Talbot Testimony: Mother's Day in Chile

DEAR FAMILY

STORY 108 CHILE MISSION TRANSFER PAGE Every six weeks the mission has transfers. They have an IMOS program where the mission president can move the photos around to where he wants to send them (photo by photo). Here is a copy of that page to look at. All of the over 400 missions of the church have the same process. When this picture page is printed the APs (assistants to the president) phone everyone of the missionaries who are being transferred and tell them where they are going. Each mission has Zone leaders for 11 zones (22 elders), Sister Leaders for how many are needed, District Leaders ( depends), Training Leaders (train new missionaries. Then once a month all of these missionaries about 40, all come to the mission office and have a meeting, receive instruction, get the mail to take back to their zone in their luggage, and we prepare a LUNCH for 45 to 48 people. This happens one time a month.

STORY 109 PHOTOS OF THE OFFICE MISSIONARIES One of the office elders made this for me. These are photos of all of the young elders we have served with since we arrived to this mission on May 29, 2016. Tanner Mangum is at the top of the list of the APs as he was just going home the same day we arrived. It comes to about 20 photos. Plus I had them put the photo of the only other senior couple who serves in this mission but no in the office. They live in Alto Hospicio.

STORY 110 MOTHERS DAY in CHILE They have the same day for mother's day. They had a program at the barrio (ward), but we could not go, that took place on Saturday pm. Today on Sunday at Relief Society they passed out a photo card someone had made for each lady, then they let Relief Society out early and all of the little children (about 20, came in with little bottles of M & Ms with a bow on top to give to their mothers. It was really sweet to see them all looking around for their mothers. Then they had extra ones for the other ladies.

STORY 111 CHILEAN WARD (Barrio) SACRAMENT PROGRAMS They have a really lovely cover in color for the program, but they print only about 20 and put them on a table sort of in a fan style. The early ones pick them up and then they are gone. I guess it encourages the Chilean people to come early.

STORY 112 CHILEAN PIANO PRELUDE MUSIC for SACRAMENT MEETING ( We have one Young Teen Ager) He is the son of the new Area Authority and plays the piano beautifully. Our barrio has two piano players. We are fortunate. Almost any other ward (barrio) that we have gone to DO NOT have a piano player, unless one of the missionaries play the piano. Most wards all just sing accapella, for all of the singing of hymns with no piano. We are very fortunate to have prelude music and two great Chilean young students who play the piano.

Family and Our Family News

STORY 113 We enjoyed seeing on Facebook Brad and Sherry Fawson's new baby girl, Kristin's daug's new baby, photos of other family members. We do not spend much time looking through this but we do spend about 10 minutes a week. We also enjoyed hearing about Amy and Landon purchasing a home in Highland (above Lehi) still in Utah County. They will be moving there the end of June. It is a home in a really nice neighbor hood and will be a really nice place to raise their family of six children. Landon works in South Salt Lake City, so that is a good choice for his commute. Hannah is all settled in at BYU taking Spanish and World Religions. She has only about 40 days before she enters the MTC on June 22 for Orlando Florida (Spanish speaking).

STORY 114 EIGHT MOTHER'S DAY PHONE CALLS

CALL 1 from Stephanie - We loved hearing the two children speak to us Tanner and Lincoln. We loved hearing Tanner sing Pop Corn Popping on the Apricot Tree. We loved seeing the pancake shapes Stephanie makes for her sons for breakfast. It was so nice talking to Stephanie and appreciate her kind comments to us. We enjoyed seeing the BLOG photos of her children and sad to see her tree branch down, plus some of the wind damage to her neighbors shed roof. Beautiful baby Russell. We told Stephanie we want her to call us and play a piano song for us in the near future.

CALL 2 from daug. Amy - We heard the big news that they are purchasing a home in Highland. We spent the next half hour looking at the photos of the home and all that is going on with the Densleys. We were so glad Laura could meet them for the first looking and was there to help when they made the decision to get it. We are SO happy for them to have finally decided on a place to live. Wonderful schools, wonderful neighborhood. Their prayers have surely been answered, even if it took a long time. Loved seeing photos of Miles and Russell together on Stephanie's blog. We told Stephanie she has some wonderful siblings she can call and get advice from in raising children, seeing as she is at the end of the line. Here they call the last child a WaWa!

CALL 3 from daug. Julie - We loved hearing about all that is going on with Michaela flying down for EFY to go with Heidi. We also enjoyed seeing the embroidery that Julie had done of a Family Tree with all of the names of her children and parents on it. We just loved her handiwork. They are getting excited for Jennah and her new upcoming experience at BYU Idaho. We also appreciated Julie's many sincere comments of appreciation to us, for the years when we were in the thick of raising a family. Jennah graduates from Virtual High School this year

CALL 4 from daug. Laura - This was a double surprise as the package she mailed to us came on Friday and she had sent us all of our Christmas cards. We had such a good time opening them. Then she sent a book called the Lion and the Lamb a story of a couple who went and lived in Palmyra New York. It was for me, but George got it and read it all through on Saturday. He and Laura had a good time talking about this. I will read it next. Thank you so much Laura.

CALL 5 from son Jonathan - Earlier in the week. We so appreciated the long conversation we had with him as he was driving home. We can hardly believe his family will reduced to three children come end of June when Kristin and Spencer will be at BYU. Their family is planning a trip to Nauvoo for a BIG family trip before Kristin and Spencer leave. Kristin graduates from High School this year.

CALL 6 from son David - We appreciated seeing him on Skype and talked for almost an hour. It was so fun seeing Danica who will be in 5th grade next fall. We reminded Danica that I was in 5th grade when my parents sent me up to Salt Lake City to live with my Grandmother Hall from January to May. I loved that experience. We asked if Danica wanted to come and live with us next year? No response! Not even a fat chance. They are planning a wonderful family trip to New York in November to see Dayton in the Thanksgiving parade, and will also stop and see Merrill's family in Indiana.

CALL 7 from Merrill - We had a long visit with him on Friday PM,. and received some lovely photos of he and Jen. They were celebrating their first date together. We pray daily for his new business that all will keep going well for him. Jen is also substituting at the High School or Grade Schools as needed to help out. We are so proud of their family and what Merrill is doing in the bishopric. There is so much good that can be done when you are in a leadership position and can help raise the ward to a higher level of performance.

CALL 8 from Bryan and Lisa - We had such a lovely visit with them Saturday PM for over an hour and they told us about all of the trees they were planting in their two large lots covering nearly 9 acres. They will have planted over 150 trees counting last year and this year. The latest trees they planted were 6 Sasafras trees, 10 Black Walnut trees, 14 Hazel Nut trees, 4 Mullbery trees, and 4 Pawpaw trees.They have also found two large box turtles on their property, by the spring. They also put in a Blue Bird House, and have surely enjoyed their new home and the surroundings. They are sending me Amazing Grace (movie) on Amazon for Mother's day. They moved in, in June of 2014 so it will soon be two years.

STORY 115 A SURPRISE Mother's Day BOX - Our Chilean friends Wilson and Ideide brought over a box for mother's day and left it at the down stairs desk. We went down and got it, and inside was the BIG rock with the lizard carved into the rock, plus some pomagranites, and avocado from Ovalle. It was a big surprise! Photos included.

CLOSING REMARKS - We have often heard an OLD saying that "You will not know how good of parents you have been until you see your grandchildren." We surely appreciate the wonderful parents all of you are, your fine spouses, and all that you are doing and giving to your children - musical talents, many opportunities, instilling good goals, teaching solid gospel principals. We send all of you our love and truly appreciate your prayers. This has been very HARD to be on this mission at our ages of 73 (nearly 74) and 76, and having to LEARN a new language, but we do LOVE sharing the gospel, and have over 20 different households that we are working with. We have only had ONE baptism, but do pray that hearts will be softened and we will have others that we are working with read the Book of Mormon, obtain testimonies and accept the restored gospel. We also enjoy the jobs we do at the office, and know someone has to do them, and it might as well be us, Thanks again for your prayers in our behalf. We pray for each of you too, and remember the blessing we received when we left, that OUR Children and grandchildren would be Blessed while we are gone..

Love (amor) to All from Antofagasta Chile on Mother's Day 2016

Mom and Dad

PHOTOS SENT MAY 8, 2016

District meeting mom and sister missionaries

Office Elders working in the office

Mother's day gifts from ward, friend Ideide and Laura's book

Maria talking to David in Spanish on the phone

Will have to send a CHURCH program next week.

Elder Jaramillo from Chile, who is one of the AP's