Starting the last week of summer vacation before school starts

I invited Elders Bunnell and Madsen from Utah serving in our Pocuro ward for lunch after church today. Since single sisters have much smaller apartments with no space for a real table, the Hurleys across the hall invited us to use their apartment. We had an enjoyable time getting to know each other and sharing stories. We watched a video about a man who took a cruise, never leaving his small cabin, eating his canned food and envying the other passengers leaving their cabins to dine and enjoy ship entertainment. The last day, to his chagrin, he found out that all these amenities were included in the price he had paid. The message: most of us do not live up to our privileges. There are so many blessings available to us if we would only recognize and take advantage of them. The Gospel gives us so much. We limit ourselves through our tunnel vision. I have learned that when we serve, get out of our comfort zone, expand our gospel and secular knowledge and friendships, how much richer and more interesting life can be!

Packing it all in before school starts March 5

Our small temple has been very busy with Chileans, Brazilians, Argentinians arriving by bus and car and plane, who are spending a few days before the school year begins in the southern hemisphere. It is impressive that they would chose to spend the last days of their vacation at the temple. University students also return to classes in March. This is one of the many buses parked outside my room on Saturday and kids were climbing up to look in my window. Usually during the week there are people on the grounds playing, talking, eating, taking wedding and family photos.

It was quiet on Sunday evening as we took a long 2 1/2 hour walk around Providencia through parks and streets with families enjoying the summer evening together. Chileans seem very family-oriented, courteous, and friendly. It is safe and clean though we realize ours is one of the nicest parts of Santiago, that poverty is right outside and especially beyond the mountains. 

There was a repeating puppet show in one park. The closer bare mountains, not unlike the Wasatch and other Utah mountains, are visible but just behind are the high snow-covered Andes which are covered either by smog or clouds. Every once in awhile we catch a glimpse. The Mapocho River is very muddy and the flow is regulated so that most of it looks small this time of year as it flows through Santiago. (This is only a very small channel).

The very tall bell tower of a Catholic church. Most Chileans are Catholic and are in general fairly homogenous religiously, physically, culturally. 

We met the two sisters serving in our ward, Hermanas Whitaker (from USA) and Corona (from Peru, I think). They insisted on taking a selfie. They use cell phones but no i-pads or tablets. They can email on Tuesdays (preparation day) and talk to their families twice a year. (June 24 for the Santiago East mission here). They have a baptism coming up this Saturday.

Back to the Temple today after two weeks of Vacation

Vacation is over, but the memories remain of a wonderful road trip and other excursions, which continue when I can fit them in...I bought this woodcarving showing symbols of Chile: volcanoes, copihue flowers, Mapuche with fish and musical instrument

After the changing of the guard at La Moneda, the Presidential Palace, I enjoyed a tour (which I booked a month ago as security clearance is required) of the less confidential parts of the interior. The President and four ministers have their offices there today (the other 19 ministers have offices nearby). Only the President may use the transition flag with the shield...used officially for only 4 years.

With independence in 1818, the Spanish "real" was replaced with the "peso" (today $1,000= about $1.60) and the shield of 1832 was adopted, showing the Chilean symbols: Condor, huemul (deer), copihue flower. Our guide explained that Chile honors the Mapuches with Mapuche art, the cinnamon tree (their native tree), and their use of the tree of life in so many art forms. They are still a large element of the Chilean population, though many live on "reservations" today. There is another large patio with orange trees and a very old fountain.

 

 

Our passports were kept until we finished the hour-long tour which was supposed to be in English but all the rest of the group were Brazilians, so it was done in Spanish. I got most of it, but....  

Allende did not finish his term (1970-6) as first democratically elected Marxist president anywhere. He died in his office here September 11, 1973. The details are uncertain, though the Chilean Supreme Court officially declared it a suicide. He was first buried in an unmarked spot in Vina del Mar, but was brought to the General Cemetery of Santiago in 1990, where his body rests with all the other Chilean presidents except Bernardo O'Higgins, who lies beneath the huge flag near the Moneda palace. O'Higgins was a wealthy land-owner of Irish and Spanish descent who led Chile's War of Independence and died in Peru in 1842. We are told it is better not to discuss politics, especially Allende/Pinochet with Chileans, as feelings still run strong. Much of the palace was destroyed and is no longer used as presidential residence. On Mondays the president is welcomed formally by the carabinero guards. The rest of the time she/he enters through private underground passageway. The tour was supposed to be in English but all the rest of the group were Brazilians, so it was done in Spanish.

In this reception room is a painting of Pedro de Valdivia's arrival in 1540. The  "Father of Chile" was killed by the Mapuches who believed that by eating his heart they would gain strength.

Changing of the guard has ended and the carabineros leave la Moneda palace

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We visited this beautiful Catholic Church. Until about 2000 Chile was officially an exclusively Catholic country, with Maria del Carmen as the (still) patron saint. During the dispute over Tierra del Fuego, which was and still is shared between Argentina and Chile (with England wanting more than just the Falkland Islands, as the Magellan Straits were strategically vital before the Panama Canal) the Pope was mediator and kept things peaceful. The current President Michelle Bachelet is agnostic but the new president Pinera who returns in March is Catholic and more conservative, though all presidents attend religious services of many faiths held in the palace chapel on a weekly (?) basis. Only 4 presidents have served two (the limit) consecutive terms.

We are still enjoying beautiful summer days in Santiago. This group of young missionaries left early this morning, their roller suitcases banging through the halls. I snapped this photo last night as they grabbed their bags from the storage room next to mine to pack for their first assignments. They are always exuberant and excited to get started after 3 weeks here for the Spanish speakers, 6 weeks for the gringos. Most will serve in Latin America or in Spanish speaking missions in other places such as the U.S. They are a wonderful group of young people who inspire us all with their faith, diligence and enthusiasm to serve.

and then there are us senior missionaries who love our experience here, too.

Sisters Hurley, Umber, Poulsen (and de Schweinit) on Preparation day Monday enjoyed the street music, ice cream and general ambiance and shopped for the cheap pants and skirts sold on the street mostly by Otavalans from Ecuador.

I love the the Andean music

Music is an important part of Chilean culture and education. And of course there are all sorts of entertainers as there are throughout the world....

Los Andes, a town about 1 1/2 hours north of Santiago on the way to Argentina and highest peak in South America, Aconcagua. I went with my Pathways student Gaby whose friend drove us up into the mountains.

My Mapuche "Tree of Life. Yes, there are lots of sheep, llamas, and alpacas in Chile."

Los Dominicos in Santiago

La Chascone Santiago home of Pablo Neruda

Today the temple has reopened so we are changing our vacation focus to service in the temple. I  have loved the vacation, but am happy to be back to serve the Lord and Chilean members. We all need balance in our lives, I think, between work and play!

Fabulous February 2018

Tenuan,on the largest and very charming island of Chile, Chiloe, (known for its spirits and legends) with its lovely church. And the weather was perfect!

Chile is a land of billions of trees, fertile fields of corn, wheat, orchards of delicious fruit, lakes, rivers, falls, volcanoes, majestic mountains, indigenous people, and modern cities and people living in wealth and in poverty. We had a break during temple closure for twice a year maintenance, so decided to explore. The Poulsens did most of the planning and invited us to join them.

Fabulous February 2018 in Southern Chile

February 5, 2018, 5 of us headed south in a rented van, driven by Nancy and Norm Poulsen. Our first stop was in Concepcion to see the new and second temple in Chile, to be dedicated in the fall. It will make temple attendance possible for many and easier for those who have come great distances to Santiago. It is larger and very beautiful, as is the housing for patrons and temple president.

We were the guests of President and Sister Castro of the Santiago Chile Temple presidency for two nights. They showed us the sights of Concepcion, which has large steel and oil refinery plants, many other industries and interesting places on the River Biobio. We visited the university, a restored ship, a hacienda from late 19th to first half of 20th century, the beach, and took a long train ride along the river.

Before our seafood dinner: Miriam (who was pleased to celebrate her birthday there), Norm and Nancy Poulsen, Ulf and Elsa Muntzing, the Castros)

The next morning we toured the Huasco, restored Peruvian military ship, which ended up in Concepcion, whose captain Grau defeated the Chileans in May 1879 in Battle of the Pacific (Chilean heroic commandante Prat died aboard the ship), but the Chileans came back to win in October 1879, and gained back some of their lost territory.

Most of the lake and ocean beaches have black sand from all the volcanoes! The monument below is to earthquake victims. The largest took place in 1960, but there are daily tremors, and volcanoes which threaten to erupt! Most buildings are constructed to withstand quakes.

The Poulsens were eager to see the Honduran Olmos family they had known on their previous mission in Osorno, but the parents were working far away, so we just visited with the boys. The oldest, David is a wonderfully talented artist.

From Concepcion we traveled on south and inland in the Lake District, settled mostly by Germans who were encouraged to come in second half of 19th century to a beautiful place that is much like Germany. The volcanoes, waterfalls, lakes and mountains were spectacular. We rented cabins in most places and mostly cooked our own meals. We ran into lots of traffic in places, as it is vacation, and the Chileans love sports and the outdoors. We visited the Island of Chiloe, too, with its many painted wooden churches, a fortress (the last stronghold in Chile of Spanish governor defeated in 1770), a small island Aucar.

Below are shots of Petrohue Falls, Lake Panguipulli, with volcano, Lake Villarica, Los Ojos with Blue Lagoon. We went up to the ski resort on Osorno volcano.