They are from the 10th ward in our Jerome Idaho Stake.
The 4 of us put our papers in at the same time, hoping to get to go to the Barranquilla Temple and serve together. We actually put in the same other 5 choices and we didn't get any of them. The Wallace's ended up here serving in the temple and we are MLS missionaries. It is fun to attend the temple and see them whenever we get a chance to attend. They invited us to their apartment to have lunch with the rest of the temple missionaries and the Humanitarian Missionaries, the Blacks. What a fun afternoon. We have to admit that we were just a little jealous of their apartment. Temple housing is very nice, two TV's, king size bed, $100 less than we pay, boy did it bring back memories of El Salvador and Guatemala. There are 8 English Ordinance Workers here right now.
Then we went to the Lynch Norte building to attend a Charla Foganera put on by our missionaries. They asked me to come early and help those who were performing. These missionaries are so talented. They just needed someone to encourage them and reassure them that they could do it. I even got to lead a 50 voice missionary choir! What a fun evening. This foto was taken after the program. Balloons with a Iluminar el Mundo (light the world) card attached. Each person was to give it to someone on their way home. Elder Caceres and Elder Moxley (goes home this month to Meridian, Idaho) Hermana (from Nueva Amanecer Barrio) Nancy and Lon and Hermano
We left the house this morning at 9 and got home at 10pm. It was a long day but a wonderful one as well.
Monday we had no internet at the office! When the Elder's called about it, they found out that no one had paid our internet bill and that was why we had no internet at our house. I guess the Area Office didn't have us on their list. It took till Thursday to get it turned on again.
On main streets in the mornings and sometimes in the evening rush hour, the green arrows are turned around and the street becomes a four lane road going in one direction, or it could be only a 3 lane going one way or a normal 2 lane road. They really have traffic figured out here and try to keep it going in rush hours.
We trained the Missionaries in the Las Condes Zone about Capilla Abierta's so that they will be ready for the two that they will be doing this weekend. Then we headed to the La Reina Zone and taught them what would be expected of them at their Capilla Abierta the following weekend. The Zone is singing at our Christmas Devotional on the 25th so they asked me to help them with their number. The best advice I could give them was to sing from the heart, smile, and let the spirit take over from there. (O Holy Night was not a good choice for them, but they have enthusiasm)
The Wallace's wanted our phone number and Elder Thompson wrote it on their wall, OH NO! It is tile and he is using a white board pen which will wipe off.
On trash day, you put your trash bags in these containers in front of your house. No big trash containers to put out.
Tuesday morning we still had no internet at the office so we went to the temple. We attended an Endowment Session and then a Sealing Session. We now have all of the family names that we brought with us to do finished. It was a nice peaceful morning. We spent the rest of the day on the computer getting all of the inspections recorded and assigning contractors to work on problems that we found.
We met with the Nunoa (put curly lines on the n's) Zone and inspected their apartments. Here are a few of the amazing views from apartments on the 17th and 18th floors.
Elder Thompson was able to repair some cabinet doors, replacing hinges and door knobs
more humble section of homes
If you look close, you can see the Metro (train) going down the track above the roads
We are on the top floor of this apartment complex, 18 floors
We went to the Javiera Carrera Zone on Thursday. It is out in the La Florida area of town. Every time we have to go to this section of town, we get lost. Our GPS sends us to the address, but it is not in the right place. It took us about an hour to finally meet up with the Zone Leaders, Elder Leandro
and Elder DeMille . Once they were with us, we could find the rest of the apartments. It was a very frustrating day. We finished the Elder's apartments and took these two out to McDonalds for lunch as their lunch appointment fell through.
We picked up the Hermana Trainers to visit the 4 Hermana's apartments. Again the GPS took us to the wrong places. Thank goodness the Hermana's could direct us. This area of town is very congested. We got all 8 apartments inspected and hope we don't have to return anytime soon. We had one apartment that was so dirty. We really laid it on the Elders. There is no excuse for dirty laundry laying all over the floors and shelves, garbage overflowing, and the kitchen! Don't think it has ever been wiped down. Cleanliness is next to Godliness and there was not a good spirit here. The Elder who had lived there the longest had a very poor attitude. He reminded us of Laman and Lemuel in 1Nephi 16 when they complained that Nephi had told them hard things and he replied "that the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center".
The Zone leaders have been trying to get these Elders to clean their apartment for weeks with no luck. Hopefully something we said opened their eyes. We told the President about this and he said he would take care of it. We hope he made a surprise visit!
By the time we got home Thursday night we were spent. The stress of this day was overwhelming. So we took some time off and headed to the temple again Friday morning. That is where we find the peace and strength to carry on!
Dear Hermana Nancy Acevado brought us a Christmas decoration and demanded fotos of everyone in the office.
She orchestrated every arrangement you could imagine
The men of the office: Elder's Thompson, Hughes, Acevado, Saldarriago, Gonzalez, Torres
And the women: Hermana's Thompson, Acevado, and Hughes
We spent the rest of the day in the office getting the inspections entered into the computer and setting up repairs with our contractors. We went grocery shopping afterward and didn't get home till 9.
Saturday morning we had to be at the Pocura Ward building (next to the temple) by 9am to get the Capilla Abierta set up and ready for a 10 o'clock start. The Elders and Hermana's from the Las Condes Zone were so excited and nervous at the same time. In this Capilla Abierta we have no ward support, just the missionaries but we really felt that it went great. We did 8 different tours with 21 total people coming in off the street, 10 members and 11 non-members. The first tour started at 10:30 and the last one at 12:30. Not bad for 2 hours of work. The missionaries were so thrilled and excited for Sunday and the chance to do it all over again.
We took the Sister Trainers to pick up a Christmas tree to be used for our Christmas Devotional on the 25th and delivered them all to the Lynch Norte building then headed to Nunoa Platenos ward building for their event.
This ward had the Capilla Abierta begin at 5pm with their ward Christmas Devotional and Party starting at 8pm. We were disappointed at the turnout. The ward members were so busy getting ready for the party and the program that they didn't come or bring friends. The Elders did a great job of bringing friends in off the street though. We ended up with 6 tours and 51 people attending them. We had a cute family come that seemed really interested in learning about their Savior and a couple who came asking for money. This couple was really touched as they were taught that their Heavenly Father loved them. We had a lot of less active members at this event so it really was a success. If we can touch just one life each time we have succeeded. It is just not as effective to combine a ward party with a Capilla Abierta. They are two very different events.
We didn't get home till 11pm!
This is usually where I finish the blog for a week but since I am late getting this posted due to no internet and very little time I just have to tell you about our Sunday, the 23rd.
We headed out to the Puente Alto 1st ward. It took us about 45 minutes to get there. It is one of the stakes that is very far from us. Hermano Acevado sang "Star Bright" from the Children's Song Book. Wow, he has an amazing voice. Hermana Nancy played. Their son is the bishop there and again Hermana Nancy orchestrated fotos.
Los Thompsons y Los Acevados
Elder's Popp, y Braga, Los Thompsons, Los Acevados, Hermana's Minchel y Enriquez
Obispo Acevado and family
The chapel is upstairs in this building
This area has lots of grapes and farming, not so many high-rises. The only bad part is that we have to drive through the mile long tunnel to get there and back.
We got home in time to eat a bite of lunch, called Mom and Connie and had a wonderful visit, and talked to Ginger. Then we headed to the Capilla Abierta with the missionaries at the temple grounds.
What an amazing evening! We did 16 tours with about 150 people attending them. It was a steady stream and the young missionaries were smiling all evening. They just love teaching people about their Savior Jesus Christ. They now have about 50 referrals to check out and people who want to learn more to contact. We ran out of cookies and gave out a lot of Book of Mormons and pamphlets about the church and its organizations. We got finished at about 9:30 and drove home and got to bed around 11. What an amazing week. We are definitely exhausted tonight.
We send our love to all. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas! We are so thankful for this time of year when the whole world remembers the birth of a baby in a manger. We love our Savior Jesus Christ and are trying to be like him.
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