Margaret, Genovive, Gustavo, Rodolfo, and Martha at the Evangelico Church where we attended with them. It was a very unusual experience, but we are glad we went.
Elder McComb and I. He helped me with finances upon my arrival in the mission field. He is not only a very good missionary, but we are very good friends.
We had a birthday celebration with Martha, center sitting down, and Mark and Maria. It was Rodolfo's birthday who is just coming in behind Margaret
Up close, the apron looked like this.
Dear Family, Week of Oct 5 Monday (Lunes) to Oct 11 Sunday (Domingo)
BIRTHDAYS We so enjoyed talking to Julie on her 40th birthday and to Amy on her 38th birthday. Mom reminded Amy that she gave birth to Stephanie in Msy of 1981 when she was age 38 and that she turned 39 two months later in July, We pray daily for Amy and Stephanie that all will go well with their pregnancies, and that they both deliver in January of 2016 healthy babies.
GENERAL CONFERENCE - We had each session of conference lined up with different ones of our contacts who were going to attend but one by one they fell through except for the four who did attend the last session on Sunday. Interesting enough the women both liked the talk by Elder Durrant about choosing a scripture for each week and they took notes too regarding what he said about putting it on the frig. These people have not had any of the lessons, but were the same people (two couples) who came to the Origines Ward (Barrio) fiesta and really enjoyed it. We were impressed that some of the ward people remembered them, and at the conference session gave them big hugs.
CHILEAN HUGS It might interest you to know that in Chile and probably other South American countries the people greet (women) with a kiss on the side of the cheek along with a hug and the men hug and shake hands. The people are very loving in this regard. Last night when we were at the home of the (Laytons) and their son came home he went to the table where the family was eating and kissed his father, sister, mother and aunt on the top of their heads. First time I have seen this done. This custom of hugs and kisses will be missed when we return to the United States.
COMBIOS (means changes) We had an extremely busy week last week. We were busy trying to track down investigators for conference and then on Monday, the new missionaries arrived and the transfers began. This means hosting, serving food, shuttling people from the mission home and to bus stations and etc. That was a three day event followed by leadership council on Thursday. Zone leaders throughout the mission come to the mission office to be taught leadership and to share successes. That means we are busy with food and all the things that go with that. Our mission is dropping and now has 202 missionaries. Only 10 came in this time, and all were elders, 5 Latins and 5 English. One was from Moab, Utah and another from Manti, Utah.
AN ELDER WAS HOSPITALIZED We had an elder who has experienced some seizures, so I spent much of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday working with his companion, and going to the mission home, to the hospital etc. I went from early morning to late in the evening sometimes trying to keep up. Fortunately, we have a new week, the mission president and his wife are going on a retreat for a week to Ecuador and so the office should settle down.
SPANISH PROGRESS We are still trying to work on our Spanish. I did not make much progress this past week because of all of the activity going on in the office. Hopefully, this week things will get back to normal. We did meet with (Jose) this past Monday as he is the young single adult that we met on the elevator. He will come each Monday and have dinner (cena) with us and help us with Spanish. He was raised in Santiago (North part where Jonathan served) but was a baby when Jonathan was there. His parents sent him to a private Catholic school that also taught English along with Spanish lessons of which it was his native tongue. He speaks excellent English. He had it all of the years of his schooling. A PLUS sign for Laura's two children who are in Chinese immersion programs at their school in Centerville. He is working here in Antofagasta at a company a job he got because he could speak English. We liked him a lot. He will come every Monday and will probably stay for 2 hours. This will be a great blessing to us.
VISITING AN EVANGELICAL CHURCH We sort of made a deal with the two couples who attended our General Conference session that if they came to our church we would go to there church. They called us last night and said (today) was the day they wanted us to attend To go with them, we had to miss our own Sacrament meeting, but we felt we had to keep our commitment and go.
Rondolpho came and picked us up and drove us (along with his wife and small son) to their church. It was a BIG building that used to be a gymnasium and had a large balcony on the back and two sides. Upon entering it (looked like a building not a church, there was a cafeteria where people could buy food to eat, then we heard LOUD music playing and we went up stairs and sat down, Below was a big stage with three people singing, two bands one on the right and the left of the stage and four dancers below the stage, and lights were flashing everywhere.
We were sort of shocked and wondered what would be next. This went on for over 1/2 hour and the words the three on the stage were singing were projected on the two side walls to the right and left of the stage. Then they had a blessing time, where people who wanted blessing could come to the front below the stage and volunteers from the church were lined up to talk to them one by one while they told their problems, and wrote names onto papers. Then the names were put in a large basket and after they sat down these names were presented to a minister type person who waved him hands over the names and blessed them.
Following another man came up to the microphone and talked about donations and this they had large pockets covered with cloth and bows (about 12) that people were carrying around for people to give donations into. People arose from their seats and dropped money in these buckets. The man (husband) of one of the wives named Mark told us they take in a lot of money. He told us he did not like this church, but his wife did. Then they played all kinds of music and had singing and people were standing and waving their arms and moving around to the beat of the music. It got everyone all fired up (sort of like feeling the spirit I guess).
Message ---Then last of all they had a main speaker who gave a message out of the BIBLE were projected on the two side walls in BIG print.. George and I looked them all up as we could not read the Spanish words (over half of them). The THEME for these scriptures was that religion comes from the HEART and if you have a good heart then that is all that is required. After his sermon that was accompanied by piano music for back ground, they had more singing and waving of arms and had a prayer and people all resounded with AMEN and AMEN. This "wound up" group of people left and another group was coming in. The three or four main ministers who gave the prayers, blessings, charging people up to donate money, and the main sermon, were in the entrance area hugging people as they left. There was a 10, 12, and 6 pm session each lasting 2 hours each. NO Sacrament, everyone was in pants or levis and we were the ONLY two (our of probably 300 people ) in a dress and suit. We were quite SHOCKED that this was so ATTRACTIVE to SO many people. It reminded us of the LARGE SPACIOUS BUILDING talked about in Lehi's dream. We later asked about baptism and the couples told us people who want to be baptized can go on a certain day to an area in the pacific ocean among the rocks, etc. one of the (paid) ministers for the church will baptize them. This church also advertised their Youth, Children and Women's groups meetings that take place during the week. The people in attendance seemed to really enjoy this (entertainment type church) and now we understand why "Maria" keeps telling us "All you need is a good heart" and that there is not just one true Church.
We both felt that this is going to be a HARD SELL to get the two wives changed over to our kind of church. We showed them a program and talked about what we do at a sacrament meeting over the dinner table and hope sometime in the future we can invite them to attend. We won't do this until they have consented to the lessons.
FRIG SCRIPTURE We were impressed that Martha had made a beautiful scripture to put on her frig. She went to the last session of General Conference and liked Elder Devin Durrant's talk. She also told George while they were doing the dishes that God had sent us to them. We don't know where it will all end up but they are presently Wonderful Friends for us. Inch by inch we tell them things about our church!
A CHILEAN GRANDFATHER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY After leaving Martha, Rodopha. Marie and Mark we drove out to Edward's grandparents home for a birthday party. We did not know what we were going to until we got there. Here in this small home at the back was a BIG outdoor room with a tree growing in the middle, and a tiled floor. Music playing and long tables with lots of people (relatives). We were introduced to Edward's mother's siblings, spouses and children (15 grand children for the grandparents). They wanted us to sit down to the meal. NONE of these people were even Christians and had NO religion at all. They looked at us as a couple from the USA and were most interested in us but had never heard of the Mormons. We just enjoyed them and talked to them through our translator friend Edward who was the oldest grandchild.One of the children (and Uncle) of Edward., brother of his mother looked just like a (Indian) from the old west movies. The people there called him an Indian. I told George he looked like a true blooded (Lamanite). We do not know where this will go but they loved having us come and we took photos for them, and George did (tricks) with the children and they loved him - pulling his thumb off, making money come out of their ears, etc.
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE We keep going back to the spiritual experience I had over 3 Sundays ago when the spirit came over me and said to (Ignore) the office and (spend our time bringing souls to Christ as this is one of the few times in our life when we will be able to do this. By ignore the office, meant to not let things bother us (ignore them) and just focus on missionary work. We keep going back to this and wonder where all of the people we have met and are working with what will what will become of it. No baptisms even in site, but we have over 30 different situations where we have contacts. Geoge keeps a busy week just phoning them and keeping in touch and we constantly have little (surprises) phone calls from those we can't reach and yet they finally call us.
RESULTS Where this will all end we do not know, we just know we work hard for being ages 73 and 75 and are grateful for our health and keep working on Spanish so we can communicate more and not be so limited to brief sentences.
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