Salt Lake to Santiago, Chile

After wonderful training in the Salt Lake Temple for three days and the chance to visit with family, we spent about 14 hours flying to the bottom of the world. We almost missed our flight when our Skylift train in Dallas broke down with us high above the airport. We had to be rescued! I am tired but excited to be in Santiago and  settling in to my small apartment on the first floor of the hostal next to the temple. Everyone has been warmly welcoming and eager to orient Sister Alma Umber from Payson, Utah. There are 6 fun senior missionary couples and soon to be only us two sisters. 

Sister Umber is a nurse and served as a young missionary in Ecuador so we have lots to talk about

What a contrast to the Salt Lake Temple but every bit as sacred in purpose, though modern temples are built quickly, with machinery, not requiring the 40 years in construction (39 on granite exterior and an amazing 1 year on the lovely interior) and great human sacrifice of the beautiful SL Temple.

The temple is in north Santiago in a suburb called Providencia

We are in front of the building where temple missionaries, temple presidency, Mission Training Center missionaries and their leaders live, as well as patrons who come from a distance to attend the temple.

View from the fourth floor of the hostal where we had a delicious dinner at the apartment of the Isaacsons and met some of the great senior missionaries. This afternoon Sister Venice Edwards Who unfortunately is finishing her mission, gave us a tour of the temple, lots of information and help getting settled, introduced us to many very warm and friendly people, so we are off to a great start. Counselor to the President Hermano Castro "set us apart" to serve in this small temple, the first and only temple in Chile, until the Concepcion Temple is finished in 2018.