End of winter break, but not spring yet

Chileans love their snacks...vendors everywhere!

And winter clothes, caps, scarves... 

wonderful fresh juices

End of winter break, but still winter with some nice sunny days...

 
Santiago weather alternates between cold and sunny, cloudy, or rainy, but this part of Santiago does not have the flooding which other places have, so life goes on for us; but many don't leave home on rainy days, in places with less ideal conditions. Kids return to school this week, so there will be many fewer youth in the temple. I love those kids who come in groups or with their families, always smiling and in their Sunday best, ready to serve. Here are some playing basketball in their church clothes, taking a break. Usually the court is filled during their recreation hours by the missionaries from the training center. They play basketball or soccer on this court.

A few people said they hadn't seen a photo of ME with my daughter Anne at her wedding to Neil, so here it is. A great couple!

 

What a happy thing to have all five children happily married and leading good, productive lives. I just wish I didn't have to miss so many life events. My grand-daughter Lucie Taylor turned eight today and is being baptized as I write this. She is surrounded by my family who live close enough, and many Taylors, as Lucie's father's side of the family are having a giant reunion this week. In our church, children at age 8, when they are old enough to understand and choose, and can be accountable for their actions, as well as older people who choose to, are baptized by immersion usually in a font in a church building. They promise to: come unto God, be called his people, and "are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light;...to mourn with those who mourn;...comfort those in need of comfort;...and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places,...even unto death,...that ye may have eternal life." The missionary program is in addition to what we are all encouraged to do as members as soon as we are baptized. And soon after we are baptized (usually on Sunday in church where they can be welcomed by the congregation, we receive confirmation, or the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide, direct, comfort, warn, teach truth, and to bring us peace and assurance. Today a middle aged man was confirmed in church after his baptism yesterday. We are so happy for him.
After church today two senior missionary couples came for lunch, along with my new friend Ricale Joseph who was born in Haiti, but spent 5 years in the DR where she and her brother (both in our Pocuro ward) joined the church and served missions. She served in Santo Domingo East mission so we know some of the same people. We got so busy talking, Ricale doing the dishes, and others helping me with appliances that needed fixing, that I forgot to take a photo, which is very unlike me!
The water in Santiago is potable but does not taste good with all the metals and "floro, cloro", etc. So, I've decided to switch to bottled water, which we should all store along with food, etc. for emergencies. It is recommended to have at least 1 gallon per person per day. That only allows for a small portion to be used for cleaning and cooking because an active person will need 1/2 -3/4 of a gallon just for drinking in mild weather. In summer here everyone is selling bottled "aguita" (ah-wheat-a).



There's snow in the mountains but not in Santiago, so I took a walk as it has been a beautiful day. The first are down the main street Pedro de Valdivia.

Those mountains are actually quite far away. Closer ones off to the north (left of these) have much heavier snow, but I can't get a good photo as there are too many buildings blocking the view.

The following are happy Sunday nearby park scenes. I wish you could have smelled the caramel corn this vendor was making!

This could be almost anywhere. Most people live in small apartments, so love their parks, with Washington palms and many other big trees.

Dogs, dogs, dogs! But most clean up after them, so the sidewalks are clean.

Santiago Temple in the sun and two hours later....

I'm grateful to be basically healthy. Today in church I sat between a wonderful woman who not long ago donated one of her kidneys to her very sick daughter, and a remarkable, lively, funny 91 year old sister who thought my hands were too cold and wrapped her scarf around them and snuggled up to me. We care for each other!



Sisters Fuentes, Juarez, Vilches, Lubomirsky, Morales, Venegas

I had the privilege of sitting in the Relief Society tonight with these six wonderful young Spanish-speaking sister missionaries from around Latin America and Sevilla, Spain (Hermana Vilches, 3rd from left) in the training center. Hermana Juarez (2nd left) led a mature discussion. Next Tuesday they start their assignments in various parts of Chile, for which they are well-prepared. The N. American sisters were in another room with Sister Carmack, wife of the MTC President. The much larger group of young North and South American elders were in their Priesthood class.
I'm grateful to be basically healthy. Today in church I sat between a wonderful woman who not long ago donated one of her kidneys to her very sick daughter, and a remarkable, lively, funny 92 year old woman who thought my hands were too cold and wrapped her scarf around them and snuggled up to me. We care for each other!

I get most of my news from the BBC, which I find not too biased, very global, and quite thorough, which I appreciate when I am in such a sheltered environment so far from home. My heart goes out to all those thousands around the world who suffer from so many recent natural disasters, including the Indonesian earthquake today, and the unprecedented out of control fires along the drought-affected west coast of North America, especially in my home state of California; also for those who are so hopeful for positive change in elections, but who only see continuous corruption and tyranny. Is peace in this world possible? I think all we can hope for is for peace of mind through good moral individual choices, unselfish service to those within our own small sphere of influence, and faith that a loving, just and merciful God will make all right in the end. I realize that I am blessed to be sitting in a comfortable and safe place, with food, shelter, friends and family, good health, my faith and so much more. I can only try to put myself in the shoe of those less fortunate, or at least admit that I can't, have empathy and not judge. Only God can judge and ultimately bring peace. I know God lives and loves us and knows us each individually.

Downtown Santiago, today, Monday...

Titulacion (granting of degrees) on July 29, at Universidad Catolica, a beautiful and highly rated university founded in 1888 in central Santiago with religious and secular education.

 

Center of arts, culture and people "GAM" has expositions & education

Bolivian masks and Mapuche motto (struggle, fail, struggle,fail..) 

"Third world"

                                                                  Conquest of Chile

Mapuche rights are still contested

                                                        Universal free education

Copper for Chile

Santiago cathedral on July 25, celebrating the city's patron Saint Santiago day with beautiful flowers. Founded 1775.

Sanctuary first erected in
1557, 5 years after city's
founding, connected to cathedral.

Santa Lucia Hill

Iglesia San Agustin, first built 1625
rebuilt after several earthquakes in 1730

The old fire station

Back in Santiago

Back in Santiago

Senior missionaries enjoyed a meal and celebrated two birthdays at Malamud. I flew all night from England but didn't want to miss a chance to be with friends. I'm still a bit jet-lagged, but full of happy memories of a beautiful wedding, time with family, and summer activities in a gorgeous setting, and ready to go back to work! 

Gloria from our ward (who teaches English for Berlitz and like me speaks French and German), and Sisters Horrocks from Utah (reassigned to Santiago the night before she was due to leave the Provo Mission Training Center to serve in Nicaragua. All missionaries have been pulled out of the country which has been plagued with much violence and political unrest) and Sister Cheko from Argentina, and Sister Umber came for Sunday lunch. I am thrilled to have a big new frost-free fridge...such a great  improvement! No more defrosting!

                              PATAGONIA EXHIBITION
Because I have little to share this week, I will include some amazing photos in an exhibition I visited today, of Alberto de Agostini, an early 20th century explorer of Patagonia, and other more recent photos of this gorgeous southern part of Chile and Argentina, which I hope to visit next February (summertime here). Maybe you will want to come too! When Chileans ask if we like their country, they always hope we will visit the "south," which can mean the Lake and River Districts (which are truly beautiful), and Patagonia, which is truly the south. The Falkland Islands are owned by Britain but have been contested over the years by Spain, France, Argentina and Britain.

 In the folds/foothills of this vast chain, covered with a mantle of ice and snow, originates an immense glacier which majestically extends at our feet like a frozen river which we have baptized with the name of one of the most illustrious Italian geographers Juan Marinelli. (an excerpt from Agostini's book "Thirty Years in Tierra del Fuego.") 

Marinelli Fjord and Darwin mountains (2018)

Lake Spegazzini and Negri Glacier (2018)

Early 20th century expedition of Alberto de Agostini and others

Father Alberto Agostini (1883-1960) was an Italian missionary

of the Salesians of Don Bosco order, as well as a passionate mountaineer, explorer, geographer, ethnographer, photographer and cinematographer! That's impressive!

"We appreciated a good stretch of the west side and climbed the mountain slope almost bare of vegetation and furrowed by many torrents, and which seemed to rest on a pleasing fill having before our eyes a beautiful and vast panorama of the lake and Negri Glacier, of which I took an interesting photographic view".

 In 1903, the Chilean government gave a huge land grant for sheep ranching and forestry to large private companies, which provided the impetus for economic growth in Northern Patagonia. Previously only seafaring explorers and scientists like Darwin knew it. There were large-scale fires, erosion, and deforestation that closed up the main port. Road access began to be established in the 1970's with a new highway, the Carretera Austral, which helped promote tourism, mining, salmon fishing and hydro-electrical projects.

Southern Patagonia (and Tierra del Fuego, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan, extending to Cape Horn), is an archipelago of glaciers, lakes, fjords. The first European to explore was Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan in 1520, but there were no permanent settlements until the 19th c, when missionaries, adventurers and merchants arrived from Croatia, Spain, Britain, and northern Chile. Immigrants also came to raise sheep. Most of the indigenous people have become extinct or greatly reduced. Today sheep farming, oil extraction and tourism are the mainstays of the economy. Torres del Paine National Park and other parks and Punta Arenas are key spots.

I love the fragrant daphne flowers outside my window. In the midst of winter they promise spring. This is winter break (2 weeks) for Chilean school kids, so we have had lots of youth come to serve in the temple, performing baptisms and confirmations for those who have died. I have been saddened this week by the death of my dear friend Amy, but am grateful for her life. She was a wonderful youth leader, seminary teacher for my kids and example of Christ. We don't know how long we have in this life, but I know we must fill our days with good deeds, gratitude, and hope to be united one day with our loved ones who have gone before us. Tomorrow, LDS people celebrate "Pioneer Day," when, on July 24, 1847, the first Mormon Pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, a place where they could escape the persecution that tested their faith and made them strong, and build strong families and communities. I'm so grateful for their legacy, especially after visiting the area in England last week where so many left their comfort zone to find a place where they could find freedom of religion and other opportunities. 
If you love the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein (Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, etc.) as much as I do, here is a link to the wonderful Pioneer Day celebration by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with guest performers including the grandson of Hammerstein. 
www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/pioneerday.html?cid=HP_SA-21-7-2018_dMOTAB_fBCAST_xLIDyL2_

I have now been a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints for 50 years, grateful for having made that decision so long ago now! It has given me direction, comfort, opportunity to learn leadership and other skills, and most of all peace and joy. The young woman who sat beside me in church yesterday stopped coming 30 years ago, but has decided to come back. I felt God's love for her and for me to have the chance to see her happiness.