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.