Downtown Punta Arenas Plaza 4 March 2013

Statue to Ferdinand Magellan



Statue from other side

 Another side of the Statue

 

Frances Roberts and Rina Onate 

 Rina Onate

 Frances and Rina Onate

              Jay and Sally Karren

Millie and Perry Roberts

                                          Millie and Van touching the toe of the Indian.  Legend says we will come    back if we do this    

                                                Millie shopping at the Plaza de Armas

 

                                               Millie shopping at the Plaza de Armas

                                                  Millie shopping at the Plaza de Armas

                                           Does Rachel have a jewelry shop in Punta Arenas

This blog at times takes way to long to process.  I don't why I can't enlarge all the pictures and add the captions from the blogger process but will endure!  A phone call to Daryl and Rachel probably would help.

We had a great time at the plaza as always.  It is the end of the high season so the vendors were glad to see us.  A cruise ship came in the next day so am sure that helped them out.  Our hotel was only about 4 blocks from the plaza was easy to go to.  Always fun to talk to other tourists and the vendors.

Travel to Punta Arenas

Monday March 4th we went to Punta Arenas via Sky airlines from the Santiago airport.  We made 1 stop at Puerto Montt.  We were picked up in 2 vans from TransVip at 8am and got to the airport in plenty of time for a 10:25 am flight.  We arrived at Puenta Arenas at 2:30pm. 

Sally and Jay Karren

Ida Murphy and Millie Layman

All the Current Missionaries at Santiago Chile Temple

Front Row/L to R/ Lance Willis and Margie Willis, Frances Roberts, President Julio Otay Sister Otay(behind)
Pelusa Pardo and Pepe Pardo (behind), Art and Ardith Hayden, Rina Onate, Sister Jimenez and Brother Jimenez(behind) back row/Van and Millie Layman, Sister and Brother Gardella/Perry Roberts taking the picture

This picture was taken the Sunday of our welcome dinner.  We work either the morning or afternoon shifts.  Currently we, Willis's,  Roberts and Sister Onate work the morning.  Pardo's, Jiminez, Gardella's and Fuenteabla's not pictured work the mornings.  It is hard work but very gratifying doing the Lord's work in the temple.

New temple missionaries

We recieved 3 new chilean temple missionary couples.  Los Jimenez, Gardella, and Fuentealba.  Jimenez from North Carolina after 23 years in the states.  Gardella's from Quilpe, Chile and Fuentealba's from Concepcion via the Chile Santiago West mission.

Jimenez have served before in the Santiago Chile temple and are excited to be at the temple again.  Many of the workers here already know them.  They are a real asset to the temple as he has already been designated trainer for his shift.



Los Jimenez



Los Gardella y Rina Onate

                                  We are all eating as always!

 

 

 

 



PF Changs, a movie and the upcoming temple closure

So ok I will try this again.  Was having problems with pictures and just lost everything.  So to "sum up"  We went to PF Changs's with Lance and Margie Willis to eat.  We have to take buses 117 and 411 to arrive there.  About 4 or 5 miles away.  Millie hates buses but not too bad as she could sit down and it wasn't too crowded.  The food was good the company was great.  We then returned back on bus 411 and walked about a mile home from the bus stop for exercise.  Then we took a taxi to the Costanera center mall and went and saw the movie Les Miserables.  It was good.  Paid extra to see in the Prime theatre so we had reclining leather chairs to sit in.  Was glad because 2 hours and 40 minutes is pretty long!

Eating at PF Chang's

Lance, Margie and Millie

I don't know why these pictures of us won't go bigger so they are what they are!

The temple will close in 2 weeks and we will be going on a trip with 2 couples and 2 single sisters.  Ida Murphy our dear friend from North Carolina will be coming with us as will our missionary single sister Rina Onate.  The Roberts and the Karens are the other couples.  We will be going to Punta Arenas, Chile at the tip of South America at the straits of Magellan.  Also to Torres Del Paine national park and glaciers by boat.  We look forward to it alot.  We are really tired from the work at the temple.  I guess we are officially getting older!

Time to Post, Fun here in Santiago, and hard work

It really is time to post something to our blog!  Millie and I continue to have such special experiences here in the Santiago Chile Templo.  More than anything what we have learned about giving service where we are asked.  Sometimes our natures are that we know how to accomplish certain tasks maybe more efficiently or even better!  The lesson we have learned is that we are asked to do what is needed at the time by those called to direct us.  It is humbling at times but we are so blessed by the Chilean people we know and love.  We can't even think of what it will be like to leave our friends in a few months.

Eduardo and waiter

Soledad and Eduardo what shall we eat?

Van and Millie Eduardo and Soledad Rojas

Where are we?

Lookin Great!

We are so hip!

Milk Shakes Yummy!

Did they buy them?

We were able to go to the Hard Rock Cafe with Eduardo and Soledad Rojas.  They are young couple that we have adopted as our own while we are in Chile.  We had a great time as you can see from the pictures.  It is fun to interact with the young people here in Chile.  Many of them serve as temple workers waiting for their family to be started.

Brother Calquin and Nazario Pantoja from the Auburn Washington Stake

Brother and Sister Pantoja at the Parcela

Heidi Calquin and Millie

Nazario Pantoja Millie and Van

Brother and Sister Pantoja Millie and Van

Nazario and his parents Millie and Van at the Parcela

Brother Calquin, Brother and Sister Pantoja, Sister Calquin, Millie and Van

Brother and Sister Calquin Millie and Van

The Pantoja family is special to us.  Nazario Pantoja lived in our ward in Auburn Washington.  His parents came and lived with them for about a year while I was their home teacher.  Nazario's dad was a mission president in Vina Del Mar Chile in the early 1980's and a stalwart in the church.  Nazario's sister Heidi has a daughter that married a member of our ward in Auburn as well.  It was great to visit and as always the food was great.

We enjoyed our visit there and Hermana Pantoja has given me a new name Blanca Nieve or Snow White.  As you can tell my the pictures, I do not look very much like the native Chileans with their beautiful tan skin.
The weeks seem to be flying by.  We have had so many wonderful experiences in the Santiago Temple.  It has been an experience that we couldn't have had without coming as temple missionaries.  We also are enjoying the relationships we have with the other missionaries that are currently serving her in Chile.
A mission has a way of making you grow in ways that you would not otherwise grow.  I am sure that those of you who have completed missions can look back and agree that it is a unique way to come to understand that strength and beauty of the Gospel.

Welcome Lance and Margie Willis and changing of the guard at the La Moneda

So here we are 21st of January and our new couple Lance and Margie Willis have arrived. They are from Mesa, Arizona and as it turns out we lived in their ward a short time in 1976. Margie was very good friends with Millie's sister Pat in Mesa as they lived in the Mesa 8th ward. Such a small world. We are excited to have them. She was a temple worker in Mesa, Arizona temple and knows Spanish for the temple. He was just released as a Bishop in a Singles ward. He has been a mission president in the Ecuador Guayaquill South mission. He replaced one of Philip's mission presidents. He has not been a temple worker but will learn quickly as his Spanish is excellent and he is quite personable. 

Welcome Margie and Lance Willis

Margie and Lance Willis

Margie and Lance Willis and Perry Roberts at the La Moneda

Margie, Lance Willis, Perry, Frances Roberts Joe Bowler at the La Moneda

Millie and Sister Fisher

Horses for the changing of the guard at the La Moneda

Salvadore Allende in the La Moneda

Salvadore Allende at the La Moneda

Pomp and Ceremony at the Changing of the Guard at the La Moneda

Millie at the La Moneda

Joe and Dixie Bowler at the La Moneda.  Their last Monday in Chile

Changing of the Guard

Changing of the Guard

We had a fun day downtown Santiago at the changing of the guard.  Joe and Dixie's last Monday in Chile.  They go home next Friday.  We will miss them but will go to Bunkerville, Nevada to visit them.