First week of Spring

 

First Week of Spring in Chile--a burst of color at the temple! I love the fresh bright green leaves popping out on all the trees outside my window. It is still cold and gray about 1/2 the time.

Slowly Chileans returned from the beach and other places.

Yumi, Jonathan, Joel and Yaella Olmos (not sure if names are spelled correctly) are the wonderful offspring of the dear family I stayed with in Antofogasta. I met them there. The couple met on their mission in Venezuela. They traveled a long way to visit the temple this past week while others went to the beach!

 Sunday walk through the park with Mexican palms, wisteria, playgrounds, and flags still displayed. Most Chileans in central Santiago live in high rise apartments.

The Police"Carabineros"Academy founded in 1908, is right around the corner. There is an historical museum there, too. Chilean Armed Forces and police have 5 institutions that give work to 53,000 people. They are financed by the state and by 10% of the copper revenue. Chilean firemen, however, are solely volunteers...the only case of its kind in the world...with approximately 12,000 volunteers. This tradition has existed for 150 years. Amazing! 

Old police cars and "carabineros" with police puppies 
(photo from Washington Post). The most common pets in Chile are dogs; homeless or not, they are cared for. 

I was sad to miss the baby blessing of my youngest grand-child, Phoebe Carlston in Salt Lake City on Sunday. It was a wonderful family gathering, which can take place at church or in a home. Babies are not baptized, as they are innocent (and have no need to repent), but are given a father's blessing (assisted by others), and are not baptized into the church until they are eight (or older) when they can understand the commitment they are making to follow Christ. In the temple those who have died without baptism are baptized by proxy (youth 12 and up and adults perform baptisms and confirmations and the deceased person can accept it or not).





What a blessing for children to be brought up safely in healthy, happy families. It is heart-wrenching to know that so many children are daily dying worldwide of hunger, of diseases that should have been wiped out by now. Yemen, Bangladesh, Syria, etc. are some of the worst places to be a child today.
One fourth of Chile's population is under 15, and slightly over 10% of them live in rural areas. One fifth of Chilean children under 15 live in conditions of poverty. 34 out of 100 of them are homeless.
Women (whose life-expectancy is 82, as opposed to men with 76) have an average of 1.9 children. There are more males in every age group except in the very oldest.

 

 There is a beautiful Orthodox Catholic church in Providencia

These Canary Island Palms are amazing!

Language trivia: I just learned that a paper cutter is called a "guillotina"...yikes! I went to use it in the temple office and met the East Mission Pdte. William and Sister Carrie Brotherson, from Virginia, who asked if I was related to Peter de Schweinitz. Yes, they knew each other 20 years ago in Charlottesville, while Peter (my oldest son) was getting his MD and wife Rebecca her PhD in History at University of Virginia.
Many of their Santiago East missionaries were in my session. They all love the Brothersons. I can see why! Great people! 
Mission Presidents serve for 3 years

Definitely one of my favorite activities here is teaching English to these wonderful women: Cecilia, Nelly, Gema, Ljubica, Guille!

The purpose of the Cultural Foundation of Providencia, whose general theme "Create to Believe" has developed out of the corruption, inequality, political disaffection, insecurity of citizens, lack of solidarity, abuse, etc. in society. The purpose of its new exhibition "Luces del Silencio" (Lights of Silence), is to support and bring awareness to women and victims of childhood sexual abuse, and other human rights issues. Profits from sales go to organization "Para la Confianza" to support victims of child abuse. I totally agree that art can have an important role in bringing positive change. Here are a few of my favorites (titles are roughly translated; you can figure out the meaning of some):

Monica Maiocchi ""Systems"

Sonia Koch: "Everything is, and is in me"

Hernol Flores "Kites in the Wind"

Fernanda Saldivia: "I lift you so that you can lift me"

Teresa Ortuzar: "Guardians of Cleanliness"

Francisca Valenzuela  "Untitled"

Loreto Enriquez: "South"

Juan Martinez B. "Family with Sheep"

Mario Gomez "Untitled" (can a man ever really get inside a woman's head?)

Francesca Colzani "Children in front of Rancho 4" (Office of Nitrate Camp Maria Elena). Life was mostly good in the camps.

Elda Villena "The Children"

Margarita Garces "Andromeda" (the Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant thing you can see with the naked eye)

Alex Chellew "Childhood" (it should be fun and happy)

Vanessa Mac-Auliffe: "Kites" (Chilean flag kites are especially popular in Chile, especially during Fiestas Patrias)

Miguel de Lanu: "Of Silence" (and peace when seas are calm)

Francisco Cortes "Sun Tun" (suntan? sun ton?) of copper and granite, two materials with which Chile has an abundance. I am still looking for a pool, and never get to swim at a beach (too far). Funny sculpture! I'm mostly having fun here, anyway! I hope you are enjoying life, too, in whatever activities you enjoy most.
Since childhood one of my favorite Psalms has been "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, serve the Lord with gladness, and come before His presence with Thanksgiving." Even on sad, boring, or frustrating days, I try to remember how blessed I am.

Visit to Concepcion Chile Temple and Fiestas Patrias Santiago

Trip to Concepcion Temple Open House and Fiestas Patrias in Santiago

Alma Umber, Dawn Schultz (husband Ray helped plan the trip but was unable to attend with ankle injury), Miriam, and Scott and Nina Isaacson. We all took 6+ hour bus ride together from Santiago on Monday, walked 1 1/2 in the rain to the temple for open house tour, open to all. After the dedication on October 28, only members who have recommends (stating they are willing to faithfully keep covenants and commandments) can enter to perform ordinances by proxy for those who have died and were unable to  receive them in person. Temples are sacred but not secret. It is Chile's second temple, designed to serve those in the southern half of Chile, but worthy members can attend any temple anywhere. There are now about 160 temples worldwide. (Chapels, on the other hand are found everywhere and all may attend on Sundays and during the week. This is a magnificent temple with beautiful murals, paintings, woodwork, stained glass, carpeting, furnishings, chandeliers, all made especially for this temple in south center Chile. Architects and decorators use local motifs and materials usually typical of the area. Behind, but not visible in the rain is the BioBio River.

The grounds are beautiful, but hard to appreciate in the rain!
There is a building for Temple President, for Family History/Genealogy Library, meetings, and hostel for visiting temple patrons. In the first three days over 7,000 visitors!

One of my favorites

Sister Ljubica Chomorro and her family are friends from Santiago Temple

In the very early days of Christ's church in the America's, descendants of those Jews who left Jerusalem before Babylonian captivity (about 600 BC) pitch their tents outside the temple in Bountiful in 124 BC to listen to their beloved king Benjamin who teaches them about the future Atonement of Jesus Christ, to keep the commandments, to serve their Heavenly King, to treat each other with fairness and love.  One of his key messages was "When you are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." Christ visited their descendants after His resurrection, as they were some of His lost sheep.

We spent the night with the Castro family and took the bus back to Santiago the following day. It was a bit rainy but later cleared so we could enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Chilean distance buses run frequently and are so comfortable

Everywhere we went people displayed their flags for the Fiestas.

The area between Concepcion and Santiago is very rich agricultural land where so much fruit and other products are grown. We saw orchards of plums, pears and other fruit trees in blossom and lots of vineyards still dormant, and oranges and lemons being sold, and many processing and packing plants.

Unfortunately my camera isn't fast enough for the bus speed (which is now limited to 100km/hour for all vehicles). It was prettier than it looks in these blurry photos!

And the Andes, gorgeous with fresh snow, run almost the entire 2,600 miles of Chile's length, and make it easy to know which direction you are facing. At its widest, Chile measures only 186 miles (in Antofogasta), from 17-56 degrees latitude south. The nation is divided into 15 regions (numbered from the north) is occupied by 16+ million people of whom 6 million live in Santiago.

The whole country of Chile is rich in minerals and stone.

In 1915, September 19 was designated a holiday, Armed Forces Day, to celebrate freedoms gained and victories won by Chile's military since the country's inception. In Providencia the celebration began at 10 AM with cuenca dancers and music in front of the municipalidad (the mayor of this part of Santiago is the daughter of Pinochet's top commander!). Dancing was followed by marching bands of the navy headquartered in Valparaiso.

I don't know how they dance so well on the cobblestone street!

The Castros and Munzings organized a spur-of-the-moment lunch
Sisters Downer, Schultz, Munzing, Umber, Castro. (Sister Isaacson not feeling well). The men are glued to the TV with broadcast of 9,000 military members of all branches parading in Santiago's Bernardo O'Higgins Park, with cuenca dancers, wagons, dignitaries and spectators. We watched as we ate. I think it goes on for hours!

Brothers Schultz, Downer, Munzing and President Castro

Elsa M's delicious
empanadas

Although the cueca is performed all over Chile and all children learn the dance, it has been kept alive in "huaso" (cowboy) country with spurs, ponchos, sombreros, etc.

Thousands watched downtown at Bernardo O'Higgins Park.

It was so rainy and windy yesterday as the grandstand was erected that it blew down and had to be redone before today's multi-hour program attended by thousands.

Carabineros with police puppies!

President Pinera presides along with the head of all Chile's military 

At 6 PM Providencia held another larger parade and celebration in our street, Pedro de Valdivia. Of course I had to go see it!

Chicha (alcoholic usually) made from grapes, is drunk usually only at fiestas, and is served from ram's horns to the dignitaries.
The ram's horn has also been used in many cultures to start wars and lead processions. It is and was used to hold oil to anoint kings and queens.

An interesting "coincidence" to me is the blowing of the shofar or ram's horn on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which is again blown at the end of the 25 hour fast on Yom Kippur (today, at sundown, on Sept. 19) the Jewish day of Atonement, when Jews have traditionally been granted forgiveness, debts are forgiven, and indentured servants granted freedom. It used to be blown in the temple to begin Shabbat, but was discontinued with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. It is also a sign of mourning for the destruction of the temple. The shofar and trumpets  were blown as Joshua led the Jews to capture Jericho.

A very interesting article with more info. about trumpets and the Jewish High Holy Days and the connection with our LDS church is the following:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/01/the-golden-plates-and-the-feast-of-trumpets?lang=eng
I'm so grateful for temples in our era and for my belief that Christ died to atone for our sins and weaknesses and that we can receive forgiveness for these daily. We don't have to wait for special days. In an ideal world there would also be no need for the military.

This little boy stole the show with his dancing!

The carabineros, force which includes many women, are the military police who keep the city safe.  

With all this military glamour and prestige, I am always reminded of the thought that if women were more in charge, focus would hopefully be put instead on education, human rights, lessening poverty, etc. This past week the leader of Relief Society (LDS  organization for all women), Sister Bingham, and Sister Craig (a leader for the young women 12-18 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) spoke with Mormon women and girls throughout Chile (she stopped by the temple), as well as with Chile's Minister of Women and Gender Equity, Isabel Plá.

During the September 13 gathering, the group engaged in a fruitful discussion about common objectives — namely, the value of women in society and the elimination of gender-based discrimination and violence.

“We still see a lot of poverty, especially among women, and that creates opportunities for inequality,” Minister Plá said. Sister Jean B. Bingham,  said “the defeat of poverty is an objective the Church has been pursuing for more than a century.” She reviewed the Church’s programs that encourage the empowerment of women, such as those found in the Church’s Self-Reliance Services.

Minister Plá said she is grateful the Church prepares women to lead and contribute to society from an early age. Sister Michelle D. Craig,  said Latter-day Saint girls are taught to “recognize their individual value and divine nature and to learn values that enhance their self-esteem.” The Church’s Personal Progress program facilitates a young woman’s spiritual development.

The Church of Jesus Christ has some 590,000 Latter-day Saints in Chile. The Church and Minister Plá will continue to work together to find ways to improve the lives of women throughout the country.

I testify that we all deserve support, love, and care, and that living the precepts of the Gospel will help all of us improve our lives, make us happier people individually and collectively! 

l