Greetings from Santiago Chile on this beautiful Sunday, December 29, 2013.  This is our first Christmas season that we have not been around family members.  While it has been a little lonely, and we have missed our children, grandchildren, and friends, we have had a wonderful week.  On Christmas eve when we would usually be having dinner with family, we were actually having a wonderful Christmas dinner with our mission family.  Elder and Sister Candland hosted a delicious turkey dinner with all of the trimmings at their tiny apartment (all of the apartments are quite small, around 7-800 square feet).  Finding a turkey and all of the ingredients necessary to bake is no small task here in Chile, and when you can find them, they are quite expensive.  Turkeys for example run about $2.00 per pound.  Evone made her famous homemade dinner rolls and pecan pies, which actually had walnuts, because you cannot buy pecans in Chile.  As always, they were delicious and much appreciated.

On Christmas morning, we woke up to some beautiful email letters from our children.  Definitely the highlight of our day.  A group of senior missionaries that are close to the temple gathered for a Christmas brunch of the usual eggs, bacon, waffles and wonderful fresh fruit.  Being that it is summer, we have water melon,cantaloupes, strawberries, grapes, etc. and they are fresh and delicious.  There are 11 senior missionaries who work here in the church office buildings in various capacities (legal, auditing, medical, mental health, humanitarian, and of course perpetual education fund).  There are also a number of senior missionaries who are serving in mission home offices, temple  and as member leadership support missionaries.  There are four missions headquartered here in Santiago, and so we had some of those missionaries join us for our Christmas brunch.  It was truly wonderful to see them all and to visit and compare missionary experiences.

Then we came home and spent the next several hours calling and "Face timeing" with our kids and grandkids.  It was so fun to have them show us what they got for Christmas.  We love our weekly phone visits with the family!

On Christmas afternoon, Evone and I had the pleasure to visit a woman who is investigating the church.  She lives about 45 minutes to an hour away from our apartment depending on how the buses are running.  Her name is Victoria and I would guess she is in her late 60's or early 70's.  The young missionaries who are teaching her met us at a stake activity in Sept. We told them that if they ever needed our help, that we would love to go with them to teach and to fellowship.  They called us about 4 weeks ago and asked if we could go with them to teach Victoria.  We did, and have been back several times with them. Christmas afternoon was very warm (high 80'- low 90's), but we had a wonderful visit with this dear lady.  She insisted on serving us some peach juice and some pan de pascua (Chile's version of fruitcake, but very, very dry).

After a wonderful visit, we made the 45 minute return to our apartment and then over to our friends the Candland's for turkey leftovers from the night before.  Overall, a truly wonderful Christmas.  Oh, by the way, if anyone doubts that Santa is for real, we are here to tell you that he is.  On our way over to visit Victoria, we were walking across the street to make a bus connection when we saw a cab pull up to a house.  I first saw two red legs emerge from the back seat, and I thought to myself, can this really be Santa Claus.  The next thing I saw was a beautiful white beard and long white hair.  It was indeed the Chilean Santa.  As I said hello and asked for a picture he was glad to oblige my request.  As I saddled up next to him, I could tell he had had a very long day.  He had quite the smell of Christmas Cheer and was feeling no pain.  What a fun occasion.

The house where Victoria lives

Elder and Sister Pope, Victoria and Elder Caden

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Chilean Santa Claus on Christmas Day

 

Christmas night we walked a couple of blocks to the Providencia Municipal Building to view the giant Christmas tree, life sized Nativity (baby Jesus was unveiled at midnight Christmas Eve) and watch the light show on the facade of the Municipal Building after it got dark -- it was so interesting, my picture doesn't do it justice -- One of the scenes was a giant toy train going past the windows of the building- like it was moving room to room from top floor to bottom floor.

 

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!

Here at the Santiago "Temple Square", the church hosts a Christmas Program of song and dance.  Last year and this year, the program has featured Elder David Archuletta who is serving in the Chile Rancagua mission, about an hour south of Santiago.  A truly outstanding missionary but even more than that an outstanding young man.  We have heard some very tender stories of his service here over the last two years, and in a previous post talked about the opportunity of meeting and visiting with him for a few minutes.

We have been watching from our apartment balcony for two weeks as the young people have practiced the dances and the grounds workers have assembled the stage, put up Christmas lights and built a life size nativity.  We have been getting more and more excited for the performance.  Last Thursday evening we walked over to see some of the action of the dress rehearsal.  The following day the Public Affairs director, Valentine Nunez, said he could use our help to finish setting up the staging and chairs.  So we spent Friday afternoon decorating Christmas Trees and putting the finishing touches to the stage, as well as setting up hundreds of chairs!

The program was wonderful.  We were amazed at all the musical talent and we were THRILLED to hear Elder Archuletta sing 4 songs.  The amount of time and effort to put on such a production is indescribable.

Dance Rehearsal

The stage 24 hours before showtime!

The youth coming to practice "on stage" for the first time

In another corner -- another dance routine

The "String" section was excellent!

The drummers had a major part when David Archuletta sang

 "Little Drummer Boy"

Putting lights on a Christmas Tree

Five hours before show time these two were still plastering "bricks" to create the stage!

Decorating four Christmas Trees four hours before showtime!  The Chileans didn't seem at all concerned how much work needed to be done and how little time to do it.

Waiting for Showtime -- while we waited for the show to start the crew was still putting the final touches on the stage.

The Choir assembled about 30 minutes before showtime and stood on risers for 2 1/2 hours!

David Archuletta is truly professional when he performs.  He sang three "rehearsed" songs and then on the second night he added one from his Christmas Album.  He finishes his mission in February.

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After the concert we walked over to see the Christmas Lights and met a young couple who snapped our picture.

Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013
We celebrated Thanksgiving --El Dia de Accion de Gracias -- Monday night  (so the missionaries who work at the temple could come)  by having a turkey/ham dinner complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, sweet potatoes, relish trays and lots of desserts.    Senior  missionaries from  six missions were invited (more than 50 were able to come):  Santiago North, South, East, West, and Rancagua as well as the MTC President and Counselor.  The dinner was at the Alcontara House -- which is the old mansion that is a dormitory for about 40 missionaries at the MTC.   So while the young missionaries were away at class, we partied at the house!   The house was the Swiss Embassy in the 1950's and was built for entertaining.  There are two adjoining dining rooms with large french doors that open to the patio.  So some people sat inside and some of us sat out side.   It was a perfect evening for a party.

Missionaries and Mission Presidents from Santiago and surrounding area

I think I was the only one who tried to make a pie.  Making pie here is really challenging -- shortening is hard to come by(I have looked and looked at the grocery store) --but  I found a small can in my pantry left from some by-gone senior missionary (expiration date 2011)  But it had not been opened, so I figured it was good.  I wanted to make Pecan pie and luckily I also found Karo syrup in the pantry -- another item hard to find in Chile!  Then I needed brown sugar -- non existent in Chile-- but the Karren's were going home from their mission and three of their children came to visit and brought a suitcase of brown sugar!  So with those three essential ingredients I was ready to make a pie!  However, pecans are also non existent in Chile, so I substituted fresh walnuts and the pie was a hit!  It was nearly perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, is not a holiday here, so we were all back at our respective assignments, but a group of us went to our favorite pizza joint -- Hiper Pizza to "celebrate" the day.  Most of us talked to our kids at home and so we shared stories of what our families were doing in our absence.

Today was a ward picnic. The Young Men and Young Women leaders cooked cheese empanadas to sell as as fund raiser for the youth -- fried cheese empanadas are amazing!  The ward provided the meat and I have never seen so many big chunks of beef on the grille.  Sorry to say Chile is not like Argentina (which is known for its beef).  The beef looked good and had good flavor, but my-oh-my was it tough.  We sat with the Stake Patriarch and his wife who both speak Engish because they've lived in the US and Australia, and listened to them tell us their wonderful conversion stories when they were young.

After eating we were getting ready to leave and two of the women we were visiting with were surprised that we weren't staying for dessert.  They reminded us that dessert was the Chilean favorite -- Mote con Huesillo (the dried peach floating in peach juice with cooked wheat in the bottom of the cup).  They were surprised to learn that we don't really LOVE it.  Then one lady said she had lived in the U.S. for a year and could not believe a dessert that children in the U.S. enjoy -- Root beer Floats --she thinks they are horrible!

 


Last Sunday night we were invited to a Ward Missionary fireside in an area that was quite a distance by bus, the metro and a 15 minute walk.  But it was well worth the 1 hour trip!  The music was absolutely fabulous and there were about 40 "investigators" in attendance with friends and the young missionaries.  About half way through the program, I looked down and saw this little "visitor" asleep under the bench in front of us.  He behaved himself all through the program, and only barked at the end!

A cute little poodle asleep in church

These pictures were taken last week at Los Dominicos -- an old Spanish House, church and surrounding buildings that is now home to beautiful artisan shops.  I bought a wonderful copper Nativity - por supuesto!

We were walking past a little cafe and this cake caught our eye.  It tasted even better than it looked -- thin layers of spice cake with rice pudding and whipped cream between layers!

Yesterday Richard was rummaging in the closet at the office and found some Christmas decorations!   Yeah!  I have a Christmas tree on my desk!

Nov 18, 2013

We haven't done anything exciting this past week.... lots of computer work...emails, reports, phone calls...just keeping the Perpetual Education Department afloat until the new Self Reliance Center opens in January!  We visited the employment center that we will be working with the other day.  With all the changes that are taking place, we sometimes wonder if what we are doing is making a difference.  As we look back at some of our experiences, we have had some very sweet and tender moments.  A young man who works as a teacher at the MTC (mission training center) called Richard a week or so ago to let him know that he was a participant in the PEF (perpetual education fund), and wanted to know if he could come up to our office to say hello and introduce himself.  Of course we were thrilled that he called.  As we visited, he informed us that he was going to be graduating this next spring with two degrees.  He was such an outstanding young man with a deep testimony of the gospel and had such confidence in what he was doing and what his future looked like.  Richard and he finished their discussion with a big abrazo (hug), the way men in Chile greet and say good bye to each other.  He was also proud to tell us that his wife also had a PEF loan, and she too would be graduating in the spring as well.  We have had a number of these types of experiences, and each one leaves us with the knowledge that we are indeed on the Lords errand.

We decided to walk the mile back to our office and we stopped off at the Costenera Center for lunch -- the largest most amazing shopping mall we've ever been in.  And even though it is starting to feel like summer, the shopping centers -- just like in the USA-- are decorated for Christmas.  I had to take a picture of the tallest Christmas tree I've ever seen!

Notice it is at least 5 stories high -- no it is not real!

It amuses me that the sign is in English

Richard -- to give proportion to size -- We need to go back and get us both in a picture -- this will be our only Christmas "decoration" this year!

Last Friday we went to the Santiago West Mission Office to meet the Livingston's -- a new senior couple who just arrived that morning to join us with Perpetual Education/Self Reliance.  Truthfully they looked like "Shell-shocked puppies" and it only got worse as the young missionaries drove us to the apartment they had rented for them.  The young missionaries were so excited to tell them the apartment was furnished with a new sofa, new table and chairs, new bed, new fridge, new stove and new washer and dryer on the way.  I was getting a little jealous as I thought about our awful, old, torn, over-sized maroon and green floral sofa, dining table with 2 broken chairs, OLD stove with only two working burners and an oven that I have to light every time I use it  and the used mattress we sleep on...  Well when we got to their apartment and saw how stark empty it is, with light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and only the things I mentioned in the apartment, I realized how lucky I am to live in an apartment that has been home to many senior missionaries over the past 10 years who have all purchased "stuff" to make it more liveable!  I told Richard on the way home to kick me in the shins if I complain about our ugly green carpet or awful sofa again .... I will still moan about our temper mental hot water heater every time I shower, but I am certainly going to be more grateful!

We checked in with them Sunday morning and learned that a hose leading to the toilet had burst, so Elder Livingston had to round up some tools from the building manager while Sister Livingston crimped the broken hose and dumped buckets of water into the tub... They got the water shut off and made it to church!  Richard then took the Metro to meet them and bring them back here for dinner.  So after a hot meal (because their new stove still doesn't work) and phone calls and Facetime with their kids -- they were ready to face a new day.  Today they are doing much better...FOREIGN MISSIONS FOR OLD FOLKS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!!

I wanted to brag a little.... my first meal baked in my oven burned because we had the broiler and oven on at the same time.  The second meal I baked was raw and took an extra hour to cook.  But Sunday I fixed a FABULOUS dinner !

Chicken strips, grilled veggies, grilled potatoes, Artesian crusty bread and Apple crumb dessert

Tuesday November 5, 2013

Every Monday the senior missionaries meet together for Family Home Evening... we have lessons, dinners, games, movies, just any reason to get together as a group.  So the week of Halloween we were asked to come in costume.  We were pretty impressed with some of the costumes made from things around the apartment.  But one couple went all out --  Silly, silly missionaries!

I made us "domino" costumes since we play dominos often.  We are wearing trains on our heads to show we are playing Mexican Train!

The Candland's are a shepherd in a bathrobe and a witch in garbage bags

 

The Karren's designed and modeled their outfits of newspaper and LOTS and LOTS of scotch tape!

The Fisher's went all out with Horse costumes!  I don't know where she got the pattern but it required LOTS and LOTS of fabric and she whipped it up in a week.

The 31 of October and 1 November are national holidays in Chile, so our church offices were closed.  Seven of us planned a road trip south to Villarrica and Pucon.  It was a 10 hour drive, so we rented a van and took a 3 day trip to some of the most beautiful country we have ever seen!  Villarrica and Pucon are vacation destinations for adventure seekers from all over the world who come to climb the volcano, ski, hike, bike, fish, raft, and other outdoor activities.   We were traveling with a bunch of OLD people (not us of course), so we were just there to look!   We visited before the summer tourist season begins, so it wasn't too crowded, but the town of Pucon is packed with restaurants, hostels and shops of every kind.

Thursday when we arrived it was raining and we had heard that when it rains in Villarrica, it can rain for days! (Luckily I packed the ponchos that had been carried to Peru and the Mediterranean and never been used). The volcano was covered in thick cloud cover.  But the next morning we awoke to a glorious clear day with the volcano in full view.  We spent the day driving to the base of the volcano and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

 

The back yard of the first charming hostel we stayed in Chillan --We enjoyed the best hot, but not TOO HOT shower we've had in 2 months!

A contemporary Catholic Church across from the Plaza de Armas in Chillan

We drove past many canola fields on our way south

 

 Saltos de Laja-- a little detour on

the trip to see water falls -- in the rain.

 

 The rain ended in the evening after dinner and we were told that the weather was going to be perfect the next day -- and it was!

The Geronimo Hostel in Pucon where we spent 2 nights -- Our room had a balcony and a fabulous view of the Volcano!

When we stopped to take pictures two hungry little pups followed us around.  So we fed them some crackers away from the road.

Driving toward Villarrica Volcano

Looking down at the lake at Pucon

Evone and Richard  at the base of the ski resort -- closed for the season

The whole group Renee and Vaun Mikesill, Sandra Thompson, Evone and Richard, Janean and Dale Perry

The other side of Villarrica Volcano

The ski resort is on the bottom right of the volcano

Just a picturesque sight!

A little village near the volcano

We stopped at some shops, watched this man carving a bowl, and then bought one -- of course!

A view of the Villarrica Volcano from town

A bridge and gazebo near Lake Pucon

What "Senior" Missionaries did for excitement rather than climb mountains, ski, fish, hike, raft, soak in hot springs or any of the other things that bring tourists to Pucon.

 

Close up of the branches of the "Monkey Tree"   It is very hard and prickly.

One final shot of the reason to travel to Pucon!

A beautiful LDS Chapel in Villarrica.  We met a group of missionaries serving there.  The chapel is just up the road from the lake.  What a gorgeous place to serve a mission!

 

 

...And look what I found yesterday back in Santiago!

It felt like "home" -- even the quilt books were in English!

P.S.  Richard met these great missionaries a couple of weeks ago and promised to take them out to eat Milanesa -- one of his favorite Argentine food -- the Elder on the left is from Argentina and hadn't eaten Milanesa since he left home.  The Elder on the right is from Peru and practiced his English with me.  They both ate every last bite.