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.