(sent Saturday 11 am on September 10, 2016 from Antofagasta, Chile)
We always think we will have a calm week and it ends up being as big and full of activities as any of the past weeks. We hope you enjoy the following stories and photos if you go to the blog. We may not call our stories "miracles" like the younger missionaries talk so much about in their emails, but know that we do have them, and we do act on the many promptings we have, but how we present them may not give you that impression.
We want you all to know we do FEEL the help from our Savior while doing and serving on this mission, but working with the investigators we are currently working with (see list at the end) has been a long and tedious process covering 16 months for some of them.
The younger missionaries cannot do this, as they are told to "DROP" people who are not progressing. For example, we have the lady at Socia Bank that George has been friend shipping for 12 months and FINALLY (really truly) last week she went to one of our churchs meetings (stayed for the 3 hours) at the place she is suppose to go, and took her small daughter. She loved it. She now is going again and has NOT had any missionary lessons except talking to George and one time at our home 12 months ago. Older couples work with missionary work a whole different way. We just keep friend shipping and friend shipping and loving and loving them, and hoping they will desire more. Even with our limited broken Spanish we can do some good.
Younger missionaries do SO much good, and help SO very much in the wards (and barrios here). But it is just different. They cannot invite people to their apartments for dinner. They cannot stay up past 10 pm. They push for baptism dates from almost the first lesson. We are just older and how we present things is different, plus we have the language barrier, but know that we have turned MANY of the contacts we have found over to them, but also we have kep MANY for ourselves, who have NOT wanted the formal lessons yet. The ones we keep are the ones we TELL you about.
However, we also like to give "family members" the CULTURE end of things here in Chile, as because we are a senior couple we can GO to those kinds of things, and the younger missionaries cannot generally do this. Most of you will never have the opportunity to visit this country, even though you could for $860 round trip ticket if you fly from Las Vegas to Santiago, otherwise it would be $1,560 if not from Las Vegas!
PHOTOS sent for this week
Story 291 Baptism records photo
Story 292 Two sisters and wife's sister Photo
Story 293 no photos
Story 294 Puzzel photo with family
Story 295 Showing three scriptures New Testament in Spanish
Story 296 no photos (openhouse photos were shown last time)
Story 297 down town Antorfagasta Central street photos (several)
Story 298
Story 299 Day Care program photos (several) two VIDEOS
Story 300 Building walls Chilean designs photos (3 or more)
Story 301 Elder Bragg coming to visit the South America Missions next week
Story 302 Chilean Invidations
S T O R I E S 290 to 302
STORY 290 - PROGRESS with JOSE - OUR ONLY contact who is currentlu "regularly and daily" READING the BOOK of MORMON
This has been an long and interesting process. We have known Jose for over 14 months. He has come to our apartment for Monday evening meal for probably 40 different Monday evenings. Started out - having him help us with Spanish, has ended up talking about religion. He was raised in Santiago (near where out temple is located), attended a quite well known Catholic based school, which also taught English, speaks fluent English, and is very well read, and has a hobby of studying "ships" all kinds from all different wars, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Germany, USA, etc. What ever we talk about he generally knowns something. But says he has no FAITH! Our effort is to try to build him some faith. We earlier asked him to read the book of Mormon and he said NO not interested, but we later asked again, and he accepted the challenge. He is now reading through the Isaiah chapters in II Nephi, and does not want to miss any of them, but he tells us that at the rate he is going he will not finish the book before we leave in 10 weeks. We asked him to try to read more chapters each week. (no photos)
STORY 291 HELPING with the BAPTISM RECORDS at the OFFICE
This has become a big deal now with this new president who wants 100 baptisms a month. We hit 84 last week, and 89 baptisms this week and ended up at 94 for the month of August. This is SO many many more than I used to type and enter, that two different couples from Antofagasta are now taking turns coming to help with entering baptism records in preparation for when we leave. However to even do this job, is NO small chore.
First after they are printed from the original copies that are sent to the OFFICE, we have to identify the Barrio and Stake with certain numbers, check the exact spelling of the name, check the exact dates of the baptism and confirmation, make sure they put who the head of the house is, name and birthday, and if married, the marriage date and place, etc.
BUT unfortunately some of the missionaries who FILL out the forms MISS some of the vital information such as (the converts birthday) etc. and then we have to call them to go and get the information. Therefore to now have 100 a month over the used to be 30 to 40 a month is a BIG CHANGE. therefore we GO to the office Monday afternoon to see if any have been printed and start to fix and review them. Then on Tuesday the helping couple people come to start entering them. On this Tuesday the lady entered 20 of the 29 that had come in. It took a long time. The mission wants 100 this month and may get it. (1 photo of baptism records)
STORY 292 CLAYIDE COMES to HELP HER SISTERS FAMILY (1 photo)
This has been an interesting situation I hope I can explain to help you understand:
Wilson and Ideide and two children had plans to go to Florida Orlando Disney World.
The date was set and flight tickets purchased, etc. 7th of Sept to 17th.
Wilson's youngest sister Solance (never married) has kidney failure & sugar diabetes.
She had surgery the week before they were to leave.
She then left the hospital and came to their home as NO other place else to go.
Ideide did not know what to do as they were leaving town.
She called her sister Clayide to come up from Ovalle on the bus to tend Solance
Then she came and Wilson and family left on their trip to Flordia.
Clayide- woman George brought into the discussion at that home & she was baptized.
Then another sister Daisey drove down from Calama to drive Solance for dialisis.
When we arrived with lunch we tried to introduce the gospel to Daisey.
This is the situation we have been taking lunch to, now today our third time.
Daisey only stays Monday to Friday afternoon as she is driver for the dialisis treatments.
Reading scriptures with them, and sharing what we can with (ALL) Spanish speakers.
Daisy read most of this pamphlet out loud to us as we could not speak it well enough
She took the B of M and a general conference magazine in her hand that night.
We have no idea where any of this will go, we just know we are doing all we can to help.
(see 1 photo of Joseph Smith pamplet)
STORY 293 TOLD ABOUT A NEW CHILEAN HOLIDAY (Thursday Sept 8, 2016)
Sometimes we don't know why we do things, but it must be the spirits promptings, but we stopped by Marta and Rodolfos on our way home from Clayides just to say hello and ended up having "supper served to us" and visiting until nearly 11 pm. But the visit was really deep into "religion" and we felt impressed to stay. We just do what we can when we can no matter what hour of day or night it is. This is the night Rodolfo said "It is that MORE that your church offers that I do not wan." We keep telling him, it is not our "church" it is Jesus Christ's church. We have ordered them the Bible and TRIPLE to give to them this weekend. We just keep working with them. Since they told us the next day would be a "holiday" that we did not know about, they wanted to spend the day with us, so we invited them to Lunch at our apartment. It has been "chilly" here and their plans to go to the beach were cancelled due to the weather. Weather can help out sometimes!
STORY 294 LUNCH and then SUPPER at our APARTMENT(1 puzzel photo- same day)
This was a long long day for us with this family, from 2 PM to 8PM. We invited them for lunch at our apartment, we played games and did the puzzel,d talked religion, heard a story from Rodolfo that took an hour that was so incredible of something that had happened to him 20 years ago that we were all simply "stunned." We then introduced the IDEA of Scripture Time every day and did scriptures with them. Then we had soup for supper and invited them to stay even longer and go to the open house. (1 puzzel photo)
STORY 295 TEACHING MARTA & RODOLFO - SCRIPTURE TIME (1 photo same day)
We ordered $60 dollars worth of scriptures from the Santiago Book store for our church and they arrived. We purchased the New Testament Scriptures (only) and gave three to Marta for their family and actually opened them around our table and showed them how to have "scripture time" with their family. We told her this is how our children do it. She read the scripture and Guga repeated it. We told them to do this every day and gave them the THREE copies. Our report back was that "Guga" loved doing it and asked the next day "when is Scripture time." Here is a family, having Home Evening every week, now doing Scriptures daily, but have not committed to wanting to be baptized. We just keep doing the Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept approach. (1 photo of scriptures)
STORY 296 A CHURCH "OPENHOUSE" QUITO BARRIO (no photos-same day)
We were so impressed that Marta who had already attended one openhouse wanted to have her husband who was out of town attend. We had them at our home all afternoon and when time for the openhouse came (6 pm) Rodolfo said, lets go home. Marta said "Can't we please go to the Openhouse?" then Rodofo said OK. That is how close we came to not having them come. We then drove over and they followed us. I tended Guga while they went to all of the presentations. Marta left with a "stack of handouts" and Rodolfo spent extra time in the Family History room set up. We just keep WORKING trying to get them to "want" the lessons and we never know when the "bell" will ring inside of them to want more. The last we heard from Rodolfo when we said "you have fine things taught at your church" we just can add to it MORE. Then Rodolfo said, "It is that MORE that I don't believe in. We just keep working and waiting and hoping! (no photos)
STORY 297 DOWNTOWN CENTRAL after a HOLIDAY "DAY" (Fri Sept 9) (4 photos)
We went down town to see Marta and she was not at her store. We were shocked at the "crowds and crowds" of people on the street and in the cars. Due to the holiday, when ALL stores have to close by law, the people flocked to the stores the next day. George took some interesting photos for you to see. The building is the post office, it is 100 years old and has the high topped rod. Enjoy these photos. This is down down Central in Antofagasta. The wide street is closed only for walking for several blocks. ( see several photos)
STORY 298 VISITING CLAYIDE again and READING SCRIPTURES (Fri Sept 9) no photo Clayede is the young woman, sister of Ideide who was baptized in Ovalle. She received the lessons here in Antofagasta. She is the one George invited to come out of the kitchen and hear the lessons. She has a 15 year old daughter. She is the sister who came up from Ovalle to help care for her own sister's "sister in law" Solance who is very ill. We try to go over to that home every day (out of the ten days) she will be here or at least every other day to READ scriptures with her, take lunch to them, and just reinforce her in the gospel. She said she plans to teach her daughter the gospel when she returns to live with her in three months. (no photo)
STORY 299 A CHILEAN PROGRAM for a DAY CARE (Fri Sept 9) (several photos)
Marta called while we were at Clayide's and invited us to her son's Chilean Program for 3 and 4 year olds. We were at that end of town anyway, so left where Clayide was staying and drove directly to where we would meet Maryta and Guga, which was located right by our Origens Barrio. We went into a big complex, (not the pre school building, that had a small auditorium, and following are some of the photos George took. The children were just adorable dressed in costums and trying to do the dances that the bigger Chilean people do for the upcoming NATIONAL HOLIDAY Chile's Independence celebration which is September 18 (similar to our July 4th). It is a real big DEAL down here in Chile - and this year the 18th is on "Domingo" which is Sunday.
Stage Backdrop Photo
VIDEO - Little boys dancing
VIDEO - Little girls dancing
Other Photos
STORY 300 WALL PHOTOS outside of the AUDITORIUM in a COURT area (Fri Sept 9) The Chilean people love to decorate walls in bright colors and particularly with "mosaics". We could not resist taking pictures of the f o u r different wall mosaics on the outside wall of the building that were in, that were on a wall in an outside court area. We also took some other photos here too, of Guga and his mother and one Marta took of us and Guga. Guga is a nickname for "Gustabo." (see multiple photos)
STORY 301 ELDER MARK A. BRAGG COMING to this MISSION NEXT WEEK (for Wed 14th Sept)
Having a general church authority come, happens at least yearly. Next Wednesday will be the day Elder Bragg (see photo and write up from the last May Ensign conference edition) will be speaking at ONE location and all other missionaries will get it via a transmission. This is probably for the whole AREA SOUTH MISSIONS. He speaks Spanish, so we will probably not get it all, just word clusters.
For this event we are going to be preparing 150 Lunches for the missionaries to take a eat (while sitting down in chairs) after the talks, etc. We purchased 150 boxed drinks, for this purpose on Friday. We will be bagging together - a drink, a plate, knife & fork, napkin, an apple, a granola bar, and then add two different kinds of empanadas at the last moment. Next week will be a busy one as 16 missionaries go home on Monday, 8 arrive on Tuesday, being assigned their companions early Wednesday, and then the meeting with Elder Bragg on Wednesday, followed by serving the 150 lunches. For this mission, missionaries will be gathering in two different locations. (1 photo and text)
STORY 302 SHOWING CHILEAN CUSTOM for INVITATIONS & OTHER (2 photos)
Here is Chile (there are no cards that we see in the grocery stores, or in fact have never seen "birthday, holiday, etc. type cards that people purchase and send out."
B a b y S h o w e r s I n v i t a t i o n s - When someone at the church wants to invite the sisters "hermanas" to something they make dozens of little cards, some as small as the size of a name card people have to advertize their business called a "business card" in the USA, and then they pass them OUT at Relief Society. Or sometimes they go more elaborate and make such as the boat (see photo) with the words and invitation on the back side. There have been others too, not in this photo.
(1 photo find one with ship)
P a r t y I n v i t a t i o n s - Also in the one photo is the front of the invitation to Guga's birthday party. The back side had the photos of the super men and time and place. We have never seen an invitation in an envelope, and none are "mailed" to people - ever.
P r i m a r y P r o g r a m s - For the last years Origenes Barrio Program the primary leaders made little "book marks" (see a sample in the picture with the song book) that were covered in plastic and had a little ribbon at the top for each person who wanted to take one from a table at the entrance of the church. The one on a STICK was another unusual way to announce something. All in Spanish, but was very clever. I would have to say the "Chileans" are very clever in what they do. Perhaps ideas for some of you.
(1 photo see song book etc.)
C h u r c h S a c r a m e n t M e e t i n g P r o g r a m s - Some barrios (wards) have printed programs, and others don't. Our Origenes barrio has a printed program (in color the cover photo) for each Sunday. But they only PRINT about 20 and have them layered on a table before you enter the Chapel. Only the people who arrive "first" get them. We have shown these before, they are similar to what we have in the USA, but the "color" printed from a printer, of Christ in different photos, is unusual, and the amount they print is unusual, and how they do it is different that what we have seen in the Utah wards. Also song books available are only about (12) and most people use their "phones" and many have all words "memorized 4 verses" and only a few books are available. Seen it this way is any ward we have attended here in Chile. We LOVE singing the Spanish songs. (no photo)
END (Stories 290 to 302 and associated photos)
The days and weeks just fly by. We are not necessarily counting the days but we do say to our people we are working with "We have only NINE Weeks left with you," and it seems to "jar" them a little and they actually take us more seriously. We are not only teaching Chilean people, we are teaching people we love dearly. They know we love them, and we both (them and us) will miss our association when we leave. We just take a day at a time and do all we can as we know our days are numbered and the number is getting lower all of the time. We love all of you and pray for you to have the help you need for whatever your particular needs are, and we appreciate your prayers for us and for the people we are currently working with.
OUR CURRENT LIST: Edward (age 25), Claudia (the mother) and Fernanda (age 4), Marta and Rodolfo & Guga (age 4), Claudio (the father) and Gabriella (age 8), Wilson and Ideide & Daniel (age 10) & Pascal (age 6), Jose (age 27), Claramae (age 25), Daisy & Solance (sisters of Wilson), English speaking Diego (age 27), English speakingBarbara (age 24), Juan Carlos Castro (age 35) a father of 4, PLUS inactive members English speaking Robert (age 30), Javier (age 27) and two other families. Now, we aren't so much now trying to FIND new people as much as trying to focus in on the people we are currently working with to see what we can accomplish in the days and weeks we have left.
Our statistics aren't too good (1 baptism in 16 months), and of the people on the above list Juan Carlos is the only ONE with future baptism plans, (he wants George to baptize him but no date set); and Jose is the only ONE actually reading the Book of Mormon a chapter a day and has finished II Nephi. However, ALL of the above have attended ONE or MORE of our church meetings or programs, etc. except for Edward, the young Gabriella age 8, Diego and Barbara. MOST are STILL blinded as accepting the "LIGHT" in the below scripture regarding the gospel message, but we have NOT given up that this may change over the next few weeks."
A SCRIPTURE for OUR DAY - Doctrine & Coventants Section 45: 28 to 30
Verse 28 And when the times of the Gentiles is come in a LIGHT shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the FULNESS of my GOSPEL;
Verse 29 But they RECEIVE it NOT; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.
Verse 30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Love Madre y Padre, Abelo y Abela, Hermano y Hermana and Nino & Nieta
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