Telar Chile

This week we moved downstairs from our cramped 400-sq-ft apartment #1307 to our two bedroom, two bathroom #706 apartment. Even the balcony is bigger, so my plants get more sun and are happier. Plus, Elder Kennington doesn't get vertigo looking down into the street.

This morning, we visited the Andalien Ward, Andalien Concepcion Stake. A truly outstanding ward, very active and full of families and members doing their best to follow the teaching of El Salvador Jesucristo. The talks and lessons were excellent. We recognized one Matrimonio (married couple) who had served in the Bishop's Storehouse, and another Matrimonio who came in for beginning computer lessons.

On Monday, Elder Kennington taught a group of members and non-members during the Self Reliance Workshop. I worked on taking screenshots for a Powerpoint of some of the the processes and procedures we use in registering people for Perpetual Education Fund loans, since even the managers don't know how to do it, and we are supposed to be teaching stake specialists everything we know.

Tuesday morning was moving day, as we were informed by Hno. Gabriel Parra. I scrubbed out the little apartment, boxed up everything that hadn't been moved already, and scrubbed out the bathrooms of the new apartment, especially. Conce is prone to mildew, and since everything here is tile floors, the bathroom floor grout was black with mildew, and the bathtub in the second bathroom was almost completely stopped up. So we had to buy what Hna. Rosa calls a zapopo, a plunger, which others may know as a desatascador. Combined with a can full of what promised to be lye, it did the trick.

I even took down all the Roman shades and peeled off the easy chair cushion covers, and washed them thoroughly several times. The furniture had to be moved around until everything was comfortable. Our cable Internet is on the church account,  less expensive and more reliable than what we had been getting. So, all in all, the cost of the new apartment is about the same as the old one. Plus, when the elevator isn't working, it isn't as far to walk down the stairs.

Wednesday was a zone conference with four of the twelve mission zones. Elder Zeballo and his wife spoke to us, as did Pres. Arrington and his wife. It was energizing to be around about 80 elders and sister missionaries. In this picture, Hna. Balden, Hna. Arrington and Hna. Pulsipher dish up lunches from "the coffin," which holds grilled half-chickens ordered from a chicken place in Conce.

The elders ate half chickens, pasta salad, bananas, buns and chocolate cake. Elder K. and I couldn't even eat half of what was on our plates.

The Important Persons in the mission--the Zeballos, the Arringtons, the mission couple the Kauers (now that the Kimballs are back in California!) and the hard-working Assistants.

Hna. Pulsipher brought me the finished small Nativity she had ordered for me, made of vellón, wool fleece, to add to the large set I already have. The lady who made these wants to come to Concepcion to teach ladies here how to make them. I would love to take the classes.

Thursday, Andrea spoke to the ladies about certification. She had each one come in to talk to her about what they had accomplished over several months. With a certificate, graduates can go to the Chilean government for help in setting up an emprendimiento, a self-employment undertaking in which they can sell their woven goods.

Here and below, many photos of the finished murals, often called Telar de Chile.

A caballo, horse, from a dibujo, drawing. This sister said she redid the face part numerous times.

 Hno. Seguel, Elder K., Alberto, and Manuel Mendoza discussing self-employment.

 Telar of Jesucristo in mostly rayon yarns. Portraits like this are difficult to do.

Hno. Seguel and Elder K. modeling Hna. Delgado's knitted wool caps. They are very warm and shed rain, she says. We may want some before the coming winter is over.

A beautiful design

A tree in full bloom. This hermana has had a difficult life, but is always cheerful and generous.

This design, the hermana says, incorporates blue birds, above, and blue butterflies, below.

A lavender house

Andrea showed me how to do the Tonon again, and I watched a Youtube video on the Mapuche tonon several times. In spite of that, I had to keep taking it out and starting over again, because I would get distracted and have to leave this in a heap to do something else. This seems to describe my life in Concepcion fairly well.

Woven landscape

Interesting yarns and textures

My new project using a smaller wooden picture frame. The slender stick is abedul, birch. I stole a pruned birch branch from a pile on the sidewalk, dragging it around town until I could cut it in pieces and store for use in Telar.

A desert scene

 Hna. Delgado's design in the colors of the Chilean flag, red, white and blue

Another imaginative design

Pamela, who came in for help with paying for needed certification so she can continue to earn her living as an English teacher. Working through the contradictory requirements of different schools and the government is like working through a maze for her, but she did have good news--she found out that some life experiences will take the place of classes she would otherwise need to take. Elder K. continues to follow up on her progress.