Laymans in Santiago Chile: Good friends Chilean and American alike are priceless

This week found us working hard in the temple but with a different missionary couple on our shift. Gone are Joe and Dixie Bowler now training the new missionary couple the Pardo's on the afternoon shift. The Lee's remain on the afternoon shift. Rudy and Betty Figueroa are now on the morning shift with us. It really is nice to get to know them. In reality, those not on your shift, you don't see very much except on Sunday and Monday. Rudy was born in Mexico and moved to the United States as a very young boy. Betty was born in Puerto Rico and also moved as a young girl to the States. They lived the majority of their married life in Indiana near Chicago. Rudy worked in the Chicago temple for 10 years and Betty for a few less. His Spanish is like a native speaker. Betty says everyone expects she speaks like a native speaker but she has a small accent and doesn't understand 100% of the time. I kid her probably 98% of the time. It is great to work with them. They are very dedicated to temple work and we will learn from them.

Our good friends the Bowlers and us will be going to San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile in August for a week. It has many geological formations, geyers, lakes etc all at 10-14,000 feet high. Will have our prescription for altitude sickness pills filled for sure. I also served as a missionary in Calama where we will stay for 3 nights and go to one of the largest open copper mines in the word in Chuquimata. The temple will close for 2 weeks so we will have 1 week to rest and relax as well.

On Saturday after the temple shift was over we took Eduardo and Soledad Rojas to lunch at the La Hacienda restaurant for lunch. They work on the Saturday morning shift. He actually is the shift coordinator. We had a great time.

Millie and Soledad

Soledad's big smile

What is Eduardo doing?

All 4 of us

Van, Eduardo and Soledad Rojas

Married 16 months and still in love!!

On Sunday we went to stake conference in San Antonio with Gary and Debbie Davis. Gary and I served there as missionaries and have very close friends there. We took the opportunity to visit our close friend Rodolfo Acevedo's gravesite. Very touching for all of us. Leonardo Santis took us there in his club cab pick up. After we went to his home for lunch. He has a recording studio and is a professional musician. So we took a moment to look at that. Millie and Debbie want to go see his group "Magic Band" play. Search youtube for Magic Band, Drive is the song posted.

Millie and Van self photo on way to San Antonio

Gary and Debbie Davis

Memorial to firefighters at Cemetery in San Antonio

All 4 of us at Cemetery to honor Rodolfo Acevedo

Another picture of 4 of us at cemetery

Leonardo Santis, Millie Debbie at Leo's recording studio

We also went shopping to Costanera Center Mall. Dixie is a super shopper but Joe hates it with a passion. So I went along to help him thru the ordeal. Here are a couple of pictures to show the experience