Sweet Friends, Sweet Gestures

     I made an abundance of peanutbutter cookies, some with chocolate chips, the rest just plain. We have been taking five or six every day to the office for our lunch, and for sharing.  I am getting tired of peanutbutter cookies, and especially because they arent my favorite. I hardly EVER ate PBJ sandwiches my whole life!!!!

     Ponciano is still coming into the office, nearly every other day. He is looking for a job for his son, who is somewhere else that I havent been able to understand where he is. Usually I have given Ponciano a couple little hard candies just because I had them. He seemed to really appreciate them. Then I started offering him a PB cookie once in a while. Today I gave him three because they are getting a little old and I didnt want to eat them. I also gave the others in the office some cookies.

     Well, Ponciano and I worked together on making phone calls for more than an hour. He asked if I had a piece of candy, then in a hopeful tone, asked "or cookies?"  Just before he left at 3:00, he handed me an apricot.  What a sweet gesture. Last week he gave me a little lock with two keys.  I really dont want him to feel that he has to reciprocate, but that is what happens when you give a friend a gift.

     Here in our office, we have different expectations: we hope a person comes in, leaves happy and never comes back again.  This is only because we hope the person has found a good job and is able to keep it.  Hopefully this will happen to Ponciano, his son will find a good job and Ponciano will never have to come back again.  It is kind of sad that we will never see some of our best clients again, but we are also happy that they wont be back. . . .unless it can be a social call.

Scorch

     It is dinner time and I dont know what to fix. That happens often in the life of a woman. I play computer games while I try to figure out something to eat. We are just about out of everything and will go to the feria tomorrow to stock up again.

     We have two fat little sausages and six skinny and short little ones. They arent the same. Oh, well, they will add variety to the dish because they are different sizes. We have six potatoes that are very shriveled and wrinkled, but they arent spoiled. I will peel two of them and cut them into slices. I will put them in a little later because they dont take very long to soften. Hmmm, onions always help and we have two small ends left over from other meals. Chop them into big pieces and add them to the frying pan where the sausages are already beginning to sizzle.  Better cover them so they wont burn, but I do want them to look a little browned.  Oh! There are four carrots in the fridge. I will peel two of them and cut them kind of bite-size thin and add them to the pan to steam while I cut four mushrooms into four pieces. Hey! This is beginning to look like a pretty good mix.  Where are those tomatoes? I put two of them in whole for about three minutes, then remove them, pull off the skin, cut the tomatoes into small chunks and dump them back into the pan.  I threw the skins away, but I dont think that is wasteful. Everything is steamy now because I poured in half a cup of water to keep the sausages from sticking to the pan.  Now...what kind of seasoning shall I use?  Ahhh, Deverles is just the thing, and I have a tiny piece of a bullion cube left. Well, now I need something green. Look in the cupboard: parsley is shouting at me, so I dump in a tablespoon's worth.  Now, this has to cook a few minutes, till the potatoes are soft, and because the table is already set, I will go play computer solitaire while I wait.  After two games, I check on the dinner.  All the moisture has boiled away and the bottom of the pan is black. I will just pour out the unburned stuff, and try to scrape what I can of that which is stuck.  Oh, no! There are some really good sausage pieces stuck. As I try to scraped them off while leaving the stuck part behind, the whole pieces come off. Well, it's done now so I'll just do that to the rest of the stuff.  Guess What!!!! Even though it looked pretty bad in the pan and questionable in the serving dish, it tasted really good.

      I dont know if I can be brave enough to reproduce Scorch again, but here is the recipe, anyway. 

Scratch

Buy eight Granny Smith apples from the feria on Saturday.

Buy butter, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, sugar, almond extract, two lemons from Lider

Juice two lemons into large bowl, add one cup water

Peel, core, slice apples into ten slices each, drop into lemon water and coat each slice

Lift apple slices out and into small pot, slowly let simmer with two thirds cup sugar
     and one fourth cup lemon-water, for ten minutes, or softened but not mushy

Pour hot apples and juice through strainer into bowl. Set apples aside to cool.

Pour juice back into small pot, add one half cup sugar, one teaspoon almond extract,
     one half tsp cinnamon, two Tbs cornstarch in one half cup water. When hot, add
     Tbs butter. Stir over medium heat till cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Mix two cups flour and two thirds cup butter till it looks like cornmeal.

Add one fourth cup ice water to flour mix, stir with fork till water is absorbed. Add
     enough water to gather up rest of flour mix. Knead in bowl three times.

Break off tennis ball size pieces of dough, roll out in round shape, about eight inches
     across.

Place rolled dough into small one cup size baking bowls. Fill with cool apples, pour
     cool sauce over apples. Fold overlapping dough up over apples

Bake at 375 to 400 degrees F till tops are lightly browned.

Remove from oven, let cool. Eat. Yummy

This is my made-up recipe from scratch. I forgot to include any of my recipes when packing for my mission.


Mix well: two cups flour
                 two thirds cup butter

Accommodation?

     When we first arrived in Santiago we were told about earthquakes that happen all the time. We were told that people dont even react to them because they are so frequent. In fact, it isnt even an earthquake till it gets over 7 on the earthquake scale. Everything else is just a temblor.

     We were apartment hunting in the first two weeks, and when on the 7th floor looking at a place, I felt a little dizzy. It was "just a temblor".  All the little shakes we experienced while living in the hospedaje for three months were "just temblors", even though they shook pretty hard. 

     Just after a farewell party for a departing senior missionary couple we were standing and talking to someone when again, I felt dizzy. I felt dizzier than I ever had. The pictures started swaying on the walls, we all sat down and looked at each other, then out the window. A construction crane a block away was bouncing up and down. The hospedaje suffered a large crack across a ten foot wall, just over the bank of windows. It was a 7.2 temblor.

     There have been lots of temblors that have just wiggled the bed a little, like someone getting up in the middle of the night. We just lie there and ride out the experience. Nothing has ever been displaced in our apartment.

     On the end of September, while at work in the office on the 13th floor, we felt the building start to shake a little, but no one reacted. Then it shook harder, then finally the windows began shaking violently. I was a little startled, Jay was very concerned, the people in the office raised their eyebrows. It was a 6.1

     For the past week we have been experiencing little temblors which we hardly reacted to. Jay said he didnt even feel them. Then we learned that one was a 4.5, which seems to me to be pretty big.  Yesterday at home, at 6:45, the building started shaking,but I was playing games on the computer so didnt pay much attention. It actually felt kind of fun: like being gently rocked. It was a 6.1. 

     When you experience something often enough you get used to it and it doesnt even register on your mind. When you wear a watch or a ring for the first time, you feel it, but after a while it doesnt register on your mind. That is called accommodation. I think we are accommodating to earthquakes. Excuse me, I mean temblors.

He Rang the Bell!

    Whenever someone gets a job, he gets to ring the bell in the office.

      Ponciano is a young side of middle age man who has been coming into our office for as long as we have been here. He has been looking for a job all that time. He came in at least three times a week.
 
     Ponciano is a Mapucho Indian. The Mapucho are an ancient tribe that lives mostly in the south of Chile. They are fierce. They have never been conquered. They still dress in the old tradition. Ponciano is "citified" and looks just like us, dresses like us, had a family and wants a good job, just like us.

     For some reason, I dont know the history, one of the ladies in our office does not like Ponciano and was rather hostile toward him. Now, that gets my dander up, and I wont let her opinions sway mine. She said he was thief, not to be trusted. I didnt think so, and he never tried anything when I was there.

     I decided that I would go out of my way to be nice to him, maybe to compensate for the other person's behavior. When he came to the office, I would greet him with a great big smile, and say, "Ponciano" in a way that it sounded like I was so excited that he was here.  I frequently shared treats with him, little hard candies and he was very appreciative. I think he was hungry.

     It was fun to see the change come over him. In the initial weeks, Ponciano came to the office looking down at the floor, not well groomed, hardly spoke to anyone, and appeared angry. He has lately changed to an eager, friendly, well groomed man who spends a little time sharing with me about his family.

     On Monday he came in again, made some phone calls, spoke to the director and manager of the office, then left. Tuesday night I got sick and didnt go to the office for the rest of the week. Jay, however, did go and did my usual assignment at the reception desk. He came home Friday with the news that Ponciano has a JOB!!!!!!!!!

     I am so happy for him.

   

Salome

     No, that is not salami, which is a sandwich meat.

     Salome, with the accent on the "e".  is the name of a brand new convert here in the Pocuro Ward where we go to church. I want to record her conversion story for the message it has.

     Salome is a woman, about 40ish, who came to church with the two young sister missionaries one Sunday. She was wearing pants. You can always tell the investigators because they are wearing pants instead of a skirt.  I greeted her with the latina abrazo, which is a hug and a kiss in the air as we touch right cheeks. She came the next Sunday, still wearing pants.  Pants has nothing to do with her conversion story, but is just to paint a little picture of her.

     Sister Memmott, the mental health advisor missionary, seemed to be friendly with her even though she doesnt speak much Spanish. Her calling is to assist the young missionaries in the Santiago Chile East Mission, and she also attends the Pocuro Ward. One Family Home Evening she shared the following story with us about Salome, which I will now share.

     Sister M. was walking back to her apartment after getting her hair cut one afternoon. She was feeling a little "not ready to meet the public because my hair isnt fixed, just cut." She kept getting the impression she needed to go to her office in the administration building.  She argued with herself, but found herself headed for her office. As she approached the building she saw a woman there and said hello. The woman seemed to be troubled or anxious about something. Sister M greeted her and asked if she could help her. The reply was that she really wanted to talk to the pastor of this church. M said, Let's go into the building and get you some help. The woman replied that she had already been inside and the man told her that there was no one there who could help her. He is a member of the Church, employed BY the Church to greet the public. Sister M then said, "Let's go over to the temple. We can find help there." The lady said she had already been over there and nobody would open the gate to let her in. Sister M. said she knew how to open the gate, and they would go together to get her some help. They went through the gate, went into the foyer of the temple where a member of the Church sat at his assigned seat, prepared to greet members as they entered. He asked what did they need, and Sister M. started to explain that this woman was not a member but needed to talk to someone about the Church. He told them that the woman couldnt come in there, and that she would have to leave. He asked Sister M if she was a member, which she admitted to. He then told the two women that one could come in, but the other (and pointing at her) couldnt and she would have to leave. Now this is true, but it also is very harsh the way he put it.

    Back they went to the administration building where Sister M was able to help this woman make an appointment with the missionaries. And that is where we go back to the beginning of this story.

     Salome thought she was ready for baptism. She had friends somewhere who were members and admired the way they lived their lives. When she returned home from visiting them, she wanted to tell the pastor she wanted to be a part of his church. At her first missionary discussion, she told them she wanted to be baptised. They taught her the discussions, and she accepted eagerly. But......somebody forgot to tell her about coffee!  In a little over a week, she had lost the desire for it, and the Bishop called her every morning to see how she was coming along. Finally! After three weeks this woman who was clamoring to join us finally was baptised. I was honored to be the organist (on the electronic keyboard) for the service.

     P.S. She wears a skirt to church now.  Sister Memmott, in her calling, does not have opportunity to preach or teach investigators. Her clients are missionaries whom she helps. She thought one day how nice it would be to somehow have the experience, just once, of being a part of a conversion. She didnt think it would be possible. The Lord, in his tender mercies, blessed her with the righteous desire of her heart. This all happened within the last month of her mission. Today she is flying home.

Salome

No, that's not salami, which is a sandwich meat.
    
     Salome, with the accent on the "e" is a brand new convert here in the Pocuro Ward. Her journey to the Church is a little unusual and I want to record it for the message there is in her story.

     Salome is a woman, about 40

Portable Phone

     Jay and I were walking between bus stops one sunny afternoon this week when I noticed a man carrying a heavy plastic bag in on hand. He was obviously not very comfortable with the weight of it, and I felt sorry that he had such a load and had to walk with it. I looked down to see what was so heavy. I saw something bulky, about 12 inches cubic, bright red, plastic and when I saw the ear piece, I realized he was carrying a huge telephone!  I immediately started smiling, then a giggle, then a downright laugh. I had been thinking earlier about the evolution of the cell phone, and how Jay's first one is now called The Brick. Well, that was nothing compared to the portable phone this guy had to lug around!  And just think how inconvenient it is to have to carry it around in a plastic bag, not in a tidy little case in your shirt pocket, and how he must have to find a place to set down the bag, fish out the phone, have his call, then have to put it all away again.  Haha ha. I know, it wasnt a cell phone, but it did give us a little laugh. I laughed about the mental image for two more blocks.

Three Buses and A Taxi

     Jay and I take a bus to the office every day. We walk about two blocks to the bus stop, then wait for our bus. We can take one of three buses, but prefer to take the 117 for the best connection to the next bus (405). Sometimes the wait can be rather long and we get a little glassy-eyed just sitting by the street. There is a lot of traffic and we get used to seeing the many taxis and buses and cars and motorcycles passing by.
     One morning as we sat, glassy-eyed, a taxi pulled up and stopped for the red light. The front passenger door opened and I was startled as I took notice. The woman passenger leaned over and kissed the driver full on the mouth. Was this a Chilean custom I wasnt aware of? Then she got out, the light turned green and the taxi left. I hope she was the driver's wife. They were about the same age.

     There are the Transantiago buses and there are tourist buses and there are the charter buses that come from outside the city. These all pass us at the bus stop. One day a charter bus stopped for the red light. I saw a cute little boy who was probably about four in one of the windows. He was doing what all cute little boys do when bored on the bus. He was leaning on one elbow, looking out the window, and making faces and licking the window. He was so cute and I was missing my grandchildren. With the light change, the bus started. A few windows back, I see a man waving. Then a few windows back from him, I see a whole lot of people, maybe ten, waving wildly, smiling widely, and making eye contact with us. We smiled widely, too, and waved wildly back. As they moved down the street, I watched, and saw the bus maneuver onto the street where we live. This is the street where chartered buses of temple patrons go to enter Temple Square.  The passengers had spotted us and recognized that we were LDS missionaries. It made our day.
     We have had this same experience two other times. It is so fun to give them a little highlight after a long bus ride. Some come as far away as Argentina because the temple here is closer than one in Argentina.  We may be a rather small group as far as the world population, but we are everywhere, and we recognize each other often.
t

Who Is She?

     I think I have been the recipient of a tender mercy. The hardest thing about this mission is missing out on the little ones. They grow and change the most is the shortest time and I like to see that growth. 
     I had a dream the other early morning and when I woke it was fresh in my mind, and I thought about all day long. When I awoke, and was still close to the dream, I had an idea who she might be. I knew it was a girl.
     In my dream, we were at church, and Sacrament Meeting was just letting out. I saw a young couple with a new little baby. I asked if I could hold her. Now, in real life, I would never do that because I firmly believe that a mother and her baby shouldnt be separated. The young mother proudly handed me her baby thinking she was giving me a treat. And it was. Then someone behind wanted to talk to me, and someone behind the young couple wanted to talk to them. When I turned back around, they had left the room. I thought they were probably in the foyer just outside the chapel.
     The next thing, I was in the back seat of the car with this baby. She was so beautiful. She had black hair, her eyes hadnt found their color yet. I could feel her calm spirit and a tremendous amount of love for me. I found myself loving her back. Then I was conscious of Jay telling me to get him a hamburger, which is very unusual, because he doesnt even like hamburgers. As we were driving, and I was feeling all this love, I started thinking that her parents were probably very worried. There was no reason that I should have their baby in a car, driving away from them. I could be in a lot of trouble. She is not mine, I didnt have permission to take her away, and I had no car seat. But I kept feeling this tremendous love and calmness from her. She was very little, probably two or three pounds, and only about twelve inches.
     In real life, I have just learned that we are expecting another granddaughter. She may be about the same size by now. I believe that this baby with all the love is my new granddaughter. She took a few moments of her time to visit my before going to her new body. Grandma Sally loves, you little one. I can hardly wait to see you again.

Who Is She?

     I think I have been the recipient of a tender mercy. I had a dream early this morning and I have thought about it all day long, and I think I know who she is.
     In my dream, we were just finishing Sacrament Meeting and were getting up to leave. I saw a young couple with a baby girl and asked to hold her. I knew it was a girl. This is unusual because I never ask to hold someone's baby, thinking that a mother and her baby are a single unit and I would never separate them. They hand the baby to me. Someone behind me gets my attention, someone gets the attention of the young parents. As I turn around again, the parents have moved on and out of the chapel.
     Next, I am in the car, still with the baby. I am feeling a bond with her, though she makes no noise and is too young to smile. Jay asks me to get him a hamburger on the way home. (This is very unusual for two reasons: he doesnt like hamburgers and we dont buy anything on Sundays) The thought crosses my mind that I really need to find those parents and give them their baby. They are going to be panicking! I could find myself in a lot of trouble. First of all, I took their baby out of the church, second, I took her into my car, and thirdly, I dont have a car seat. But I keep going. I am not driving so I cant turn the car around, the driver is determined to keep going. I am beginning to really bond with this baby. I feel a calmness with her. I feel overpowering love from her.
     Who is this lovely baby? She is very tiny, maybe only three or four pounds, only about 12 inches long. She has lots of black hair, her eyes havent found their color yet.
     I knew within a few minutes of waking up who she is. We are expecting a new granddaughter in January. I will miss her birth. She took time out of her busy schedule to come to me. She gave me a message of calmness and love for me. I dont know her name yet, but I know she is ready. I feel that she was able to come to me for a short moment before going into her body for her journey to earth.
     Welcome, little one. I love you.

Six Times Twelve and Friday the 13th

     Friday the 13th was a great day. We closed the office of employment at noon and all 10 of went to a Chilean buffet for lunch. We were having a "surprise" farewell for Brother Claudio Alfaro, who is taking another Church assignment on temple square. He knew all about the surprise, haha. After we finished eating, the head of the office gave a little speech about how we were going to miss Bro Alfaro (and we will). The he said, "We are here for another reason. It is also Sister Karren' birthday on Sunday." Then he said some things that I didnt understand, but everybody was smiling so I guess it wasnt too bad. Then, everybody started pulling out gifts. I received four very nice Chilean-style scarves. They are beautiful. I was overwhelmed by the love and tears ran down my cheeks.
     I have never had a birthday party, and have always felt hurt and unimportant. This was the best birthday ever. I found people who cared. We went back to the office and enjoyed a delicious Chilean cake. It had a kind of filo, or pie crust, layered with thin sheets of white cake, and a raspberry flavored whipped cream.
     It didnt end there. On Sunday, the Primary sang to me, and so did our Sunday School class. One of the senior missionary couples brought over dinner that evening.
     Tonight we are in charge of FHE and we are in charge of the lesson and refreshments. I made my favorite cookie: ginger snaps, because I dont like birthday cake. We will have soda floats, too. There is no rootbeer here, so we bought orange, lemon/lime, and pineapple soda.
     Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. It was the best birthday I have ever had.
;

Phase Three

     This is week three of being sick. I am so SICK of being SICK!!!! At least each phase is sick in a different way. This week it is my ear that feels raw on the inside. I slept with a hot water bottle on it and that helped. Today Jay went to the office alone and I am keeping my ear warm both externally and internally (hot water bottle and hot chocolate). Let this be a warning to all: Do NOT cough on anyone you love. Jay had the cold first and I was apprehensive and avoiding his germs as well as possible. One morning I caught the full brunt of his cough and I KNEW in my soul that I was now infected and would be getting sick. It was like a revelation feeling. And sick I got!!!
     So, as I watched Spanish-dubbed Dog Whisperer this morning, I got to thinking about dogs and why some are more appealing than others. Each of us has a unidentified set of criteria that makes a dog appealing. For me, a dog has to have a snout. That is the very beginning. If it has a snout, then I can go from there to further categorize it. Now I am wondering, what is your primary rule that makes a dog physically appealing?

Fun Memories

      I read an article about power memories and thought it would be fun to hear each other's stories about your favorite vacation. It could be a word or two, or a short story. It could remind us all of our own experiences with your story or introduce us to a side we arent familiar with. Will you do it? ANYthing goes. Any suggestions for where we should post them?

some shame? too tired?

     Sunday was Father's Day. Jay had his Skype on. He sat near the computer from the end of church to bed-time (11:00). He was called by ONE of his children. This one was surprised that no one had called. A call was sent to a few other of his children, and they wished him a Happy Father's Day. I am not happy about my children's behavior. Are they all near death in the hospital? Have they all had their hands and tongues amputated? Are they sick and keeping it from us?  Have they gone on vacation? How long does it take to type a message and press Send?
     When you "raise" your hand to support someone, that means communication, encouragement, and well-wishing. I hope you will resolve to be more responsible in the future.We are working hard and it really helps to hear from our children. Thanks to the family who e-mails regularly. Is this pay-back time, or forgiveness time?

Finally! I Can Share

     I googled "Chopin Scherzo in C Sharp minor". I chose Rubenstein's performance. I love it that he said that this Scherzo takes more out of him than any other. I wish the camera could have captured more of his hands than his face, because that is where the action is. This piece is 27 pages long. I know because as a young 17 year old girl, I mastered this Scherzo. I want to share it with you, just to show my shining glory. It took a lot out of me, too. Every time I performed it, I was covered in the "glow" of hard work. This was the pinacle of my piano performance. I played it for my senior recital, and I auditioned (successfully) for a full ride scholarship at University of Montana. It makes tears well up in my eyes every time I hear it. It is so beautiful, so full of emotion, so satisfying, both spiritually and physically. Please enjoy it.

Little Tender Mercies

     I guess if you look closely, there are little tender mercies that come along with trials. First of all, we arent torn apart about it all. In fact, we have to laugh that so many trials hit us so close together. We have good friends who have offered to help us with money, others who are feeding us, we get a brand NEW fridge. A missionary couple is packing to go home on Friday and they offered us first dibs on what they are leaving behind. Among the things being left behind are an electronic keyboard (that I can keep in  our apartment) and a piano student.
     I have three piano students now, and could have about ten more if I had the time. The carrot is that if the students show real interest and progress, they get to take an electronic keyboard home to practice, and if they show responsibility they get to KEEP the keyboard.
     The biting dog was at the bus stop again today. I was surprised to feel a little aprehensive around her. She was chasing people and barking, being quite aggressive. I have seen her chasing school kids (teens), but I thought they were playing with her. Now I know that she is defending her territory. My hand is beginning to heal. The tear is about 3/4 inch long, and for some reason, it doesnt hurt unless I accidentally put pressure on it.

Threes

     I've heard it said that accidents happen because a rule was broken. I've also heard that bad things happen in threes. Well, it's most likely true.
     Last week on our journey home from the office, the bus was rather crowded. Jay said there was a guy who kept bumping him, it seemed like he was having a hard time balancing. But what is new about that? The balancing act on a moving bus is having people bumping into you as the driver uses accelerator and brake at unpredictable intervals. I brag about how well I can balance on one foot now. When Jay got off the bus he said his pants "didnt fit right". He checked his front pants pocket and discovered that his wallet was missing. Yup! Pickpocketed by an "unbalanced" thief. We cancelled three credit cards, his Utah driver's license and temple recommend are gone, as well as about U$100 cash. The hardest thing about all this, besides feeling violated and foolish, is that we have no source of income till we get replacement cards in about three weeks. The rule is that you dont carry all that stuff around, and you keep your wallet in your suit jacket breast pocket and you dont open your wallet in public.
     One of our missionary sisters was visiting in our apartment and made a comment, "Boy, your refrigerator sure is noisy!" We hadn't paid attention to the noise, but had noticed that the stuff in the freezer was rather slushy. And it got slushier and slushier over the next two days. We had it looked at, and it has died from lack of compression. The missionaries in the apartment building next door offered to let us use their fridge and we are grateful. Most of the food, however, was already beyond salvaging. I'm not sure how we broke a rule here. Maybe listen to what your appliances are trying to tell you, or when your popsicles arent sicles anymore, there is something wrong.
     Today we took the bus home. At the second bus stop the usual dog who lives there was sitting by the bench. I reached down to pat her head and she bit me on the hand. I have a half-inch gash in my left hand just below the pointer finger on the soft pad of my palm. We went to the missionary doctor as soon as we reached Temple Square. He cleaned it, applied antibiotic cream and covered it with a bandaid. Then we started the rabies series. They dont hurt, and it is a series of four shots in the arm over a three week period. I broke the rule of never petting a strange dog.
     Now, for the bonus. Today someone came to inspect the gas in our apartment. He says the stove is bad because if you turn the knob the wrong way, the fire goes out, but the gas continues to run. I guess now we will get a new stove AND a new fridge.
     SOMEBODY TELL ME THIS IS ALL!!!!!!!!!!!  I didnt have to travel all the way to Chile to get a dog to bite me...
    

More to the Story

     Six of us senior missionary sisters took the bus to a Church in a part of town I have never been in before. After waiting for a taxi (which never came), we boarded the bus. The first bus took us about 15 blocks, then we had to switch to a bus going another direction. (We were headed south, but to finish the trip, we had to go as many blocks east). At the appropriate bus stop, two sisters got off, I was stepping down when the bus doors closed and the bus started moving. All six of us yelled, "STOP! STOP!" Some of the passengers were yelling, "PARE! PARE!" The bus stopped, the doors opened, my second half got off, followed by the other three sisters. Before that stop, I noticed another Chinese restaurant. Its name was Sam Sing. Some of you will recall the joke about Sam Sing. If you dont, ask a sibling, or ask me. In the joke, his last name was Wong. hahaha

Chinese Restaurants

While riding the bus we watch to see interesting places to eat in the future. There are quite a few of the Chinese variety. I have thought the names are rather amusing. The first one I saw was Wah Ching. Down the street a couple blocks is another called Hong Ree. These became two of our landmarks on the way to the feria. I ran these names over in my mind because phonetically they sounded familiar. Soon, I realized they sounded like Hungry and Watching. Too funny. A couple weeks ago we passed another Chinese restaurant called Japon Ya. No Way!!! Hop on ya????? Well, today the fourth one was called Ru Ning, So we have Watching, Hungry, Hop on Ya and Running! Of course in Spanish none of this is funny. Only in English phonics!!!!

Shakin' Hands or Shaken Hands

     When I was 18 and working at Glacier National Park, there wasw a Governors' Convention being held at Many Glacier Hotel, my hotel. My friend, Virginia, and I were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to meet and shake hands with FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover. Boy did I think I was special!
      Two years later I  was a member of the Church in Missoula. My bishop was L. Edward Kimball. He was different only because he was quite crippled from polio. A few times a year, the ward people were all excited because Bishop Kimball's father was coming to visit the family. He always went to Primary when he visited. I peeked into the Primary room out of curiosity. All I saw was a little elderly gentleman, bald, roundish face, wearing glasses, and smiling. I learned a few years later that "Grandpa" was Spencer W. Kimball, an Apostle of the Church.
     I was so new in the Church that I didnt know how things went. I just knew that every once in a while people would get excited, they would open the doors to the gym and set up lots of chairs. They talked about someone special who would be coming. I didnt catch the name. When it was his turn to speak, the whole audience was quiet, even the babies. This man would talk the whole time without a single note. He told wonderful stories. I didnt find out till years later that this man's name was LeGrande Richards. I wish I could hear more stories now that I know who he is!
     When Jay and I were married and living in Provo, we attended Manavu Ward. In our Sunday School class were two people who seemed to get a lot of respect. One, Anna B ...... was a former General President of the Primary. The other, was a man, short and rather carelessly dressed. He always had an old book of some kind or other and would be reading during the lesson. It was not Scripture. It was in some other language, Greek or Hebrew or Latin or something equally odd. However, he would look up from his book every so often to make a very appropriate comment about the lesson. His name was Hugh B. Nibley. I only knew him as an eccentric member of the Ward.
     A few years later, when Lori was a baby of about a year, we were living in Kansas. We traveled to Farr West, Missouri for a special dedication ceremony at that temple site. There was another Apostle there, Joseph Fielding Smith. I carried Lori and walked up with the rest of the crowd to shake his hand. I didnt really want to bother him, but wanted Lori to have the experience of being eye to eye with a General Authority of the Church. When it was our turn, Elder Smith looked into my eyes with his dark brown ones. I couldnt think of anything to say, but was thinking about Lori. I saw in his eyes the "Oh! I get it" moment, and then he put his hand on Lori's head and smiled tenderly at her.
     The Kansas City Stake Relief Society was invited to sing at a session of General Conference. We practiced often, even though we had to drive an hour each way for every practice. As the time drew near to leave for Salt Lake, the General president of the Relief Society, Belle Spafford, came to listen to us and to offer encouragement. One of the members of the Stake Presidency was Rex Reeve, his wife was Marjorie. They moved to Salt Lake city. Then we began seeing his name as a General Authority
     A few more years found us living in Radford, Virginia. Our stake center was in Roanoke, about an hour's drive from home.. We attended a Saturday Stake Conference where another Apostle was visiting. It was the custom for everyone to stay for lunch between sessions. This Elder sat right across from us at the table. He told us about his grandson, Jody Whitaker, who played Buffy's twin brother on a TV series. I cant think of his name right now, but I do know that it started with a B. I was thinking this was a wonderful life.
     When we moved to Smithfield, I had a wonderful friend across the street. Her name was Melinda Hilden. One of her daughters became engaged to a young man from Salt Lake City, and I was invited to the sealing/marriage in the Salt Lake Temple. The man coming to do the sealing was a little late, but it was a friend of the groom's family, so we waited. We learned that he had just flown in from a visit to Samoa. In walked a very tall man, smiling and apologizing for holding us up. It was another Apostle, Thomas S. Monson.
     The Cook family had an extended family reunion a few years ago. This included five generations. Jay left early, and Lisa and I arrived after having my birthday lunch at the Hotel Utah. As we walked into the church, there was a tall man, being led around by his pinkie by a little girl of about 18 months. He looked up, smiled, and said,"I dont know who she is, but she seems to know where she is going." He looked a lot like Jay's Cook uncles, and we just smiled and went on our way to the chapel. Soon, as the meeting was called to order, it was announced that there would be an extra speaker. Yep! It was this man. He was L. Tom. Perry, another Apostle!
     At the MTC, there is a devotional every week. The one we attended just before we flew to Chile was going to be a live visit. The other one was a broadcast talk by Jeffery R Holland. We wondered who the speaker was going to be. As we listened to the prelude music, the door opened and in walked Elder Russell M. Nelson. How can I be so lucky?
     Now, today, it happened again. We went to work, waited past the appointed hour, and wondered if we would be going home before Sister Burton came. At last they came and we had a very nice time showing them around. There were lots of pictures taken. She held me around the waist for a picture. I told her that I considered this a visiting teaching visit. She said, "And it isnt even the 30th!" I mentioned something about getting used to people with cameras, and she admitted that it is going to take some getting used to.
     I have been so blessed. How lucky am I to get to be in the presence of all these specially called people!!!!!
    

Lunch with Dignitaries

     We didnt go into work today. There is a special visitor in town this week. Instead of the usual monthly Area devotional, we had a big one today with the special visitor giving the key address. She doesnt speak Spanish, so there was an interpreter for her (female) and her husband (male). It was Sister Linda Burton, General President of the Relief Society. Yeah, we knew who it was last week. In fact, she will be visiting in OUR employment office tomorrow at 2:00 for about an hour. Her husband's name is Craig. Anyway, she told us that even though we think we are small and insignificant, that is only in our eyes. The Lord sees as stretchable and capable of growing into His expectations. She told of how she was in Australia for three years and thought that was the hard thing in her life, and now things would be just fine now. Then she got married and thought that was the hardest thing. Then she had a baby and that had to be the hardest thing. Then she had five more. Then they were teenagers. Then they got married. Then they had children. Then she was wife of the mission president in Korea. That must be the hardest thing. BUT now she has this calling, and it is by far harder than anything. She feels our prayers and asked for them to continue. She was overwhelmed till Pres. Monson laid his hands on her heads to set her apart, and only then did she feel calm. Her husband said that she has four secretaries waiting to help her. She had been a stay-at-home-mom for all but three months of her married life, and was very independent. She did everything herself. Now she has four secretaries to direct, and all the stuff that goes with her calling. She has changed - stretched - by accepting the challenge (calling). I felt great relief just hearing her say this. I can stop thinking of myself as a small, insignificant human being who just happens to be a member of the Church, and hand over my smallness to the Lord Who will stretch me to what my potential really is. I can welcome hard things in my life because they will help me become who I really am. She mentioned scriptural references to men and women who had challenges: Moses, Lehi, Nephi, etc. Did they have hard things to do? What about Peter when he wanted to walk on the water? Did he have a hard thing to do? With faith, all things are possible, and with faith I can stretch as big as the Lord has in mind for me to stretch. I felt that she definitely has been called of God to lead the Relief Society. She is sensitive ,humble, kind, genuinely interested in us, and has a knowledge that we have great potential. She will lead us as the Lord wants us led. Her husband is very supportive. He loves her very much and asks that our prayers for her will continue.
     After this great devotional hour, we were treated to a luncheon that was as large as a full dinner meal. It was a typical Chilean lunch. We started out with the traditional Chilean empanada, then were served a plate of three kinds of meat (chicken, pork and beef), three potatoes, a corn/tomato salad, lettuce/celery/walnut salad, green bean/grain salad, salsa. We were served three different desserts, one was mousse over meringue cookie bits, the second was cubed peaches topped with a dollop of whipped cream, the third was rice pudding with raisins and toasted almond slivers. I asked if everything came in threes, and was told, "Yes, and you must have three servings of the juice, too." The juice was fresh pineapple juice - so sweet.  There was entertainment, too. Three guys performed a few songs, and then we watched three couples dance. Luckily I happened to have my camera in my bag, so took some nice pictures. I also took pix of our lunch.
     So now we are back at the apartment and will just bask in the left-over spirit that we have with us. We DO have a purpose for being in Chile. We may not know exactly what it is, or when we will have accomplished that, and may not know for a long time, but we know we are here for something that only we can do. It may have nothing to do with our assignment, it may have nothing to do with learning Spanish. It may have nothing to do with the people of Chile. It may be for us, or for our family, or for someone here with another assignment. But we ARE here to be stretched. 

Soloing the Planet

I feel like I am one of very few left on the planet. There are only the predictable few who ever comment on my blogs. I think everyone has gone to Pluto or something. I thought by blogging, I might generate some conversation of sorts, but this isnt happening. I am told that this is a good way to write my memories. But if there is no one interested in reading (or commenting) on my blogs, then what reason is there to write them? I can remember them without writing them. And when I forget them, then who will care? There's nobody out there except for us few.Or are they so boring that there is nothing worth saying?

Clowning Around on the Bus

Today was the last day that we will take Flat  Adele with us. She will now go back to school and tell her classmates about her trip to Santiago, Chile. When we arrived at the second bus stop, there were two men dressed as clowns. They boarded the bus behind us and proceeded to entertain us. Thye made us laugh, then gave a little speech about how special mothers are. They posed for a couple photos with Adele, then roamed the bus for tips. She gave them a nice tip and said thanks. One of the clowns came up to her and told her that he was also a member of our church. We find members in many places because we wear name tags that identify us as missionaries for the church. Flat Adele was very busy at the office today. She helped enter client data into the computer. She filled out job offers from six companies. She helped people print their resumes. She greeted new clients and gave them a little piece of candy. Flat Adele ate lunch with us. She had a ham and cheese sandwich, grapes, blueberries, grapes, a clementine, and an apple. We had to eat in Grandpa's office, because some clients were using the lunchroom. We had to leave early because we had an appointment with a man who was coming to fix our hot water in our apartment. She watched for a little while, then helped Grandma empty the trash and wash the dishes and make chicken soup for dinner. We have loved having Flat Adele visit with us this week. Wouldnt it be fun if some others came sliding flatly through the copy machine in the office!!!

Slow Learners

Today we took Flat Adele with us on the bus to the feria. She enjoyed watching people buying fruits and vegetables. She was able to have her own seat on the bus. We brought our produce home and Adele helped me wash it all. Then we met the sister missionaries from Vina del Mar. They had come down to go to the temple and wanted to go out to dinner with us. They met Adele and said she was beautiful. She liked them, too, and smiled warmly at them.We walked two blocks to a Chinese restaurant we had never gone to, so didnt know what to expect. What we found was a place just like the places in the States. Adele and I had chopsui verdura con mariscos, arroz blanco, and sopa something. Adele didnt eat much, but she smiled throughout the whole meal.  We walked the sister missionaries to where they took a taxi to the bus terminal for their hour and a half ride back to Vina del Mar. As we approached our apartment, I remembered that the Grahams (another missionary couple) had a small computer table for us, so Adele got to visit with some more missionaries. She like them, too, and smiled at them, and sat very quietly while we talked. Just as we were leaving their apartment with the desk, there were three missionaries coming to help us move it. Our elevator has a capacity of 300 kilograms or 4 persons. Three elders and a desk went up on the odd-number elevator. We four (and Flat Adele) took the even-number elevator. The elevator registered floor six, and stopped, but the door didnt open. We could hear the missionaries on the other side, so even though the sign said we were on floor six, we were somewhere near floor five. We waited and waited for someone to help us. Adele waited patiently without complaint. Finally, after about 15 minutes in the stuffy little elevator, it started to move. When the door opened, we found ourselves on the basement floor facing three young elders. They had been running up and down the stairs to keep track of us while the concierge ran around fixing the elevator. Nobody wanted to take the elevator up to floor five. Finally, the men went. Then Sister Graham, Flat Adele and I went. There were no problems. Just as the doors of the elevator opened, the Elders arrived, having run up five flights of stairs AGAIN. We gave them an ice cream bar for their help. I dont know if it was Adele being the fifth person, or the dinner we had just eaten, or if four big norteamericanos were too much for the little elevator. What do YOU think??????

Off to La Ligua

Last week the temple missionaries planned a bus trip to La Ligua, about two or three hours northwest of Santiago. We were invited to go and eagerly accepted. This would be Jay's first trip out of the city and my second.The trip would involve a bus to the Metro subway to a central bus station. Ten of us rode standing up all the way to the bus station because we were traveling at peak morning rush hour. Two of the native-Spanish speaking missionaries (sisters) were going to meet us at the bus station. We looked for them till we boarded and the driver was putting the bus into gear. We saw one of them running, sounded the alarm, and she was able to board the bus. The other sister didnt make it because of miscommunication. That was sad. Several of us remarked that the bus was better than a plane for seating and TV. We passed a lot of little towns, villages and farms. We drove through the foothills of the Andes, high enough in altitude to make our ears pop. We saw avocado farms, grape orchards, lots of farms growing things we couldnt identify. We saw goats, sheep, donkeys, horses and cows in herds.  La Ligua is a town of about 7000. It has a very nice plaza in the center of town with lots of trees and benches. We got a lot of stares because there were eleven of us gringos with name tags. We engaged three taxis and drove five kilometers (three miles) to a village where every tienda (store) had sweaters for sale. These sweaters defy definition! There are every color, combination of colors, and style. There are ponchos (knitted or woven in yarn), shawls, scarves, gloves, socks, hair doo-dads, and on and on.They are all wool and as soft as cotton fluff.  I found three GottaHavs and a whole bunch of Nextimers. Jay found a very nice cardigan in medium dark blue. Those four sweaters totalled about $80 US!!!!!! One sweater was only $12! How could we afford NOT to? There was one little "restaurant" about half-way down the street and we were hungry and it was 1:30. We were the only ones there because it was way too early for the Latino lunch. Jay had a baked chicken thigh (which included the back quarter of the bird) and the ever popular french fries. French fries are offered everywhere. I had beef with a little broth over it - it was a large piece - and french fries. Those fries were soooo good when dipped in the chicken or beef juices. We had Fanta to drink, of course. There were rolls served as appetizers. There was no butter, but I found that when dipped in olive oil and lemon juice, they were really good. While waiting for the bus in the bus station, we bought one of each of the pastries because they all looked good, and maybe we wouldnt ever see them again. We bought twelve different ones, but most of them were filled with manjar and surrounded in meringue. Manjar (pronounced MAN-har) is very sweet and reminds me of soft caramel. Yummy. Dulce de leche. We arrived in Santiago just as the sun was setting, and at our apartment an hour later. We did not have dinner. We went to bed. What a glorious day we had.

Saturday is "P-Day"

SATURDAY P-DAY          Today we went to the feria for our week's worth of fruits and vegetables. We're getting better at buying just enough for a week, but we still managed to fill up our cart. The cart will probably hold about four or five paper grocery sacks full to the brim. That's a lot of fruit and veggies. We have learned that the feria will be open all year round, even in the winter, which is approaching. It is like early October here and the leaves are just beginning to change color.We've had one day with a little rain, but now are back to 70's during the days.The feria is on the sidewalk and about three blocks long, so by the time we walk two blocks to the bus stop, walk two blocks to the feria, and then return the same number of blocks, we have covered about a mile.        After the feria, we washed off all the fruits and veggies and set them out on the drainboard to dry while we joined two other couples for lunch and a movie across town in Alto Las Condes. This is quite a ways away so we walked more blocks, then took a couple buses to get there. Lunch was at Tortilla Factory, a Mexican restaurant with outdoor dining. I had a carne picante enchalada with black beans and rice. It was SOOOOooooo good. Then we crossed the street to the big shopping center that is bigger than any in Salt Lake City. On the second floor is the huge movie plex with 12 theaters. We saw something with Vows in the title, I cant remember. It is an American film with Spanish subtitles. They sell popcorn, drinks and candy at the consessions stand.                After the movie, we went down to the lowest level to the jumbo Jumbo. It is larger than Walmart ( lots of walking), although it IS owned by Walmart. I went away from there very happy because we found a WAFFLE IRON, and a router for the computers in our apartment. The waffle iron will be paid for by the church because it is considered as furnishings for the missionaries apartments.             As soon as we got home (it was 6:00), we called the Masons because we had a dinner date with them. We walked more blocks, then hopped another bus, walked another lots of blocks only to find the little diner closed for the night. We walked two more blocks to a Chinese place that had been recommended. The dinner was very good, and we have enough for tomorrow, too. Not being finished yet, we walked across the street to the big Lider for groceries such as bread, lunch meat, etc, etc. We had to walk another four or five blocks to the bus stop where we caught the bus to Temple Square. Two more blocks of walking and we were home.             We are tired. I am also pleased, pleased that we are now able to walk that much and only feel the same amount of discomfort that we felt after two blocks walking three months ago. Yesterday Jay and I walked a lot during lunch hour and I felt quite refreshed afterward.                  The hamburgers are a little different tasting, but I think it's the condiments, rather than the bread, meat or cooking method. I like my hamburgers with the whole works on them and heavy on the onion. The hamburgers here have mayonnaise, tomato, lettuce, and ketchup. My chicken sandwich yesterday had guacamole besides the tomato and lettuce. It was very good, but different. The hamburgers are bigger, the fries portions are bigger so there are a lot of calories to walk off. If you want a McFlurry, you have to go to a completely separate place in the store to have it made and paid for.

KFC for Lunch

Today we didnt have enough bread for sandwiches so we planned to go out for lunch. Jay said there was a Mcdonald's or BurgerKing pretty close. As we were walking, I said there was a KFC nearby and I'd like to go there to see if the chicken and coleslaw taste like that in Logan. We walked six or seven blocks without finding it, so asked someone. She said it was four or five more blocks. I said, Lets go back," so we crossed the street and headed toward the office (and where the McD/ BK was). On the way, I found a yarn shop that I want to visit again. We found a little shop of stationery supplies and bought a box of 24 pens that we like.Twenty four pens might sound like a lot, but they dont last as long as those we are used to. I enjoyed looking at all the shops, seeing what there was to offer. Now I truly believe that we can buy just about anything we can buy at home. Except Miracle Whip, brown sugar,molasses, and fresh milk. We turned a corner, found the McD's and were amazed to see that there were four lines all the way to the sidewalk of people waiting to place their orders. We ate outside under the umbrella tables, sharing the table with another man. He kindly gave me his unused ketchup packets when he saw me eat french fries with ketchup. We were about six or eight blocks from the office as far as I could tell. We felt adventurous, so wound our way around on a different path. We found some nice Chinese restaurants, and a steak house.  There is a very tall, round, narrow building being built near the office, so we used it as our beacon, and found our way back to work. It was nice to get out and walk in the sunshine and mingle with the crowds.

We Broke It

Tonight we went to dinner at La Hacienda with three other couples. Jay and I ordered a salad and steak to share. When they came, I said, I guess we arent sharing. They were both really big. But we really did share because the bill only charged us for one steak plus the salad, potatoes and mushrooms. We brought the equivalent of a whole steak home for tomorrow's meals. When we arrived at our apartment building, there were three ladies who came into the elevator with us. They wanted the third floor, we wanted the fifth. Somewhere near the third floor, the elevator just stopped. The door didnt open. We rang the emergency bell but nothing happened. We rang twice more, and knocked on the door. We heard our concierge on the other side. He managed to get the door open by using a screwdriver and pushing the door really hard. We had come short of the third floor by about three feet! It was soooo funny. One by one we hiked up our skirts and crawled out of the elevator. Then, because the elevator was now out of commission, we had to take the stairs two more flights. I'm laughing hysterically just writing this. hahahahaha

Tender Moment for Sister Memmott

We saw Sister Memmott this morning during Spanish class. She said she found her wallet. Somehow it slipped out of her purse when she was gathering up all the paperwork at another place. The person behind the desk found it and tried to catch her, but couldnt find her. After we saw her yesterday, she walked back to that place and the lady smiled really wide and produced the wallet. Intact. All her US and Chile information, credit cards, lots of money....
The Miracle Whip turned out okay. I had some on my ham and cheese sandwich (with lots of mustard) and it wasnt yucky, so I guess it'll do. Jay thinks it's just fine, and that's why I made it, just for him.
Happy birthday to Patrick Allen Sogla! Friday the 13th in Chile isnt a scary day, but if the 13th lands on Tuesday, watch out. I dont know about that.
We are having our first rainstorm since we got here. There isnt much rain so far, but there is a little lightening and thunder. It is still warm enough that I am not wishing I had a coat. They keep warning me that we are going to freeze to death, though, so I really want to find a coat. The poor sister at the office was wearing three layers today and was still complaining of being cold. She is quite thin, so maybe it's a blessing to carry around your own insulation when living in Chile in the winter. Oh, yes, we are entering winter now. Enjoy your summer.

A Miracle Happened at 1906 Los Estanques

I made the Miracle Whip! I didnt have any powdered mustard, so just squirted a good amount of regular mustard into the mix. I would halve the recipe, though, as four egg yolks and three cups of oil make a lot of MW. Jay is the MW taste expert and he says it is pretty good. Today I found the powdered mustard at the store and bought a bottle. This afternoon we had an interview with the Area Presidency Counselor. It was an enjoyable experience. We just talked and joked a little, and shared a few experiences about our mission and some of our past history. One of our older sister missionaries was pick pocketed today. Her wallet is gone. Sad.

It's a Miracle

I am googling now. It is so fun. Yesterday I googled Miracle Whip and found a recipe. There are two miracles in the previous statement: I am googling and I found that particular recipe. And all you googling experts are right...you can find anything you want. I call that a tender mercy. I have found songs and words to songs, there are even movies to watch!!!! Just because I had the time I drew music scores and wrote the music, with the words, to Take Me Out to The Ball Game. It was fun exercise for my brain.

MoreFit for The Kingdom, More Used Will We Be

The FHE turned out to be a lot of fun. It was surprising to see creativity come out of the least expected! We have pictures. Yesterday we had Area devotional and I played the piano. The secretary to the Area presidency, Elder Dalton, spoke, and I understood all he said. He is a gringo and spoke slower than Chileno. We left there and got to the office by 9:30, where we worked till 1:30. On the way home, we bought groceries and took them to the new apartment. While Jay put them away, I started cleaning the old apartment. I have to brag that I finally got to clean a place to my satisfaction. It is SPOTLESS. Ten elders from the Chile MTC (which is on the floor below) came to help carry everything across the street and up 5 floors. (They have service hours to perform; we gave them ice cream sandwiches for thankyous). By the time we had unpacked our six suitcases and put it all away, it was 10:30. We were in so much pain that we didnt sleep very well. Sooo....., this morning the power was off. It was dark. We couldnt see,and the place was unfamiliar. We finally used what little light there was to get ready for the day. I looked at the clock and was shocked to see that it was 10:15!!! We left only to find that the elevator didnt work, so we had to hoof it down 5 flights, walk a block and a half to the bus stop, stand all the way to work. As luck would have it, our bus didnt come for 15 minutes at both stops. The ladies at the office werent too happy about our being so late, but we didnt even know it was so late, and we didnt know the power would be off, and we didnt know we'd have to use the stairs. On the way home, we had to stop at the old apartment to pick up my hat I'd left. Surprise! The elevator wasnt working. I climbed 4 stories of stairs, retrieved my hat, and hoofed it down. Surprise! The elevator at the new apartment isnt working. We climbed 5 flights of stairs, making a total of 9 for me. We are going to the temple in a few minutes, so we will walk down the 5, and maybe climb AGAIN after. But at least the power is on. For now. My legs are getting stronger every day. I have pretty good balance on each foot from standing on the moving buses, and with "no funcionan" elevators, my circulation should be improving, too.

Easter FHE

Tonight is FHE for the senior missionaries. Jay and I have the lesson. After three months of rather heavy material, we had a few requests for something lighter. Soooooo, we are going to paint Easter eggs and decorate them with whatever we can come up with. I have been collecting bird feathers from the grounds, and will pick some flowers and leaves that might be useful. Jay will present a little Easter message and then we will get artistic! Some of you saw that I found the golden egg this year. It was in a chocolate store down the street. They wouldnt give it to me and I didnt buy it. It was about $30, and didnt have anything in the center. I wonder if my family will carry on the tradition at home or has it come to an end?

hiking 2

The next day, the elevator still was out of order. There were no missionaries in the foyer. We climbed the stairs, pulling the cart along. Out of breath, we arrived at the fourth floor door and found it locked again. I knocked again. And again. And again. No one came. Jay went back down stairs to find someone with a key. The gatekeeper in the foyer usually is gone by the time we get home from the office, so nobody was around. Jay had to walk over to the church administration building, go to the area presidence offices on the third floor to get a key. Then he had to walk back and up the four flights of stairs again. He was done for. But...we didnt want it to happen again the next day, so he walked up two blocks to have a key made (sh, dont tell ). Today, the elevator has been fixed so we didnt need the key.

Goin' Hiking

We went directly to the grocery store after work today. Our cart was full, and we were both carrying another bag or two on the two block walk home. As we approached the elevator, we saw that it was blocked off and the elevator lights werent on. Great! If we'd known, we wouldnt have filled the cart. As luck would have it ( or call it a tender mercy), there were about ten missionaries sitting in the foyer waiting for taxis to take them to the airport. They were going home. We stopped to talk, of course. Elder Mendenhall, from Richmond, offered to carry our cart up four flights of stairs! He did it easily, didnt even break a sweat. Jay is getting better at climbing the stairs, and I am, too. When we got to the top of our hike, the door was locked to our floor, and we dont have a key. I knocked really loudly on the door and eventually one of the temple missionaries opened their door, saw us, and let us in. Today has been full of tender mercies.

Hunger

Yesterday I saw a very thin black man sitting in one of the classrooms at church. Today this very same man came into the employment office. He speaks Haitian Creole, a little Spanish and a little English. He is looking for work because he and another man (a preacher?) are trying to care for and feed about 41 orphans in Haiti. He told me that just this morning one of the children died of starvation. He says it is very hard to care for these kids because of that earthquake. We werent able to help him much, as one has to have a permit to work AND an I.D. card issued by the Government. He has the work permit, but cant get the ID card for about three months (if he is lucky). We did give him one reference to a person looking for someone to clean windows, etc. He left, but was back in two minutes. He didnt know how to get the elevator to work. I went out and showed him how to push the arrow down button, wait for one of the elevators to open, then how to push the 1 for the first floor. I truly hope he can find work so he can send money back to the orphans in Haiti. (I also hope that what he says is the truth. Some people lie to get you to feel sorry for them).

Surprise!

We got to Sacrament Meeting with a few minutes to spare. I was looking for a place to sit, Jay was following me. I found a place, and sat down, thinking Jay was right behind me. He wasnt. Soon he sat down, and said, "Look who is here!" I looked over and was surprised to see Brad Maxfield from our old ward in Smithfield! He is here for 10 days for work (Campbell Scientific). He taught a group of people and has been in meetings. I had been thinking about him, but thought that he only went to Peru. I was wrong. There were four of us from Smithfield in our Sunday School class! We invited him to come with us to the farewell dinner for the Dahlstroms later that evening. It was nice to see him! What a surprise!

surprise!

We walked into the chapel a few minutes before Sacrament Meeting started yesterday. I was concentrating on finding a place to sit and Jay was behind me. I found a place and sat down, thinking Jay was right behind me. Soon he found his way to me, and as he sat down, he said, "Look who is here!" I couldnt believe my eyes! Here was Brad Maxfield from our old ward in Smithfield! He is here for about 10 days on business. He works for Campbell Scientific and had taught a class the day before. By chance, he chose the Pocuro Ward to go to church.

temblors and temples

The trees were swaying, the floor was bouncing, the crane was dancing, and the pictures on the walls were swinging grandly. The temple with Angel Moroni atop was firmly on the ground, and the angel proudly blew his horn. Where do I put my trust? The trees bent to the will of the earth. The crane and floor moved according to the will of the earth. The pictures yielded to the will of the earth. The temple and angel Moroni remained firm and unmoving even though the earth was trying to take command. Should I depend on the flexibility of the earth and live the life of indulgence, or should I put my trust in that which is firm and dependable. This is how we live IN the world, but not OF the world . It was comforting to see the temple and Angel Moroni standing there so firmly. I will set my sight on the temple, I will remain true to the teachings of the Savior, for there is my salvation.

vertigo?

Last night there was a farewell potluck dinner for one of the couple missionaries. They are leaving the mission in two weeks. As we were just finishing up and most of the people had left, I suddenly felt a little dizzy. It didnt go away, but got worse, so I sat down. That made the chair feel like it was bouncing and I was still dizzy. The others also sat down with surprised looks ontheir faces. We all looked out the window. We saw trees waving, the construction crane a block away was bouncing up and down. The pictures on the wall were swinging widely. But the Angel Moroni atop the temple did not move an inch. We were sitting out an earthquake! They dont get worried unless things get broken around here, so nothing happened. After what seemed like 10 minutes, but was probably only 30 seconds, the tremors stopped. This morning as we were going down the stairs (because the elevator was broken again), I noticed a horizontal crack about 10 feet long and 2 inches wide above the windows in the stairwell. Today in the paper we read that the temblor was 7.0.

free time

Friday we did not go to the office. Jays hair was looking scraggly, and mine was way out of control. We walked the three blocks to the Caracol. This means snail. It is an indoor minimall that consists of many little shops that wind around and around from the bottom to about four stories above. Jay got a good haircut from a lady who says she cuts lots of missionaries' hair. I got my first foreign color and cut. I showed the lady the pictures I took of my last cut in Smithfield, and she did a really good job of duplicating it. Since we looked so good, we didnt want to just go home. We walked the entire caracol just to see what they had to offer. Probably half of the shops were hair salons with three stations. I wonder how they stay in business! We found a little yarn shop with a fair amount of yarn, and she sells knitting needles and crochet hooks. I didnt buy any. Yet. She doesnt have patterns. We found a few more things we were in need of, then had a nice sandwich in a cafe that had six tables about 18 inches square. Since Lider was just next door, we also bought a few things like milk and chips, etc. In all, we probably walked two miles. That's more than Jay has walked in years. Today 11 missionary couples (Sister Memmot is single) took a bus and subway to a place called Santa Lucia in another part of Santiago. At one time long ago, this was just a steep hill that Pedro de Valdivia used as a look-out for bad guys who might threaten his little town. Later, as the city surrounded the ugly little hill, someone decided to beautify it with a "building" and paths, and plazas. We climbed about 100 steps to a nice shady plaza with park benches around it. Jay and I and Sister Memmot sat and watched a class of karate, kata, and fencing students while the others hiked the steeper part of the hill. Jay got up and walked away, and I didnt see where he went, but knew he wouldnt go very far. When the others came back, we couldnt find him anywhere. The brethren all went different ways to find him, all armed with cell phones. (We dont have a cell phone because the area president (?) doesnt think we need one. We are the only senior missionaries without a phone). Jay was found "just around the corner." We werent ready to go home yet, so crossed the busy intersection, underground, to a large open-air market of clothing, jewelry, etc. I bought a panflute, occarina, and a pair of silver and lapis earrings. Jay bought an apron. We were getting hungry at this point (it was 2:30) so we took the subway back to familiar territory and found a Burger King. As if this werent enough calories for a couple days, we then walked a couple blocks to the best heladeria (ice cream store) in town. They served us each a little glass of carbonated water for a chaser. I was thirsty and drank it all in one breath. BURP.

mmm, Good

I am back to cooking by scratch again. I am back to learning how to cook for just two again. We have a little grocery store just two or three blocks from home where we can get what we need to make simple meals. I have learned some tricks, such as cutting up and freezing onions so that they are always on hand. You can do the same thing with chopped celery and green peppers, too, so even though we have a very small fridge, I have managed to stockpile a few essentials. Yesterday I seared a thin steak, removed it from the pan and cut it into small bite-size pieces. Into the pan with the meat juice, I put in garlic (which I cut and dried), onion, celery, carrot chips, a handful of cut up cabbage,one potato cut into bites, green bean bits, a little leftover corn (cut from the cob), broccoli, salt, pepper, and seasoning salt and a little water. I put the meat back in, and simmered the whole thing for an hour while we worked with our tutor. Jay kept saying, "This is Good!" And it was. Tonight, I cut up another piece of the same carrot, added another handful of the cabbage, onions, garlic, slices of green pepper, thin strips of green beans (raw), and chunks of pineapple (fresh), some of the barbecued chicken from another meal, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes to warm the pineapple. I had a bottle of sweet and sour sauce that I added just before serving over rice (not instant). It was really good. The best thing is, is that Jay finally has the time to taste his food and is discovering that I am a good cook. So with basically the same vegetables and choice of meat, you can come up with meals very different from each other.

Goodies Store

Friday after work we went with another missionary couple to a store they had found that has all kinds of nuts and dried fruits and lots of other things like popcorn. There were big bins of walnuts, almonds, dried strawberries, pineapple,papaya, kiwi, coconut, candied peanuts, peanuts, salted dried bananas, sweet dried bananas, and a couple of trail mix bins. We bought a whole bunch and will make our own mixes. Then we walked down the street to a "caracol". This is an inside shopping mall that has a winding uphill walk with little shops on one side. These shops are hardly big enough to hold a sales person, a tiny display counter, and two customers. On the other side you can look down into the center (which is a shoe shop) down at the bottom. They were looking for a digital clock. These are in short supply and they ended up buying a wind up clock with two large bells on either side. The clock/watch store was right next to the barber shop where a boy was getting a buzz, and a lady was getting her hair dyed. Her shop was next door, a place with a few buttons, lace, four knitting needles, and a bunch of other stuff. Next to her was a Tarot shop, and next to that was a foot doctor. I want to go back along that street. We passed a little kioska that had a few books out for sale. One of the books was a Book of Mormon. We walked back a little way to big Lider. It is about as big as Smiths and has a lot better selection of things than our little Lider has. Across the street from big Lider is a Chinese restaurant we might try. On our way back, we passed Burger King and KFC. I'm glad we are learning where these things are because we will be the "old and wise" missionary couple in a few months. A lot of couples are finishing up their missions and the Area assignments are in consolidation. Since we are here for two years, and the others are only here for 12 to 18 months, that leaves us to be the ones who know everything! Hah!

AGAIN???

This morning started out fine. We were on time for the devotional. We were going to be early at the office. We caught the bus after waiting only a few minutes, and it wasnt particularly crowded. After a short wait for the next bus, one drove up and it didnt have an overly large load. I got on and Jay was right behind me. The driver was distracted by someone talking to him and I guess he didnt see Jay. He shut the doors and started up. Jay's arm was caught in the door and he was pulled about 15 feet before he could get his arm out. I got off the bus at the usual place, and AGAIN sat and waited for him to come on the next bus. He didnt. It was the next bus he came out of. I think our mission has so far been one of stories about the buses. Is this what our mission is???

I Lost Him

The bus was really full again today. Jay and I got separated, he nearer the front, and I, near to one of the doors. When we arrived at our destination, I got off and turned around to wait for Jay. He didnt get off and the bus started up again. Oh, well, he'll get off at the next stop and walk back about a block. I just stayed at the stop. After about 10 minutes, I thought maybe he had been mugged or suffocated. It didnt help that I heard sirens in the distance! My next thought was that he probably got off the bus, went to the bus stop going the other way. Now I had to watch the corner on my right, and the bus stop down a block on my left. Oh, yeah! Maybe he'd take a taxi, so now I have to watch left, right, and check all the taxis driving from my right to my left. After about 10 minutes more, a bus came and left. I saw a man in a suit pulling a red cart. That's him! I walked quickly toward him and we met at the door to the office building. We didnt get to work till 11:00!!! The red cart is a wonderful invention. We carry our lunches, books, cameras and nobody knows all the valuable things we have in there. We take it everywhere: grocery store, open market, work...

santa's summer job

I saw santa driving a taxi in downtown Santiago, Chile. He still has his curly white hair and a beautiful full, white beard. I waved at him, but he must have been busy checking up on the good boys and girls. So, now you know where he goes and what he does on his time off. Do you have a message you would like to give him if I can get his attention?

santa's summer job

I saw santa driving a taxi in downtown Santiago, Chile. He still has his curly white hair and a beautiful full, white beard. I waved at him, but he must have been busy checking up on

the temple

We went to the temple last evening. It was supposed to be an English session, but because there were two young men going through for the first time, it was in Spanish. We were handed headsets and they worked out just fine. It was odd to watch the same thing as we watch in Logan and to hear faint Spanish dubbed in. They dont try to match the lips, though. After the session, Jay was asked to be a witness for some sealings of proxy children to proxy parents. We even got to kneel at the altar for some! We didnt understand what was being said (but we know' because we have done the same thing in Logan). I gained two new things last night. One, that Satan is very real and he is using all the energy he has to break our desire to do right. We cannot afford to be casual in our obedience to God's commandments. How can you win a war if you go into it half-heartedly and the other side is giving it all they have!!! he has everything to gain by adding one more of God's children to his pile of spiritual carnage. Second, I sat in the Celestial room with all its light and beauty and decided that with all my desire, I dont want to go anywhere but to the Celestial Kingdom where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are. I LIKE being surrounded by the choice people of the church!! I have the desire now to go to the temple more frequently. It will be on my list of "must do's".

Stake Conference is over. We took a long bus ride, got confused, got off and started walking back the way we had come. A few blocks later we hailed a taxi and gave him the address. He said, Oh, la iglesia?" (Oh, the church?) He must have know that the meeting started in five minutes because he drove highway speed for three blocks, screeched around the corner and stopped in front ot the church. We got there with a few minutes to spare. We were directed by our work boss to the Young Women's room where the talks would be in English. There were about 30 people there, some of them were in Chile for other reasons than missions. One family has been here for three years and their children (4) are going to an international school. The speakers were from Salt Lake and were in Spanish, so apparently it was in English, dubbed in Spanish, and translated to English for us. I dont know why we couldnt just have skipped a couple steps..... Our friend, former home teacher in Smithfield and now living in Chile, took pity on us and drove us home in his car. Thanks Marty Sorge!!! He is such a good man.

A few days ago there was a delivery truck in the temple square parking lot. It was parked near the entrance to the MTC cafeteria. What struck me as very amusing, is that the logo on the back of the truck was maybe a warning, or an answer as to what happens to some missionaries. The word was LUNIBEN. I dont know what it means in Spanish, but if you sound it out, you will hear Looney Bin. Does this mean that the missionaries who dont make it are loaded into the back of this truck and delivered somewhere scarey? Is this a warning that we'd better be careful? Friday while we were waiting for our bus, the Luniben drove by. I dont know if they were making a delivery of lunis or going to get some. Anyway, they're not very private about it, nor are they very humanitarian, loading them into a box without windows or ventilation. We took a picture.
On another note, here is an observation: No matter how narrow or wide a space is, one or two or more people will occupy it equally. This makes it impossible to walk faster than the slowest walkers.
Are you in need of a little cash? Are you trying to finance college? Need a little more spending money? I know what you can do, and it isnt very hard. You have to be gutsy, though. Very often, when we are riding the bus, someone will bring on a box and a musical instrument. He then turns on some background music, and either plays his instrument or sings to us. When he is finished, or is approaching his stop, he will tell us we can give him a little change. I have tipped a clarinetist, a pan flutist, and a singer.
Stake Conference is tomorrow. We have to take a different bus to a different part of the city. I hope we find it, otherwise, we will have spent money for nothing but a long bus ride to nowhere, and a nice long walk in circles. We get to spend two hours listening for familiar words in the talks. Next conference should be a lot easier.

makin' good

The office was busy today with people looking for work. My "mala mujer" lady was back. I greeted her with a smile as I called her by name and explained to her that her phone number in the computer was mala (bad), and when we had tried to call her this morning, it didnt work. She gave me the correct number which I immediately punched in. She spent a good part of the day there and with Lilia's help, we had a three-way conversation. We discussed Choclo (a big corn) and completos (loaded hotdogs), and my favorite hamburger fillings. At 4, Jay and I were leaving. My new friend got up out of her chair and gave me a very hearty abrazo (a hug and a kiss in the air while touching cheeks). What a way to end the day! I love Chile. Tonight I made empanadas. Last night we had some left-over roast, potatoes, carrots, onions and gravy. I dont have a rolling pin and was wondering how I was going to roll out the pie dough. I got out the 9x9 glass baking dish, thinking that I would just mash it down, when I looked at the empty liter pop bottles. hmmm, just the right size. how do i give it some durability? Oh, I know! fill it with cold water! let me tell you it was perfect! who needs a rolling pin when you can use some recyclable garbage!!

mas joven

People on the bus have been very nice to us gringos. at every bus stop there is a bench built for three people. As soon as we approach, people usually get up from the bench so we can sit. We usually really need it after walking a whole block. It is the custom to offer your seat to people with disabilities, or old age on the buses. We are always being offered a seat, which we usually decline since we will be leaving the bus on the next stop or so. One day last week a lady offered me her seat. We were probably the same age (what does that say about how old I look). I smiled, shook my head, and said, "no, gracias." She asked, "?Porque?" I thought for a second and told her that I was joven (kid, or young). Everybody laughed, and she made me take her seat anyway. What fun we have serving the Lord.

mejor mujer

This week has been one of learning. We learned to roll our rrr's a little. We know which buses will take us most efficiently to and from work. I think I have figured out the phone systems. A cell phone has eight numbers and must always begin with 09 after I dial the nine numbers to reach the cell phone system. Home phones can be directly dialed. I have learned to talk in different tenses appropriately, and to even joke!!! I can understand (slowly) when people tell me phone numbers by saying eighteenfourhundredtwentythreefoursixtyfour, if they give me one set at a time. Today I made a friend out of the mala mujer lady. I understand the system of stakes and wards and branches and corrected the mistakes on the computer. I even know now how to turn the computers off at the end of the day. They have to be completely turned OFF. I can answer the phone ande discern whom they want to talk to and tell them that the person is on vacation and wont be back till Monday. AND...the chilean people are beginning to look like normal now, not like foreigners. Some even resemble people back in the States. One man looked like Varnell Bench, another reminded me of Danny Karren and another made me think of Beverly Winters! Are we becoming chilenos? If this has happened in six weeks, what will we be like in six months, or 23 for that matter????

mala mujer

Last Friday Jay and I were the only ones in the office for a couple hours. Fridays during the summer are almost not worth the trip in. Nobody had come in till about 11 and Hno L. left for lunch. Wouldnt you know it, soon after that the doorbell rang and in came two clients. I did my best to talk to them and let them read for themselve what job offerings we had on file. They kept asking me to make calls for them, and I honestly tried. The phone system is different here, and I never know whether I am making a call to a cell or a home phone. For one, you have to add an extra 09 at the beginning, and the other you dont. So I dial the 9-digit number to get an outside line and then guess the rest. Sometimes I am right. A lot of times the line is busy, or somebody took down the number wrong, or that line has been disconnected. After a frustrating hour with this one lady, she turned toward the bank of computers away from me, and said, under her breath, "Mala mujer." It means bad woman, or poorly function woman. Today she came in again, and wouldnt you know it, the spanish/english speakers were all gone again! Thankfully one of them came back after half an hour! Love the work! This week end Jay and I learned to trill our rrrrrr's a little. I think we are physically different according to the old country we came from. Jay and I cant roll our rrrr's because in England, where our ancestors are from, they dont even SAY their r's!!!!

lemon rinds n lime scale

Yesterday I made lemonade. There is a kettle on the stove, I guess for making herbal tea or something. It was caked with hard water and I didnt want to use it. Who knows what was cooked in there and what that yucky stuff was and what it held. Well, I thought I'd put the lemon rinds in it and let them simmer and maybe the lemon scent would be nice in the apartment. I let it simmer till I went to bed, then turned it off. There didnt seem to be any lemony scent. In the morning I dumped the lemons and the water. What I saw inside the pot surprised me. The lime scale had almost completely disappeared! With a few more hours of simmering today, the inside of the pot is as shiny as when it was bought!!!! What's in a lemon peel that did that?

separation and dating

these past two days, Jay and I have agreed to separate. It was a mutual decision. Yesterday on the bus coming home from the office, Jay asked me if I could go home by myself and he would continue on for two more stops and pick up his suit from the dry cleaners. I agreed that this separation would be for the best. I did get the apartment out of the deal, though, as he handed me the keys. I took pity on him, though and waited in the lobby for him to come. I took him upstairs for a meal and a soft bed. Today we went to the feria for fresh fruits and vegetables for the week. We went with two other couples and met another couple already there. We decided we would like to go to a movie this afternoon. Jay didnt want to go. He cant hear the movies. This movie was in English, but I think the sound gets all mushy while making its way through his hearing aids. I met the other couple just outside the gate, and Bro. Berthrong was there, too. His wife wasnt feeling well and decided not to go. So we were two couples and two half couples. We walked the mile uphill to the bus stop, rode for 10 minutes to the shopping mall where the movie was playing. Afterward, we walked across the street to a Mexican restaurant. The food was really good. I had a chicken empanada with black beans and chilantro rice for $8.00. We asked for separate checks and that meant two couples, solo, and solo. We made the waiter laugh trying to explain that one. Another 10 minute bus ride, and mile walk (downhill this time) and there I found Jay in my apartment. Thats okay, though. I think I'll keep him. The movie was called Warhorse. It really made me cry. It was the warscenes that got to me, not the horse story, although I cringed each time he picked up more barbed wire. It was having a son just back from a war that bothered me. I didnt realize I was so affected. It was a much needed diversion from the everyday frustrations of no being able to understand and speak the language. Back to the grind on Monday. Love it, though, and am glad we are here!!!!!

Reading Aloud (allowed?)

Ever since we received our call, I have been reading at least one chapter a day, aloud, in the Book of Mormon. I am really enjoying this and look forward to getting home from the office where I relax with my favorite book. At first, the reading was slow because I was basically sounding out the words, although not like a first grader. I just finished chapter 57 in Alma today. I am reading quite quickly now, maybe as quickly as reading it in English. My comprehension is improving each day as I recognize verb endings we have studied lately. From the beginning I was able to get the gist of the story and know which story I was reading, but now there is more understanding

today we separated

It has been a long week, with bus travel, hair coloring, losing Jay's suit at the drycleaners, and going out to eat for Valentine's Day. Odd that we never went out to eat on that day till we left home..... Well, it WAS Chinese, and it WAS good except for the egg rolls. There is no sweet and sour sauce, and they put cinnamon in the egg rolls. Well, today is Friday and I was soooo tired in the morning. We dragged ourselves into work, I was all alone at the desk for the third day in a row. Hno. Lamartine and Jay were in their offices. There's this lady who comes in every day looking for work and stays ALL day. I think she likes the air conditioning, cause she reads the paper, makes a few calls (that is, she hands me a number and I make the call). Hno. Lamartine came to me and said that he had a meeting at 3, and he was going to close the office at 2. At 1:30, we had five people there at computers and phones, but he said to go anyway. So we did. As we were riding home on the bus, Jay said, "You think it would be okay if we separate? You go to the apartment and I will check on my suit at the drycleaners." I thought it would be okay, so when the bus got to our usual stop, I got off and Jay continued on for two more stops. They found his suit. So now you know the story of our separation and reunion. didja think any other thing???? I did get the apartment in our separation cause he gave me the keys. hahaha

just a simple color job

Well, after eight weeks, the roots were showing pretty badly. Lilia said she could color my hair on Saturday. I had already bought the color. Tonight when I opened the box, I was dismayed to see all the instructions were written in Spanish! Now why should that be a problem? Well, Kelli has been coloring my hair for a number of years, and before that, it was Charon. I didnt really remember the details. Luckily, I googled for translation, typed out the instructions letter by letter and let the computer tell me what it said. Funny thing, though, is that sometimes the translation is a little odd. "OK," I say to Jay. "Here I go." He says ,"Good luck." I begin, then realize that one, all the towels are white and belong to the hospedaje, two, the sinks are really little, three, in order to use the bathtub to rinse my hair, I have to strip naked. Oh, well, here goes. It turned out really well and my skin isnt brown from having to immerse myself in a tub full of hair dye. I guess I could really pass for Chilean if it had dyed my skin. haha. It worked. The hair looks better, if not as good as my two good friends have done for me! Now I have to figure out a way to find someone to cut my hair. Some of the sister senior missionaries cut hair, and I have been told that there are hair salons everywhere..... Should I worry so much about how my hair looks? Probably not.

un momento, por favor

The office was very quiet today. Lilia was tired, I was tired, Jay is always tired. Roberto was talking to his friend on the cell and Hermano Lamartine was in his office. Stephano Lamartine was there because school is On vacation and he was bored at home. He is 18 and in his last year of high school. Lilia, Stephano and I were at the reception desk using the computer to converse. There is a place on there where you can type in English and it will translate to Spanish, and vice versa. We were getting a little silly, saying such things as, "My grandmother eats elephants and onions and you can smell her a mile away." The telephone rang. It was my turn to answer. "Centro de Empleo. Buenas tardes." This lady starts talking a mile a minute and I dont know what she wants. I say, "Un moquito," and hand the phone to Lilia. She starts laughing so hard she cant say anything. Stephano is doubled over, laughing. Well, I just told the lady, "a little booger, por!" At least she didnt hang up.

un momento, por favor

Today was a very slow day but we didnt care. Lilia was tired, I was tired, and Jay is always tired. Roberto was talking to his friends on his cell, and Hermano Lamartine was in his office. Stephano Lamartine is 18, and came in for the day because school is on vacation, and he was bored at home. Lilia, Stephano and I were at the reception desk using the computer to converse. S. is learning

english, Lilia wants to, and I am not very conversant in Spanish. There is a program where you can type in what you want to say and the computer writes it in the other language on the other side of the screen. We were practicing such things as, "my grandmother eats elephants and onions. You can smell her a mile away." So we were being silly and laughing when the telephone rang. It was my turn to answer.

WHO/WHEN/WHAT

Jay and I have been studying verb conjugation all week. We feel pretty confident right now. I have been able to say the right combinations several times at work. There are 10 personal pronouns in Spanish: I, thou, he, she, it, you, we, thou plural, they and you-all. All verbs end with -ar, -er, -or -ir. Each pronoun has its own ending, depending on how the verb ends. Not too bad? Okay. Now bring in the past and perfect tenses with all their matching endings. Uh-oh? Yeah, then as you experts know, there are the conditional words (could, would, should) with their matching endings. And now add the irregular verbs that each have their own rules, and some of them dont even spell anything like their mother-verbs (like the verb ser: how do you get fue or fuera out of THAT!!!!) That's why we are here for two years: they wont let us leave till we get it right! haha. Love it! You have to try it! You'll learn to enjoy pb&j, and sparkling water and packed buses and finding jobs for people and placing Books of Mormon. All your friends are the cream of the crop.

mission:possible

I think i am responsible for saving a few families from an eternal rice diet. This morning the office was very quiet. Jay and I had nothing to do till after lunch. Then the rest of the people in the office left for lunch. While they were gone, the phone rang. I thought, "This will be easy, I can just tell them that nobody is The lady on the other end said something about a job opening. I said,"No hablo mucho espanol." "Oh! English," she said, and then told me that she needed 20 people to work for her company, Banco Chile. She kept telling me more info which I was only half hearing because I was trying to think of how to tell her she needed to talk to somebody else. Finally, i was able to tell her that Lilian would call her at 2:30, and asked her for her phone number. Lilian came in about 10 minutes later and was pretty excited. The jefe was excited, too, when he heard. Roberto gave me the high five. The rest of the afternoon was very busy. We started looking up the names and numbers of all the people who had registered and were qualified and calling them. I dialed the number, got the person on the line and handed the phone to Lilian who told them about the jobs. By the time we left, we had informed about 12 people who will apply! We will continue with it tomorrow! Yea! Someone will eat chicken with their rice!