One year anniversary

This week marks our one year anniversary as missionaries. The first weekend of October 2013 we watched General Conference with my sister Karen and her husband Pres. David in Salt Lake City. The following Monday morning we were dropped off at the Missionary Training Center in Provo.

This first Sunday in October 2014 we attended our own Barrio Universitario on Avenida Gleisner, which is also the Concepcion Stake Center. We watched a session of General Conference in Castellano. I must say my Spanish has improved over the last year.

The day was brilliant, fresh and cool.

At the bottom of the stairs on our way home. The chapel was full and the cultural hall had overflow seating. We were able to visit with a number of people we wanted to see.

We visited our bishop, who lives in this apartment, to tell him that we have been assigned to finish out the last five months of our mission setting up a Self Reliance Center in Temuco, about a 4 - 5 hour drive to the south. We will most likely be leaving Concepcion at the end of October.

The rhododendrons have nearly finished blooming.

The Plaza de España, with its Condor de los Vientos statue, and the government buildings of the Bio Bio Region VIII, Concepción, on Calle Arturo Prat.

We walked up Barros Araña, which has been undergoing an upgrade to its walking spaces. The newly-laid tile and concrete is much less broken up than the sidewalks on Chacabuco.

Wednesday we were invited to almuerzo with the Conejos, after we told them we are probably going to be moving away. They were very sad, but then thought maybe they could visit us in Temuco. Above is the inner entrance to their ground level apartment.

 Also having almuerzo with us were four office missionaries, who enjoyed the pork, rice, potatoes, tomatoes, sliced onions and toasted kernels of corn. The salsa ají, hot sauce that Hermana Conejo had made, had maní, peanuts, in it. Since one of the elders is allergic, and had spread the sauce all over his food, I exchanged my plate with him. I brought apple turnovers, empanadas de manzana, which taste just like American apple pie, a welcome surprise to the North Americans. When Hna. Conejo asked for the recipe, I had to tell her it included Saigon (Costco) cinnamon, which cannot be had in Chile.

Maria Conejo and her husband work very hard and have suffered many setbacks in their lives. Maria wants to go to the United States to sell her artesanal, handmade Ecuadoran items, to make enough money to ensure her children have a better life. Here she is weaving brazaletes, handmade wrist bracelets out of narrow colorful thread, by pinning the end of the braids onto a piece of cloth wrapped around her knees.

 Since I have 18 grandchildren, I bought several of the very pretty brazaletes. They were $1 mil pesos each, about $1.80.

 This week we made our monthly visit to the mother and grandmother of Marcia, the missionary sister in Peru. The two women, who are now accustomed to us, are very talkative and happy since their baptism. On the way out of the lane to their house are planters made from old tires, planted with pink Jupiter's Beard, lavender hollyhocks, and daisy-like white and purple osteospermum, which grow abundantly in Concepción.

Hermana Dulce, our name for her since she is always handing out sweets, showing us her latest knitting project for her customer families in the U.S.

 Several times this week, traffic around Concepcion has come to a standstill because of student marches for free college education. Up to two thousand students will take part in these demonstrations. One of the promises of the current president was to provide free college education, but it has not happened yet. Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay have free college education, and Chile is hoping to avoid the problems that go along with it.

Chiguay & More Restaurants

Sunday morning we were planning to drive to the LDS Branch where the Rio Laja flows into the Bio-Bio, but the day before, the intrepid Elder and Hermana Pendley reported getting lost on dirt roads driving there. Besides, it was raining, and we were low on gas, so we decided to save Rama Laja for another day and instead attended the Chiguay Ward.

The sky turned out to be beautiful.

The Chiguay ward was well-attended and active, and we met a number of people we knew--ladies from the weaving classes, students from our English classes, and applicants for the Perpetual Education Fund. In fact, it was providential that we were there--one hermana needed a certificate and Elder K.'s signature, so we printed it out in the clerk's office and she uploaded it into her account "al tiro," like a shot, right away.

After the meetings we were invited to have dinner with a member family. We followed their van toward Cerro Manquimávida, the dominant wooded hill in that part of Chiguayante.

The family home, where the dueña, hostess, served us rice, beef, pancito - rolls, salad, and postre--fresh fruit and vanilla liquid yogurt. She kept apologizing that it was not fancy, but we told her we were campesinos and liked it that way.

The kind family in their front room. They also have two older daughters. All four children are good looking and brilliant. 

On Monday we went to Correos Chile so we could send a package to the U.S. We often see missionaries here, especially on Mondays. These two elders are most likely picking up a package from home.

More missionaries on their P-day, preparation day. We often see packs of them buying groceries in Jumbo, eating ice cream cones, checking out shops and galleries along Barros Araña, or walking on the street, like the hermanas above.

 We even saw missionaries in the Fuente Alemana on Bernardo O'Higgins near Rengo, which was recommended to us as one of the best places to eat in Concepción. The place was packed, a good sign. We ordered sandwiches--me, this shredded pork with tomatoes, chucrut--rinsed sauerkraut--and  plenty of mayonesa. Elder Kennington ordered churrasco, a sliced beef steak sandwich. Both were excellent.

Our waitress wrapped our leftovers in brown paper and string.

 On the way home we passed the remains of this old wall built in the late 1700s, the original site for the first library and printing press in Concepción.

 Tuesday we tried "El Mesón de Villena"  on San Martin near Calle Salas, where the men of the Operations and Maintenance office often eat. It is the closest thing to a fast food lunch counter we have seen--tables already set with drink, bread and salad, only a few main selections, and fast service. I had chicken with mashed potatoes, soup and salad, standard for a Chilean almuerzo, midday meal.

Thursday we were invited to the Mamut Restaurant on Barros Araña between Colo Colo and Anibal Pinto, with the Pendleys, Baldens, and Arringtons, to celebrate Hna. Kauer's birthday. Mamut has branches all over the world and serves American-style food. Hermana Kauer had a chimichanga. I had baby back ribs. Pretty girls on the walk outside were handing out coupons, so we all got free raspberry cheesecake for dessert. Thank you Hermana Kauer for having a birthday.

After so many restaurants, Elder Kennington and I are getting into the habit of running up the stairs to the 7th floor instead of taking the elevator. It seems to be helping.

This cute hermana, who looks like she's about twelve years old, is taking Elder K.'s Planning for Success workshop for the Perpetual Education Fund. She has already had two years of university training in Occupational Therapy. She was helping Elder K. figure out how to use the camera on his cell phone (again). It looks like he did ok.

Racemes of the pink Tamarisk tree, Tamarix Ramosissima, beginning to bloom.

Hna. Verdugo stopped by to say hello, and to show us these cute buho--owl--book bags she has been weaving for her grandchildren.

Tierra Bella

The first day of Primavera, Spring, 21 September, 2014.

It is still raining a lot, accompanied by spring flowers in and around Concepcion.

Blooming in every corner of Concepcion are Jacintos, Spanish bluebells, Hyacinthoides Hispanica.

La Cueca, the national dance of Chile, performed by a young couple in the Concepcion Stake, Fiestas Patrias, 18 September

On Sunday the first day of spring, we visited the Tierra Bella ward. Cristina, of the Relief Society presidency, is the sister of Gabriel Parra, (who reminds us of George Clooney and who is now a counselor in the Concepcion South Mission presidency). She is also the sister of Lily, President Arrington's wonderful cook. I admired a necklace she was wearing, which she promptly took off her own neck and put on mine. "That's the way she is," said one of the hermanas.

We came across a pair of elders walking to the church, so we drove them back to their house we had helped paint the week before, so they could drop off our donations of a couple of new cooking pans, some clean kitchen towels, peanut butter, and other necessities. Then we drove them back to the Tierra Bella chapel.

Although Fiestas Patrias are over, many buildings still fly the Chilean flag. Each building is required by law to fly the flag on national holidays.

Monday the Arringtons invited everyone over for a goodbye dinner for the Herreras, a service couple from Curico-Molina.

Hermana Herrera, in the center, always asks about my weaving, knitting and crocheting. When she found out I like flowers and plants, she told me the names of several of them in the grounds surrounding the Arrington's apartment, including ferns, helhecho,which she said (especially the ones in the picture above) were in the sun too much and turning yellow.

The Minches and the Scholes, Member and Leadership Support couples, were also there. Above is a picture of the Minches with Hermana Arrington.

I love weeping cherry trees when they are blooming.  When they are not blooming, is a different story.

 In this picture you can see the pretty necklace Cristina gave me.

The grounds were beautiful, including this camellia bush.

Once again, driving past the temple site along the highway in Pedro de Valdivia.

Yumbel and Fiestas Patrias

September 14 we drove to the pleasant country town of Yumbel in the Los Angeles North Stake.

The early morning fog combined with smoke from wood burning stoves.

We were glad to see it was going to be a sunny day.

Trees along the highway covered with parasitic mistletoe, the native Chilean Misodendrum Punctulatum, which blackens as it dies and dries out.

A campesino with his oxcart on the outskirts of Yumbel.

Bienvenidos a Yumbel. We saw many nice haciendas along the highway.

 The Sunday farmer's market was already underway, selling decorations as well as costumes of the Huaso, the Chilean cowboy, for the Fiestas Patrias later in the week.

We wandered around town looking for the usual green-gated LDS chapel, but realized we had passed right by this large house on Avenida Los Carrera which serves as the meetinghouse. Two sisters of the Relief Society stand outside chatting.

Before the meetings, Elder Kennington introduced himself to an elder from Argentina and one tall blond Norteamericano. One of the speakers had not shown up for Sacrament Meeting, so Elder Kennington got to give an impromptu discourse on Self Reliance.

 Following the meetings, we passed this hacienda, the business of which evidently has something to do with large earthenware jars.

Yellow pea-flower shrubs blooming profusely along the highway. Referred to as retamo, broom, the plants pictured above might be of one of a handful of different varieties. These are most likely Spanish broom or weaver's broom, which has become invasive in Chile.

Monday we took the Outback in for an oil change, and saw some pretty good tires.

In the evening we went to Andrea's for haircuts. One of her weaving students had given her a bouquet of lilies for her birthday the week before. I gave her a bottle of ibuprofen, as well as the wall hanging she had admired.

Wednesday we had an almuerzo with the volunteers at the Centro and the men in the Operations and Maintenance office in anticipation of Fiestas Patrias, the commemoration of Chilean independence in 1810. Bro. Seguel provided plenty of Chilean empanadas filled with pino, a mixture of chopped beef and onion, hard-boiled egg, raisins, and olives. Manolito, who was sitting next to me, does not like aceitunas, olives, and allowed me to eat his. 

The Google search page, above, shows empanadas with Mote con Huesillo, the national drink of Chile, a sweet syrup poured over dried or reconstituted peaches and grains of fresh cooked husked wheat.

Wednesday afternoon the Kauers asked us to help with one of the elders' apartments in Chiguayante. The Bio-Bio River is high after the winter rains, and the little islands were sparkling in the sun.

This little two-story casa has housed LDS missionaries for more than ten years. Four elders live here, and it was run down enough that it needed repainting in places and a little TLC. Hna. Kauer had the elders clean up the tiny back yard while we swept, then scrubbed out the kitchen and showers, including walls and ceiling, while Elder Kauer and Elder Kennington applied much-needed coats of paint to bedroom and hallway walls. Hna. Kauer promised the missionaries she would give them her next crocheted rug to kneel on while they said their prayers on the hard brick floor. 

Thursday the Concepcion Stake had events planned all day and into the late evening for the Fiestas Patrias, part of an entire week of events. Here two members of Barrio Universitario raise the Chilean flag to the strains of the Himno Nacional de Chile, Cancion Nacional, the National Anthem.

A young couple in full Huaso dress began dancing the Cueca, but there were technical problems, so we went inside.

We are told the mens' Huaso outfits can be quite expensive, once you include leather leggings and long-shanked spurs, the manta--wool poncho--or more expensive wool and silk chamanta worn by landowners; and the chupalla, the traditional horseman's hat. Women's typical "china" dancer's dress is full-skirted with ruffles and bright colors, often with the copihue motif.

We were told this type of dress with the side slit and ruffle, worn by one of the bishops' wives, is for ease in mounting a horse, and is more likely worn by women of the upper class. I especially like the copihue belt. Huaso outfits often include the color fringe like this sister is wearing.

Following the dancing of the cueca were kermesses, open-air fair games. In the country there are rodeos and foot races, but we were in town, and the kids were playing chess.

There was jump roping . . . 

 . . . and a tug of war. It was early in the day and all the gringos were in attendance, so it turned into an international competition. Since the North American sisters were wearing dresses and heels, we preferred being dragged gently over the line by the determined Chilenas, but the Elders were made of sterner stuff. Plus, Elder Kauer is twice the size of many Chilean men, so they redeemed the North American hermanas by winning their rope pull.

Next was sack races, but we had been invited to the Arringtons to try out steaks on their new grill, and Hna. Arrington came up with a few cans of cold A&W root beer. So we didn't stay for the plays that would be put on by each of the five wards, and more dancing. 

Friday was one of the quietest days we have spent in Concepcion. Many people had left town for festivities in the countryside, and all the stores were closed. Saturday was also very quiet, and the streets nearly empty. The Chilean people take their Fiestas Patrias to heart, and we enjoyed spending it with them.