Hail, Hail the gang's mostly all here

 Today, June 18, we took a senior missionary trip to a large olive farm where high quality extra virgin olive oil is produced. Pictured: Pres. Morgan, Scott and Nina Isaacson, Alma Umber.

Nara Souza from Rio de Janiero, who lived with Marnie Enke in the US several years ago.

Alma Umber and Miriam de Schweinitz

Tom and Lorna Atkin

Nina and Scott Isaacson (organizer)

Ray and Dawn Schultz

 We are all looking lovely in our hairnets (redecillas)

An important program in the LDS church is becoming self-sufficient, whether it be in getting an education, preparing for a career, learning life skills, saving and developing resources for a "rainy day," keeping healthy, or developing the faith and spiritual strength to endure foreseen or unforeseen challenges. And we are to help others be ready for the future, as we truly are our brothers' and sisters' keepers. Olive oil is used in the scriptures as a metaphor for our readiness for the future, temporal and spiritual.

There were 10 virgins who waited for the "bridegroom," whose time of arrival for the wedding feast was unknown. Five brought extra oil for their lamps, whereas the five foolish women did not, thinking they could borrow from the wise or run out to get some at the last minute. While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us." But he answered, "Most certainly I tell you, I don't know you." Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which (Christ) is coming. — Matthew 25:1-1

It really does matter that we spend our time, resources and energy on things of lasting worth; of all the worthy endeavors, let us choose well! Life is to be well lived if we want to be happy! We don't want to live with regrets or miss out on any blessings that could have been ours.

Nara and Ricardo, Marnie and others rubbing the small cups of oil to warm, to bring out the flavor. The oil is pretty pungent! The olives used two Spanish varieties, which are very small and make the best oil, but are not for eating.
The trees are small, all the same height and width to allow for machines to pick once a year (harvest just ended last week) pruned once a year in September, and replanted every 5 years.

Those satellites in the distance were used for tracking lunar landing in the 1960's!

   What a fun group! (some temple missionaries, some in various             other positions)

 Oxbo harvesters are from the US (California). Other machines are French. Ricardo and Nara Souza, Marnie and Miriam.

 The climate here is temperate, the soil very loamy (not sandy). We passed fields of prickly pears and other cactus. It is still quite dry in central Chile, but starting to green-up after last week's rain.

On the freeway near San Antonio is an amazing shrine to the "beautiful girl" Astrid who died here about 16 years ago. People bring stuffed animals, toys and light candles to thank her for her help with problems or to ask for her assistance from the "spirit world."

Outside of the prosperous parts of Santiago there is less affluence and some poverty. We were heading back into Santiago which has a variety of areas, and as the weather has cooled there are homeless along some streets.

Back at the temple and Pocuro, a beautiful day.

We will sorely miss our friends Alan and Marnie Enke when they return to SLC in early July. I have started teaching her small English class on Friday mornings. By Christmas there may be only 2 couples and us 2 single sisters serving here in the temple. Of course we have many wonderful local workers.  Send more missionaries! 

Longtime friends of the Enkes, Nara and Ricardo (known as Elder Faria when a young missionary) Souza from Sao Paulo, Brasil are visiting the Enkes. We were excited to find we have many friends in common: Aledir and Christine Barbour whom I met in the late 1960's at Stanford (the two couples just vacationed together!) and my daughter-in-law's family the Martins in Campinas, Brasil, as well as several others! The world is so small when the Gospel brings us together around the globe.

Nancy Poulsen is about to show the Enkes around LaVega, a big cheap market area where anything from sheep innards, to aloe, to socks to electronics can be bought.

Fun lunch Sunday around my rickety small table: Sister Cheta from Cordoba, Argentina is new companion to Sister Phillips from Australia; Gabriela Diaz Jara and Sister Umber.

       Scenes from our Sunday afternoon walk around Providencia

The Andes were transformed last Monday by the first heavy rain of Sunday and storm last ...very exciting for me, a Californian!

The church office building and our church with the green roof, as seen from the 4th floor of our housing complex.

This is the view from my window on Monday afternoon, June 11, lots of hail, snow, thunder and lightning, but most was gone except the cold by the next morning, and the mountains had a beautiful blanket of snow covering bare rock.

 Always something to see in my neighborhood....

The cultural center of Providencia down the street always has something interesting to see. The beautiful exhibit entitled "Guatemala: Color y Tradicion" was a feast for the eyes. It was sponsored by the Guatemalan embassy and local collectors. One of our best family trips was to that beautiful country at Christmastime in 1992. We tried to ascend "Fuego," which has been erupting this month, but it was too active then, too. The exhibit featured (Easter week) "Semana Santa" in Antigua and other parts of the country, and gorgeous weavings. 

Religious shrines are carried through the streets...

which are elaborately decorated like carpets, made with colored sawdust, wood frames, and molds/stencils. Everyone gets into the act. In some places flowers are used, but that is very expensive.

The "huipiles" are fabulously woven and each is characteristic in style and color of the various regions.

For more photos click on this link:
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipOpqKnJFf7KEFbipKFdznBAFrMoosnaI56Dlyni
As I finish this entry, the Santiago sky is a light lavendar, the air is cool, and if the season here matched the northern hemisphere, June 18 would be the week before Christmas!