A hint of fall, but still feels like summer in Santiago

 There's a hint of fall in the air...

Providencia is filled with students, many of whom are doing medical or dental studies. They gather in the parks, especially at lunchtime, and smoke a lot of marijuana (illegal here) judging by the smell. 

We celebrated Holly Young's birthday between sessions of General Conference broadcasts, and welcomed the Clarks, who arrived this morning without their luggage, including carry-ons.

Steve and Carolyn Clark have come to serve with us in the temple. They are the parents of 13 children, both speak (Mexican) Spanish and are from Tracy, California. They served in the Hermosilla, Mexico Temple, where Karen's father, President Olsen, was mission president when she was in high school, and was also the first Santiago Chile Temple president in 1983-6. 

A popular Chilean legend says that "after God created the world, he stopped and looked puzzled at all the little pieces that were left. There were lush forests, clear lakes, inhospitable mountains, and fertile plains. He decided to stick them all together and place them right at the end of the world to make the longest country on earth."

Chile has interesting monuments, but ask any Chilean and they will tell you to go south to find Chile's amazing natural beauty.

 Church of Divine Providence on a Sunday evening. In a 2002 census, 75% of Chileans gave their religion as Catholic. This does not imply, though, that all endorse the conservative stance of the national Church. Many would like to see a change in Church attitudes and even reject the Church altogether. In 2003, three of the national TV channels refused to broadcast an anti-AIDS campaign, and several films such as The Last Temptation of Christ, but Chile was forced by a ruling of the International Court of Human Rights to reform its censorship legislation. The Pope has also scolded Chile's priests and some Church practices.

     
             Templo votivo de Maipu (a western part of Santiago)...end of a metro line. It is supposed to be shaped like Mary's cloak.

During the Fiesta of Quasimodo, the Sunday following Easter, communion is taken to the sick (we do that every week in our church). The figures combine indigenous and Spanish Catholic traditions and were approved by 2nd Vatican Council.

Beautiful stained glass executed by Peruvian artist can be seen looking down from the tower lookout cut-away.

The original church commemorated the Virgin of Carmen's help in Independence in 1818 (led by O'Higgins and San Martin)

  Templo votiva de Maipu is a national heritage Catholic church;
a grandiose church built in honor of Our Lady Carmen and Bernardo O'Higgins, a 19th-century Chilean independence leader. The church was commissioned in the 1940s as part of a nationwide competition to devise a new national monument and mark O'Higgins' efforts in Chile's independence in 1818. Pope Francisco visited last year, which sparked a lot of controversy.

Today at the 10 am mass (first day off daylight saving time so we are now on EST). Below, a festival day...

Leftover graffiti from International Day of the (working) Woman 

As everywhere, schools are named after heroes. Below are photos from the above-ground end of the Maipu line metro

Sunday is the day for charity and other races. These people participated in a run for Palestinian children. The metro stations have distinctive artwork. I enjoyed watching this little girl tracing this cowboy and hoping she would not try out his fist-punches on anyone else.

I was hurrying home to catch the beginning of the second day of our semi-annual conference broadcast, but needed to wait for the last valiant runner to cross the last big intersection, well staffed with carabineros.

General Conference, filled with so many timely and inspirational messages, is a wonderful weekend for all Church of Jesus Christ members and others. Many people dream of attending in person, others save and are able to attend, the rest of us listen in many different languages from our homes or chapels throughout the world. This 189th session seemed to focus on preparing ourselves and others for the second coming of Christ. The Lord requires a humble, willing heart and mind to receive inspiration to "gather Israel" in these last days. One of our beloved Apostles, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf suggests 5 quiet, free things we can each do:
Draw close to God, trust his help and our light will shine for others to see and ask about.
Laugh and weep with, lift, respect, love and serve others.
Be a committed disciple with confidence and courage to share.
Share in a simple, natural way our love for the Lord and our testimony of the Gospel at any opportunity.
Pray daily that you will find those who will come, see, and stay.
It is not our role, but the role of God and the Holy Ghost to work miracles and to convert. We, like the full-time missionaries, are only instruments to invite. You are all invited!

I know He loves and wants to bless all His children. I am blessed abundantly and am working on being kinder, wiser, more faithful. The Gospel is not restrictive, but its guidelines help us to be happy here and now and in the future! Do we look sad?

We all enjoyed fun-loving Sister Bair from Poway, California who knows my friends George and Marian Taylor's family! She just arrived as companion to Sister Gallego....and she sure loves games! (as do the Wallaces, Alma, and other senior missionaries)

 Pocuro ward is full of great people...here are a few of the young young women, the young, older, middle-aged, and those farther along the way to one hundred. They are beautiful people!

Paula Espinoza (who served part of her mission in Guayaquil), Julia Vera (and grandson), Alejandra and Daniel Canoles also serve as temple workers (and head engineer) and are a few of our wonderful friends.

Nancy and Clifford Moses have arrived recently as senior temple missionaries and are from the Sacramento, California area. Clifford's grandfather lived to 102 and 3 of his grandfather's siblings to 100! He has quite a few years left to go! 

Bishop (he was too busy for a photo) Ovalle's family. Mom is daughter of our beloved Florencio and Juana Castro. 

(...another bishop's wife below): Lia Cioban (my DR companion now serving in Guayaquil, Ecuador) visiting with her daughter in California, who happens to be in Beth Ford's (center) ward. Beth's husband serves as bishop there. The Fords were once in Palo Alto Second ward with me! We all know Lorna Rayos from California, serving now in Ecuador.
It's such a small world!