El Centro de Autosuficiencia

On Sunday the Baldens, who do the nursing and building inspections for the Concepcion Mission, picked us up for church in the stake center on Calle Gleisner. The building is very nice, in a nice section of town. The first thing that happened was, we were asked to speak at the beginning of the meeting. In Chile, married couples are referred to as Matrimonios, so I couldn't figure out why they were talking about marriage until we were being ushered up to the front.

Clint (Elder Kennington) says I did very well in my Spanish. I told everyone about our ranchero back home, our children and grandchildren, how glad we were to be in Concepcion, and our work in the Self Reliance Centers, the Centro de Autosuficiencia. Clint did much the same. After people find out I can speak Spanish, they always ask how I learned it. (Since 5th grade, then minored in Spanish for my B.A., then attended the Spanish congregation of our church in Ontario.)

The Gleisner Stake Center, University Ward. Many Ecuadorian Indians attend this ward. Several of the little children were playing with the caracolitas, the tiny snails.

On Sunday evening we explored the environs of our little apartment #1307 of Orompello 129, Centro Urbano.

El Centro Urbano. Our apartment is on the right, the corner with shades half way down. I was surprised at how quiet it has been--our neighbors aren't great partiers, and the dogs are far away. I did hear cats early this morning. The worst part for me is how bright it is all night. I rigged up a blackout curtain using the extra sheet, which is black. 

Feral dogs lay around on curbsides all around the city, some in packs. They are carriers of garrapatos--ticks and parasites. They do not bother anyone, although at night they rummage through garbage, and bark.

Territorial claim on this casita.

If you wonder where all your socks (calcetines) ended up, this is it. 

The LDS Institute Building on Calle Colo Colo. The double-parked car is called a "permiso," meaning you give yourself permission to park here for awhile, with your lights flashing. All the LDS buildings in the area are this nice shade of adobe-mauve, with tile floors, white-latticed small pane windows, and red tin roofs.

Decorative security fences, bars and gates.

Jon Snider, this commonly seen electrical nightmare is for you. 

Clinton (Elder Kennington) sitting in our office. He has made himself useful by fixing all the problem drawers and chairs, and making phone calls from the endless list of applicants for help in employment.  

Monday morning, we walked the nine blocks of Calle Chacabuco--nearly one mile--to the Centro de Recursos. A very nice building, with a professional and accommodating staff of volunteers, including Rosita Hernandez-Munoz, Hermana Debora, Romina Correa, and Hermana Villarroel. Hermana Romina led a group of six missionaries and four other members in an employment workshop.

We are leaving tomorrow for Santiago for capacitaciones (training) with Carlos Farias, the area director for PEF. Changes are coming to the Centros de Recursos, now to be known as Centros de Autosuficiencia. 

Our First 24 Hours in Concepcion

An entire contingent of the Concepcion Mission office, along with the warm & loving PEF/Self Reliance director Rosita Hernandez-Munoz, met us at the airport. it was 1:10 in the afternoon, after a flight of ten hours following the flight from Salt Lake City to Dallas Fort Worth. I'm sure we looked even worse than we felt.

Toward morning we were able to see the Pacific Ocean off the South American coast.

I don't know what these bands of clouds are called--altocumulus? But they were spectacular.

A frozen lake in the Andes

Terraced farming north of Santiago

We landed in the Santiago Airport, went through customs, paid a $160 cash "reciprocity fee" (they wouldn't accept three of my $20 bills because they were roto y sucio), and then waited to be herded onto two large buses to take us to the Linea Area Nacional de Chile flight to Concepcion. They didn't weigh my carry on baggage as I had been warned, so I was thinking of all the extra stuff I might have added to my already heavy bags. Oh well. Each of our four checked bags came in at 22.7 kilos.

The outskirts of Santiago

We have been changed to the Concepcion Mission from the Concepcion South, which means we will be working within the city itself rather than spending time in smaller cities roundabout. Hermana Hernandez found us a nice little apartment in the middle of the city on the 13th floor of Calle Orompello 129. It is within walking distance of many interesting places, which is nice because if you park on the street you will have to pay a parking fee to one of the attendants hanging out on the street side.

By the time we got to Concepcion I was too tired to take any pictures. In spite of our sad condition, there was no toilet paper or food in our apartment, so we went exploring and found the nearest Jumbo and got money out of an ATM machine. Our wonderful non-ATM fee UBS credit cards worked with everything. (The Capital One card did not.) 

After a shopping trip to Lider and Sodimac, the Walmart and Home Depot of Chile. The concierge Galvarino (who alternates with Mauricio) lent us the apartment's shopping cart to carry everything up the elevator. You will note the Tanax flea spray on the counter. We don't have fleas yet but you never know.

The Concepcion Mission office couple, the Kimballs, rescued us Saturday morning by bringing us a cell phone and taking us shopping so I could buy adapters for all my electronics, since nothing I had worked with the Chilean system. Make sure the three-prong round plug-ins are the small variety, because the more substantial European-type prongs I brought were too big. We also got a blender, a chair, a trash can, dishes, some bread which Clint says is Really Really Good, (too bad I'm allergic to bread,) hooks (for Clint's clothes) and a rug and a clock (which doesn't work).

Clint in the Concepcion Mission President Arrington's office looking at the current district missionaries

 View from our balcony to the north

View from our balcony to the west, toward the coast

Now I have a comfortable chair to add to the furnished couch. The big puff blanket I got cheap at Ikea in Florida. (I guess they didn't realize no one would buy big blanket puffs in Florida.) I tied it up with baling twine and brought it all the way to Chile. The temporary setup using the teeny-tiny chairs perched on the ottoman will have to do until I can find a small computer table.

Clint taking a well-deserved rest. From what we hear, the good mattress is a rarity. The Kimballs gave us the bed pad, which you use to heat the bed before you get in it, and then turn it off. The hot-water-furnace on the wall behind the clothes drying rack is for decoration purposes only. There are room heaters but it is less expensive to wear more clothes. Fortunately we are going into the summer season!

Tomorrow, we go to church and to dinner at the Kimball's. We have survived an entire day in Concepcion.

End of MTC Training

Today we had our final Perpetual Education Fund/Self Reliance Center training session in the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City.

The Church Office Building near the temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, the nerve center of the LDS Church.

We spent three and one-half hours on Sunday with Elder Joseph Sitati of Kenya, who gave us an overview of the function and purpose of Self Reliance centers around the world. Many senior missionaries are serving in western Africa, especially in Ghana.

Elder Joseph Sitati

On Monday and Tuesday, we heard from some of the high-powered volunteers who help inspire and run the PEF/Self Reliance program, including current and former founders of the Unitus Micro Credit Loan institution Mike Murray, (Bob Gay, the co-founder of Unitus and head of the PEF/SRC, was not able to be with us,) and Geoff Davis, director of the Self Reliance Program content. We also heard from Tom Rueckert, Director of Self Reliance Field Services, Joe Daria and Tim Sloan, Director of International Field services, who Clint recognized as a former director of Darigold, our dairy's creamery.

A view from the 19th floor of the Church Office Building

Downtown Salt Lake City

We were driven to and from the Church Office Building by David Roper, a son-in-law of one of the Quorum of the Twelve. He talked to us nonstop about his inside knowledge of Church operations, always gently humorous and self-effacing, reminding us that many of his stories were for our ears only.

The COB is a very tall building.

Tuesday evening we attended a devotional with Elder Dallin Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve, who talked to all the young (and senior) missionaries about how the LDS Church is different because it has 1) the fulness of the Doctrine of Christ 2) the restored Priesthood and 3) Testimony. Then we spent an hour with friends from Ontario, Steve and Linda Laney, now serving in the branch presidency of the Brazilians in the MTC. They wished us well.

Tomorrow we do laundry and pack, weigh, and repack all our luggage for our departure on Thursday.

Our First Week in the MTC

There are fifteen Missionary Training Centers around the world, including South and Central America, Africa, Europe, and New Zealand. We reported to the Provo, Utah MTC and had an intensive five days of training from the Preach My Gospel manual.

Our group of fifty couples were divided into "Districts" of four couples. Our eight men and women ranged in age from 58 to 79, and have been to or are going to Samoa, China, Nauvoo, Central Oregon, the Marshall Islands, Lebanon, and Chile Concepcion. We got to know and love each other very well, and plan to keep track of each other all over the world.

The Robertsons, Beckers, Kenningtons and Gyslers, with our morning trainer Sis. Brown.

We started out in the Marriott Hotel in downtown Provo, since there were so many senior missionaries. Eventually we were able to beg our way into an MTC room, since the lack of a car was very inconvenient! As soon as we moved in, Clint tried out the nap facilities.

 After our classes ended Friday afternoon, we took the shuttle to the Wilkinson Center with Werner and Lilly Gysler. I bought a CTR ring and a few lightweight clothes. We passed by the BYU library on campus.

The afternoon was brilliant. This is the BYU Administration Building.

I lived in Heritage Halls on the BYU campus when I was a 17-year-old freshman waaaaaay back in 1970. These buildings are now being torn down to make way for -- 

-- spectacular new Heritage Halls for men and women.

Walking back to the MTC with Werner and Lilly in view of the Wasatch Mountains. Lilly was afraid she wouldn't like the bookstore since she can't read English, but she found some beautiful art prints to buy.

Later in the evening my sister Linda and her husband Craig, who live not far away in Midway, picked us up for a dinner on the town. They are expecting their own mission call sometime next week! Good luck Robinsons! We talked as fast as we could nonstop to get everything in. They kindly took us to Dillard's afterward so I could buy some sensible and comfortable Clark shoes, since I could tell the new black flats I was wearing were not going to make it through the rigors of southern Chile.

I am hoping today (Saturday) that the junior missionaries will leave an hour or two of a washer and dryer free for me to do laundry, but alas the time has not yet come--they are camped out en masse in laundry room in the basement. There is a huge fan in the entrance to let cool air in there. I will wait until lunch time, when many of them are occupied with food, to see if there are some empty washing machines.

Provo MTC!

After many months (make that years)  of deadlines, Clint and I came to a dead stop on the calendar. October 7th, 2013 we reported to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. I don't have anything else written down, except for the day we fly to Concepcion, Chile.

39 years ago we graduated with bachelor's degrees from the Brigham Young University campus. We have been back many times, but never like this. Thursday night we stayed at our son Conrad's, visiting with Sarah and Athena, Carson, Anna and round-cheeked, blue-eyed Clayton. What a happy, content family of parents and children.

Clint hugging my sister Karen goodbye in front of their West Valley City home.

Friday we left our faithful Camry with Clint's sister Cathy and her husband Tom Dayley, who drove us to the Boise airport with our four 49-pound suitcases plus carry-ons. We were so exhausted we could hardly keep awake. My brother-in-law David Barker drove us home after the one-hour flight, and he and my sister Karen kindly let us stay for the weekend watching the LDS conference on TV and eating fresh vegetables out of David's garden.

Stopping in front of the STOP HERE sign.

Monday morning we met Mom and LaMar, who had driven up from St. George, at Kneader's Bakery in West Valley City for a last breakfast together. Then David drove us to the MTC and dropped us off. Fifty senior couples checked in today, from all around the country, heading for such diverse places as Kiev, Ukraine, the Lebanon, Honolulu, Hawaii, Peru, El Salvador, Iceland, Nepal, New Jersey, Osorno, Chile, Eugene, Oregon, and Wellington, New Zealand. Some were humanitarian missionaries, some health service missionaries, Member Support services, Records Preservation, visitors center, and some Perpetual Education Fund like Clinton and me. Everyone had their nametags on and are ready and excited to go.

Our luggage waiting to be transported to the Provo Marriott hotel, since there wasn't room for us at the MTC.

We have five days of regular instruction and four days of Perpetual Education Fund instruction. We will fly out of Salt Lake City to Dallas Fort Worth and then to Santiago and Concepcion on Thursday, October 17th, if the U.S. airports are still functioning.

The lobby of the MTC

Young sister missionaries posing next to the Bicycling Elders statue

Walking around the MTC buildings is just like the BYU campus

The Big World Map. Clint and I are pointing out where we will be headed in ten days.

We finally made it! We are glad to be here and looking forward to what happens next.

Setting Apart

I discovered the best way to clean oak cabinets is using Murphy's Oil Soap with a scrubber and small knife to scrape out gummy spots, and follow up with Howard's Feed'n'Wax. Everything looks so good I want to try it on all the wood surfaces in my house, but I'm running out of time.

Vanessa came and shampooed all the carpets, including the stairs, bless her. The belt on her shampooer broke and the air filter for the vacuum clogged up with layers of dirt. That's what happens when you live on a farm and the dirt overwhelms everything. The man at the vacuum shop had replacement belts. I was so happy I almost kissed him.

We had the ritual burning of the old barn clothes. I think they would have spontaneously ignited if I hadn't set them on fire.

The Burning of the Barn Clothes

Tonight we were set apart as official missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our wonderful stake president, Brad Barlow, an emergency room physician, blessed us both with the spirit of revelation and good health and missionary labor, and blessed us that our families at home would be well and taken care of. It was very comforting.

He quoted a scripture from Doctrine and Covenants Section 31:

 3 Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare ^aglad tidings of great joy unto this generation.

 4 You shall ^adeclare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun. You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is ^bwhite already to be burned.

 5 Therefore, ^athrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are ^bforgiven you, and you shall be laden with ^csheaves upon your back, for the ^dlaborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live.

 6 Behold, verily I say unto you, go from them only for a little ^atime, and declare my word, and I will prepare a place for them.

 7 Yea, I will ^aopen the hearts of the people, and they will receive you. 

We have visited a number of people dear to us and have gone out to lunch & dinner with old friends. Thank you so much.

A final picture of my back yard, taken between all the rain that has made everything green and fresh:

I will miss this place.

Packing up the House

Yesterday we spoke in our ward on the Ninth Article of Faith, "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God."  Three of our children and their families were there to hear us--Vanessa, Conrad and Carrie. Afterwards we came home and had a family dinner. It was wonderful. We skyped with our two sons who are far away, Casey in Germany and Jeff in Florida. Only one more Sunday and then we will be gone.

Anna and Sydney eating homemade peach ice cream at our family dinner. We added fresh raspberries to make a nice shade of pink, which is the favorite color of these sparkly girls.

In the last few weeks we've accomplished a lot. Clint has been overseeing the installation of a pellet stove and heat/ac pumps in Grandpa's house, putting doors on the bedrooms (long story), replacing the windows with ones that open and close, and remodeling both bathrooms and the laundry room. Our neighbor Ike Mason did all the tile work.

You can actually open the windows now. Wendy (Clint's sister and Grandpa's caretaker) has nice cross currents going so Grandpa's house can air out.

New bathtub, sinks, plumbing, tile, toilet, and frosted window that opens! Wendy loves to take baths now. You may notice the walls are unfinished stacked 2x4s, which is the way Grandpa built it.

Clinton overseeing the excavator truck dumping gravel into what has been a great big hole in the ground Grandpa used to collect wooden pallets to burn in his homemade furnace. We go to Home Depot at least once or twice a day to get supplies to fix things.

Now Wendy can park her truck under the overhang that serves as a carport. Clint also rerouted the water lines and electricity so it wouldn't have to go through the dairy barn, where everything will freeze this winter since it isn't being used.

We found some renters for our house--a wonderful young couple, Brian and Chelsea, and their two young sons. She is willing to take on my big yard, and he works with Chris who is leasing our hay ground. Our neighbor Barb who manages rentals recommended we pull up the carpet in the basement, lay pallets over the floor, and store all our belongings and furniture downstairs.

So my project has been going through all our belongings, throwing away, giving away, and burning much of it, and storing what I really want to keep in bins or stacked on furniture in the basement. I have worn several inches off running up and down the stairs with heavy boxes, so I guess it is worth it! Since we have lived in our house 38 years, we've never really had to throw anything away, so this is a good exercise for me. One must consider if something is worth packing and opening up in two years from now.

Taking the books out of the shelves was bad enough, but when pictures come off the walls, the house begins to lose its personality. So I am leaving as many up as I can until the last minute. We took down one bed today and will take the rest down in the next few days. We are running out of places to sit, and have to stack things on the floor. It is beginning to echo in here.