STORIES 253 to 270 will come after we finish writing them tonight.
Sorry there are SO many photos (54) but they are very INTERESTING. We have described them in detail and IF you can get the numbers for the photos from the descriptions and put them with the right stories it will be a real feat! sIt is important to PUT them under the right story. Sorry we can't give you numbers. Photos are good, but are better if they go with the STORIES to make them make sense. You will not realize this but it took us three hours to put this all together. Hope you can do your part in Half an Hour. and hope not too many minutes more. This weeks photos are simply INCREDIBLE. At the observatory their telescopes are strong enough that a cars LIGHTS can be magnified enough to have them shine clear to the MOON! Love Dad and Mom
THE STORY NUMBERS 253 to 270 and the 54 PHOTOS SENT
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STORY 253 BALL on a ROPE GAME PLAYED at the Church Parking Lot (2 photos)
We were at the church before the Open House last Saturday (Aug 20) in our own barrio, and the scout leader was in the parking lot. He had a long rope with a ball attached at the end and started swinging it around and around. The boys and some young men would run in and huddle underneath where he was swinging it. Then he kept swinging it (ball on the end) and they would try to run back out. If the BALL hit them. They were OUT. It was at real hoot! We had never seen this game played. We wondered if Amy with her big yard would like to play this game. The children (and cousins) would love it, but please NO crying, if the ball hits one of them. However, you may think this is too dangerous. But the young boys and some older boys loved it. (see two photos) These Chileans come up with things we have never seen of before!
Photo 2 swing the rope and ball and boys run out. If they get hit. They are out. FUN FUN
Young men at the church trying not to get hit ball swinging around above them.
STORY 254 GOING to CHURCH for FIRST TIME (1 photo)
Marta has been to two General Conference sessions, 2 ward (barrio) programs or events, but never to church. She finally came on a Sunday when her husband was out of town. We so enjoyed having her come, even though she came after the sacrament had been offered, and stayed through the two primary hours. Her sons loved it too. However, this week, she said her husband did not want them to go again. Perhaps we can get him to change his mind. They invited us over for Sunday dinner tomorrow (Aug 28). Maybe it is a peace offering since they would not come to church again. But we just keep using
"gentle ways" and hope the light of the gospel will someday shine bright enough that they will want it full time!
Marta and Guga attend church with us for the first time.
STORY 255 DESCRIBING MISSION OPEN HOUSES ( 9 photos)
(Nine Photos from 2nd Open House at Las Rocas & Cerro Moreno Building) Antofagasta
All over the church in all of the missions the church is now encouraging the missions to have open houses where members and missionaries bring their friends and acquaintances, and those receiving lessons. We were not responsible for the set up, but we worked very hard last week visiting or calling our contacts, to get the people we had been working with to come to these. Five came to the first one (Marta and Guga) and (Ideide, Daniel and Pascal), and we were so busy with them we did not get any photos that night. Then we had five who were to come to the second one and none came, so we did get photos. Hope you enjoy learning about what takes place in the MISSION OPEN HOUSES. First of all each organization has a ROOM that they prepare to present what they do to the people who come (in small groups). Like going from room to room. Below are the nine photos showing the different rooms. At our building Marta did not want to miss one room, so we tended Guga as it was too long (the discussions) for a four year old in the different rooms. The first open house had 17 come and we brought 7 of the 17. In the 2nd open house we had 5 who promised to come, and none came. But 27 did come from other people (two wards together doing this) and 17 of them wanted to know more. It was a lot of work for a lot of people but everyone seemed to love it.
Cultural Hall Area Large Banners in cultural room banners 1 2 3
Cultural Hall Area - Large Banners banners 4 5
Sunday School room - "Escuela Dominical"Sunday School display
Relief Society room - Table with handiwork Mom in background with people
Primary Room - Refreshments red vase and teacher and child
Young Women Room - Two young girls Bania
Genealogy Room - Family history room and people pedigree chart on the wall
Missionaries at the open house (four of the ten elders - see their thumbs turned up)
Open house at the church. The Sunday School room display.
STORY 256 Before Arriving Home-POST TRAVEL PLANS (Bryan helped us) 2 photosWe have been working on our "Post Mission Travel Plans" on a few mornings this past week. Bryan helped George find his apartment in Via Maria in Argentina. It was sad for us to learn that it was when he was in this apartment that he got the phone call that his brother Robert had been killed in an accident. We will not be able to go to Via Maria, but he found the apartment photo for us on Google Maps and George took a photo of it from the computer screen. We hope Jonathan and David will also help us find some of the apartments they lived in when they were on their missions. Technology today is way way out there, for bringing back memories of years past. We will give you our outline in another story presentation when we get closer to be leaving. We have 11 weeks left, and tons of missionary work to do.
Bryans apartment in Via Maria Argentina
Elva Gomez's home in Salta. Bryan knew family when on his mission. Eva lived with us.
Bryan showed us the apartment where he lived in Villa Maria. Blue/gray doors.
STORY 257 THEIR FIRST HOME EVENING (3 photos)Rodolfo Guga and Marta and BeDo (dog) with 1st home evening on Jesus
They were so excited to have had their first home evening that to us it turned into a real production. They called us on the phone and sent us the photos. George sent them out to the family. But we wanted to record it with a brief story text and here are three of those photos. They said their son thought his toys were "heros" and they wanted "Jesus" to be his hero. They even bought some cards with bible story figures on them and played the "Matching" game where you pick up cards to see if you can pick up a match. They called and told us thank you for telling them about Home Evenings, we told them to thank our Prophets, because it was them who told the people to do these. And they received this revelation from our Heavenly Father 100 years ago. We told them families are promised to be "blessed" if they hold family home evenings together weekly and teach their children principals of righteousness.
Jesus is the "Hero"
Playing the game of Pick Up and Maching with bible cards
The Rodolfo, Guga and Maria first family home evening.
STORY 258 DOWN TOWN (Relojir Store) (Watches, batteries, Misc Iems) (3 photos)We were walking by Marta's store this week and she was just leaving. The store is very small - about the size of the smallest bedroom or George's office in our Provo house. This shows how TINY stores are on the streets in down town Antofagasta. It is SO different from in the United States. The Mall is like in the United states, but NOT the stores on the down town streets, except some are much bigger than this one. Her store is packed to the brim and Martha was very fortunate to "inherit" this store, and her sister "inherited" another store that their father started many years ago in Antofagasta. He was a real merchant kind of person. Now the one sister inherited the family home in Antofagasta, and Martha will inherit the Brazilian home and large lot in Brazil. There were only two daughters. The mother was named Marie (Mary), named one daughter Martha and the other daughter Magdalena for Mary Madeline.
At the store - Store is even smaller than Laura's living room area.
Mom and Marta at Marta's store
Marta alone at the store with her employee
Margaret and Marta in the store she owns.
Marta alone at the store with her employee
STORY 259 (4 photos)We were just walking back to our car when through the down town Center Squareon Friday (Aug 26) in Antofagasta and droves of people (youth) were preparing for a some kind of performance. We followed them over to where we found a BIG STANGE and over 100 chairs set up. We sat down and LOVED what we heard and saw. We stayed from 3 to 6, but had to leave before it was over. All of our families with "violins, cellos, violas, etc.) would have LOVED this program. We stayed and watched school after school. It was so enlightening to watch the STUDENTS who LOVED their music and their instrument. They played with heart and soul. We were on the 3rd row and could see so clearly the students who LOVED their musical instruments with heart and soul. The FIRST CHAIR violinists for two of the groups were incredible how the "bow arm" seems to just float in the air, backs were straight, elbows lifted high, etc, and motion of the wrist was almost like a ballerina. One of the base fiddle players was so MUSICAL that any "big band" would have loved to snatch him up immediately. We love having five of our children's families who have children playing a string instrument: Bryan 1, Jonathan 1, Laura 3, Julie 3, and Amy 3 (11 total). We are SO proud of all of them for all of their efforts they and their moms and dads put into providing these kinds of talents, and for grandchildren who will practice, and most of all for grandchildren who LOVE playing their instruments!
Symphony Downtown Square program (red backing of two pages)
Photo 1 Blue clothing - San Pedro of Atacoma school (young children) on violins
Photo 2 Baptist school group (ties) and white students talking to us
Photo 3 Large group Hallaluah Chorus and Symphony players
Orchestra at the park downtown.
Orchestra concert program.
STORY 260 PLANTS of the ATACOMA AREA but not of the DESERT (3 photos)We saw these plants on a waiting room area at the Paranal Observatory. People in Chile who live in the Atacama desert LOVE their plants (mainly house plants). People who have a "bush" or a "tree" growing in their front area build a wooden fence around them so people will not PARK their cars and run over their bushes and trees, which are not very many, but they preserve anything that is growing. Trust me, they love PLANTS and DOGS these Chileans! No dog photos this week! We also thought Uncle Afton would love the photo of the ROCK OWL. Perhaps he can start a new "Owl" business!
Plants seen at Paranol on a table
Big View of the plants
The Owl Rock on a shelf See the eyes they put in the holes in the rock
Plants they are trying to grow at Paranal Observatory.
STORY 261 OUR 2nd TRIP to PARANAL OBSERVATORY (4 photos)
This was our 2nd trip to the PARANAL OBSERVATORY. We were responsible for this happening as it only takes place the last two Saturdays & Sundays of a month. One of the APs is going home in two weeks and this would be his last chance to see it. So we really ordered the "places" for us for him so he could go. We sent a map showing where it is located about 2 hours from Antofagasta. We learned so very MUCH this second time, and hope you will enjoy this reading and photos experience as probably NONE of you will ever be able to go to this place during your life time. The first time we went there (last year) one missionary fainted due to the high altitude and we were busy with that plus we had a Spanish speaking guide, and did not know what he was saying. This time we had an English guide for FIVE people. We left feeling so much AWE of the Heavenly Father we worship that we could hardly do anything after we got home, except read what Abraham saw recorded in his Book in the Pearl of Great Price.
Photo Map of Antofagasta with ARROW where we were. Paranal
We took this photo from a photo of the construction of Paranal being built that was hanging on the wall. The place is utterly amazing. We loved going the 2nd time. First you park and get your car registered. When the people signed up have all arrived, you drive to a 2nd parking lot where you have a MOVIE in English (with sub captions in the dominant language of the group). For our group and the others, it was Spanish. After the movie then we went and got back in our cars and drove on up the steep hill to the observatories. Then we parked again, and formed into our groups.
Photo George and Margaret at the entrance stone wall area at first parking lot.
Photo President and wife far left and FOUR office missionaries & 2 APs that we took of them just outside of the visitors center. At the 2nd parking area, taken after the movie.
Paranol being constructed (from a photo)
George and Margaret at the entrance sign
President and wife far left and FOUR office missionaries & 2 APs that we took
STORY 262 ABOUT the TELESCOPES and HOW they OPERATE (6 photos)
The English guide, has the green helmut on, then comes the two from Korea (right), one Portugal (far left) Center Costa Rica . We were in a small group for English Only. It was really good and we could hear everything he said as we were all so close together. We went inside one of the telescope buildings, and climbed up some stairs up to the main level and viewed the huge glass mirror that weighs (25 tons) and was made in Germany It is 17 meters think and 20 meters across. Hawaii has one that is 30 meters across, but in the future this observatory is building the BLT that will be 40 meters across and it will be the largest in the whole world.. Then we climbed up some more stairs to a higher level and saw the top mirror that was much much smaller. These mirros reflect the light that comes from the far distance. Then it is funneled back down some tubes to where the computer offices are and that is where the photographs are made. The equipment is enormous. The LARGE mirror is the same as the mirror that you will see wrapped up in some kind of protection in the large large semi truck. Probably once a year they had to do maintenance on the glass mirrors, such as cleaning them, and polishing them. It is a very difficult process to remove them, but the GOLD framework that you will see in another photo below is how they take the mirror out of the telescope building, and get it into a truck (that has similar frame work.
Photo of several photos We are inside far bottom right photo for next FIVE photos
Inside - frame work that holds the large mirror
Inside - top holding the upper smaller mirror
Inside - showing the telescope big mirror
Inside -see light at top showing upper mirror
Photo of several photos We are inside far bottom right photo for next FIVE photos
Inside - frame work that holds the large mirror
Inside - top holding the upper smaller mirror
Inside - showing the telescope big mirror
Inside -see light at top showing upper mirror
The frame holding the reflecting mirror inside of the Observatory.
STORY 263 COLLECTING LIGHT to MAKE THE PHOTOS (3 photos)
The guilde told us they have the ability by combining the four telescopes to act like one telescope to send light clear to the moon from a normal car's headlights It is simply amazing what technology can do, but not nearly as amazing as what our Heavenly Father did to create all of the planets, the son, the moon, and the earth we are standing and living on. It is a very HUMBLING experience to visit this place, as you are thinking about the power and glory and intelligence of our Heavenly Father while you are there, and it is a day of utter awe and worship, as well as one of partaking of information. We took two photos of the heavens of pictures hanging on the wall for you to see. The colors are simply magnificant.
Photo at night showing long stream of light coming in
Photo 1 (from a framed photo)
Photo 2 (from a framed photo)
STORY 264 OUTSIDE WAY UP HIGH 8,500 feet above sea level (1 photo)Outside - view of ocean from Paranal and blue sky and clouds. The hill that the telescope small structures are located on had the top of it flattened out. You can get a better view of the flattened hill in one of our first photos of the site when it was under construction. The guide told us that the Atacoma desert is an ideal place to view the starts and constellations as it rarely has "clouds: covers to block the views. This is why this site was chosen. Therefore in the below photo you can VIEW the pacific ocean way far down below. We estimated that from the TOP of Mount Timpanogus is about how far down it goes from where this photo was taken until you come to the shores of the rocks around the water, way far down below.
Outside - view of ocean from Paranal and blue sky and clouds
Pacific Ocean view from Paranal.
STORY 265 ASTRONOMERS WORK INSIDE and MAKE the PHOTOS (3 photos)
In another building to the side of the four telescope structures is a long building that contains offices. The astronomers work in "work stations:" that go to the specific computer that goes to each one of the FOUR telescope structures. They make the photos, take measurements, and work on different kinds of projects.They named each of the four structures for the early indian tribes that were living in this area. VEPUN, ANTU, KUEYEN and another NAME I didn't get recorded. You can SEE one of these names on one of the walls in one of the following photosl The guild told us they have two kinds of projects: (1) VISITOR MODE jobs where an institution applies to this place with a proposal for a telescope project. If it is accepted, then this propject may or may not be handled by outside astronomers. If it is assiged to astronomers who work at this place then it is called (2) SERVICE MODE. They said 20 to 30 % of the projects are in visitor mode, and 60 to 70 % of the projects are in service mode. The country of CHILE donated the land so they get opportunities to use the equipment. They are called a HOST country, and are not part of the 15 NATIONS who put up the funding to build, run, and operate the telescopes.
Inside office - astronomer at work by the computers
Inside office - another view of the astronomers
Inside - see Name of telescope ANTU on a back wall.
STORY 266 NEXT- TO BUILD a NEW TELESCOPE (Biggest on planet earth) (1 photo)
Photo Through fence see highest hlll. Place to build largest telescope in next 2 years
STORY 267 MOVING the LARGE MIRROR Back up to Building where goes (4 photos)We mentioned in onf of the above little accounts about moving the large 30 meeter wide glass mirror that weighs 25 tons back to the structure where it belongs. It has been cleaned and polished, a maintenance things, and you can see it in three views on the truck as the truck slowly goes up the hill. It was an interesting day to be at the observatory and get to see this take place. One of our photos showsthe big gold colored framework to slide the huge cleaned glass mirror into place. This was a huge and delicate job to do with the observatory people cleaning, repairing and then replacing the same gigantic mirror back into the place where it goes in one of the dome like big telescope houses.
1Truck holding the large mirror to be placed in one of the buildings
2 view turning corner
3 going up the hill
4 On Top Outside - showing the big framework to slide cleaned mirror into place (put last)
A truck hauling up the mirror that is to be replace in the observatory.
Another photo of the truck hauling the large reflecting mirror
The truck hauling the mirror up the hill. Note the observatories on top of the hill.
STORY 268 The Underground Hotel (2 photos)
This hotel is under the ground to the left of where you saw the truck going up the hill. We showed more photos of this last year. One of the James Bond movies featured this hotel. It was tone of his first movies of Craig being James Bond and was called "Quantum of Solace." We have not seen it, but hope to in the near future.
George and Margaret inside the Hotel pool in background
Gardens inside
Margaret and I inside the hotel at Paranal.
STORY 269 VISITING the HAND on the Atacoma Desert (4 photos)
The wind was not blowing so bad this time, and we got some really nice photos. If you put "HAND in the ATACOMA DESERT" into the Internet you can read up more on this. The elders had a good time taking photos. This hand lace is only 10 minutes from the place where you turn to go back to Antofagasta (going the opposite direction) and so we had to take them all to the hand and take photos. The office elders and APs, loved doing this, and it was a first time for the president, and his wife and daughter too. It seemed to have more "graffiti" this time, that the person who made it comes and cleans it off about every two to three years.ponder over "Who is this person who could do all of this is just mind boggling." We both came home and read Chapter 3 in the Book of Abraham again and just felt like dropping to our knees. We then remembered the story in Fourth Nephi, and said to ourselves "No wonder the Book of Mormon people who saw the Savior dropped to the ground, knelt and kissed his feet." We also both felt again and again, like Moses who said "Man is Nothing" that how we can be so insignificant and yet we are TOLD he knows every child on the EARTH by name,and hears and answers our prayers. We just felt such awe and wonder after returning home after being in a place that views the heavens, and is the largest place of this kind in the WHOLE world, and it was so inspiring. We talked about this over and over and both felt that we can never, never do enough or give enough that would even qualify us to live with him again. This God we worship must be so glorious and so marvelous that we simply do not even have words to describe what he must be like. We both felt to be told to just KEEP the commandments, should be so easy to do compared to what he has done to make all of this. We hope that reading about our trip to Paranal, viewing the photos, and feeling some of the spirit we felt from this day that it will rest upon all of our family members, even if for a few minutes.
The group president, wife, daug. and office elders, plus mom
President and Elder Huffstutler
President, wife and their daughter at "whole hand with a side view"
George and Margaret at the Hand (top fingers cut out of photo)
President Ferreira and his wife on left and the office missionaries at Paranal.
President Ferreira, his wife, daughter, Margaret and all the office missionaries with their thumbs up.
President Ferreira and Elder Huffstutler at the Desert Hand.
STORY 270 READING BOOK of ABRAHAM Chapter 3 AGAIN
ENDING Comments (August 30, 2016). We realize that many of the stories we have shared this week aren't exactly missionary work related, but in truth they really are. We came away with "four" names and phone numbers, of people to call in the near future. Missionary work has a starting place and that is (1) Decide to TALK to strangers, (2) STARTING a conversation, and (3) GETTING a name, address and phone number. It takes ALL three of these steps if you are going to get referrals. Obviously the (4th) step is to CALL them them on the phone and set up a time to meet them and discuss the restored gospel in more depth, if they express an interest. Our children and grandchildren can also do these FOUR steps. You do not have to wait until you go on a mission. We here, are both certain we will be better missionaries to help spread the gospel after we arrive home, from having this experience here in Antofagasta, Chile. The EVERY MEMBER a missionary theme statement given by a prophet 50 years ago, is really needed. The full time missionaries cannot do it alone. They need ALL of us to help in this great effort. We so appreciate your prayers for us, and know we are praying for each of you too.
Much Love, Mom and Dad
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