The TUNNEL week, YUK!

Sunday the 3 of February we headed to the Gabriela Ward.  It is about 45 minutes away and you have to go through the tunnel to get there, ug!  This is the ward that we would like to put Hermana's in if  we can find housing.  When you pull into the driveway of the church you see the ward building that holds 2 wards

It is a u-shaped building

Right behind it is the Stake Center that also holds 2 wards  I am standing on the sidewalk directly between the two buildings

  We have never seen two chapels on the same lot before.  It was very small attendance this morning but we were able to meet with the Stake President and let him know that we are looking for housing for new missionaries.  We also suggested that these wards may want to join forces to put on a Capilla Abierta as they are so close to each other.  

After church, we decided to drive past the rental that we were going to go and see on Monday morning so we had an idea where it was and how long it would take for us to get there.  We have to rely on wazes to get us there but wazes isn't aware of where the feria's are.

We had about 6 city blocks of the feria to drive through

Sunday morning shoppers

We were doing good till we met a car going the other direction

Almost through

and the horse and wagon appear

Bringing his goods to market

It is always fun to see the way people live.

The feria's remind me of a huge yard sale.  We finally found the house we wanted to look at and the realter was there so we walked through it.  I think we have found one of the new houses that we need in this area, only 2 more to go.

Monday morning we returned to the Gabriela area to attend the Zone meeting for the Gabriela Zone.  We showed them the cleaning power point and had some very good questions about how to take care of their apartments/houses.  We then showed them the power point of the Capilla Abierta's to get them trained so they will be ready when their wards have one.  Two zones trained and 8 to go.

We spent Tuesday in the mission office.  We cleaned the office today then did some paperwork.  We had to leave at 5 to get out to Cordillera to meet a realter by 6. Through the dreaded tunnel again!!!!

Wednesday morning we picked up the Wallace's at 9:00.  The temple is closed so we took them out to Gabriela so they could see something besides high rises.  We went to 4 different homes and installed ojo majicos and fixed a couple of cupboard doors and delivered some things that the missionaries needed.  I was so thrilled.  3 of the homes had cleaned their stoves!  They were so shiny.  I was so proud of these Elders.  Before we got here, this zone was know as the zone with the dirtiest pensiones.  Maybe someone is actually listening to us?

We signed papers today on the new apartment for our Elders who have been living in this:

And can now move them into this:

And now when they look out their window they don't see this

but they see this.

We are so thrilled for them.  We just hope that they don't get transferred on Monday and don't get to enjoy at least 6 weeks here.  We took the truck out and moved a load of their personal things on Friday afternoon.  They will be able to sleep there tonight.

It has been a busy week with at least a trip out to Gabriela or Cordillera once a day, and one day twice which is a trip through the tunnel on the way out and on the way back.  I just don't know if I will ever get used to being underground knowing that there are roads and trains driving on top of me.

We got to take Elder Gonzalez to the DMV to take his driving test to get his license so he can drive here.  It would really help if he can run some of the office errands that Elder Hughes or we have to do.  He was so nervous.  He was gone about a half hour, driving with an official.  He didn't pass because he was driving 4 miles over the speed limit.  We couldn't believe it.  No one drives the speed limit here.  They go at least 10 miles an hour over all the time.  He was so discouraged but will take it again in a month.  

We headed out to Cordillera again on Friday night to see another apartment so we decided to go to dinner first.  I got on the internet and picked a place and we headed out with the Hughes.  When we got to the address, it was a car dealership!  We looked at the apartment, which will work great for what we need and ended up coming clear back to our neighborhood and having a very late dinner by then.  

It is Sunday evening and I am going to send this off without Saturday's big adventure.  We were gone all day so I didn't get anything written.  I will tell you all about our trip to Jose de Maipo in our next blog.  This week has been our tunnel week!  We send our love.  You are all in our thoughts and prayers.  May God bless you this week with health and protection and happiness is our prayer.  Till next week,  Chow!