The birthday flowers in a vase in our living room area are so beautiful. I wish I could FREEZE them in time, and have them last for the next four and a half months. The four roses are particularly beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We miss all of you and enjoyed being able to talk with each one of our children either on my birthday or the day following. It was just short of a miracle that the phone had now started working just a week prior! It was so good to hear your voices and catch up on the news from each of your homes and all that is going on in each of your lives in brief: the move (Amy), gardens (Stephanie), paw paw trees (Bryan), trip to San Francisco (Laura), two children went to Kirtland (Merrill), he talked to Jose (David), finding card games (Julie), scout camp out with Nathan (Jonathan). It was a wonderful evening to remember for many days since. The 24 Photos George took and sent are now listed following the story they go with to make it easier for Amy. We thank her again for posting them on the blog.
STORY 178 Preparations for the Arrival of New President (Wed June 29)
Photo 1. Table set that we took back down as dinner time changed
We got the instructions we were having the dinner on Wednesday at 1 pm and then we learned the flight did not come in until 10 pm that night, so we had to take the tables down that we had set for the dinner to fix the large room for the big meeting where two of the zones would be coming to meet the president.
We had the table all set for lunch to welcome the new president, who was to arrive at 10:30 a.m. There was a mix up on the time and it was actually 10:30 p.m. So we had it 2 days later
STORY 180 Retiring Pres. and Wife Leave, but not without problems.(Wed pm-no photo)
The two APs were the ones assigned to drive the former president and his wife to the bus station Wed. evening as they are touring several other countries before they fly home. The APs told us they drove their car to the office to leave for the new president and then got in the other office van to have the APs (one of them) drive them to the bus station. Their bus would leave at 7 pm. But upon getting on the main road to the bus station a water line had broke and the traffic was all backed up. They waited and waited and finally finally got through it all. When all were "running" to the place where they would hope the bus had not left one of the APs dropped the house keys (that the president had just given him) to give to the new president for the mission home. They did make the bus (barely) but the APs could not find the keys one of them dropped when they returned to the van!
STORY 179 Leadership Council meeting, the New President (Thur June 30)
Photos
2. Hermanas gathered for leadership meeting and meeting new President
3. Elders gathered for leadership meeting and meet new President
4, The New President, his wife and their daughter (one of 4 children) others are older
5. Two or three Hermanas standing with the president
6. George and Margaret standing with the new president and wife
The first Thursday of each month is the Leadership Council meeting where all of the Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, come in on buses from all over the mission to attend a meeting where they receive instructions to take back to their zones and also to pick up the mail to take back to the missionaries. This was ALL of our first time to meet this new president as he had arrived at 10 pm the night before.
The President arrived and the Hermanas were posing for a picture together.
The Elders also posed together for a picture.
STORY 180 Accidents do Happen to Missionaries, but this was a bad one.
7. Margaret and Hermana Carabine who cut her face 26 stitches walked into a glass door
8. Both of us with Elder Erackenback who is going home soon.
We saw this sister missionary who is a sister trainer leader, but did not realize the reason for the bandage on her lower jaw. Come to find out she had walked into the glass door in her apartment and crashed through it and had to have 26 stitches. It was cut badly. Fortunately she got to the hospital and a very fine Chilean plastic surgeon worked on her face. When I was a little girl my mother had a friend who came to see us the "Carabine" family when we lived in St. George. I always remember them. I have often wondered if this young sister missionary is a great granddaughter of the Carabines we knew years ago. She had a really good attitude about it all and said she was blest that it would not leave a scar.
Margaret and Hermana Carabine. She walked through a glass door and cut her chin and had to have 24 stitches.
STORY 181 Dinner we Prepared for New President, Wife, Daug, Office Staff (Fri July 1)
9. Office staff and APs sitting around table for new president and his wife.
10. One of Margaret and Elder Huffstuttler from Alabama (Office Commissary)
We worked hard to prepare a lovely dinner and it turned out really well. We had chicken breasts, a rice mixture, different plates of tomatoes, onions, avacado mix, etc., juice drinks, rolls, and ice cream and brownies for desert. Everyone love it. George got raves on the meat as he had soaked it in his usual brew, before I cooked it.
We finally had the luncheon. Left and around Joes Marquez and his wife Meriela, Elder Anderson, Elder Santos, Hermana Ferreira, President Ferreira and his Daughter Gina, My empty chair and then Margaret, Elder Huffstutler, Elder Walker, Elder Prada and Elder Roberts.
Margaret enjoying the lunch that she prepared for everyone. She is always doing service.
STORY 182 A Flock of Chilean Turkey Vultures
11. Photo of the "turkey vultures" on top of 2nd pillar of our building after an event
We live on the 20th floor of this apartment building that had two TWIN towers, a north and south tower. We live in the south tower. When they have events on the top of the North tower the next day the "turkey vultures" come to pick up the remains of food that may be on the floor or in the trash cans. On this particular morning there were many, many vultures. Hope you enjoy the photo!
Mom got all excited about all of the turkey vultures sitting on our building. We must be getting ready to go.
STORY 183 A Home Visit Results in Mother Wanting Lessons (Sat July 2)
12. Photo of Pricilla and Phillamina Isabella and Margaret at a home visit.
We have this family that lives in a lovely home (they have rebuilt) that we walk by on our way to the office. The father is a member (joined at age 8) with his mother and brother, but now all are in active. Our church office space is where the mother of Jordan used to go to church, but when they combined (wards) and closed this church it is common for some of the families to quit the church. Jordan the husband has not been active for many years. We stopped by and the wife's mother was there too. We had a nice visit and talked about the church and had them read articles from the Liahona to us (plus let the children read). The mother of Pricilla now wanted to have the missionaries come to her home. We will be going there tonight. More on this next week!
Priscilla, Margaret and Filimina. They belong to the 7th Adventist Church, We keep working at missionary work, but it is slow and hard to get people to be interested.
STIORY 184 A Snow Ball Fight in the Gym "Missionary Activity Night" (Sat July 2)
13. Picture of the"snow ball fight" remains from a missionary activity
14. Nicholas is returning to Japan after an illness with his grandmother & Aunt
The office missionaries planned a missionary activity for families they are trying to re activate in their barrio (ward) so we went to the Quito Barrio to support them. It was the first time we have ever seen a "snow ball fight" using wet paper pages wadded up and when they dry they are really hard so you can throw them. They laid down a volley ball net on the floor as the diving line, passed out the paper snow balls and if you got hit you were out. George was a "good thrower" and had one of the missionaries really dancing back and forth to miss his throws. Then the word got out that George was a former "baseball pitcher." It was a fun activity. The new mission president and his wife came later, but missed the snow ball throwing activity. Adriana was there too waiting for the setting apart of her sister's grandson Nicholas who was going to return back to Japan the next day following being home in Antofagasta for the past six months. George also took their photo. Nicholas now speaks four languages, Spanish, English, some Portuguese and then Japanese. He is an ONLY child and very loved and doted on by his family members. He was so surprised to be sent to Japan.
The missionaries prepared an activity night for investigators and inactive members. It was non-Christmas party. We had a snowball fight with wadded up paper.
STORY 185 Three Zones Together for Dinner and Interviews (Mon Jul 4)
15. Food table we prepared for the Zone Conference meeting 65 people attended.
16. Missionaries at the buffet table getting their food
17. Trying to get a photo together for all of these missionaries (not final photo)
This was the biggest (largest number of people served) we have done since we arrived. The office elders did the shopping and pre preparations, but I left the meeting and set up all of the buffet table, and George and I did all of the clean up. It turned out really nice and we had such a good feeling that we can be of such a big help to feed this many missionaries, etc. The missionaries from Calama were bused down and that is why it was a bigger number, and then the new president did interviews to meet each of them. This PRESIDENT served in the same mission as Bryan (Cordoba and Salta) when he was younger, but served 2 or 3 years following when Bryan served.
The food table we had set up for the missionaries.
It didn't the missionaries very long to find the food.
STORY 186 Our Discussion on Faith with Jose "He said he didn't have faith" (Mon)
18. Jose who comes to our home each month (following a "I don't have faith" discussion
19. Jose and his motocycle he just purchased. Licence plates stay from old person.
Jose with his new motorcycle
STORY 187 Uncle Afton's 88th Birthday in Hurrican, Utah (Tue) (no photo) Phone number you can call 435 635 2980 (home phone) George called his sister Viola's husband (Afton Fawcett) for his birthday. Hard to believe he turned 88. George's father Reed Talbot died at age 89 in January of that year, but would have been 90 in June had he lived. George said when Viola married him, his parents were worried as Afton was often sick and they wondered how long he would live. However, he has lived a long long time. They had a nice visit. Viola also commented to George on how much she appreciated a phone call from our daughter Julie, several months ago. IF any of you have a minute and can call your Uncle Afton he would surely enjoy hearing from you. These Aunts and Uncles do not last forever on this earth.
STORY 187 Things we see, not very often (Wind from the East coming from Mountains)
20. Chilean flag in full size floating in the wind
21. Columbian stuffed potato lunch George purchased with Elder Prada (A Columbian)
The Chilean flag is huge and is on a pole we can see out of our living area sliding glass door. It rarely blows so it is going towards the ocean. Hope you enjoy the photo. The Columbian stuffed potato lunch George purchased when he was out running errands with Elder Prada (from Columbia) was good, but I would not go to all of that trouble to make it. It had an inside of rice, peas, boiled egg white cut in half white only, then rolled in mashed potatoes and then deep fried or baked. Maybe Jonathan, Bryan or David remember eating something like this. Each country seems to have the things they like and eat very often. Empanatas are the BIG thing for Chile.
There is a huge flag on the Costanera highway. Usually it draped down. We had high winds that kept the flag straight out one morning. Margaret wanted me to take a picture.
We tried come Columbian food today. It is a stuffed potato. Filled with rice, chicken a boiled egg etc. It was pretty good. Margaret teased me that this was her birthday dinner.
It has been COLDER this winter (remember we are in winter here) this year over last year. we actually need our jackets. However, I would not have needed to have purchased a coat to bring, which I did bring. One morning the WIND was blowing so strong that the city flag pole flag was sticking straight out. George took a photo from our 20th floor window. We will really miss the "sea breeze and the flag pole" when we return home. We have a wonderful view of the ocean and the people here LOVE their ocean just like we love our MOUNTAINS. George went to the Chile express office with a Columbian office missionary and he had him buy this "lunch" item so common in Columbia. It was a round crusted thing (heavy) and when cut inside it was filled with rice, a few green peas, the white part of a boiled egg, and flavorings, with it then being rolled in a potato paste and then deep fried. Unusual, but filling!
STORY 188 74th Birthday July 6, 2016 Phone Calls, Flowers&Chocolates (Wed) (Thur)
22. Margaret's flowers arrived to the office, posed with delivery man!
23. Anna Maria & Adriana (sisters) who came to our apartment to celebrate M.s birthday
24. Photo of the TOP of the flowers looking down
25. Photo of the vase of flowers on the table.
Thank you all again for thinking of me on my 74th birthday. The flowers are SO beautiful. can hardly believe I am this old. I do not like getting older each year. I wish I was 50 again. But no such luck. I hope you all enjoy the ages you are right now as they do not last. Adrianna wanted to come to our home "on" my birthday but we had her come the day after, she and her sister. They brought me a gift too. They are a real "hoot" and we will miss them a lot. They are the same sisters who decorated their house at last years Christmas time. We had them READ the new Liahona magazine articles for us and they enjoyed them (in Spanish) and we followed along in English (we had copies of both). They enjoyed the article about missionaries who return home early due to illness or other problems. Their grandson just returned back to Japan. Rule is if you have reached 18 months when you are sick or have a problem, you do not return and they call it an 18 month mission. If earlier they do have you return.
FINAL WORDS Well another week passed by. We study Spanish every chance we get and I am working to learn 100 Verbs by the end of next week. I know I can do it 16 a day for 7 days. I learn them but then cannot recall them when I need to use them. It is a constant battle learning a second language. I HOPE our families where someone speaks Spanish they will at least once a week PRAY with their children speaking Spanish. I so enjoyed the article about the newest apostle Elder Renlund who came from SWEDEN. I also enjoyed reading how the Renlund family made "SCRIPTURES" a biog priority with the four children. It also talks about how the family always prayed and talked in Swedish in the home when he was growing up. I hope you all read this article. My father's mother Charlotte, her parents were from Sweden and joined the church in Sweden, came to America in around 1860. I love know my heritage goes back to Sweden. We so appreciate your prayers and your prayers for our investigators. We pray for each of you too.
Much Love, Mom and Dad
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