Well, the coronavirus cut our mission six months short.  We got a call late last week and left Monday morning.

Because of the coronavirus, the missionaries aren't dressing so as to be identified. I'm not sure if it is because some in Chile blame foreigners for the problem. In any event, here are the office elders at work in the office.

I think they are well disguised.

The office couple, the Lodholms, left the same time we did. Here we are with the mission president and his wife.

In Santiago, we connected with a number of other couples being sent home from Chile and Uruguay. Several of the brothers served in northern Argentina as youth, although 8-10 years before I did. They are delightful people and we enjoyed visiting with them.

The plane from Atlanta to SLC was about 90% full and about 80% of those were returning missionaries. Most of them were young missionaries returning from Brazil. The young sister who sat next to Mary had only been out of the MTC three week and spent one of those weeks in quarantine.

Our son and his family used our van while we were gone and dropped it off at the airport for us. Because we are quarantined, they couldn't stay to greet us. However, they went to great effort to ensure we felt as welcomed as possible, under the circumstances. Here is what was on the car. (Sorry you can't read the colored papers. They contain the names and pretend hand-prints of all the grandchildren. The surgical mask was covering the lips that say "big kiss."

Well, our mission didn't end when or how we anticipated but we are sincerely grateful for the experience. We met many wonderful people and were edified by their faith and faithfulness. As I observed and spent time with the young missionaries, I felt their amazing testimonies and strength. Testimony meetings in the small branches where we participated were as edifying as any in which I have participated. We have new friends for life, if not eternity, and are better people for having known them. We have felt the Savior's love and feel closer to Him.

I guess this is my sign-off.  Thanks for tuning in.

My brother, Dale, and his wife, Suzanne, came to visit this past week. He served his mission in Chile and has wanted to visit the Concepcion temple for some time. We are glad that they came when we were here so we could enjoy their company.  Here is a quick run down on some of the things we did.

We stopped by the Laja Falls on the way home from picking them up at the airport. They are beautiful but there was less water than last year.

We went to Conguillio National Park where we experienced the beauty of nature up close, including waterfalls.

We visited the Villa Rica area with its amazing lake and volcano. (If you look real close you can see steam or smoke coming out of the volcano.)

We went on the seven lake drive and experienced more beautiful lakes.

We drove the coastal highway and stopped off at the  beach but don't yet have pictures of that.

And, of course, we went to the temple.

Chile seems to be full of natural beauty. We guessed that the tree-per-capita ratio here is 10 times what it is in the U.S.  It was a great week.

Move #14

The 2 sisters are the ones we moved. The elders were our helpers whom we very much appreciated. Don't they look happy?

I forgot to post about saying farewell to Elder Chacón. We served with him in Tolhuaca and I posted about him earlier.

His father checked out of the family when his parents divorced a number of years ago. I'm not sure his mother ever wrote to him his whole mission. He has been on his own since he was 15. Ward members had arranged a place for him to stay for a month after he got home. His circumstances have been tough for a long time and will be yet he served cheerfully and well. I hope our paths cross again some day.

Elder Villar of the Seventy and his wife toured our mission last week. They are from Chile and he serves as second counselor in our area presidency.

He gave a very interesting talk in the April 2019 General Conference.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/52villar?lang=eng

We had a youth activity yesterday which was enjoyed by all. Several we thought would come didn't but the three who came really enjoyed themselves.

Today, in the second hour meeting, they were excited to plan for the next activity. That's the outcome we were hoping for.

I thought I should report on our second Valentines Day in Chile. To be sure, it seems to be celebrated at least as much here as in the U.S.

On my way to the store to buy, among other things, chocolate for Mary, I saw street vendors selling something interesting.

These are 6 strawberries on a skewer dipped in chocolate with a colorful marshmallow on the top. Having seen these, buying chocolate in the store seemed boring. Mary seemed pleased.

That evening, we went to the wedding celebration for a young woman from the first branch in which we served. We had no idea what to expect.

We arrived about an hour after the scheduled start time only to learn that the bride had not yet arrived. After a few minutes, an SUV pulled into the grassy area and she got out with her father who delivered her to the groom who was waiting to the left. (Sorry I didn't get him in the picture.)  Everyone was outside around the pool and they immediately started taking all kinds of pictures and serving delicious hors d'oeuvres.  We enjoyed visiting with people we knew and, a little after 9:00 started saying our goodbyes. We were informed that we could not leave before dinner and, shortly, everyone went inside.

The first picture is of the entrance of the bride, groom and bride's father. The second is of the two families.

Over a dozen speeches and a toast were offered before dinner and we finished eating after midnight. At some point, we learned that the festivities, including dancing, would go until 4:00 a.m. Since we got up at 3:00 the previous morning and got to bed at almost 1:00 that morning, we said our goodbyes after 12:30 and headed home - being the first to leave. (We wondered how many were jealous of us.)

The 90-year-old Temuco pioneer woman we met at a chapel open house about a year ago happens to be in the same ward as the groom's family. I took a picture of her and her daughter with Mary. The daughter was visiting from Norway. She went to college there, married a native and has lived there ever since.

Yesterday we joined with members from our branch and another on a bus trip to the temple.  Mary and I went primarily to do what we could to ensure these three brethren and a young mother with her newly baptized 11-year-old son had the best experience they could.

It was the first baptism trip for all three The brother on the left was baptized just over a year ago and the two on the right were baptized several weeks ago.

They all three have mobility challenges and two have communication challenges. Combine that with an experience and place that were totally new to them and you'll understand why we had some challenges. Even with that, they all had a good experience. We dropped the two on the right off at their house after midnight to waiting, non-member family members and both commented on the good experience they had.

We try to get all new converts to the temple to be baptized for a family member within three weeks of their confirmation. That is the main thrust of our retention effort.

Well, Saturday we had another baptism, this time a 12-year-old Peruvian boy whose mother recently reactivated.  He is a delightful young man who went with us on the long bike ride.

We are pictured with the brother who was released as 1st counselor in the branch presidency the Sunday before. That left me to preside at the baptism and offer the welcome to the branch. (The branch president is away with his family.) I ordained him a deacon the next day as well. 

As we visit missionary houses we carry away left over clothing. Using that, Mary outfitted him in a suit and tie. He came to church Sunday looking like a priesthood holder.

I haven't taken a picture of a street performer for a while, mostly because it is hard to get a good shot.  However, today I was walking home and came across this guy with his two dance partners.

They must practice a lot as their moves are perfectly synchronized. 

We did house/apartment inspections today including in Freire where these two sisters live.

I just thought you ought to see just how happy the young missionaries are to have us visit. (Or were they happy because we were about to leave?)

These sisters are both from the US but from opposite sides (Connecticut and California).

Being in the branch presidency, I have a special responsibility to serve the youth. Friday, we had a biking activity so I bought a bike. The first counselor in the branch presidency assembled it from parts he had.

I guess you can't see it real well. Mary predicted it would be a girl's bike. I'm not sure they distinguish between girl's and boy's bikes as much here.

Here is our group (minus the photographer - the branch president's wife).

We rode over 8 Km each way. I rode on the way up and the branch president rode down. I wasn't even sore. I think everybody had a good time. 

We had a special day on Saturday. We drove down to Gorbea and picked up José and Carmela. (I had baptized him three weeks earlier.) We drove them to the temple in Concepción and completed family baptisms (his, hers and mine).  He and I baptized each other and then he baptized his wife. He couldn't read the card without his glasses so I stayed in the font to read it so he could repeat.

Here we are outside the temple after the baptisms. It was a great experience. 

Later, we took them to a mall to eat, thinking we would find a food court. Instead, we ended  up at Johnny Rockets.  

When they played "Rockin' Robin" by the Jackson Five, the employees came out and did something of a line dance. They were a fun group.

One never knows the sacrifices he/she will be asked to make on a mission.

This is Mary holding a cat in the home of a family that is investigating the Church. We helped teach them with the Hermanas.

If you knew Mary's feelings towards cats, you would understand just how much of a sacrifice this was.

I had to make a second trip south yesterday for the Nueva Tolten District Council. While stopped at a light, I had a good laugh at something the car in front of me had installed in the back.

When I arrived at the meeting, I saw this spread.

A meeting involving only men with table cloth, runner, nicely prepared and presented fruit, etc. took me back. I hadn't experienced this before. I became disoriented for a time and wondered if I had somehow entered an alternate universe. When I realized it was real, I took a picture and stated that I would take this back as a suggestion to the US.

I should probably be getting some sort of endorsement fee from Toyota.

Yesterday we helped two sisters move to Pitrufquén (shown below with their companion who already lived in the house).

Some of the bags on top took the new record for weight and the record was already quite high.

We drove the 31 kilometers, most of it  with 5 people and hundreds of pounds of luggage without incident.

Happy New Year!

We decided to repeat what we did last NYD - go to Cerro Ñielol to enjoy the beauty (absent bugs and poison ivy).

Mary overlooking Temuco from one of the lookouts.

Me repeating a scene from last year - something like a bench press using your own weight.

The first trail we took today.

Another look at Temuco.

Here is something that made me laugh.

I enjoyed it partly because Hi's play on words is noteworthy and partly because the look Lois gives him is just like what Mary does when I make a play on words. Also, the look of satisfaction on his face after making the play resembles mine.