DEAR FAMILY For mission happenings July 22 through July 27 of 2016.
We thought we had sent this, but we had only sent the photos, here is the text for those photos. On the weekend of these photos we picked up the two office missionaries and left Antofagasta at 10:30 am morning on (July 23) Saturday and returned close to midnight on (July 24) Sunday. George did most of the driving, but not the return home night driving. He along with the two office missionaries (Elder Walker his financial assistant who leaves the office in a week and the new financial secretary Elder Roberts) had to perform FOUR branch audits at four branches that belong to the Antofagasta Chile Mission.
The church has it that Wards (Barrios) belong to Stakes, but the branches belong to the Missions. This mission has several branches. But if a branch is covered by a DISTRICT (which is what they call an area that has only branches) then the district priesthood handles the audits. But if a branch is alone in an outlining area, then the MISSION covers the audit. STAKES cover their own audits using a high councilman who is over this area. These audits take place every 6 months.
The photos we are sending this week fall into four categories:
1) Missionary lessons photos
2) Missionaries we met during the four Branch audits (places to the South in Chile)
3) Photos of the Churches that have been built for these branches
4) Some scenic photos taken while at these churches.
We cannot believe all we do at our ages of 74 and 76, plus trying to learn and speak Spanish. We did not talk to very many of our children this past week, but did talk to Merrill, Julie and a bit with Amy. We hope that next weekend (30th and 31st) we can touch base with our family by phone. We actually learn more from the emails you send us, and see more from the photos, but to HEAR your voices is a real thrill, and brings you all closer to us.
Thursday July 21, 2016
STORY 214 HISTORIC "Aunt Viola's Grandson Elder Hirsche called to this mission." This new missionary is the son of Nancy Fawcett Wilcock, her daughter Raylinda married a Hirsche and their son Logan Hirsche just opened his call and has been called to the Antofagasta Chile Mission. Obviouslty they wanted to email George and find out about this mission, what to purchase, any special needs, etc. They were very excited. This past week George had several emails back and forth to your Aunt Viola's granddaughter whose SON has just been called to this mission. ( Here is a Four Generation list for you to understand the significance of this.)
George born in 1940 came from a family of four children.
(Daryl born 1926, Viola born 1931, Glenda born 1936, and George born 1940)
George's sister >Viola Talbot Fawcett (born 1931) is now 86
Viola's 2nd child > Nancy Fawcett (Wilcock) (born about 1954) is now
Nancy's daughter - Raylinda Wilcock (Hirsche) (born about 1977) is now
Raylinda's son Logan Hirsche born about 1998 (is age 18)
Both George and I are very certain that we will NOT be alive when a great grandson of ours is called on a mission. We are now 74 and 76 and none of our grandchildren are even married. Even if a grandchild had a marriage in 2017, and a baby boy was born in 2018, then add eighteen more years and it would be 2037, and we would be 95 and 97 years old. We will probably not be alive to see a great grandson go on a mission. We will ask Viola to get a photo of the FOUR generations and send to us so we can put it on our Blog! Very Historic in our opinion! However, Viola has had SEVERAL other great grandchildren also serve missions, coming from her other children, it is just that this one grandson was sent to our same mission.
F r i d a y July 22, 2016
STORY 214 Apartment Dinner with Joanna, son Benjamin and daug. Lea.
Friday July 22 (evening came for dinner). We met the daughter on the street while walking to the office. I was carrying something and she offered to help me. We stopped to talk to her (age 17) and asked if she would like to learn about the church. She said maybe. We asked where she lived, which was close to where we walk and George went to visit the family the next day. He found a father, mother, and three children, 14, 17 and 20. He invited them to come to our home. Only the mother Joanna and two children came. We had a nice supper and then proceeded to discuss religious topics. However, Joanna let us know really FAST that they went to the "Evangelical Church" and that all you needed was a good HEART and you would go to heaven. She placed both hands on her heart as she spoke. She did not even want to discuss "Joseph Smith?" and she knew his name, so we knew she knew something about us. We then changed the subject and brought out the Family History booklets and had them fill out the pedigree charts. Then we bought out the "Family Proclamation" in Spanish and Joanna read the whole thing, then we gave them a copy of our "Twenty Questions of What Christ's Church Should Look Like?" We did not discuss them, but they took copies home with them tucked into the Family History booklet. This has been such a BIG problem with the Evangelicals, they are so brainwashed that all you need is a good "Heart" that they won't even listen.
Photo Mother Joanna (red dress) and two children Benjamin, and his sister.
S a t u r d a y July 23, 2016
STORY 215 Car Trip to Chanural BRANCH
Photo of Taltal and Pamposo road sign
We had to go South for the audit. Stopped to stretch our legs and for a picture. Margaret is enjoying the view.
STORY 216 Missionaries Story about the Man Soon to be Baptized
a.How the found him: He was living in sort of a shack kind of dweling with a live in girlfriend and two children. He was also drinking some.
b.Missionaries gave the woman and him the lessons. The woman was very receptive, but the man was not too interested, but listened. They were taught about prayer
c.The Lost Car Keys. The next time they met the man said he could not find his car keys and prayed to find them. Then a thought came into his mind where they were. He went and found them. He asked the missionaries IF this is what answers to prayers were like.
d.The Day he Went Fishing: After another lesson the man (who was a fisherman for a living) said he went to the fishing beach and the men were making fun of him for giving up drinking and smoking. He said he was listening to the missionaries. They said if that religion is any good we will see who catches fish today. He said they all went fishing that day and he was the only one who caught something. The other men said they were very surprised.
Photo of the four missionaries (2 who told the above story) and 2 from the office Elder Roberts, Elder Walker, Elder Phillips and Elder King Abalos (gets tons of packages).
Elder Roberts, Walker, Phillips and Abalos at the church in Chanaral. They have 700 members in the branch, but only 35-40 attend church. After the big flood here, many members moved. The missionaries spend most of their time trying to track down members of record.
STORY 116 Iron FIST Out in the Desert. In the Atacama desert the mines are very proud of their mining activity. This monument is way out in the middle of the desert by the side of a road. We had time to stop today and take some photos. It is a BIG FIST shooting way up into the sky. When you think of the Atacoma Desert you have to think of "Mines." They mine all kinds of things, copper, nitrates, and many other things that come out of the ground. Almost every one of the larger out lineing towns have BIG monuments dedicated to the miners. Chanural did not have one, or if it did it is now gone. Perhaps destroyed by the recent flooding.
Margaret and I in front of the Iron Fist at Diego Del Almagro.
STORY 217 The Young Missionaries are the LIFE Blood of the Branches.
When we were talking to them and asking about home teaching and visiting teaching they said this is almost non existent. The people simply cannot do it. They only have limited phone minutes, and most do not have cars and walk to the church. To walk around visiting other families is just not a thing they do here. This probably contributes to the LOW retention of the new converts. These two missionaries told us that.
Christ is the HEAD
Relief Society sisters (how ever few) are the ARMS
Priesthood men (however few) are the LEGS
Missionaries (two to a branch) are the BLOOD that flows through the branch and helps in all areas to make the branch function better.
STORY 218 People in Chanural were Told Not to Rebuild on the Flood Plain
However, the young missionaries told us that the people will not listen. They said the floods come only every 50 years, they own the property and if they build, they will be dead and someone else can worry about it. How do you like this line of reasoning?
STORY 219 Last Years Flood in Chanural
This town Chanural, Chile (LOOK up this site on the Internet) really got hit bad with flooding last fall. The water, mud, rocks, bolders, etc. gushed down into the town from the outlining mountains and literally filled home after home, destroying all in its path. Se sent photos of this six months ago. However, the missionaries said that some of the people who received the money (millions of dollars) absconded it and left town. They do not know if all of the work that was suppose to be done will be done. This town lost its BEACH when trucks with acids were swept into the beach areas and contaminated the beaches. Many church members lost their homes, property and structures are left standing (metal framework) only. This is a branch. They have a very nice church building.
S u n d a y July 24, 2016
STORY 218 New Investigator and her two children
El Salvador Branch is so very small. They have a lovely building but hardly no members. The missionary apartment is built right on the same property as the church. Sister missionaries have been here in this branch for the past 3 years. The new president changed that and put ELDERS in this town. The young branch president has sometimes had to conduct the meeting, bless the sacrament, pass the sacrament and then give the talks. Two have two Priesthoos holders will be a big boon to this branch. We have loved the drive to El Salvador. Find it on a map if you want to see where it is. It is TOTALLY a mining town. Everyone works for the mine in one way or another. However George took a walk and found THREE churches all across from each other: 1) Mormon Church, 2) Baptist Church, 3) Seventh Day Adventist Church. Therefore he took these photos.
Photo of 7th Day Adventists Church
Photo of the Baptist Church
Photo of the Mormon Church
Photo of homes but all had satilite dishes (Shacky homes, but Satalite Dishes) Most everyone has a cell phone and a TV no matter where they live
The lovely chapel in El Salvador. They have about 20-25 come with over 100 on the rolls. They started church with just us and the wife of the 1st councilor. Eventually a few more came.
A baptist church on the back side of the LDS church. Jehovah Witnesses and Evangelicals are also not too far away. There is a lot of competition in this small community.
STORY 219 A New Convert a Young Mother who had a Young Baby
The sister missionaries found this woman when they were doing a service project. I got to meet her when the branch president's wife left the church to go and pick her up and I went along. It was such a sweet moment to see them nurture this new convert who woud be baptized the following Saturday. It is love love love, just love that will build the branches of the church in these outlining areas. It is SO different from the larger wards in the cities such as Antofagasta. You just feel for them and appreciate the young missionaries who COME and serve in these small branches of the church. The Lord must truly love the young missionaries who are sent and come and help in this way.
No photo
STORY 219 Car Trip to Diego Del Almagro BRANCH (arrived 1 pm Sunday afternoon)
After church we got in the car and drove to the next branch. Here again it is a mining town. Their are more members in this branch than the other branches, except for Taltal which also has a sizable crowd. The wind was blowing sand and dust so we could not get very good photos. The branch presidents counselor's wife and the counselor were singing together to the church green book tape when we arrived. He left to help with the audit but she kept on singing. I surely enjoyed listening to her. When they finished the audit I met the branch president. I have never seen such a glow from a person's eyes as the glow from his eyes. I think our true SPIRIT comes out through out eyes. I just knew our Heavenly Father loved this man. He is in the photo of the group and has the darkest skin color. After the Audit was finished the counselor's wife fixed "hot chocolate and some kind of spoon bread that she cooked in oil." We all enjoyed visiting and eating this treat.
Photo of the Branch President and missionaries
Photo of the group with the tray of things the counselor's wife had prepared.
Photo of the front of the Branch Church
Elders Roberts, The branch President in Diego Del Almagro, Elders Jensen , Walker, myself and Elder Chang in front of the church.
STORY 220 Car Trip to Taltal BRANCH (arrived 5 pm Sunday late afternoon)
After leaving the previous branch we drove to Taltal. This is a very POPULAR place in Chile. People love to go to Taltal. It is clean, has a beautiful central park (we have shown photos of it before but not this time), and lots of greenery. Even the drive coming into Taltal the hills in the surrounding areas are filled with bushes (not close together) but bushes of some kinds, and a few flowers here and there. It is a lovely drive. They say that the moisture from the ocean comes up as a "MIST" and waters the siurrounding hills and areas. It is very DIFFERENT from the other areas that we visited. Also they have some beach front property that is not directly in front of the town, but near by. I took a lovely photo of George standing outside of the church before the sun went down, and one of the street looking up to the town's central square. We then drove back to Antofagasta and arrived around 11:30 pm.
Photo of George standing outside before the audit.
Photo of the street going up to the BIG main central square in Taltal
Photo of the group being served chocolate and dipped bread cooked in hot oil
Margaret took my picture in front of the church at Taltal.
M o n d a y July 25th, 2016 BACK at the OFFICE
STORY 221 Copper Plaque TREE of LIFE (1st Nephi 8th Chapter)
This copper engraving is very large and one hangs in the office hall way and another is at the mission home. It is our favorite copper plaque. They are made in Calama at a shop that we think must cater to an LDS audience as some of the scenes they do come from the Book ofd Mormon. David brought us back one from his mission of Samuel the Lamanite standing on a wall. It currently hangs in George's office in Provo. The missionaries here, when they go home, each receive a very small copper plaque ( 12 inches by 15 inches) of the La Portada (the rock out in the ocean with a large hole in the center. Will be seen with any photos of Antofagasta.
STORY 222 Photo of this group of Office Elders We worked with
Combios come the following week so we had the office elders and APs line up and took a photo of them. (E = elder) Names (L to R) George, E Prada (over visas), E Anderson (an AP), E Santos (an AP from Brazil), E Walker (George's assistant for 7 months), Daniel Papita (works in the maintenance office here), E Roberts (new elder who will now be over finances), E Huffstetler (from Alabama, and he is called the commissary over purchasing bus tickets, supplies, making new letter, printing baptism records, etc. handles a "ton" of things and Margaret helps him. We have loved working with these young elders. They give up SIX to SEVEN months of their mission to help in the office and they most generally take their responsibilities very seriously.
END
Sorry this write up came so late, but I got behind and the photos were sent before the TEXT. Hope this text helps explain the photos. We know all of these details are not exactly what you would call a "spiritual experience" but in reality it truly is. Just visiting these branches and seeing these YOUNG missionaries who serve in these branches, youth who have left their homes and many comforts from all over the world, and come and serve, and then be assigned to these in these small branches of the church brings tears to our eyes. When you compare these branches to the larger more established wards in the larger cities such as Antofagasta it is a striking difference. When you compare the Chilean Wards to the Utah wards, then you really see a difference.
We both wish the YOUTH in the church could be PRICKED in their HEARTS with a desire and commitment to fill missions and DOUBLE the current number from 75 thousand to 150 thousand. That happening would bless these kinds of branches and similar small branches of the church all over the world.
Therefore we have one wish, that ALL of our grandchildren will plan even now even at their tender young ages to serve a mission. They are needed, they are wanted, and they will be loved.
Love Mom and Dad
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