Concepcion, Baby shower, visit of Neil Andersen, lunch with friends

This Sunday some of us took the metro, making an hour trip to the Independencia Stake (a poor area in Santiago), to hear Sister KathyAndersen and Elder Neil Andersen, one of our wonderful Apostles, speak at a very large gathering of members in their stake conference. They both spoke pretty well in Spanish (a little mixed with French and Portuguese). She admonished us to pay tithing (and we shall never want) and to teach our children their great responsibility and opportunity to be involved in this "marvelous work." She commented that there are more voices than there are members of the choir (angels have joined in). Elder Andersen asked us to value and appreciate things of the spirit, do the small daily things needed to be worthy to receive inspiration and guidance, keep faith and hope, and don't leave the path, even when unfair and difficulties arise (be spiritually prepared for them). He related President David O. McKay's vision of heaven. (McKay was our 9th Church President (served from 1951-1970 until his death at 96), but 45 years beforehand as an Apostle. He is remembered for his love of education, missionary work, and family, saying that "no success can compensate for failure in the home.") Our current President Russell M. Nelson will celebrate 95th birthday in September. They have both been vigorous and have been chosen to serve during certain time periods with wisdom and powerful inspiration.

Miriam, Dan and Jolene Wallace, Alma Umber, Cliff and Nancy Moses, and Scott and Nina Isaacson

Elder Andersen shook hands with many.

Two of our favorite temple gardeners replacing summer flowers with fall flowers after our first rain. 
And one of my many favorite grand-daughters, Evie,
 in Michigan, where spring must be on its way, it seems!

Monday afternoon Sister Umber and I took the bus from Santiago to Concepcion to visit the new temple. It is a 6-hour trip each way through mostly farmland, much like California's central valley. There are miles and miles of vineyards, corn fields, orchards of apples, cherries, pears, potatoes, walnuts, etc. And many small cities and towns, packing plants and trucks laden with produce.

The Concepcion Temple, second temple in Chile, was just dedicated in October of 2018, and is magnificent outside, and every detail inside is exquisite. The spirit of reverence and peace filled our souls as we participated in ceremonies in the morning before taking a local bus back to the bus station and back "home" to Santiago. We stayed in the patron housing which was comfortable, affordable, and convenient, right next door to the temple, after a pizza at Papa John's down the street. Photos are not to be taken inside the temple, but we took a few photos of the paintings in the hostel/hospedaje. These two remind me of my grand-daughter Cordelia. I'm sure Jesus loved to play with kids, and taught that we should be open, joyful, and humble as little children.

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The resurrected Christ visited his friends in Jerusalem and also his "lost sheep" (the Jews who migrated to the New World and other places).

We are to be baptized by immersion today, as John the Baptist, Christ and his disciples baptized all who were willing to follow His Gospel plan: faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and who promise to keep His commandments and follow His teachings to the end of their lives. I have felt a beautiful spirit and the truth of these principles, as this week I have been in the baptismal font in Santiago Temple, performing baptisms for ancestors, who then can decide whether to accept or reject these ordinances. When they understand the whole plan of our Savior, I think they will gladly accept them!

Back of the temple from the main street

Beautiful sunset from the bus ride home to Santiago as I read and Alma crocheted (photo with my phone doesn't do it justice) 

Sunday afternoon the Isaacsons, Alma, and I gave a dinner/ baby shower for two wonderful Haitian women friends: Rose Almeda (whom I helped in the temple the first day of my mission, when she and Andres were married) and Lina Louis (whose husband Gedne Rica is hilarious!).The Galleguillos and Ginette Hypolite (who sang a song for the future moms) and her husband Julien Feveder added to the fun. We played some silly games, made "baby-related" items out of play-doh, and laughed a lot as the Haitian men especially clowned around and "oohed and aahed" over the baby gifts!

Nina made a beautiful tied quilt for Rose

Hot off the press: Baby Nachka was born today, April 29!

Guess who's having a boy (Benjamin), and who, a girl (Nachka)?

Alma made them each a baby afghan blanket; I only made a clay baby and Scott, a stroller. These babies will be adorable like their parents! They are able to keep their hopes and dreams even in their new country, where things aren't easy for them.

This party was right after a delicious lunch.....

Last Sunday's lunch, along with the Youngs, at the home of the Espinoza family, was really fun, too! I feel such an affinity with this family because we have so many interests in common: Paula is finishing her degree to translate and to teach French and English, and also served part of her mission in Ecuador after non-Venezuelan missionaries were evacuated from Venezuela; Marcia is our ward Relief Society (women's organization) president; Esteban is studying dentistry but music is his real love (he composes and plays many instruments, and loves classical Spanish guitar...he played some of my favorites); dad works 3/4 of his time in Saudi Arabia for the Chilean gov't in fisheries, but loves Greece and Turkey (where my grandfather worked for the US government in trade and political relations 100 years ago; he also wrote among many books, a book about the Pacific Ocean and sea life, i.e. fish!).

Hno. Espinoza is posing, Esteban, on the other hand, is an excellent guitarist

Their apartment overlooks the field of the police (carabineros) academy, the largest in Chile, where a lot goes on, such as drilling, marching, shooting. The teachers live with their families in nearby houses, such as the ones below. Notice the trampoline! No alarm clocks needed for the Espinoza family! The Espinozas moved to Santiago from Puerto Montt (in the south of Chile) four years ago so their children could attend university. Children mostly live with their parents at this stage.

I hope never to pass up opportunities to learn and try to follow the nudges I receive from Heaven and from others. When I can't sleep I read a little from Beryl Markham's book "West with the Night", a book that makes you think human beings can do anything. (I think we all can do a lot more than we think we can). I agree with Ernest Hemingway who said that she wrote so "marvelously well," that she (Markham) "can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers." He said he was completely ashamed of himself as a writer.

Here are a few quotes  from last night's reading:

"Work and hope, but never hope more than you work."

"A man should live his life, keeping his voice soft and his angered sheathed until there is a need for it."

"The soul of a man withers if the will to fight is lost."

(a young African man to Beryl): "I have met men that have seen more of the world than I. One I know has even stood up to his knees in the water that never ends and tastes like salt on the tongue; another has lived in a village so big that only one man out of a hundred men knows the name of his neighbor. These men have wisdom too....but that which I have learned from my father and another wise man seems enough to live by."

"What a child does not know and does not want to know of race and colour and class, he learns soon enough as he grows to see each man flipped inexorably into some predestined groove like a penny...in a banker's rack. (speaking of her place in the hierarchy and that of the young African)..."though the path is for a while the same, he will walk behind me now, when once in the simplicity of our nonage (childhood), we walked together."

I hope that our experiences teach us to be open-minded and kind, but that we will fight and stand for what we know to be true and just. It may not be necessary to travel to gain knowledge and wisdom, but I love it too much to stop!