful cieling above the entry.

The courtyards of Catholic churches offer a quiet respite from the noise of the city.

We left the peace of the church feeling good about our brief visit and reentered the chaos of Santiago.

There seemed to be lots of energy in the air and the state police with dogs were walking among and greeting the people.

Then the noise of honking horns filled the air. This is Chilean campaigning. In Decemeber they will elect a new president.

Lots of flag wavers and information being distributed on the streets. Music was playing and there was a festive aire.

We retreated to a peaceful mall to enjoy whatever else this day might offer.

Street musicians! This is just one of many. Also, sadly you see many very old women begging on the streets. They often just sit with a cup. I load my purse up with pesos before I go out and drop numerous coins in their cups.

Time to have lunch at a sidewalk cafe. Notice the prices in pesos. We had streak and ribs and french fries.

Lunch for two in a city of millions. It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours on a spring day. We will be returning home sometime in February to winter in the United States. We will have this day as a warm memory of Santiago.

Bellevista an Arty Barrio

2009-10-25T12:06:00.001-07:00

It was a gloomy Saturday afternoon in Santiago so we decided to get out and shake it up a little. We drove to the funky barrio of Bellevista which is about 4 miles from where we live. This community caters to artist and features sidewalk cafes. We started our adventure in the European building which was built in the early 1900's by a French family and was later remodeled by a Russian family. It now houses little shops where artists sell their wares. We had a great visit with a Chilean man who had spent some years in the San Francisco area. He shared a little of the history of the house which is still owned by the widow of the Russian owner.

This is an example of the residences in the neighorhood. It is so charming and inviting. This neighborhood is quiet compared to other areas of the city. The streets are narrow and there are few cars.

Every available surface is used to artistically.

Even the fences are works of art.

We had lunch on the patio of Pablo Neruda's historic home site. He is a much loved poet who was very liberal and self focused. Some would not agree with my assessment. He has historic houses all over Chile, filled with his various collections of neat stuff.

This is a mosaic. These street art projects pop up everwhere in the barrio.

The federal police are on horses here which adds to the charm. Oh! Santiago, we are going to miss you!

Where friends meet.

These guys belong in the zoo. Which happens to be just up the hill from the barrio.

No day is complete without stopping at a side walk cafe for dessert. This little treat cost us about $6 each for an ice cream sundae. Everything here is mucho dinero.

This is Gail and Bryce shopping for finger puppets. Usually, Bryce isn't a shopper but he went crazy for these little things. He must be thinking about his little ones at home. I know he can hardly wait to get home and be with them all again.

This could have been a good picture. Instead it is a great picture because it caught who we really are. He is a clown and I keep him in line..... most of the time.

TO THE TOP OF THE ANDES

2009-10-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

On a Saturday afternoon we and the Schows decided it was time to take a closer look at the Andes. For over a year, these mountains have watched over us bravely showing through the smog. The climate in this part of Chile is temperate so even in the winter the temperatures are not sever. It is a desert climate so you do not see evergreen trees. In fact, the mountains appear brown and somewhat barren.

Gail and I stop for a photo op the the way up the mountain.

Their trusty little car did a great job of getting us to the top and back.

In the city we have street dogs. In the mountains they have street horses. They actually belong to someone but roam the mountain like wild horses.

This looked like lots of fun. He had on skiis and landed smoothly and collected his chute.

Look closely and you will see the ski lines. North Americans come to Chile in the summer to ski in the Andes. You need to be really brave to do it though. Because the road up is narrow, windy, and has no guard rails. Happy driving!! Wouldn't do it for the world with snow on the road.

Once you get to the top you are greeted with all sorts of development related to skiing. Lots of condos and hotels.

It feels like you are at the top of the world. The mild temperatures make even winter skiing a pleasure I am told.

On the way down we stopped in investigate this. It turns out it is an ancient rock shelter.

These archeologist are pulling out artifacts that date to 7000 years ago. Mostly arrow heads.

The workers were students and teachers. They actually interviewed us to see how we responded to the site. I would say I would prefer the hotel on the top of the mountain to the rock shelter any day. It is an interesting piece of history and needs to be preserved.

On the way down to encountered several street cows also. This fine animal is lovely and seemed as interested in us as we were in her.

Santa Cruz and Pichilemu

2009-10-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

We were invited to return to the Rancagua Mission during October to present at zone conferences. President Resek wanted our return visit to be interesting so he booked us at a quaint hotel in Santa Cruz which is a popular tourist get away.

This hotel is owned by two couples who have filled it with collections of antiques. They served a hearty breakfast and had a warm fire going in the evenings. It was a charming place.

We had lunch at a historic ranch which is now the play ground of the rich. It was off season so we had the place to ourselves.

Everwhere you looked there was some view to delight the eye.

The flowers were dazzling. So are the seniors standing under them.

We were the only ones using this private dining room. There was a warm fire burning in the fireplace. We and the Dixons enjoyed a quiet lunch.

This was dessert. In Chile it is all about presentation.

The cooks are in the middle and the waiters on the ends. They did a great job.

About an hour or so from Santa Cruz is Pichilemu on the coast. It is famous for surfing. And if you look closely at the picture you will see two people with surf boards down on the rocks.

This coastal area is very windy and has many cacti growing along the shores.

This local Catholic church in the country is a peaceful scene.

This is a common site in Chile. These are working riggs that haul all sorts of stuff.

This minature cathedral is actually a crypt. It is beautiful in its detail and design. It stood alone as a tribute to the departed family members. It is not part of a cemetery.

Scenes from Our Life in Chile Winter 2009

2009-09-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

We walk all the time in Santiago. This view is one block from our apartment taken on a Saturday afternoon, the 12th of September.

The 11th of September is the anniversary of the revolution when Pinochet took the government over. It is a feared day because many people have opposing views in Chile and there is always some violence on the 11th. In fact, all missionaries have to stay in after 7pm on that evening to be safe. Things close up and in the rough sections of town there is mob violence. So the following day we were interested to view a celebration of this take over.

Many people were yelling: Viva Pinochet! There are strong opinions pro and con.

People dressed their dogs for the rally.

One this same Saturday the buses rolled in filled with Mormons from all over Chile to attend the Santiago Temple. Sometimes, they have as many as 7 bus loads who will spend the day or two days doing work in the Temple.

They bring their children who often play on the temple grounds. These are precious.

This is Anna-Marie in a coastal town taking a break after a zone conference.

Bryce and David Dixon at a museum south of Santiago.

A popular eating place in the mountains about an hour out of town.

Our friends from Canada, George and Gail Schow. He is a dentist and getting special training in Santiago. She and I teach a music conducting course together at church.

This is David Dixon, a missionary serving as the area doctor for the missionaries. Anna-Marie and David work together to help sick missionaries.

Interior of a famous Catholic Church in Chillan, Chile about 4 hours south of Santiago. We travelled there with the Dixons to attend a wedding and bless a new baby.

Notice that it is winter. Very cute phone booth don't you think?

This is a meat lover's paradise. Shopping in South America is never boring.

Notice the prices....in pesos.

The greatest sacrifice of serving a mission is missing our grandchildren. As you can see, baby Hannah is a great comfort to a grandfather without his grandchildren.

This is Hannah's extended family. Her mother is a US citizen, her father is a Chileno. Her paternal grandfather has never owned a car in his entire life. Life is very different in South America.

Now isn't this the most beautiful thing you have seen posted on this blog?

Mother and daughter, Viri and Hannah. They are moving to Nevada to be with Viri's family so we will see them all again in the United States.

Wonderful new friends that we look forward to introducing to our own family someday.

Dieciocho de septiembre

2009-09-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

Independence Day in Chile is the 18th of September. They commemorate the process of breaking away from Spain about 1811. Chilenos are passionate and beautiful people who are very passionate about dieciocho de septiembre and celebrate it beautifully. We have been fortunate enough to have been here for two such celebrations. The full week celebration includes festivals in the parks, musicals, dances, parades and horsemanship. This posting will offer you a sample of it. Click on any picture you want to enlarge. You hear the music echoing off the high rise apartments before you see them. We ran down to the street only a few steps from our front door to join the crowds. I'm in the orange fleece.

Others have heard the clamor and leave the convent which is just around the corner to come and pay tribute.

Babies dressed in tradition clothing (with a pacifier) start the process of learning what it is to be Chileno.

The carabinaros (national police) help clear the streets and keep us safe. This one parked his Harley motorcycle. Pretty cool! We always respect and trust the carabinaros. They are above reproach and help make Chile a wonderful place to live.

This is the armada or navy marching team and band. They look really sharp and sound great.

This young man's mother was admiring him when the band took a 5 minute break.

Their uniforms are perfect. They reminded me of toy soldiers. The people actually march with the parade. There is no sitting on the sidelines. When the parade moves so do the people. We walked several blocks with the parade and loved the feeling of participation that it gave us.

In Chile people dress their dogs! Crazy but true! So of course they wore their special holiday clothes for this occasion.

Now it is time to dance the Cueca (quake ah) which is the national dance of Chile. Lots of handkerchief waving and foot stamping.

This pair of dancers are in typical Cueca traditional dance clothing.

We took lessons one evening and if you think it looks easy you are wrong.

Horses are as loved here as the dogs. This is one of the dancing horses.

They also have beautiful teams of horses and fine buggies. Notice the Andes in the background.

These dancers represent the original tribes people. The Mapochi. The crowds loves them and their bare back riders.

This dancer is dressed like a hawk and is always present in tradition Chilean celebrations.

This horse is doing the Cueca dance and is actually moving in time with the music. They love the dance and the horse so of course they combine the two.

Vive Chile! After 14 months of living in Chile there are times that we almost could be Chilenos. Our love of family calls us home, but we will return with a piece of Chile deep in our hearts.

Winter Trip to La Serena

2009-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Late in August, we were invited to present atzone conferences in the Vina Del Mar Mission which is west of Santiago on the Pacific coast and runs north several hundred miles. It was great to get out of the city and see some of the beautiful countryside. It was about a 5 hour drive north west to arrive in the colonial city of La Serena.

These missionaries translated for Cathy Dixon and me in the zone conference and did a wonderful job. Both of them are from countries in South America.

La Serena has many beautiful Catholic cathedrals.

It also boasts beautifully cared for colonial style government buildings.

Here is an example of a local neighborhood housing development. Charming.

City streets were busy and very clean which is in contrast to many South American cities.

Traffic congestion is common which is amazing to me because many people use public transportation. If they all had cars this country would be grid locked!

The local museum had a statue from Easter Island which was interesting but not as interesting as the 2 shrunken heads exhibited! I was so startled by them that I did a little research online. I discovered that shrunken heads were only made by a couple of tribes in Peru and Equador. The warriors would kill their victims and cut off their heads. They would then spend a week or two preparing the shrunken head. Basically, they skinned it, and then tanned it. During the process it shrunk. Then they stuffed it. UCK! Unfortunately, North American tourists in the late 1800's and early 1900's liked to collect them. This lead to a market for such things and the countries had to outlaw the sale of and importation of such souvenirs. I didn't take a picture and I won't be bringing any home!

Along the beach there is a light house. There are also about 40 high rise condos with views of the ocean. La Serena is a popular resort town.

This is a view of Coquimbo looking back to La Serena. Coquimbo use to be the stomping ground of Sir Frances Drake the explorer one time pirate. This picture was taken from the inside of a giant cement cross called Cruz del Tercer Milenio. The cross dominates the city and can be seen for miles. You take two elevators to arrive at the horizontal portion which houses an observation area. It is not for the faint of heart. It is 93 meters tall. But some experiences are not to be missed.

These flowers were at the foot of the cross. We have these flowers even in winter in Chile.

This photograph gives you an idea of how the cross stands out on the horizon of this small city.

The horizontal piece has windows for photos. It was an anxiety invoking experience for me but Bryce loved it.

At the foot of the cross is large chapel with a replica of the Pieta by Michaelangelo. I actually saw the original in Rome two summers ago. This one didn't have a crowd around it so we could enjoy it. They also had a museum with papal robes and hats and jewels that was unique.

July 4th A Winter Holiday!

2009-07-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of celebrating the 4th of July in a foreign country. We Norte Americanos gathered for sloppy joes and potato salad and swapped patriotic stories. Our group leader, Elder Benson dressed for the occasion.

We are not so self centered that we don't appreciate the fact that not everyone celebrates the 4th. Our Canadian brothers and sisters came dressed for the occasion. Vecinos is Spanish for neighbors.

President Ted Lyon, is the president of the Santiago Temple. He is a retired Spanish literature professor. He recited from memory Patrick Henry's famous "give me liberty or give me death" speech. It impressed and touched us all.

Our fair city is putting on its winter finery. It is cold at night and our apartments are very uncomfortable. I now wear long underwear and am thinking about getting a night cap.

This picture of the Andes was taken from our bedroom window. I will miss this when I leave but sometimes our bedroom feels like the Andes look. BRRRRRR

We spent the actual 4th of July at the US Embassy enjoying a celebration. We needed our passports to get in and had to go through a security check like at the airport.

There was a flag raising ceremony. The thing I loved about this experience was that it was all in my beloved English. I have been longed to hear my own language in public settings. It was a treat.

And of course, we were thrilled to meet the Obamas and enjoy the day with them. I will never forget the 4th of July in Santiago, Chile.

Real Estate in Chile

2009-07-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

I have been interested in the unique homes in Chile. So I want to share a few of the more interesting ones. In every town in Chile, you will find huge mouldering mansions that are literally turning to dust. This one was on the coast south of Santiago in San Antonio. These old houses don't appear to be apartments now. They sort of look like maybe ghosts have moved in.

This next series of homes are all within walking distance of my apartment. I am convinced that the Latin mind is much more tuned to color and design. I don't think this blue would make it in our neighborhood in Boise.

One of the amazing things about Santiago is that in the year I have lived here, the power only has gone out once. Now in Boise that is a common event. Perhaps, we need to bring some of the Idaho Power crews down here so that they can learn how to run power lines.

All properties in Chile are gated and there is no getting to the door without ringing a little buzzer and talking to the people inside. Most fences and gates have sharp things on the top.

This apartment is not in my neighborhood but in Los Andes about 1 hour north of Santiago. I show this as a contrast to my neighborhood which is upper class. Some of our missionaries live in this apartment so it isn't considered too terrible.

Many of the upper class live in apartments like this lovely Mediterranean style building which was constructed in 1948. Santiago has many of these older buildings which give the city a distinctive European look. This building is one block from my apartment. There are always bird cages hanging out the upper left hand window. The canaries and parakeets compete with the traffic noise.

Another neighborhood gem. Thankfully there are no paint covenants in our part of town.

Isn't this fabulous! It is actually a duplex which is common in the city. Maybe you would call them townhouses. We watched this one get renovated and it is now for sale. The place looks like it came right out of the art deco era of a Hercule Poirot movie.

Another amazing house marred by amazing wiring!

Now if I could choose a sweet little house for me in Santiago, it would be this one. It is right across the street from a neighborhood park and is neat as a pin. The arches that you see are actually vines that have been carefully pruned. Charming. But........I bet it doesn't have central heat or air conditioning. The windows are all single pane and the garage is only big enough for a Volkswagen bug. There is no yard to speak of and the neighbor next door has 9 stories with windows all looking down into what little yard you have. Welcome to life in a city of 7 million people with an economy that keeps most people so poor that a home like this is only for the very few. Chile is one of the best governed countries in South America. Unfortunately, its public education is of such poor quality that only the children of the rich can get ahead because their parents can afford private school. There are about 1000 families in Chile who control all the wealth. As a result the price of everything is fixed and there are no good deals anywhere.

As an American, I always knew I had it good. It isn't until you get to live out of the United States that you come to understand just how good you have had it. That is one of the blessings our young missionaries are getting as they learn to live in South America.

Santiago Saturday - A Perfect Day

2009-06-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

After a week of hard work, we are happy to have a day of recreation and learning. On May 3oth, we decided to go find some culture and enjoy a day away from the office. But first, it is always a good idea to check with a local citizen, Jose, to get the lay of the land. He speaks un poco de ingles and I speak un poco de espanol. That leaves a lot of room for error, but we are brave souls and venture forth.

Fall has come to our fair (smoggy) city and it is actually a delight since this is our first fall in Chile and this is more a city of trees than Boise, Idaho will ever be. Every street is lined with huge Sycamore trees that protect us from the burning southern hemisphere sun.

This is the very street where we live. It offers beauty that I will miss when I leave here.

These street scenes are our neighborhood. We often walk to the metro or we can take a bus. This was a great day for walking. The yellow building with the red roof is actually the Uruguay Embassy. It is lovely and always neat as a pin. Not a leaf out of place ever.

Our destination today is the Presidential Palace at La Moneda. We get the subway and hop on for a speedy trip. We are dumped out into another world all together. It is now overcast and raining a little.

We head down the stairs past a fountain and wall of water to enter the cultural center. We are delighted to see a giant display of ribbons. It was enough to delight an old girl's heart.

They also had a great museum shop that reminded me of my other life long ago in another galaxy when I was a museum store buyer. Oh! Life was simple then.

Now we are walking in search of the Pre-Columbian Museum. That has been our goal from the beginning. But then, it is always important to enjoy the journey. That is a good lesson to apply to life as well.

Santiago has flowers all year round. It also has flocks of pigeons everywhere. This little darling was just taking a break and enjoying the weather. The primroses are the winter blooms most often seen here.

The doors in Santiago are very European. This is an especially beautiful one with an especially beautiful man in front of it.

I bet they didn't get this door at Home Depot. You probably can't special order one either.

We have arrived at last to see a group of embarrassed Pre-Columbian statues. They all look like they got caught without their undies. Oh dear! I guess even the ancient ones sometimes had nightmares about being in public naked.

The pottery collection of Mayan, Olmec and other cultures was awe inspiring. I think these pots inspire modern day potters.

I put this picture in for all the cat lovers in the family. This is probably a jaguar since they are revered in these ancient cultures. Oddly, it said there were not any living around the area. I wonder how they knew about them. Word of mouth I guess. Notice her four little kittens!

One final pot and it is time to leave the quiet and peace of the museum and enter the noisy plaza and thread our way though the hoards to the subway. Little did we know that even more artistic surprises awaited us.....in the subway.

Isn't she grand in a gross sort of way? I think that is a cow floating on a cloud. Actually, all the subway stations have permanent art displays. This one makes me want to laugh out loud. What a great way to end a day in the city of Santiago.

Now we have a walk home from the subway or we might catch a bus. This is our part of town and it strangely feels a little like home to us.

While we were enjoying the museum, it was snowing in the Andes. We are snug in our apartment and enjoying the view from our patio. Another day in paradise, we feel blessed to have this experience.

Mendoza Argentina Mission Experiences

2009-05-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

On May 11th we took a one hour flight to Mendoza, Argentina. It was a stormy night and the flight is straight up and over the Andes to the east side of the mountain. It was bumpy all the way and Sister Davis hardly looked up from her reading. Now that is progress. Meet President and Sister Lindahl of the Mendoza Argentina Mission.

This is a picture of the apartment which will be the Lindahl's home for three years while they serve in Argentina.

This is a view of the east side of the Andes. Funny they look just like the west side! It was a special feeling for us to see the other side of the mountain. Our home in Santiago is just over the hill.

This beautiful fountain is in Mendoza. Two senior couples took us out for a tour of the city and a wonderful lunch and visit to an olive oil factory.

It was very cold in Mendoza which usually has a very mild climate. But then winter is coming. This country is filled with vineyards and olive groves.

This company makes olive oil for specialty markets. They buy their olives from local farmers who bring in a mixture of green, black and purple olives to be processed for oil.

First they grind up the olives, pit and all. Then they spead the paste on large round screen like platters. They appear to be made of basket material.

Next, they press it so that the oil and water drip out. If you eat an olive straight from a tree it will taste terrible because the water in an olive is very, very bitter. In fact, to prepare an olive to eat it has to be soaked in brine to draw out the bitter water, leaving behind the salt. In South America if you say, "I need to go change the water on the olives", it refers to needing to find a bathroom. Kind of like "I need to talk to a man about a horse". Where do these sayings come from?!

Once the water and oil are drained off they go into these tanks where the oil rises to the top.

The oil is put through filters and is then drained off into bottles. This woman was filling bottles with olive oil. This process is not mechanized as you can see.

This is the finished product. She told us that you should only buy virgin or extra virgin oil. If you buy a cheaper product your oil will be made from the stuff that falls on the floor or is left over after all the pressing is done. Ugh.

Of course, we stopped in the gift shop and tasted the oil and bought some hand cream. These are our new friends in Mendoza. Seniors like us, serving in South America.

These murals decorated the grounds of the olive factory and some of them are award winning.

Now it is time to go to lunch. In South America the presentation of food is always lovely.

Here is the group of us enjoying a lovely lunch on a cold day in Mendoza. Least you think that all we ever do is play in South America, now we will share some work pictures.

Please meet Elder and Sister Arce. They are in their 80's and are sad that this will be their last mission because of age and poor health. They are very dear friends of Elder Scott of the quorum of apostles. Elder Arce is one of the key builders of the church in South America and is considered a modern day pioneer in church history in Argtentina. We were honored to meet them.

Elder Arce is a singer and entertained us during our lunch break. He was dressed in a goucho outfit.

Elder Riggs who has competed in the Weiser, Idaho fiddle contests teamed up with Elder Arce. It was a rare treat. Elder Riggs is completing his mission in a few weeks.

Here is one zone of the three zones we visited. Pictures are important to these missionaries so we always sat for a group photo at the end of every conference. We loved these zone conferences. It was a very spiritual experience as we listened to the young missionaries share their experiences and feelings about their mission.

Osorno Mission Experiences

2009-05-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

We were invited to visit the Osorno Mission which encompasses the entire southern half of Chile to present at the mission's zone conferences. Because the distances are so great all of our travels were in airplanes. This is the airplane we took to Punta Arenas. Check a map for this one! It is at the southern tip of Chile. You are looking at the area surrounding the airport. The wind was so strong that you had to brace yourself or be knocked over. This rainbow was certainly a sign of a peaceful and joyful trip and conference experience. The rainbow descends into the Straits of Magellan. The city is colorful, clean and beautiful.

This picture was taken from our hotel room window. In the morning there was snow on the surrounding hills but it melted away by mid morning. In the winter, this city does have snow but not a lot. It mostly has winds so strong that they string up ropes in the city during the winter to break up the wind patterns between the buildings. Don't know how that works but you could sure use them to hang on to.

This is Anna-Marie having a hair raising experience with the Straits in the background.

We saw hundreds of fishing boats like these parked up on the beaches. It appeared that the fishing season was over because we seldom saw a boat on the water. Our visit in late April but us firmly into fall.

This is Bryce with his hand in the Straits of Magellan. We never would have expected to have this experience. The place really feels like it is at the bottom of the world. Windswept, brilliant colors, stark and beautiful are only a few words that begin to describe it.

We only had a small van to get around in Punta Arenas so the guys took turns cramming in the cargo area for our short trips to the church.

These are some of the darling missionaries who serve at the bottom of the world. far from their mission president and church headquarters. They are some of the mission's most responsible missionaries.

This sister is the Relief Society teacher. Please notice the chalkboard and visual aids for her lesson. And of course, any Relief Society anywhere is going to have a vase of flowers. It's a cultural thing.....Mormon Culture. Her lesson was well prepared and I felt at home even though the language was not my own.

The Punta Arenas area has two such lovely buildings for the Saints to enjoy. This is Elder Davis wrapped in the new coat which he bought in beautiful downtown Punta Arenas.

Our time in Punta Arenas came to a close so with President and Sister Lovell we headed for the airport for another thrilling flight.

This was the view from the airplane. Sister Davis doesn't really like to fly but is getting used to it.

We are now in the lake and volcano district around Osorno. The lakes are so large that they look like seas.

This of course is Elder Davis and the Osorno Volcano with a bank of clouds and the lake.

This picture is classic southern Chile scenery. What a beautiful sight. We will never forget it.

In the winter the rains are incessant, therefore many of the buildings are sided in metal which is painted. Notice the lovely wood work around the windows of this metal sided building. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

That volcano just dominates the horizon wherever you go in the area. It is the late afternoon and the light is dimming.

All the missionaries of the Osorno mission get rain gear, jackets, pants, long skirts with the emblem of the Osorno Mission on the sleeve. They really look great.

We are now back in Puerto Montt which is a harbor on the coast of Chile, south of Osorno. Our hotel room was on the 9th floor on a road which ran along the harbor. It was a beautiful view but a little creepy to look down into the water. I was just glad no earthquakes happened during our stay. After doing three conferences in the area we then flew to Coyhaique which is south again and in the mountains very near Argentina.

Coyhaique is beautiful this time of year with fall colors in full display.

These are wild llamas along the river just outside of Coyhaique.

This time I thought I would show you a local Catholic Church. Lovely, isn't it?

South America has a problem because of a hole in the ozone layer. So this is an alert to help the residents protect themselves from the sun. Bet this is the first time any of you have seen a sun alert!

Here is the whole conference team. Left to right: Lovells, Davis's and Dixons.

It was a grand experience which we will remember fondly.

Valpariso a Port on the Coast of Chile

2009-04-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

About a 2 hour drive west of Santiago, through a very long tunnel and over a low coastal mountain range you descend into the city of Valpariso. This bustling port city is built on steep hills which desend to the harbor. This harbor is filled with working vessels from many nations.

Valpariso is a national heritage site because of its many historic buildings. Most of them date to the 1800's and are jammed into close proximity to all the others. They also have electric busses which attach to overhead lines so even the air space is crowded.

They are preserving the outer shells of their historic buildings so they keep the facade and build a modern building on the inside. This one is gutted and awaits a new interior.

This blue building is the original government building and plaza.

Elder Davis and Elder Dixon enjoying the plaza and hoping not to get hit by a bus or taxi.

In order to get up the hills you take the vernicular which is really a shack on tracks that is hauled up on cables. It costs about 200 pescos for a very brief ride to the top. The city has many verniculars to transport you up. They are worth it .....the climb is exhausting.

The view from the top is worth the walk or the pescos.

Our amigos Cathy Dixon and Steve Boyden.

This historic home was situated at the top of one of the verniculars. It belonged to the Lyon family and is very ornate.

This old mansion was in a tumbled down state. In fact, much of the town is covered in pealing paint, rusty iron fencing, broken tiles and concrete.

There must be a colony of artist in Valpariso as most old surfaces are embellished in some outlandish and charming manner.

This is an example of building the house to fit the lot. I wonder if any room is wide enough for a double bed? Notice the hairpin turns for that road. At least it is paved; some were just ruts with bushes growning in the middle.

More neighborhood art. Wonder if we couldn't do something with those plain fences around our subdivision?

In spite of the fall date, it feels a lot like summer heat. We managed to climb to the top of this hill on the narrow side walks.

This is a good example of rutted roads with bushes in the center. I suspect that they do not have a neighborhood association approving all the house paint colors. And that is what makes Valpariso so charming!! Click on the picture to enlarge it and notice that every step is painted a different color.

Time now for a rest over a delightful lunch with good friends and a beautiful view.

This blue thing floating in the harbor is actually a floating dry dock used for ship repairs.

Out side of t0wn, on a very winding and windy road is a look out with a light house. Please notice what looks like apartment buildings on the right hand side of the picture on the very edge. I'll tell you about those pretty soon.

In this picture you are looking south down the coast of Chile toward the South Pole.

Here we have Eileen Gonzales rejoicing that she is out of the office and out of Santiago and enjoying the ocean breezes.

Now about the apartment buildings.......they are actually crypts for the dead. I understand that you put your loved one in a large one for a couple of years and then when they have dried out and gotten smaller they move the remains to a smaller crypt. I wonder what they call a remains remover? Maybe a body snatcher?

And now for the most precious thing is Chile........my husband, Elder Davis.

Trip to Concepcion

2009-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

After a 6 hour drive south of Santiago, we arrived in Temuco to spend four glorious nights in a Holiday Inn which felt just like North America. It was a little vacation from the cultural immersion which we have been experiencing for the past 9 months. This picture is us unloading the van in the soggy weather which was also a treat after not seeing or feeling rain for the past 9 months. The first thing Bryce did was get us wired up to the internet so we would be in touch with our kids and he could serf U Tube. I was busy checking out the king size bed, soft sheets and hot water in the bathroom tap. What a treat!!!

Going out to dinner is one of the pleasures of this mission. We go to dinner about once a week with other senior missionaries. Generally, the food isn't great but the company is always worth the trip.

We had 2 days before we had to go to work so we drove to Pucon which is at the foot of the Andes in the Lake District. Note the lovely condos on the lake. This community is an upscale resort area which is very busy during the summer months. Since it is now fall it was quiet and wet and windy.

This picture gives you a good sense of the surrounding scenery. There is a fantastic volcano which we couldn't see because of the low clouds. It literally rises out of the lake. I was disappointed but now we have a reason to return.

This is Mi Amiga, Cathy who has become a very good friend. She is a nurse, bagpipe player, golfer and wife of the doctor.

This scene of the streets of Pucon I especially liked. This town reminded me of McCall, Idaho in some ways. It is apparent to us that you do not need to travel around the world to find beauty. It is often in your own backyard.

This colorful convenience store was in Villarica which is at the other end of the lake. These resort towns cater to the rich and upper middle class. We were surprised to learn that many Chilenos never leave their town during there life. They may only live 2 hours from the ocean but never have the means to take the bus and stay there. We see the missions that the Latino serve in South America as an opportunity to grow in more ways than just service. One of the challenges they have to overcome is regional prejudice as they are put in companionships with missionaries from other countries.

This cute couple is enjoying the sites back in Temuco.

Temuco a town of about 270,000 population is situated in country that looks and feels like Coeur d Alene, Idaho. It is a reasonable quiet and clean city. There were reminders however that we were still in South America. I liked the sidewalk shops that sell all sorts of wares. This basket business was especially attractive.

A donkey on a city street is certainly not something you would see in Idaho.

Woodstoves for sale was another unique site. These stoves are really attractive and seemed like a flash from the past.

Among the cars and busses you see a few of these horse and cart vehicles everyday. They appear to be working animals and people.

The vacation is now over and the work of the Area Mental Health Advisor and the Area Medical Advisor begins. These young men sat with us at lunch on the first day of the zone conferences. We spent 3 days doing the conferences which are marathon meetings with presentations and meetings with individuals who have health needs.

Since our presentations are done with powerpoints it is always a little tense making sure the devil isn't in the technology. Since our presentation has a video and music in it that is usually where the glitch will be. We were fortunate that all went well with this conference.

This is Me Amigo, David who is the area doctor. He is 80 years young and so much fun that we feel blessed that we all arrived in Chile to serve together.

This is Elder and Sister Davis with one of our dear sister missionaries. We got to know her on the phone as we helped her adjust to her mission. It was very fun to meet her in person. You might notice that she is a very little person. We feel big in South America.

This is President and Sister Swenson. They are an outstanding couple who manage the 170 missionaries in the Concepcion South Mission. I would feel confident having them watch over one of my children as they served.

This is the view from the balconey of their condo. We spent one night with them and enjoyed late night pizza and good visits.

This is the interior of the condo which boasted 4 bedrooms and central heat. The Swensons will live in Concepcion for 3 years as they fulfill their assignment. Their children are all adults and are in the US.

This is the exterior of the condo. It looks like hanging gardens which is really very common on the apartment buildings in Chile. This was our last day in Concepcion. On the way out the skies

cleared a little and if you look very carefully you will see the tip of the volcano peaking out of the clouds. We still want to come back!

The roads in Chile are great. There is one long high way, Ruta 5, that runs the length of Chile. It is a great road. The highway patrol don't drive up and down the road. They park on the side and using a radar gun flag you over if you are speeding. It works like a charm and saves a lot of fuel. I even saw patrolmen without a patrol car.

Santiago Steam Train Museum

2009-03-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday March 28, 2009 we, and our friends Ron and Eileen
Gonzales, visited a large park in Santiago, that has the national
railroad museum and other things to see. Across the street from
the parking lot is an art museum in a beautiful building that
could probably be converted into a Greek Orthodox Church
without too much work. We did not visit the art museum
yesterday. Maybe next time....

The railroad museum has sixteen old steam engines in it. They
are all about 100 years old. Most were built in Germany, then
assembled in Chile. Chile got off to a bad start in the railroad
business, in that they began with three different gauges (width
between rails). With that setup, they sometimes had to transfer
freight from one train to another to get it to the intended city.

Here is the front of the museum building that has some displays of railroad items in it. Also the bathrooms....

This steam engine and its attached railcar looked like it might have been a private railcar of a railway executive. It could have been the early 20th century version of a pickup truck and travel trailer.

Here were a couple of young ladies trying to sneak aboard this railcar.

We are shown sitting inside a 1906 passenger car that had stained glass windows above the clear windows. We had to duck in here for a while to cool off. It is fall in Santiago, but it was really hot outside on March 28th.

This engine seemed to be a yard switch engine, sitting on a turntable. Chile has some rail lines going now. One of these Saturdays, we are going to ride the bus and the subway to what is called the "Central Station," then take a train ride out to Rancagua and back, just so we can say we rode on a train here in Chile.

Going to work in Santiago

2009-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

I start the day by saying chio (chow) to Jose who speaks as much

English as I do Spanish. I have managed to learn that he is single

and lives at home with his mother. He is always very polite and
friendly. He is our day time guard at the apartment building.
We have guards around the clock but we still had a missionary's apartment broken into recently. Their laptop, camera and cash
was taken but not credit cards.

I walk across the street into the church office parking lot.
Interestingly, they have security cameras which caught the
theft at our apartment building in living color. That didn't
help get the loot back to its rightful owner.

I now say buenas diaz to the guard at the church parking lot.

His name is Alex and he has a little more English than I do

Spanish. We teach each other a few new words each week. He

works full time for the church guarding the inside and outside

of our church compound. There are about 8 of them on rotating

shifts day and night.

I almost always meet a group of young missionaries heading

back to the Mission Training Center which is also on the compound. They are all Latinos and only stay 3 weeks in the center. They eat their meals in the cafeteria of the church office building. They will serve their missions in Spanish speaking countries. Some of the missions in S. America now have more Latino missionaries than Gringos which is just what President Kimball said would happen back in the 80's.

This is the front door to the area office building. The entire compound is fenced and locked. If you want in they have to ring a buzzer to open the gate. The Santiago Temple is also on this compound. In addition to the Mission Training Center there is a 4 story building that houses the temple missionaries and provides housing for temple visitors. These visitors arrive from all over Chile and Mendoza, Argentina on buses. One most weekends there are 3 or more large buses loaded with temple going members. Bryce works 2 days a week in the temple. On those days I go to the office alone, which was the case when I took all these pictures.

This is my office which is on the 3rd floor and has a lovely view of the Andes. It is air conditioned and heated so this winter I may be spending extra hours in the office. We have decorated our office with pictures drawn by Naomi our grand daughter. We welcome any other contributions from other grandchildren.

This young woman is Viri Canelario Navarrte. She speaks perfect

English and Spanish and is willing to volunteer her skill to help me with the Spanish only speaking missionaries who want to visit with me. She is Mexican but was born in the US so has dual citizenship. She served a mission in Texas where she met Ceasar who she married after her mission. He is from Chile. They are members of our ward here and are expecting a baby girl in July. I can hardly wait to hold that little baby! Sadly, they also plan to move to Las Vegas in September where he is planning to go to school. Viri has an undergraduate degree in criminal justice. She and her husband help us feel like we have kids in Chile.

This is a good friend who has now completed her mission and returned to Equador. She is a math major at a university in Equador. She is planning to take graduate studies in math after she completes her undergraduate. I loved getting to know her.

This is another friend who has gone home. She lives in Argentina.
She gave me the beautiful shawl since she was unable to use it as
a missionary. The best part of being a missionary in S. America is meeting these wonderful people who I have loved. The real blessing is that they seem to love me, too.

A Trip to the Santiago Zoo

2009-01-13T03:28:00.000-08:00

To get to the zoo we had to take a bus and then a subway to Baquedano Square which is pictured above. This square features a statue of General Baquedano and the tomb of the unknown soldier. There is very busy traffic whipping around the two part plaza so it isn't a very restful resting place for anybody except maybe the dead.

We then had to walk about 6 blocks to the entry of the zoo. I liked this picture of the crane next to the cathedral. It was a leisurely walk in the cool morning air. The entry to the park is a medieval looking building which is the entry to the funicular. That's a train that climbs a cliff like mountain. A reminder: you can clik on the picture to enlarge it. You might want to do this when we get to the zoo pictures.

The funicular stopped half way up the mountain ane let us off for the zoo. Now this zoo is not designed with the handicapped or aged in mind. It hangs on the side of the mountain and to see the exhibits it helps if you are a mountain goat. We took our time and enjoyed most but not all of it.

These boys were playing a game in the morning sun while their moms drank big glasses of soda. The families here cart around 2 liter bottles of soda and plastic cups. The water here is good but the tradition among the people is that "you get sick if you drink the water". Old traditions don't give up in the face of change so you see a lot of tooth decay here due to the constant use of sweet drinks.

This is Bryce inside the aviary. It was the best part of the zoo.

This zoo isn't considered an especially good one by people who know about zoos. We thought it was ok but the setting was very difficult because of the climbing up and down the terraces to see the exhibits. The steps where rough and without hand rails so it was an accident waiting to happen. This country isn't as worried about law suits as the US is I guess.

Flowering trees here are more beautiful than anything you see in the north. This swimming pool is also in the mountains near the zoo. Is wasn't crowded at all and we think that might be because you need to have money to get to it and to use it. Many of the folks in Santiago are not that well off. So here we have a lovely pool for the upper class I suspect.

This picture is of park art in a park near our home in Providencia which is the upper class area of the city. A park runs the length of the river and is home to many art objects. I'll post more pictures of this art in the future.

Celebrating 47 Years of Marriage

2008-12-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

December 27th was our wedding anniversary. To celebrate ,we decided to get out on the town without any Spanish speakers as companions. It is always an adventure to go sight seeing in Santiago but even more so when you have so little Spanish that you know you won't be really understood or really understand anywhere to go. But we went anyway and had a great time.

We took a bus and then the subway to the Aviation Plaza which features this amazing fountain. It is operated with over 100 water pumps. It was exhilarating to watch the tremendous water show that it is. We went in the early evening before sundown and noticed that a large group of youth with dyed black hair, face jewelry and black clothing were congregating in large numbers. There was also a large number of police officers. So we decided not to stay after sunset to see the fountain lit for nite. We will return on a week night with a group of friends for safety. We did see many examples of PDA (public displays of affection). This is very common in Chile and seems strange to us North Americans but any place is a place for love in this country. We have even seen a couple kissing very warmly in church! If you want a better view of this behavior just click on the picture and it will enlarge it for you!!

We don't want you to think that this is all the young people do so we have included some picture of kids in the same park doing gymnastic tricks. You see lots of gymnastic teams doing tricks during the red lights at busy intersections. They then run among the cars collecting donations.

Interestingly, there was a couple lying on the grass almost in the middle of these athletes entwined in each others arms as if they

were alone. Oh well, I guess in a city of 7 million you just get use to crowds.

I have included two pictures of street dogs. They are a curious breed. They are everywhere in Santiago. The strange thing is that you never see a puppy or even a toddler dog anywhere.
We wonder where they keep their babies. They are so smart that
they always seem to cross streets with the light and they are always aloof of people. Never rude. You never touch or talk to a street dog however. You ignore them if you can and watch where you step. They all appear fairly healthy but a little dirty and rough.

The fountain and park are adjacent to the Mapocho River which runs out of the Andes chocolate brown. The bridge you see is as steep as it looks and takes some energy to climb. It is for pedestrians only. You get a great view of the park and the city and the mountains.

The blue bell flowers grow on a lacey leafed tree here that blooms in spring and early summer. I don't know that name so my son in law has to look it up and tell us all about it.

The first day of our celebration is complete but tomorrow the fun will continue.

2008-12-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come to Santiago quietly for us who are serving missions. We have not worried about meal preparations, shopping, gift wrapping or holiday parties. Our focus has been more on staying focused on our individual missions. That is difficult as we think about all that lovely snow in Idaho and all those loved ones having festivities without us. But it is also comforting as we hear their plans that include taking care of each other in our absence.

Christmas in Chile is a religious celebration. There is no controversy here about the political correctness of manger scenes on government property. In fact these pictures are of our municipal plaza and they certainly celebrate the birth of our Savior. On Christmas Eve at about 11 pm we walked down to this plaza to see how the locals celebrate Christmas. It was a lovely warm evening with cool breezes blowing. Families were milling around the plaza talking and laughing. Little girls were in white dresses. Vendors were selling popcorn from little carts. The children were up on the steps of the municipal building playing and sliding down the steps. The building was lit with changing colored lights at night so it would change from pink to purple and other shades of the rainbow. Beautiful light classical Christmas music was playing offerings such as the Nutcracker Ballet. The trees were all a twinkle with white lights among the lush green leaves. We sat for about an hour and loved Santiago and its happy people.

This past week Bryce has been working in the Santiago Temple welcoming young families who have been coming to be sealed together in eternal family units. I have shared that with our young missionaries who sometimes feel discouraged when people are too busy to hear about the Savior's plan for us. The church is growing in Chile again after a time of reorganization. We are happy about being a part of this growth. We are so thankful for the birth of the Savior but are even more thankful for his atoning sacrifice that makes it possible for us all to reach our divine potential.

Scenes From a Trip to Zone Conference

2008-11-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

During the past two weeks, the Dixons and we have made several trips south of Santiago to present at Zone Conferences for the Rancagua Mission. You will see a group of pictures that got posted before I could write about them. So let me tell you that a zone conference is a meeting of a group of missionaries in a given mission. The Rancagua Mission has 4 zones so we did 4 presentations over a period of 4 days. Bryce and I do power point presentations on stress management and communication skills. The scenes you see are pictures of the trip to the missions, and the towns we visited. I am especially fond of the picture of the 4 young missionary men together. They are all presently serving as branch presidents in local branches of the church. That is like a lay minister over a congregation. The picture of the young man with Bryce and me was our interpreter. He speaks flawless English and Spanish.

I thought you would enjoy the street scenes of the towns of San Fernando and Rancagua. Both cities are just humming with activity. We spent the night in Rancagua in a hotel room we could barely turn around in. But the bed was wonderful and it was very restful. The mission president in Rancagua is an Argentine who is an attorney in his career. He and his wife will serve as mission president for 3 years. They welcomed us warmly and we enjoyed our time with them.
The mountains are the Andes of course. Fruit was being sold everywhere. The fruit is better here than in the states. We are having a wonderful experience here in Chile.
The first picture is us getting ready for our big adventure.

2008-11-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

Misadventure on the subway!!!

2008-11-18T04:45:00.000-08:00

There will be no pictures with this posting. I was in no condition to record the event. (I being Anna-Marie)
Yesterday was a beautiful hot day. The work was done early and my missionary friend needed to go to the market to get a couple more Christmas gifts so I volunteered to go with her so her husband could stay and man the office. We quickly grabbed a bus and then transferred to the subway. We noticed that 2 young men gave us their seats. At the next stop an elderly women boarded and another young man got up and gave her his seat. It was obvious to us two missionaries that we were now in the category of little old ladies who were given seats. Not a bad deal actually.
We got our shopping done in rag time. I noticed that I was feeling very hot and that my cheeks were quite flushed. But it was time to go home so we descended into the subway and boarded the subway home. It was crowded with young moms and no one offered a seat at this time. Perhaps we looked younger to this group. We stood holding a pole and away we went with hot air blowing around us. I began to feel strange and by the time we were 2 stops from our exit I was exerting great effort to stay focused on my friend and the conversation. I remember Salvador stop and thinking great only 2 more stops. We came to Manuel Monte and I was really hanging on but noticed that I couldn't follow my friends conversation. The next thing I remember is opening my eyes and looking in the faces of about 5 Latinos who were exhibiting great care and concern. One man had elevated my legs, a women was making sure my dress covered by legs, another was holding my hand. I felt no fear only confusion and comfort. My friend started calling my name. After a few moments, a young man lifted me to my feet. By this time we had passed our exit so an effort was made to get me off the subway at the next exit. The young man and his girlfriend literally scooped me up and exited with me and my friend. The young man went to get the guards who came immediately and my friend in broken Spanish told them not to call an ambulance as I had only fainted from the heat. I had the presence of mind to thank my helpers in Spanish!! They embraced and kissed us both good bye. That is a lovely S. American custom.
The guards, two strong men, got on either side of me and took me up the long stairway out of the subway and turned me over to a female guard who took me to a restroom. Interestingly, she had to unlock two doors to get to the restroom which is typical South American style. How can such loving people be so concerned about locking everything up?
Once out of the subway we went to a street cafe and got something for me to drink and some toast. Again, the waiter exhibited care and concern for my obvious state of paleness and weakness. After a short break we grabbed a cab home. The cab driver was looking at me anxiously and drove as carefully as possible to keep me from getting dizzy again. You have to love these people! What great and kind hearts. I am on the mend but unfortunately I sprained my ankle as I fell to the floor and today I am still mildly dizzy and queasy. We are among friends here. Some we know and others we don't. What an experience. Now I must remember to always wear a hat at mid day in South America.

Christmas Shopping in Santiago

2008-11-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Forget Christmas carols and hot chocolate and roasting chestnuts. It is summer and the fresh fruit is in abundance. The temperature is about 75 degrees and the South Americans are not up tight about getting the shopping done. In fact, I think they may not be going to do any! The malls are not decked out and we do not hear Christmas music on the intercoms. What a relief!!

The street vendors are doing a brisk business in snack food, ice cream and drinks. They must have blackened lungs and deaf ears from all the car fumes and noise.

This young man has only one leg and sits on the cement wall selling jewelry. You can see him making a sale. After the sale he will sit back down and watch the traffic go by. I asked a resident of Santiago what is done to help disabled people in Chile and he was puzzled by my question. After some thought, he said that they were becoming aware that individuals with handicaps may need some financial help and assistance. It is not uncommon to see vendors on the streets with very disabling conditions.

These ladies were selling an assortment of jewelry also. They actually have to be licensed to sell on the streets and are given an assigned place to do their selling. One man who sells flowers on our street is out 8 hours a day and I am told makes a good living.

This market is a lot more fun than a city mall. We loved the little shops which offered all kinds of S. American arts and crafts. The market was very clean and featured lots of benches in the shade for tired husbands.

This shop owner is helping my friend Cathy Dixon try on a wrap around skirt. She didn't buy one but I did and really enjoy wearing it with my sensible missionary shoes.

Notice that they have spread a shade canopy over the market. It is a good thing as the ozone layer has a hole in it over Chile. Us Norte Americanos can get a nasty burn in no time. If you want to get a closer look at any of these pictures I think you can click on them and it will enlarge them for you. You might want to check out the sales.

These vendors have less desirable sites to sell their wares. However, please note the stairs. That is the entry and exit of the subway. So the foot traffic is heavy past their outdoor stores. Notice the older couple holding up the wall by the stairs. That is Elder and Sister Dixon. They were shopping with us. He is the medical doctor assigned here. His wife is the nurse. We do a lot of our work with them.

We ended a perfecto day of Christmas shopping by appreciating a street picture in colored chalk of the reason for the season. This is a Catholic nation with a love for shrines and pictures of the Savior and Mary. We were impressed with the skill and devotion that it took to create this temporary work of art.

Santa Lucia - What Santiago Did with an Eyesore!

2008-11-07T02:57:00.000-08:00

Back in the late 1800's the mayor of Santiago wanted to do something with a pile of rocks, really a small mountain, in the middle of the city. It was considered an eyesore and troubled the sensitivities of the city fathers. Also, back in the 1500's Pedro De Valdivia, the father of Chile, had camped at the very spot so it also had some historic value. They came upon a plan to create a lovely and whimsical park. You see us here standing at the entrance of this park. Note the street dog at our feet. Chile has muchos perros everywhere. They are generally benign but soil the streets. Chile has guards everywhere. In order to enjoy this park you have to sign in and give them your Carnet which is sort of like a SS# in the US. Entrance is free however.

Nothing in the park is older than about 1880 but everything has been designed to look ancient. The park covers a very steep outcrop of rock and must have over a 1,000,000 steps. The steps are very uneven and dangerous. We climbed to the very top where the view of the city was wonderful.

This is us after we reached the top and we don't look too exhausted so that speaks well for our healthy life style and youth and vigor!

This is the view from about half way up the trail. The park provides an escape from the noise and rush of the city. It is a favorite of lovers and everywhere we looked people were entwined in loving embraces. I didn't take pictures of that.

Sadly, we noticed that many of the features of the park were falling into disrepair. We hope they don't let it crumble to dust and become the next generation's eyesore.

These lilys grow like weeds in Santiago. This city has a slightly tropical feel to it with the palm trees and lush plants. Nothing freezes during the winter except the senior missionaries. When we arrived in winter there were some sad looking geraniums still blooming in the damp smog. But alas, summer has arrived and the grim winter is only a distant memory and a future dread.

Children are the same everywhere. The amazing thing about the children here is that they speak such wonderful Spanish. If only we could. One of the things we miss the most is the opportunity to hold and love a little child. Grandchildren are the greatest sacrifice that a senior missionary makes!

One of the few advantages to living in a city of 7 million people is a metro system. They have a great method here called the BIP card, pronounced beep. You buy the card, after giving them your Carnet # or course, and you load the card with pesos. Then you use the card like a prepaid credit card and just scan it as you get on the metro (subway system) or bus. You can travel from one to the other or transfer to other busses within 90 minutes and there is no additional charge.

The ride home is fast and efficient. Sometimes, the metro is so crowded that you literally get pressed in like a sardine in a can. Most North Americans find this very uncomfortable but the South Americans use it as a money making adventure. They either pick the pockets of the riders or entertain them with songs or instrumentals in the hope of a handout. Our ride home on this day was uneventful. Another day in paradise.

Grocery Shopping in Santiago

2008-10-18T04:04:00.000-07:00

In Santiago you go grocery shopping every few days. Almost everyone walks to the local grocery, dragging their cart behind them.

Sometimes, you take the bus if you decide to shop at the Jumbo. This store has a larger selection. The busses are very crowded and getting the groceries packed in with the people is a challenge.

We pass a school as we go walking. This school is a Catholic school and we have learned that the best schools in Chile are the Catholic schools.

The students all wear uniforms. The girls are always in short skirts. Sometimes the students are all wearing matching sweat suits for exercise.

The fruits are very good in Chile but you have to wash them very carefully to make sure they are clean.

After you bag up what you want to buy you have to have it weighted by this young man.

The milk is all stored in boxes and doesn't need to be in the refrigerator. It is really weird to open your milk like you do your box of cereal.

When you have finished shopping you have to pay for the food. Our bill today is 22,000 pescos. That is about $40. You always give the bag boy a tip of 100 pescos.

Now I have to pack all my groceries into my shopping cart. Always make sure the eggs are on the top of the pile!!!

On my way home I meet a street vendor. He is selling strawberries. They cost 1000 pecos. I decide they would be worth the money. He is very happy to get the sale.

Finally, I am loaded up and now I need to haul all my groceries home along the busy streets and past the park. I hear children playing in the park and speaking perfect Spanish. I sure wish I could speak it like they do.

I am home at last. I live on the 4th floor so I take an elevator up to my apartment. It has been a good shopping trip. I will do it all again in a few days.