Dear Family Happenings from July 30, and August 1 to August 6, 2016
This was another "very busy week" as it was the FIRST "COMBIOS" changes with "Leaving Missionaries and Arriving Missionaries" for this new president and his wife. We worked hard all week covering lots of bases here and there. You would have thought we were playing baseball and running around the bases. There are many photos we would like to show you. The days are winding DOWN, and our missionary efforts are winding UP as we have only a little over three months left on this mission. Enjoy.
Photos in THREE parts
A Birthday Party
B Mission Office & Home
C Missionary Work
S T O R I E S to go with the P H O T O S
STORY 223 The Four Year Olds Birthday Party
We really cannot go into all of the details about this party, but basicly the parents here in Chile (who have the funds) make a "BIG DEAL" over birthday parties for their children. We do not know if they do it every year, but whatever they do it is something we have NOT seen in the states. We have heard about great parties for children, but very few like we have seen that the Chilean parents put on for their children. We know we never DID anything like this for any of our 9 children. The photos from this party, will have to explain, most as I cannot write all of the details, but it was a VERY nice FAMILY party and friends of the child from the school he attends. Parents never SEND their children to parties, but the mother comes with them. The food they serve is "tons" and not just cake and ice cream. Then they have some kind of "present" for each child who attends. There are MANY places in Antofagasta where people can rent this or that place to hold a party. At this party the parents rented: 1) a room o the 23rd floor of a building with a kitchen facility, and bathroom and large meeting room, 2) brought in their own food to serve, 3) had a big picture frame to take photos of the guests, 4) hired the Avengers to come and they stayed for at least 1 1/2 hours, 5) hired a photographer. George and both thought the party must have cost at least $900 dollars (or more). We were shocked, and the child is only 4 years old. Enjoy the photos.
STORY 224 The Antofagasta, Chile Mission Home
This home is located in the South where there are many lovely homes, with big yards, and many different kinds of trees. It is the area where the "wealthy" people live. The home was purchased many years ago but now other homes have been built in front of it that now block the view of the ocean from anywhere on the property. The big wall surrounding the home was built after the president who served from June 2012 to June 2014 got robbed two times. It is a nice home, but no necessarily fancy. After the front entrance it has a long hall way with stairs going down stairs where there are six sets of bunk beds for arriving missionaries. Then on the main floor by the stairs (going down) at the end of the hall way is a living room with a large balcony (sliding doors), and dining room area combined as one long room, then a kitchen - of moderate size, and a back door going out to the back yard. By the front door on the opposite end is the master bedroom and bathroom, another bathroom and another bedroom There are two gates, one at the front and one at the back, and two at the front and a gate to let people in, and two large gates, one in the front and one at the back to let in vehicles.
This is a foto of the mission home in Antofagasta. Everyone here is always walled in.
STORY 225 - MONDAY August 1 Helping with the Leaving Missionary Dinner
This was a new experience for us as the menu was way different. The mission presidents wife wanted to make "Lasana". When we arrived she had big trays (huge trays) filled with this food made from "15 minute lasana. Here the wide noodle comes in packages, you soak it in a milk like mixture, and then layer the wide lasana with peices of cheese, meat and sauce, and then bake for 15 minutes. It was wonderful! The elders helped in the kitchen as well as ourselves, which made the whole evening appear as being in someones home and helping in the kitchen. We used the BEST dishes, etc. and George and I washed a lot of dishes, plates, etc. etc. The salad was different too. She has very fine cut up luttuce then a roll of turkey meat with mashed avocado inside, then two tomato slices. We wish we would have taken more photos. A wonderful evening and each leaving missionary bore his testimony, the copper gifts were passed out, and the group photo taken.
Photo of George and Elder Hart in the kitchen helping with the food.
Photo of the leaving dinner room and tables arrangement. (Served 19)
Photo of the group of missionaries all leaving at the same time.
STORY 226 - TUESDAY August 2 Helping with Arriving Missionary Lunch (Served 21) This was another new experience for us. We were not sure what the menu was. When we arrived to the mission home they had ordered baked empanatas. Now these are different than the deep fat fried empanatas. Then inside is either ham and cheese, meat and cheese, chichen and cheese, or hot dogs and cheese. We didn't know which one we picked but I got the hot dog one, and George got the meat and cheese. They were very filling, and then we served two different kinds of chips, cookies and juice to drink.
Photo of the new missionaries at a table with Elder Montgomery at the end.
New missionaries having lunch behind the mission home. Helped prepare lunch and Margaret is serving.
STORY 227 - WED August 3 Helped New Trainers coming and Missionary Assignments (Served 40)
This means the 13 trainers come in on buses from all over the mission to be the new companions for the new arriving missionaries. Their is a lot of work to do to be ready for this day that is behind the scenes. We serve a breakfast buffet, and a lunch meal. This time the new leadership wanted the Pizza ordered again. This is quite pricey here at $20 a pizza. Since this day comes on Wednesday George told the president's wife if she reversed the MENUS and served Pizza on Tuesday and Empanatas on Wednesday the mission would save $5,000 over a three year period of time as each new president has (24) times when new missionaries arrive, etc. She was glad for the information. The bill for the pizzas for Wednesday came to $300, which would have only been $150 on Tuesday. It appears they will reverse the menus next "Combio" changes period.
After the lunch the missionaries all SIT and letters are held up for someone chosen to choose a letter with a name, then that person (new missionary) comes up and opens his or her letter, and reads WHERE they will be going and WHO is their companion. There is lots of cheering and smiles, and photos taken.
We purchase a new pillow for each new missionaries and he gets materials, two water bottles, and two packages of cookies. After the meeting they get their many bags of luggage, and are driven to the bus station to go to their area of service.
Photo of Elder Montgomery getting his shoes shined by his new companion.
Photo of Elder Clark from Urda, Utah (by Grantsville) Probably from same ward that Emma Welling Frazier's husband is from, as her husband was from Urda.
STORY 228 - THUR Helping with Leadership Day (trainers from all over mission) (Served 49)
This day just happened to be the Thursday of Combio week. Therefore there were FOUR days in a row of meals and a real "work out" for us. But we LOVE being around the going away missionaries and hearing their testimonies, and seeing the new missionaries arrive so full of "anticipation and excitement." The FIRST Thursday of each month the Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders come in from all over the mission. This mission has (12) ZONES. This means 24 are zone leaders, and there are another 15 to 20 sister training leaders. This mission has approximately 190 missionaries, making over 1/4th hold some kind of leadership, and then their are District Leaders but they do not come in. This day has SIX purposes:
1. To have missionaries mingle with each other and pump each other up
2. To receive instruction from the mission president, his wife, and the APs.
3. To have training sessions on how to train the missionaries in their zones
4. To bring their luggage, and take back the MAIL for missionaries in their zones.
5. To each a breakfast buffet together and a lunch meal and then return back via bus.
6. To enlarge their testimonies of the work they are doing and then go back and enlarge the other missionaries testimonies.
We were so busy helping we forgot to take any photos. The missionaries LOVE seeing each other, old companions, etc. At end of the day George even drove some to the bus station, and one elder left his bag on the couch, and he returned on a city bus and George drove him back to the bus after he came back to pick it up. George also went to the store to get some medicine for a sick elder to take back with the Zone Leader. All in all it is a very very busy day. You name it, we did it.
Elder Prada pointing his picture on the missionary board in the Presidents office. We are on the right, third from the top. They move them up after each transfer.
The office elders go into the office on Saturday to write letters home. We had the office clean and tidy when we left on Friday night. This is how we found it Monday morning. Since we are no longer in the office, they will have to deal with it.
Bodega mail room
Photo of George & Elder Walker his assistant who left the office to go as a Zone Leader
Photo of Elder Walker (from Utah) & Elder Olivios from BRAZIL live by where Spencer served his mission in Brazil.
STORY 229 Just a Reminder to "Help your Sons Learn to Clean Up after Themselves."
Each group of office missionaries are different. We have had very responsible groups, and some less that way. Therefore, over the past 14 months we have tried all kinds of "JOB LISTS" to encourage office clean up after the young elders do their cooking and eating food at the office. This past group has been the hardest for us to train. Finally we have just given up, took the job chart down and most often just cleaned it all up ourselves. Last Friday we cleaned it all up washed dishes, put away things, mopped the floor, etc. Then on Monday when we arrived I told George to take a photo of of how kitchen area looked when we arrived in the morning after the weekend. Friday. This time we decided to just leave it.
STORY 230 Having Drew Codero over for Lunch - Went inactive, but returned to church on August 7.
Missionary work is more than just FINDING new contacts to teach, it is KEEPING those who have been baptized in the church. Next week we will send you a few statistics about HOW many names are on some of the wards and branches, and how many are attending. We have heard that less than 20% even stay in the church after being baptized. This even got down to 10% when Elder Holland came and was the Area President for two years. If it is at 20% retention, his means that if 500 are baptized in any given year, that after about two years only 100 will stay in the church. It is a constant battle to "nurture" and "keep" new converts in the church. Whose responsibility is this?
Well here is a quick story. This young man named DREW was so helpful to us when we arrived in June of 2015. He had just married, was very much in love with his wife, and helped George with the office automobiles problems - where to get them inspected, new tires, etc.
Then over a year later we found out that they had separated, Drew went to Canada, she went to Santiago, and then when he returned back from Canada, he went inactive. We talked to a family member, and they said he was very depressed. We went and found the place he was living and knocked on the door. We found him and visited with him for over an hour and told him how much he had helped us and how much we appreciated him, and asked him to "come back.". Then we invited him back to our apartment for lunch. He accepted the invitation readily. When he came we let him talk, and talk, and talk, and tell his life story. We can't tell it here, but it is really something.
We told him each DAY is the first day of the rest of his life. No matter what the past was he can start now and change everything. We told him his wife loves him and we hope they can get back together. YES he did come to church on Sunday (today) and we were so pleased. But it all takes seeing, caring, visits, giving love and encouragement to "come back." before the "away time" gets so long that they "never will" come back. The missionaries tell us it is easier to get a new convert than to get someone to come back.
STORY 331 An Evening at the Origenes Barrio Culture Program Sat. Aug. 6, 2016
We had seven non members come to our ward function from two different families. We were so shocked, but we have loved these two families for so long and they came out of love for us, and probably due to the promptings from our Heavenly Father.
We can't go into all of the details here, but we SO appreciated the ward couple who spent over an hour talking to Wilson and Idiede. I stayed with the 3 children to see that they had a good time. Then more ward members talked to our other family after the meeting, and all of us and them were the very very last to leave.
Then before they left (remember I said they were last to leave) Marta said...... "I do believe we want to start coming to your church." This doesn't mean she wants to get baptized. But it is certainly a beginning. She liked the friendship and the way their child Guga had so much fun." She even asked earlier if they had to pay for the "treats" that the different ward members had brought for refreshments. I think it was a BIG shock for them to be around these Mormon people who were so nice.
We will have to wait and see if they come next Sunday to church. We were near tears when we drove home, as we had worked so hard to get them interested, and then a little "Primary aged 4 year old" and some "Couples" who visited with them, made the difference. We met them, worked with them,and got them to the church, and then the ward members "made the difference."
All we can say is NEVER no NEVER miss an opportunity to talk to the new people who come into your wards, and new members who are just baptized. Invite them into your homes and into your lives.
Marta and Rodolfo, our dear friends and investigators attended the ward party. Their son Guga found a new friend in Renalto. Guga is on the left. They had a great time so we invited the two families to our home for dinner.
END
Sorry this is so long. But so much to share and time is running out. We have only 12 to 13 more weeks. However, we are experiencing "MIRACLES" that we never dreamed could happen. We do not know what the results of all of our efforts over the last 14 months will be, but this past week we have seen: 1) Jose now having read up to Chapter 15 in the Book of 1st Nephi which is the most anyone we have met and invited to read the Book of Mormon has read and, yes, he is still reading, 2) Having Marta say they want to come and try our our church, 3) Having Carenmay indicate she may want to be baptized, 4) Having Juan Carlos want to read the Book of Mormon and also said if he finds out it is true he wants to be baptized. Truly, we may find that the "LAST 12 Weeks will truly be the best weeks of our mission for us after all. Have you heard the saying "Last the Best of All the Game."
Love Mom and Dad
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