Time Is Flying

Myself with President John and Sister Nancy Rappleye of the Chile Osorno Mission

Sister Cardon a temple missionary telling a story as we wait for nightfall and the New Year's Eve fire works at the bay in Vina del Mar, Chile 2012
The senior missionaries enjoying our Christmas Eve roast beef dinner 2011
Senior missionaries at the 103 year old working flower clock in Vina del Mar, Chile Jan. 2, 2012

Rt to left the Bowlers of Nevada, the Cardons of Utah, the Cahoons of Canada, the Workmans of Idaho, myself, Sister Abaris of Calif./Mexico, the Lees of Washington.

View of the volcano and the lake from the Hamilton's home in Llanquehue, Chile

Erupting volcano near Puyehuey in southern Chile

The months of November and December seem to have flown by. One of the traditions here in Santiago is for all the north Americans to meet at the Chile Santiago North mission home for Thanksgiving Dinner. The mission home was at one time the Swiss Embassy, so it is a big beautiful home with some features that look like a Swiss chalet. We didn't want for any of the traditional Thanksgiving foods. Although some dishes didn't taste the same because you can't find some ingredients such as brown sugar. I am not certain how many people were there, I suspect around a hundred. I met a number of people for the first time such as a doctor who works for the US Air Force and the comptroller for the huge new olive orchards and olive oil company the church is developing south of Santiago. It was an afternoon of good food and good company.

Dr and Sister Welch and I had planned to go to the farthest north mission the first part of November, but had to cancel those plans because of an unexpected visit by general authorities. However, we were invited to go give short presentations and spend two days at the mission president's conference on November 30 and December 1. I was grateful to be invited to go. I know it was an expense, but every minute of my time was well used, to the point I only had about 5 minutes to dash to the gift shop to buy a couple of postcards just before the shuttle came to take us to the airport. I was able to meet three mission presidents and their wives that I had talked with a lot on the phone, but never seen face to face. I also appreciated setting in on some of the presentations by the area presidency.

The conference was held in the southern most mission at a beautiful, rustic resort called Puyehue which is in the mountains near a lake. Every thing is either some beautiful hue of green or a brilliantly colored flower. Most of the views are breath taking. The color of the lake is an amazing turquoise color they say is created by the volcanic ash that falls in the water. There are three high snow covered volcanoes nearby. We could also see another volcano, I am guessing it was about 50 miles away, that was having a major eruption. Because of the ash the airline was not certain we would get in or out. The day we left, the airline consolidated three flights into one, which was our scheduled flight, so we got out as planned, but the flight was absolutely packed.

When we got back from the conference I was scrambling to get all the appointments in I had rescheduled from the two days we were gone. I was also packing in appointments for the next two weeks in anticipation of an eight day visit to the Osorno mission, again in the farthest south parts of Chile.The volcano was still erupting on December 16, the morning of our departure. Luckily our flight was only delayed, not canceled. When we got to Puerto Montt my luggage was not with us. Lan airlines put the luggage on another flight that was leaving at the same time, but that flight had too much weight so it was transferred to an afternoon flight which meant an extra trip for the President Rappleye, the mission president, to get my luggage.

The first two nights we were in the south we stayed at the Hamilton's home in Llanquihue. As I understand the story, the home was built by a couple from the US who served a temple mission in Santiago then, without even going home, asked to serve another mission, specifically to run the office in the Osorno mission. During that mission they decided to buy property so they could live in Chile a part of every year. They built the home immediately after completing their second mission, but are now in the US for a year while he is doing some special job related to his profession. They only lived in the home a couple of months before going back to the US, but are such giving people that they allow any senior missionaries in Chile to use the home free of charge.

That area of Chile has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. I had no idea how beautiful it was. It is a very rural area with miles and miles of rolling green hills and forests, huge lakes and snow capped volcanoes. There are beautiful flowers everywhere. In fact, they grow the plant the produces canola oil which flowers with a bright yellow blossom. So as you look out over the rolling green hills you will see huge fields of bright yellow blossoms. The thing that I still can't believe is the cleanliness. The government infrastructure for the highways and freeways seems better than some places in the US. All the Freeways and highways are in excellent repair and they have crews of men out on the road sides with weed wackers trimming the grass and weeds and then hauling it all away in trucks.

Sunday night we stayed with President and Sister Rappleye in the Osorno mission home. On Monday I attempted to meet with the psychiatrist that has been found in Valdivia to work with the missionaries I refer for medication. I wasn't able to talk with her due to her busy schedule. We then drove to a beautiful mountain retreat, Villarica, where we stayed for the night. I actually had elk steak for dinner.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we attended three different zone conferences where Dr. Welch and I did presentations. Dr. Welch presented on managing common illnesses. I presented on how to grow from stressful situations. The Rappleyes, Welchs and I then has a chance to experience a stressful situation. Early Wednesday morning as we were beginning the second zone conference the president got a call from a zone leader in an area about four hours drive from where we were. The zone leader was out running with another missionary who collapsed and shortly after went into full arrest. Luckily the ambulance arrived in three minutes, was able to quickly get him on a respirator and transport him to a local hospital.To make a long story short, after rearranging the schedule for the next day's conf. We did our presentations the morning and then by car and ferry made our way to the island where the missionary was hospitalized. He was still on a respirator. the decision was made to transport him by ambulance to the nearest airport four hours away and then he was flown by air ambulance to Santiago to a very nice state if the art hospital. Now, about a month later, the missionary is going to be taken to the US. He is up and walking,but a reason for his collapse is still in question and he has a great deal of memory loss and confusion.

The Welch's and I flew back to Santiago late Friday December 23. A friend from home, Hehwon Fordham, had sent me some money for Christmas with instructions to take some missionaries to dinner. To make the money reach as many missionaries as possible, I decided to buy enough roast for a roast dinner for all the senior missionaries. On Christmas Eve the senior missionaries had a very nice roast beef dinner, gift exchange, sing along and reading of the scriptures. Between those of us who work in the area offices and the temple missionaries there is a total of thirty. Christmas Day I had two young sister missionaries come to my apartment to Skype their families, then another two young sisters joined us for a Christmas dinner. It was really fun to spend time with them. I had a wonderful Christmas

Over the New Year's weekend I went to Vina del Mar with five couples and one single sister who are all temple workers. They invited me to go so the single sister who is from Mexico would be able to afford to go. So, that worked out nicely for me. We left on Saturday morning and returned Monday afternoon. We had a good time together and I appreciated the chance to get to know everyone better. One of the couples is from Canada, but the rest are from the western US. Of course we had to go down to the beach to claim a spot many hours before the fire works began. One of the most memorable experiences for some of us women was standing in line for over an hour to use the one hole toilet off the oil changing bay of a gas station across the street from our spot on the beach. We had to all be a little punchy to find such an experience so hilariously entertaining.

I considered it a small miracle that my phone didn't ring New Year's weekend from Saturday morning when I got in the van until after I was out of church on Sunday. Many of the mission presidents and missionaries knew I was going to Vina. I think they were trying to be considerate and let me enjoy the weekend because it was like someone opened the flood gates on Monday and Tuesday. So, I am off to a running start of the 2012.

Happenings of the last month and random thoughts

Wow, another month has passed! For a couple of weeks in Oct. things seemed to slow down a little, but just about the time I was starting to relax I got very busy. Last week I was in the office until 8-9 PM twice and until 7PM twice. Monday was the only night I got home at a reasonable hour, but I went back to the office after grabbing a bite to eat so I could quickly do a couple of things and say "Hi" to Abby and Aydree before going to family home evening at 7PM. By Saturday I was in need of some diversion, but discovered I was too tired to go anywhere or do much of any thing. So, I stayed in the apartment cooking and cleaning and went out for about an hour to do grocery shopping which was all very therapeutic! However, the day was not a complete diversion. Early in the morning, I spent time on the phone and e-mail with a mission president finishing up arrangements to find an escort for a missionary who has become psychotic and needs to go home to the US. Then about 7PM a mission president's wife called about a missionary who is falling apart. I ended up on the phone ect. for about two hours with that situation. I see a fair number of missionaries who are good people with strong testimonies who try to be absolutely perfect in every way and then become overwhelmed with discouragement and exhaustion from the strain of it all. At times I suspect Satan's best tool against them is to make them feel they are failures and have no chance of being a successful missionary because they can't figure out how to be perfect and feel the presence of the Spirit with them every minute of every day. Many of that type of missionary, especially if they tend to have a lot of anxiety, can not be convinced that giving the best we know how to give is all the Lord expects. They also have a hard time accepting the fact investigators have chosen not to be baptized not because the missionary did something wrong, but because the investigator used his/her agency.

Elder Quinton L. Cook, Elder Snow of the Seventy and one of the counselors in the Presiding Bishopric is here touring the Chile area. As of August 2012 this area will be consolidated with the area that is now Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. I think the new area will be the South America South Area. I suspect the visit is in part to gather information needed for the change. Saturday, November 5th Elder Cook spoke to the missionaries of the North and East Santiago missions in a morning devotional. We senior missionaries who work out of the area offices were invited to go to that devotional. Elder Cook gave a wonderful talk and emphasized two thoughts that have come to my mind many times. One statement he made to the missionaries was, "Know that you are good enough". I just hope some of the missionaries who are such perfectionists will believe him.

I had an interesting experience this week. For a couple of months I have seen an Elder off and on because of a strange sleep disturbance that he has. He is a leader in his mission and a great person. Whenever he comes in he brightens my day by his humor and happy disposition. However, he is exhausting himself and everyone else in the house with his vivid dreams, talking, shouting and acting out his dreams, all in his sleep. The mission president had decided he needed to send the elder to a sleep clinic for a work-up, but wanted him to come in one last time to see what I could do. I had a very busy day Wednesday with just a 30 minute slot of open time in which I decided to get on line and do some research. Within 20 minutes I had found the name of a disorder that described his symptoms, a review of all the research that has been done up to last year and the newly published guidelines for treatment of the disorder. Later that day I talked to Dr. Doty, head of missionary medical, who is going to get me the name of one of the heads of the sleep disorder center in Salt Lake who will consult with me on how to treat the missionary. This is the kind of thing that happens over and over again as I work with the missionaries. Not once have I ever gotten on line to find research on something, not alone something I didn't even have a name for, and come up with that kind of information in that amount of time. I have a firm testimony the Lord knows each of these missionaries personally and watches over them.

We are coming into summer here. The blossoms on the bougainvilla are amazing as well as the many flowering trees that line the streets. One of the trees that has a fern-like leaf has the most beautiful shade of lavender blossom I think I have ever seen. I go walking each morning with one of the senior sisters whose husband likes to walk by himself because he can walk faster and get a better workout. We go to the park which is only about a block west of my apartment and has a dirt walking path. There is also some exercise equipment which is for stretching and weight lifting. We spend about fifteen minutes on the equipment after we walk. Both of us feel stronger and more flexible from the walking and exercising, but don't look any different. I guess that is to be expected when you get past sixty.

A couple of thoughts before I close. As of October 25th I have been on my mission for six months, which means from now on I will be having some one time experiences. For example, I will only spend one Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year in Chile. It makes me sad when I think about that, which tells me that I am adjusting to being here. Even though I still miss my family very much, I can tell when the time comes to leave Chile it is going to be hard. Well, I think this is enough for one entry.

Another Celebration

Today is October 16th and I am going to talk about a celebration I went to last night, but before doing that I need to note that reading this blog would make one think all I do is go to special activities. I am staying busy in the office and still love working with the missionaries. Many are making good progress, which makes everyone involved happy, especially the missionaries. However, for some of them a time comes when it is best to go home. They have fought the good fight and go home with honor even though their mission may not have been for the full two years. I just pray that when they go home friends and members of their wards will meet them with open arms and love and support them as they work to overcome the challenges they face.

Last night the Chile area celebrated the 50th anniversary of missionary work in Chile. The event, held in a stadium in northern Santiago, was broadcast to all stake houses in Chile and streamed over internet to the US. Literally thousands of youth performed dances from many Latin American countries. At the beginning of the event each of the area presidency spoke and an outstanding youth choir from the Santiago area provided the music. A section of the stadium was reserved for former missionaries. I 'm not certain of the numbers, but some came all the way from the US for the celebration. It was truly outstanding and overwhelming to think of the cost in both time and money to prepare for such an event!!

I am preparing for a visit to the Antofagasta mission the second week in November. It is the farthest north mission and covers a lot of very remote barren country from what I am told. I will go to three zone conferences which are so far apart we will have to fly from one to the other. Many of the big mines are located in that area.

Due to some recent scrutiny by the Chilean Ministry of Health, I have a big challenge ahead of me. In the past I managed missionary needs for medication through consultation with a psychiatrist in Salt Lake. I must now find psychiatrists in every mission who are willing to work with me to prescribe medication since only Chilean doctors can legally administer medications even if the patient is a US citizen. Psychiatrists are a rare breed in some areas of the country. However, we will find a way to abide by the law. The area medical advisor has a similar and in some ways bigger challenge than I do.

Catch-up time

It has now been over a month since I posted to this blog, so I will do a little catch-up. First I must comment on the beautiful sunsets I have been seeing out the windows of my apartment, which all face west. The sun is setting right about 7:45 PM these days. So, I am usually home to see the gorgeous pinks, oranges and reds against the blue sky.

I believe it was August 22 the Kemps, mission president of the Chile MTC and his wife, invited three senior couples and me to take a P-day with them. They have an eight passenger van. We drove to the town of La Ligua, about two hours away. Just outside the town is a little village with one long street of maybe sixty or more shops which all sell sweaters. Sweaters are a major part of everyone's wardrobe, men and women. Most are made of wool, some cotton, and some either alpaca or llama. Most of the sweaters are priced around $14 US. I was so tired of wearing the same outfits for almost four months, I ended up buying four sweaters, two of them crocheted. I kept thinking how much I would like to buy a bunch for my family. They really had fun things for girls around Abby and Aydrees age and of course tons of things my daughters would have liked.

On the way back to Santiago, we took the coastal route and saw some beautiful seaside towns. Everyone was lamenting that Chile is so far away from the US as those towns would be wonderful places to vacation.

Between September 10th and 19th the Chilean Independence Days celebration took place. Yes, it went on for over a week. They do know how to celebrate!! Here in Santiago there were literally hundreds of celebrations going on. The main celebration was in a huge park,(like a state fair ground, stadium and rodeo grounds all in one area) about a 20 minute bus ride and then 15 min. walk from here. I went to some of the activities at the park the first Saturday and the final day of the celebration. Many absolutely beautiful horses were involved in various parts of the celebration. I went twice to the rodeo. It is entirely different than in the US. The entire rodeo includes only one event which involves very skilled horsemanship and highly trained horses. The huasos (cowboys) work in a team to run a steer around the corral (Media Luna = half moon) and bump it up against the fence so all four feet are off the ground. Pretty amazing because one horse and rider are constantly up near the steers neck side-stepping at a gallop to keep the steer up against the fence. The other horse and rider are behind the steer driving it around the ring to the spot where the lead horse uses its chest to bump the steer up against the padded fence. Points are scored depending partly on whether or not all four of the steer's feet come off the ground when it is bumped against the fence. The last day of the celebration a group of us, about twelve senior missionaries, arrived at the park around 1PM for the program at 2PM. At the gate a notice was posted saying the time of the program had been changed to 6:30 PM. (Somethings in Latin American never change!) So, it was a much longer day than I expected, but worth the wait and in good company. Much dancing with beautiful costumes, of course many beautiful, well trained horses and a lot of outstanding programming. I was glad to be there and see so much of the culture. We all waved Chilean flags and chanted, "Chi, chi, le, le--Viva Chile".

Because of the celebration, the area offices were closed Friday,the 16th and Monday the 19th. I used Friday and Saturday to work on my apartment. In Chile the renter is expected to do all maintenance and improvements. So, I took advantage of that and bought a bedspread and a can of sage green paint for my bedroom. I spend the two days scrubbing baseboards and painting. I discovered that the blackish grey baseboards are actually a camel color. Now that things are clean and brightened up a little, I am liking the place a lot better. This past week I have worked on rearrange the main living area. I also like it a lot better. It somehow feels more inviting. It could be because it is now warm and full of sunshine so you can sit in the room without freezing'

Horrah, I am celebrating, because most of this past week it has been warm enough I haven't had to sit in front of the little electric heater any time I was here in the apartment. I believe winter is almost over. I have resolved not to complain when summer arrives and it gets very hot.

The past week was busy. I invited as many president's wives as could come to a training luncheon on Wednesday. Dr. Welch, the area MD, asked if he could join us to do some training and a couple of mission presidents also asked to come. All together there were ten of us in attendance. We did the training from 11-1 and then had lunch. The meal was first class. All the wives, as well as the presidents, seemed pleased and appreciative of the information they received. They also said it was fun just to be together and share experiences.

Thursday my first appointment began at 9:30 AM and the last ended at 5:30 PM with no breaks. Of course, I had to do the paperwork before going home and take a couple of calls. So, left the office at 7PM. I am pretty much brain dead at the end of such days, so I was very happy to have a much lighter day on Friday. Because I get so brain dead on long days, I have determined to spend time in the evening reading, just to clear my mind. Friday, I finished reading War and Peace. Tolstoy and I have a lot in common when it comes to our attitudes about war.

Saturday, Sunday and today I have had two young women staying with me who are former mission companions from the Uruguayan mission. How they came to be here and need a place to stay is a long story, but it is fun to have them. One is living in Salt Lake and going to the U of U. the other is from Cordoba, Argentina and is planning on going to BYU in 2012. They just left for the airport. They are going to Montevideo for two weeks to work in the temple and visit acquaintances. Their names are Allison Roach and Noelia Moreno.

Yesterday was another FHE for the senior missionaries and a farewell potluck supper for one of the couples who have been working in the temple. It was a very touching and spiritual time. The couple are the first members of the church in their families and feel very humble about their knowledge of the gospel and desire to learn more.

During the supper I began to feel ill and ended up sick all of last night and today. I am not sure what I have. I guess just some kind of stomach virus, but I will be glad when the fever goes away.

Wow! it has been a while since I have written in this blog--- typical of the way I keep a journal. I was suddenly very busy with other things during the middle of July. Two weeks ago I sang a duet in Sacrament meeting with the ward choir director. Nearly scared me to death. I really get stage fright when I sing, even in a choir setting. Of course, making sure I was pronouncing the Spanish correctly only added to the tension. However, I felt blessed that I was more calm than usual and only made one obvious mistake. The same day I did a presentation to the missionaries in the MTC and the next day gave the lesson and provided the treat for the senior missionary home evening. I don't like to admit that it took me the next week to feel I had recovered from the preparation and presentation of those three things. Could I possibly be aging?

It hardly seems possible that today is July 24th. I am not sure what the temperature is outside. I would guess somewhere around 40 F. The sky was blue this morning when we left for church, but by the time we arrived at the stake center, it was foggy. The senior missionaries provided the music and talks for Sacrament meeting today. We all sang a medley of a primary pioneer song followed by the chorus of Firm as the Mountains. The three talks were given by Noel Cardon, a temple missionary, here with her husband; Elder Michael Cahoon, also a temple missionary here with his wife; and Elder Gary Heaton, executive secretary to the area presidency. All the talks were about early church pioneers and all the speakers are from Utah and have pioneer heritage.

Yesterday was a wonderful day of diversion. Three senior couples and I went to a town called Pomaire, about a fourty-five minute drive southwest of Santiago. We rode a bus out and back. The drive alone would have been worth the trip for me. We drove through the country side with many open fields and livestock. Some of us were interested in the crops. We had trouble identifying most of what was growing. The one thing we all agreed on was a field of alfalfa, the one and only one we saw. I also was certain of a wheat field. The wheat was only about a foot high and the bright green color so typical of new wheat. We suspected we saw cabbage, potatoes, beans and maybe artichokes. We also saw a number of orchards, apple, peach and avacado. Because it is winter here the crops are their winter crops and the trees are bare.

For many decades Pomaire has been known as the potter's village. The locals, as well as tourist, visit there on the weekends. Yesterday the place was packed. We think it was because this is the last weekend of a two week break for all the schools and colleges. There are dozens of shops that sell pottery of every kind, plus many other shops and restaurants. Buses go out in the morning arriving around 9:30 and don't return until 5:30 in the afternoon. So, we had plenty of time to wander around and see things. Sister Mason bought two huge shopping bags full of pottery. Her husband complained all the way home. Rightfully so, because we had to take the Metro and a city bus to get home from the main bus station. Each of the bags they were carrying weighed about twenty pounds. The other two couples bought some of the beautiful multi-glazed, brightly colored more expensive platters and pitchers. I got a little decoration for the kitchen. I would love one of the beautiful vases or platters, but am not sure it could survive a trip home to the US. so will make a decision when it is close to the end of my mission.

I continue to stay busy in my office and love working with the missionaries. Many of them are dealing with issues that have been with them for sometime, such as relationship problems or the death of a family member or loved one they have never truly grieved.

The past week and a half of work with the missionaries has been kind of a steady flow, enough to stay busy and not overwhelmed. A week ago today between 11 AM and 3 PM was a going away celebration for Pres. Amado, the area president. It consisted of a devotional, then a very nice catered meal with entertainment and special recognition and gifts for the Amados. Everyone who works in the area offices was invited.

Monday was a holiday here in Chile. I never heard what kind of holiday, but most everything was closed. Some of the senior couples went sight seeing, but I had three appointments so I couldn't go. That was all good because four senior couples and I went out from noon until around 8 PM Saturday.The Heatons, who have been here the longest, were the ones who organized the outing. This is their second or third mission in Chile. I think at one time he was the president of the MTC here. Now he is the executive secretary to the area president.Anyway, we went to a very nice area of Santiago where every thing looks like your in a very nice part of a big city in the US. In fact if it weren't for the signs in Spanish you couldn't tell the difference. We had lunch in a place called the Tortilla Factory, owned by three guys, one from the US, one from Chile and one from Germany. Then we wandered around a very big and exclusive mall. I looked for some fabric to make some kind of bed cover. I found some I really liked, but it would have cost $240 for enough to cover a queen sized bed. So, you get an idea of the prices in the stores. We were mainly killing time waiting to go to a movie.The big cinema complex there in the mall has about a dozen theaters and plays some of the movies in English so we had to wait over two hours to catch one in English. I really appreciate how the couples include me. However, it is awkward to be the only single person.

I think winter is here. The last couple of days the temperature has been in the low 40's.Today it has rained hard all afternoon and evening. Late this afternoon there was a group of three sister missionaries at my office, all wearing their rubber boots. They had several layers of clothes on and were saying they couldn't keep warm in their apartment because the sliding glass doors won't close tight. I had to laugh because that is true of all the sliding glass windows in this apartment. They close tight at the bottom but there is an inch or wider gap at the top; I have stuffed the gap with newspaper which helps to keep it warmer and also helps block out the noise of the traffic. I have a new appreciation for insulation and double pained windows.

First travel outside of Santiago

Sister Ann Gillespie and me with sister missionaries of the Chile Vina del Mar Mission

Presenting at zone conference in the Chile Vina del Mar Mission

On Monday, June 13, 2011 Bro. and Sister Richeson picked me up around 5PM from my office and we drove to Vina del Mar. I was invited my Pres. Gillespie to give a presentation on dealing with stress to each of the three zone conferences being held in the Vina del Mar mission during the week. The Richesons are a senior couple who help run the mission office. I can tell the president relies heavily on them to keep things running smoothly and to help the elders in the office problem solve. None of us had had time for lunch that day. After we had been on the road for about forty-five minutes, they suggested we stop to grab a bite to eat on the way. They said the best place to get food was coming up at the next exit. It was a McDonald's. I had to smile. I seldom eat at McDonald's at home, but guess I will in Chile. That was the second senior couple who has suggested eating at McDonald's. Luckily, the first time another senior sister who was in the group said,"I didn't come to Chile to eat McDonald's." So the two of us fond sandwiches, Chilean style, nearby.

The visit to the mission was busy, but enjoyable and rewarding. I talked about responding to stress in ways that promote personal growth. I introduced Hardiness principles and explained how those principles align with gospel principle. When I put up the first slide on Hardiness, I explained that when I was first introduced to the concept it was very familiar to me because it was in essence my grandmother's approach to life. The missionaries seemed to really appreciate it. I did the presentation nine times in three zone conferences over three days with one day to travel to the far north of the mission, a four and a half hour drive.

So, I got to see a little of Chile, all of which looked a lot like the landscape in the rather barren parts of Idaho, Utah and Nevada. It was interesting because part of the time we were driving along the ocean. I also really enjoyed the mission president and his wife. They are wonderful people and great hosts. They were planning to take me to a very pretty beach town before we left to drive north, but I spent that whole morning working out the details of getting medication and finding someone to accompany a missionary home. The night before, I had interviewed a humble, almost childlike elder who is psychotic and not able to function in the mission. I had to recommend he go home. It worries and saddens me because he lives in the high Andes and may not get much help in spite of the fact we are working hard to get him the treatment he needs.

I flew back to Santiago Friday night from La Serena. My apartment is in someways rather dismal. Before I left on this trip I had decided I was going to have to do something to make it more cozy and inviting so it will be more of a refuge for me. The carpets are permanently stained and dingy from the pollution here in the city. The walls are made of cement that appear to have been finished with a trowel that had teeth rather than a smooth edge. To make the inside walls look better, they cover them with a thick paper that is then painted. In my apartment all the walls were painted with a flat white paint. Now they have smudges and spots on them that won''t clean off because of the flat paint. In addition to that there are dozens of nails in the walls that have just been painted over. I guess they didn't want to pull them out and have to do the patching. However, the hardest thing to deal with is the lack of heat. Because the whole building is cement, it is about 10 degrees colder in the building the outside. I only have a couple of little electric heaters to stay warm. When I get home in the evening, usually around 6PM, it is dark and the apartment is very cold, probably around 50-60 degrees. So, I fix something to eat, go into my bedroom, close all the doors, turn on the heater and stay there for the rest of the night. Having said all that, this is my amazing blessing. Friday night even though when I got off the plane the man the church hires for airport pick up was not there and I had to take a taxi ( a $40+ bill for a 30 minute ride), I felt happy and at peace, noticed the beautiful full moon, was glad to be going to my home away from home and thought how pretty the tree lined street is that goes by the area offices on the way to my apartment. I am sure it is in a big way due to the prayers of those who love me. Thank you.

Yesterday, Saturday it rained hard. I had notes to enter on the missionaries I had consulted with after each zone conference and had stayed up until after midnight Friday completing the report of my assessment and recommendations for the elder who is going home. So, again, I spent a Saturday at home in my pajamas finishing up work and lounging---a better way to rejuvenate than going out in the rain.

Well, yesterday was the four week mark! Right now it seems like a lot longer, not in a bad way, it is just that a whole lot has gone on in that four weeks. I started the week with all kinds of energy, but by seven o' clock last night my brain was gone. As I mentioned the area Dr.has been back in the states having surgery and getting chemotherapy and the area nurse finished her mission two weeks ago. When the nurse left, she left the keys to the medical office (two floors below my office) with the guard at the entrance to the building. I had been down a couple of times to get meds. One time I had just got into the office when a knock came on the outer door. It was an elder and his companion. He said he had been sick with what he thought was strep throat and had been told to see me. I told him I thought there was a mistake, but he said, "No, they said to go see Sister Memmott". He looked pretty sick. So, I looked in his throat and he had an bad case of strep. I gave him 10 days worth of Amoxycillin and sent him back to his mission which is about the same distance as from Provo to Ogden.

That was just the beginning of the saga of the medical office. Two days later I had a missionary coming in who travels from the same outlying mission. This missionary has had some severe anxiety that has brought on overwhelming OCD. It has really surprised him because he was a star student and athlete and has never had anything like this happen. We are treating him with some pretty high doses of medication which is now interfering with his sleep. So I went to get the key from the guard so I could get something for his sleep. The guard informed me Bro. Heaton, executive secretary to the area presidency, had taken the key because too many people where getting into the office. It ended up that I couldn't find the Heatons to get the key. By chance, I found out one of the missionaries who is working in the East mission office (next door to the medical office) had some benedryl he is taking for allergies. So, I gave the elder who had come to see me some of that benedryl and told him to cut the dosage back on his other med. Needless to say, I was frustrated over the whole key thing.

Yeaterday morning I knew I was going to be seeing a fairly new elder who is is having sleeping problems as well as gastrointestinal problems. He couldn't make it in from his mission until around six in the evening after every one is gone from the main offices. So, I found Bro. Heaton and let him know it was impossible to do my job without keys to the medical office. He was very nice about giving me keys, but let me know I was the only person who could have keys. I reminded him I am going to be gone all next week and would give the keys to him for the week I am gone. So, to the end of this story. I was busy all day either on the phone or with people in my office. By six when the new elder,a cute kid from Lehi, came in I was exhausted and in bad need of the weekend to clear my mind. After I talked with him a few minutes and gave him instructions for relaxation and thought stopping, I told him we would go get some meds. for his other problems. Earlier in the day I had called the Dr. in the states to find out how he wanted to treat the intestinal problems. I had written the meds on a note. Well, try as I may I couldn't find either the note or the keys to the medical office. I hunted and hunted, then the elder helped me hunt. Nothing! Finally, the elder said, "Sister, would you like to say a prayer?" I agreed we should pray and asked him to say a prayer. As he prayed an amazingly sweet, calm feeling came into the room. Afterward, I went and got my purse out of the closet and as we went through it together again, there were the keys. However, I still couldn't find the note. Finally, I said I thought I could remember the meds once I got looking at the labels downstairs, but as I passed my desk on the way out,I flipped open the little notebook I usually carry in my purse and there was the note. A little thing in the grand scheme of life, but pretty amazing that the Lord cared enough to let us know He heard our prayer.

It is Saturday and I have not left my apartment. In fact, it is 5PM and I am still in my fuzzy pajamas. I have been finishing up somethings on the powerpoint, answering e-mail from a mission president and writing to the family. I decided to just make that e-mail into my blog for today since I want to remember these things. I was going to go out and take some pictures, but am in too much of a hermit mode for that---maybe tomorrow.

A little about what I have done here other than in my office. For the first two weeks I was here the MacDonalds were also here. Mac came to be the area auditor. Sandi was to help him, but she has a degree in nursing and ended up running the health clinic in the basement of the area office building. Another couple the Dahlstrom's are here to work with the area Perpetual Education fund. At the end of the first week I was here, the two couples invited me to go out on Friday night to eat at a hamburger and ribs restaurant. We walked for about a half hour to get there. Good exercise. We were joined at the restaurant by the Workmans, a couple who work in the temple. The restaurant was in a very nice building and was clean and nicely decorated. The ribs I had were very good. The price was a bit more than it would have been at home.

The MacDonald's left to go home a week ago. The couple who replaced them are the Mason's. He will be the auditor. She will be his assistant. This is their second mission. The first was to Russia. A week ago Saturday the Dahlstroms invited the Mason's and I to go with them to the fedia (vegetable and fruit market). I am not sure how that market got started. It is a regular street in a residential area that becomes a market each Saturday morning only. There are all kinds of fruits and vegetables plus nuts, beans, grain and even a few folks selling clothes--some new, some used. After we came home and put our purchases away, we met again (both couples live four or five blocks away from where I live) and the Dahlstroms took us to another part of the city which is called El Centro. It is a shopping area above the central station for the Metro, the subway. There are easily a thousand shops in that area. Some are in mall type buildings, others are in stalls along narrow walk ways. You can buy about anything at discount prices. It was interesting to see, but nothing much I would have wanted to buy. We ate lunch in one of the malls. By the time we got home, we had spent from 10 AM to 4 PM walking most of the time. I was more than ready to just sit down.

Oh, a quick note about the buses and subway. You can't use money to pay. You have to buy a Bip card. Meters on the public transportation read the card each time you get on. There are places you can go, such as banks and Bip stations, to scan your card and find out how much credit you have left on the card.

This week end I opted not to go to the fedia. I needed to stay home and work on the power point for my presentations. I did my grocery shopping in the super market just a few blocks from the apartment. There is also a building full of little shops next to the grocery store. I am going to get Renae Mason to go with me someday soon to explore those shops. I understand that there are places to get your hair cut. I am told Sister Heaton is the one to ask about that. A thousand new things to learn. I paid my rent and water bill for the first time last week. You pay them at the bank. The teller had a question about a receipt for my water bill, but I didn't now for sure what she was asking and didn't know for certain how it was supposed to be handled. The teller at the next window told her to just stamp my bill and give it back to me which was all good,because my instructions have been whenever you pay any bill make certain you get a copy of the deposit slip or bill back with a stamp on it as proof you paid.

It is time for bed. I am somewhat up to date with blogging except to post some pictures of the apartment, area office building, ect. That will be my next big technology challenge. However, it is raining hard and acts like it isn't going to stop soon so picture taking may not happen for a few days.

Good night family and friends,

Jeanne

Well, here it is over three weeks since I arrived in Santiago, Chile. It has taken me this long to find this blog site Maren set up for me. (So sad that I am so technically challenged) I plan on using the site like a journal. I already know I won't have time to write in more than one place. So, for those of you who have access, you will probably want to do a lot of scanning. When I get around to sitting down to write, I tend to go on and on.

It is a Sunday afternoon with a little rain. There are patches of blue in the sky which is unusual. The pollution here in the city is thick enough that it reminds me of living in southern California. I just got home from church. I go to the P0curo Ward which normally mets in a chapel on "temple square", a three minute walk from my apartment. However, the chapel is being remodeled. We are meeting in a building which I am told is the first stake center built in Santiago and it is about 30 minutes away by bus. Our ward is big. The number of sisters in Relief Society is about three times the number in my ward in Lindon. Today a new bishopric was sustained. The ward has good strong leadership in all the organizations and the teachers are knowledgeable and well prepared. Much is like being in Utah county. I just need to get to the point I understand all of what is being said. I am probably getting about 25% now, which leaves a lot of room for misunderstanding.

The day I arrived, May 13, 2011, I was met at the airport by two senior couples, the Heatons and the Goodwins. Gary Heaton is the executive secretary for the area president. His wife, Kay, works in the office with him. They are going to be here for several more months, which makes me happy. Dave Goodwin was the area mental health advisor that I replaced. His wife Jeneene helped him with the office type work. They were kind enough to let me stay in the apartment with them until they left here on May 16. It was very helpful to move into an established apartment that is furnished. In fact, Jeneene had so many supplies in the cupboards my grocery bill has been about half the usual these past three weeks. During the first week, I didn't even have to cook there were so many left overs in the freezer and fridge.

As far as the work goes, it keeps me busy, but so far I have not been completely overwhelmed. I think in part because I am being blessed, some of the situations have been pretty intense. Some days I am meeting with missionaries in my office or on the phone or talking to mission presidents or their wives for hours on end. Those days I go home exhausted, then end up getting phone calls around 10:30 PM when missionaries get back to their apartments. Thankfully, the next day or so has been less intense. I am gaining a real testimony that the Lord watches over and sustains His missionaries even though their burdens often are not taken away.

I am going to spend the week of June 13-17 with the Vina del Mar Mission. I will spend time with small groups in each of three zone conferences talking about dealing with stress and how to learn and grow from stressful experiences. Tomorrow I will hopefully finish up the power point presentation and have Ceasar Castro check the Spanish translation for me. Bro. Castro is a young guy who heads LDS Family Services. He was born in Chile, grew up in Salt Lake, came back to Chile for his mission and now is here living permanently and married to a Chilean.

I need to take a break to get something ready for a potluck supper and send off for a couple of sister missionaries who leave to go home Monday. I want to have that ready to go so I can spend time on Skype with everyone who will be at Megan's for Connor's birthday party