Spring Has Sprung! October 2014

The seasons are reversed here in Chile so we are going into spring.  It is still raining, just not as much.  It is somewhat warmer -- I'm wearing one sweater instead of two under my coat.  But the flowers are beautiful!  And everywhere!

Branch Activity at Rio Bueno Rama - October 2014

Many activities here revolve around food (just like the US!).  This was a fund raising party for the youth to earn money to go to the temple in November.  Good food! Fun activity!

Empanadas -- the fast food of Chile - great!

 Asado - grilled meat -- delicious!

Pie de Limon - sweet, not tart

Enjoying 6 empanadas!

Helping Hands in Chile - October 2014

We had the opportunity to participate in a Dia de Servicio (Day of Service), helping an elderly member of the branch weed and prepare her garden for planing.  The ground here is so fertile even the weeds are healthy!  It was fun and we cam home with some green onions from her garden.

Chilean Independence Day - September 18, 2014

We had an all-day party at the branch celebrating September 18, Chile's Independence Day.  It was like a one day family reunion.  We got to the branch at 11 am and people were just starting cooking.  We stayed until 8 pm and people were still celebrating (and eating)!



 Elder Stott helping with the decorations

The Relief Society president in national dress.

 Chicken with vegetables for the whole branch!

Lunch at 3 pm!  Yummmm!

Traditional costumes.  Too bad I didn't video their dancing!

Sopapillas -- with the Elders - October 2014

We planned a hermanas cooking activity.  One of the members of the branch said she would teach the 6 hermanas and me how to make sopapillas.  The date changed several times due to other activities and problems and we decided to do it the Monday after General Conference.  However 4 of the 6 hermanas could not come so we invited the elders to come too.  We had 8 elders and 2 hermanas in the kitchen at the Caupolican branch!  Hermana Teresa and a friend helped us mix, knead, and fry sopapillas.  (We used 5 kilos of flour (more than 10 pounds) for the sopapillas.)  It was fun to watch the elders knead the masa (dough)!  We had to tell them, "Stronger, knead it harder!"  They got in the rhythm of it.  For lunch we had sopapillas with refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and salsa -- Navaho tacos to us.  The latinos were not sure about the beans and rest of the stuff but they tasted and ate, and ate, and ate.  The elders that did not cook got to clean up the the division of labor worked for everyone.  It was fun!

Elders waiting to get a piece of dough to knead.

The group!  Carolyn, do you see my apron?  It is fun to use.  Thank you!

My First Talk in Sacrament Meeting -- in Spanish!

Yesterday I gave my first mensaje (talk) in sacrament meeting.  We were asked to speak about missionary work,  I was rewriting it (again, adding things) last Friday, feeling very good because I was doing this so far in advance.  I thought we were speaking this coming week, the last week of October.  Keith told me that I needed to translate it into Spanish soon because we were speaking this Sunday!  I was a week wrong!  I finished the talk, used Google Translate, and then I went over it to see if I could fix Google.  It is not always correct.  So I adjusted what I could and gave it to Keith.  He fixed it so I could say it and it made sense.  Then I went over it again so I knew what I was saying in Spanish.  Keith was working on his talk too, but he is better, much better, with Spanish so I didn't worry about him!

I practiced and practiced so I could say the Spanish words with meaning.  It was like being the youth speaker all over again!  I was practicing in the kitchen on Sunday morning and Keith overheard me and told me to slow down, that I was speaking too fast!  That helped calm me down.  I had a bad moment when the branch president announced that I would speak first, but once I got to the pulpit and opened my talk, I was fine.  The members even laughed when they were supposed to laugh!  So I consider it a success.

I spoke about how to become a missionario matrimonio (a senior missionary), about what happened to us before the MTC,  MTC and how I did not learn Spanish there like the young missionaries, and how we got to La Union.  I spoke about family history, our assignment in the mission.  It was kinda of fun because the expectations were so low!

I recommend this to everyone -- missions are great!

Homes in Southern Chile

There are many types of homes here in Southern Chile, wealthy, poor, new, old, just like everywhere else,

On the edge of the campo (farm land) and San Pablo, a small community near La Union

La Union, brown one is unoccupied and falling down

A humble campo home

Near our home - Chileanos love bright colors

Our home in La Union

The campo - a member's home outside of Rio Bueno, another small community near La Union

A Lago Ranco home near the lake - Lago Ranco is a tourist community with a lake, beach, walks, etc.

Pallafitos - tides flood under the stilts so the homes stay dry.  One side is on land with a front door and walkway to the street and the other on the water - Castro, Chiloe Island off the coast of Chile

Chileanos - Some of the people we know.

People here are just like people everywhere!

Keith's barber and a member of the church

The senora at the open-air fair a block from the church in 

La Union, cooking her sopapillas.  YUM!

Keith and two members who live in the campo with their horses, cows, 

sheep, and chickens.  Always something to do and someone to take care of!

This is Hermano Rios, the district mission leader -- 

he's a beekeeper, selling his honey here at the fair.

La Union Missionaries - October 20, 2014

 Cambios (transfers) occur this Wednesday so this picture will change.  

These young missionaries are fun to work with!