Today we visited a sister from our branch who, some 17-18 years ago, suffered a stroke which left her paralyzed on the right side when her three children were very young.

She is an inspiration to us as she keeps a very positive attitude, walks about a mile to church (except in winter) and makes a point of testifying each Fast Sunday although getting to the pulpit is a challenge and her speech is labored.

Last night, we had a noche de hogar with Armando and Marcela. As part of that, they fed us picarones.

They are like unsweetened cake donuts that are fried. They are then served in a sauce made up of sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange peels and a couple of other things. It seems that, in Chile, you can't eat without a bebida - carbonated soft drink or juice.

You will notice the wood stove behind Armando. That is how most heat their homes and it results in some smoky air at night.

Part of the fun of driving here is that the the one-way streets can be kind of random in changing direction. We go through the following intersection frequently and it is the safest we have found.

You can't see it very well but Las Heras goes in opposite directions from the street we are on. That is what makes it so safe. There is never any cross traffic here.

I think today we purchased our first souvenir - a chess set that is very tied to the history and culture of the region in which we are serving.

On the one side, you have the Spaniards.

On the other side, you have the Mapuche - the last native tribe to be "conquered" by the Spaniards.

I put "conquered" in quotes because, for many, the fight continues.

We believe that the pieces are hand made and painted by Mapuche artists.

I have probably mentioned before that there are many dogs here that roam free. We came across one today that made me laugh.

We were early for a commitment so we bought ice cream and sat in the plaza. The whole time that Mary sat there eating her ice cream, the lighter dog stood right beside her and looked her in they eye. He didn't move once, not even a twitch, nor did he make a sound. He just stared at her. Did he get any ice cream? He obviously didn't know who he was begging from.
(Note: There were a number of trick bike riders in the plaza and you can see one on the other side of Mary.  They were actually pretty good.)

I would like to introduce you to Elder Chacón - one of my heroes.

He is originally from Peru but his mom, brother and he moved to Antofagasta, Chile after his parents divorced. His father completely severed ties with the family and his mother didn't have the resources (emotional or financial) to take care of him and his brother so he was completely on his own at 15.

He worked and went to school on his own. At 18, he found the gospel. He spent the next year paying his own expenses and providing for his brother's support. On top of that, he saved half of the money he needed to serve a mission.  He has served faithfully here with a cheerful disposition. He seems to bear no resentment for how hard he had it. 

This week we helped prepare "once" (on-say) for a youth conference put on by two stakes and two districts. (Here, their large meal of the day is a late lunch. Then, sometime in the afternoon or evening, they eat the once which is more like a large snack.)

Here is a look at part of the crowd watching the talent show. (Sorry, again, about the poor photography.)

These four youth are from our branch. The young man on the left is investigating.  They performed four songs and did quite well. Yes, here a talent show is a show de talentos.