The world has a new Catholic pope. His chosen papal name is Francis I.
The week prior to his election, I found a quote by St Francis of Assisi that I liked enough to enter into my journal. I share it with you:
"PREACH THE GOSPEL AT ALL TIMES AND
IF NECESSARY, USE WORDS."
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Missing Things
Santiago is beginning to grow on me. I am going to miss it when we go home. I like the dogs and the crowds and the construction and the buses and the traffic and the hole-in-the-wall shops and the caracoles (type of shopping mall) and waiting for an earthquake (temblor)....
I will miss our guards and joking with people and everything all locked behind fences, and church meetings where I dont understand anything being said. I will miss living across the street from the temple, and all the missionaries and church employeees we meet and greet....
I will miss the little Primary and will wonder how Matteo is doing. I will miss shopping at Lider and the feria and walking and bussing to and from them with our little red cart. I will miss people coming up to us and telling us they are Mormons, too, and prove it with a good Mormon handshake, special glow on their faces, and showing us a peek of their garment....
I will miss the bus rides, the bus entertainment, feeding the pigeons at the bus stops, people offering their seats to us, balancing when there are no seats as the driver jerks and throws us off balance. I will miss the simplicity of our life and apartment that locks with two keys and the door knog is in the middle of the door....
I will miss the elevators, especially the one in our apartment building. It cant take more than three people or it will stall between floors and that is claustrophobic, and the mosquitoes that seem to like the elevator...
And I will miss our little red cart on wheels that has gone everywhere with us every day but Sundays...
I will miss our guards and joking with people and everything all locked behind fences, and church meetings where I dont understand anything being said. I will miss living across the street from the temple, and all the missionaries and church employeees we meet and greet....
I will miss the little Primary and will wonder how Matteo is doing. I will miss shopping at Lider and the feria and walking and bussing to and from them with our little red cart. I will miss people coming up to us and telling us they are Mormons, too, and prove it with a good Mormon handshake, special glow on their faces, and showing us a peek of their garment....
I will miss the bus rides, the bus entertainment, feeding the pigeons at the bus stops, people offering their seats to us, balancing when there are no seats as the driver jerks and throws us off balance. I will miss the simplicity of our life and apartment that locks with two keys and the door knog is in the middle of the door....
I will miss the elevators, especially the one in our apartment building. It cant take more than three people or it will stall between floors and that is claustrophobic, and the mosquitoes that seem to like the elevator...
And I will miss our little red cart on wheels that has gone everywhere with us every day but Sundays...
What Is Your Relationship with God?
Again, I was reading an old Deseret News that found its way to my apartment. This one is an article about how our perception of what God is like can affect how we feel about ourselves. There are five perceptions:
1. Authoritative
2. Benevolent
3. Critical
4. Distant
5. No God
What we perceive can influence our mental health. Wanting to know the Loving God that is taught in our Church,I have struggled with numbers 1,3, and 4. I also think one's relationship with God has something to do withthe type of parenting we experienced. (And maybe the type of parenting we do??) This may be something I want to explore further.
In the article, the author says, "traditional therapists have long dismissed religious and spiritual experiences as delusions that dont reflect a person's actual mental state. ...to ignore beliefs is to risk ignoring a possible source of an individual's pain and suffering."
1. Authoritative
2. Benevolent
3. Critical
4. Distant
5. No God
What we perceive can influence our mental health. Wanting to know the Loving God that is taught in our Church,I have struggled with numbers 1,3, and 4. I also think one's relationship with God has something to do withthe type of parenting we experienced. (And maybe the type of parenting we do??) This may be something I want to explore further.
In the article, the author says, "traditional therapists have long dismissed religious and spiritual experiences as delusions that dont reflect a person's actual mental state. ...to ignore beliefs is to risk ignoring a possible source of an individual's pain and suffering."
What Kind of Parent Are YOU?
In the Desert News, December 9, 2012, there is an article on page P3 that I found very interesting. Lois M. Collins writes about 4 parenting cultures that reflect the story of America's families. I would like to quote the descriptions of the four types of parenting. As you read them, decide where you fit and ask yourself if you are happy with your parenting. I found that they overlap and that I seemed to fit into all of them to some degree. I dont think any of them are to be condemned; they undoubtedly will all produce children who make their own choices in life.
The Faithful
"20% of American parents, adhere to "divine and timeless morality" from traditional Christianity, Judaism or Islam to give them a strong sense of right and wrong. They try to preserve moral order, raising "children whose lives reflect God's purpose. They talk often with their kids about faith, have family devotions, attend church and pray before meals. ...A number of the Faithful attitudes line up with stereotypes of conservative Christians, e.g. use spanking, strongly disapprove of gay marriage or sex outside marriage, and the women embrace the role of homemaker. The Faithful want their famlies to be warm and emotionally supportive and think men should put family before their career, just as women should.
Engaged Progressive
"21% fall into this category. Morality centers on personal freedom and responsibility. They see few moral absolutes except the Golden Rule. They value honesty, are skeptical about religion and trust what "feels right," also allowing others moral latitude. They are the least religious.... They are pretty optimistic about today's culture and their children's future, hoping to help them become what the researchers call 'responsible choosers.' Their children get more freedom. By 14, they know about birth control, by 15, they surf the Web without supervision and by 16 they watch R-rated movies. They are politically liberal, support gay marriage, value tolerance and 'believe the playing field of life should be relatively fair and even.'
The Detached
19% fall into this category. Parents let kids be kids. They are skeptical of the 'old certainties' of the Faithful, but are just as skeptical about the views of the Engaged Progressives. They are primarily white with blue-collar jobs, no college degree and lower income. They are less happy in their marriages, not particularly close to their children and think they are 'in a losing battle with all the other influences out there.' They spend less than two hours a day interacting with their kids and when they have dinner as a family, it is often in front of the TV. They dont usually monitor their kids' homework and their kids tend to have lower grades than those of the other parenting cultures. They are pessimistic about the economic future and their children's opportunities and 'seem resigned.' They say they believe in God, but dont attend church and religion in not an important part of their children's lives.
American Dreamers
This makes up 27%. They are optimistic about their kids' opportunities and abilities, and, even with relatively low household income and education they 'pour themselves' into raising their children and giving them material and social advantages. They try to protect their kids from negative social influences and strive for strong moral character. This is the most common family culture among blacks and Hispanics. They are more likely to be women, believe in God and claim religion as important but 'embrace a live-and-let-live morality when it comes to other people.' They voice opinions. Two-thirds of them are married, but they feature more single parents and count more on extended-family support. They are'very close' to their children and hope to be best friends some day. 'Compared to other parents, they are just as likely to offer their children praise and encouragement, but they are more willing to discipline them - by scolding, giving time-outs, threatening spanking, and spanking."
This leaves 13% called other. This is not discussed. Having read these descriptions, I can identify families for each of them, and I find I am less judgemental. We have no right to judge others; we only can make our choices and the judge ourselves. BUT...dont judge yourself too harshly. Every individual who comes to Earth has the divine right to free agency. Let God be the final judge; you will find that He will be less harsh with you than you are with yourself!
The Faithful
"20% of American parents, adhere to "divine and timeless morality" from traditional Christianity, Judaism or Islam to give them a strong sense of right and wrong. They try to preserve moral order, raising "children whose lives reflect God's purpose. They talk often with their kids about faith, have family devotions, attend church and pray before meals. ...A number of the Faithful attitudes line up with stereotypes of conservative Christians, e.g. use spanking, strongly disapprove of gay marriage or sex outside marriage, and the women embrace the role of homemaker. The Faithful want their famlies to be warm and emotionally supportive and think men should put family before their career, just as women should.
Engaged Progressive
"21% fall into this category. Morality centers on personal freedom and responsibility. They see few moral absolutes except the Golden Rule. They value honesty, are skeptical about religion and trust what "feels right," also allowing others moral latitude. They are the least religious.... They are pretty optimistic about today's culture and their children's future, hoping to help them become what the researchers call 'responsible choosers.' Their children get more freedom. By 14, they know about birth control, by 15, they surf the Web without supervision and by 16 they watch R-rated movies. They are politically liberal, support gay marriage, value tolerance and 'believe the playing field of life should be relatively fair and even.'
The Detached
19% fall into this category. Parents let kids be kids. They are skeptical of the 'old certainties' of the Faithful, but are just as skeptical about the views of the Engaged Progressives. They are primarily white with blue-collar jobs, no college degree and lower income. They are less happy in their marriages, not particularly close to their children and think they are 'in a losing battle with all the other influences out there.' They spend less than two hours a day interacting with their kids and when they have dinner as a family, it is often in front of the TV. They dont usually monitor their kids' homework and their kids tend to have lower grades than those of the other parenting cultures. They are pessimistic about the economic future and their children's opportunities and 'seem resigned.' They say they believe in God, but dont attend church and religion in not an important part of their children's lives.
American Dreamers
This makes up 27%. They are optimistic about their kids' opportunities and abilities, and, even with relatively low household income and education they 'pour themselves' into raising their children and giving them material and social advantages. They try to protect their kids from negative social influences and strive for strong moral character. This is the most common family culture among blacks and Hispanics. They are more likely to be women, believe in God and claim religion as important but 'embrace a live-and-let-live morality when it comes to other people.' They voice opinions. Two-thirds of them are married, but they feature more single parents and count more on extended-family support. They are'very close' to their children and hope to be best friends some day. 'Compared to other parents, they are just as likely to offer their children praise and encouragement, but they are more willing to discipline them - by scolding, giving time-outs, threatening spanking, and spanking."
This leaves 13% called other. This is not discussed. Having read these descriptions, I can identify families for each of them, and I find I am less judgemental. We have no right to judge others; we only can make our choices and the judge ourselves. BUT...dont judge yourself too harshly. Every individual who comes to Earth has the divine right to free agency. Let God be the final judge; you will find that He will be less harsh with you than you are with yourself!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
What Rules???
We are Area missionaries. There are temple missionaries, regular missionaries, and Area missionaries. We dont have a mission president. We serve under the Area authority. Elder Corbridge was president when we came. We have a new president now, but have never met him. Since we have been here, we have only spoken to one of the Area presidency twice: once as introductory, and the second because my recommend had expired. We dont know anything about any rules. Once in a while, after we have made a decision and advised the Area secretary of it, we are told that he would pass the word. We dont know the Area goals. We dont know anything but what our local leader (the office manager) tells us. He is usually gone because he has a heavy calling of establishing EFY for all of the Area. We dont see or talk to him much.
The temple missionaries have March off because the temple will be closed for cleaning. They always plan a trip to see some of Chile besides Santiago. We were invited to go with them. Jay made all the arrangements, we paid for airfare, hotel accommodations, and sight-seeing tours. We are going to Punta Arenas on the southern tip of Chile. We will be going out on the Straits of Magellan, viewing icebergs and penguins, etc. We advised the secretary as we were told to do.
The following Sunday, Elder Zaballos of the Area Presidency (headquarters in Buenos Aires) sought Jay out at church. Apparently we were supposed to get permission BEFORE we made any plans. That wasnt what we were told when we went to Mendoza, Argentina for three days with the same missionaries. He said to go ahead with our plans, but be sure to attend the meeting on February 19th for all the Area missionaries, where the rules will be.......announced?
I am soooo excited to be going. It will be cold. It never warms up much. I am making mittens for Jay and me. When we went to Norway in July '11, the night never did get very dark. We were so far north that the sun didnt go down much. There were about three hours of "night". Now we will be going so far south that the nights wont get very dark. It is hard to imagine that in a year and a half we will have travelled nearly Pole to Pole!
This may be our last trip while in Chile. I hope not. We would love to go north to the Atacama Desert part of the country. We hear it is the driest desert in the world. It is also where most of the copper mines are.
The temple missionaries have March off because the temple will be closed for cleaning. They always plan a trip to see some of Chile besides Santiago. We were invited to go with them. Jay made all the arrangements, we paid for airfare, hotel accommodations, and sight-seeing tours. We are going to Punta Arenas on the southern tip of Chile. We will be going out on the Straits of Magellan, viewing icebergs and penguins, etc. We advised the secretary as we were told to do.
The following Sunday, Elder Zaballos of the Area Presidency (headquarters in Buenos Aires) sought Jay out at church. Apparently we were supposed to get permission BEFORE we made any plans. That wasnt what we were told when we went to Mendoza, Argentina for three days with the same missionaries. He said to go ahead with our plans, but be sure to attend the meeting on February 19th for all the Area missionaries, where the rules will be.......announced?
I am soooo excited to be going. It will be cold. It never warms up much. I am making mittens for Jay and me. When we went to Norway in July '11, the night never did get very dark. We were so far north that the sun didnt go down much. There were about three hours of "night". Now we will be going so far south that the nights wont get very dark. It is hard to imagine that in a year and a half we will have travelled nearly Pole to Pole!
This may be our last trip while in Chile. I hope not. We would love to go north to the Atacama Desert part of the country. We hear it is the driest desert in the world. It is also where most of the copper mines are.
Lost / Found
Wednesday afternoon we left the office and crossed the street to wait for our bus. While standing and talking, we were approached by a middle-aged gentleman in a business suit. He had a little, dark blue booklet in his hand. He held it out to me and said something and pointed to the sidewalk about 10 feet behind him. I took the little booklet and discovered that it was a passport. The man explained that he had found it on the sidewalk "over there". It was a Chilean passport and appeared to be brand new. The duplicate ID photo was tucked in the back along with the receipt. There was no telephone number, but it said he lives in San Felipe. San Felipe is a small community near Vina del Mar, about 90 miles from Santiago. I started feeling his anxiety as he realized that he didnt have his passport. I imagined him searching his pockets, his briefcase, any bags he was carrying, then searching again, frantically. I felt his anxiety. Our bus arrived and we got on, trying to decide what to do with this document. We decided to find a carabinero. A carabinero is the State Police equivalent. They are the ones who really and truly enforce the law. They are the only ones to carry weapons. As we got off the bus, we located a couple of them across the street. The attendant at the bus stop hollered to them and they came over. I told them what happened, handed them the passport, smiled and said Gracias. Hopefully it didnt just go in a lost and found drawer somewhere in the depths of carabinero world, but that they located the owner and made arrangements for its return. We will never know.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
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.
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.
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