Faithful Chileans, winter setting in and caught a cold!

Roberto Castillo doing genealogy at our apartment

4 washer and 3 dryers at our laundry on our floor

The plaque of the CCM(MTC) on 3rd floor

This week was a love and love more relationship with those Chileans who attend the temple.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday not too many came.  Friday and Saturday were to say the least very busy.  Chileans work day is very long.  They generally enter work between 8 and 9:30 AM and don't leave until 6:30 to 8 PM.  So it very hard to attend the temple during the day as the temple sessions don't start until 9 AM.  The last session is at 8 PM.  So the weekends are packed especially as many come from outside of Santiago by bus.  This weekend we had 5 buses as far away as Puerto Montt(22 hours by bus).  The fun thing to see though is that there were 4 weddings on Saturday.  In Chile, the members have to be married civilly first then get married in the temple the next day.  We also had a sealing of husband and wife to their 2 10 year old twin girls.  Then they go outside on the plaza area behind the temple and take pictures.  It really helps us understand the eternal nature of what temples are for.

After Saturday, we were exhausted.  We got to the temple at 6 AM and didn't have a break until we left at 2 PM.  We could use many more men to assist us on Saturday morning.

This week we had a visit from one of our very close friends.  Roberto Castillo.  He is married to Claudia Baschman.  I baptized her mother and father in 1969 and then she and her sister Angelica were born after that time.  They are a great couple and they just had a baby boy 2 months ago to go with the their 2 year old daughter.

We are so blessed to be here in such pleasant surroundings.  The missionaries we see at the CCM(MTC) here are so delightful.  President and Sister Allred get new missionaries every 3 weeks.  They are here 3 weeks learning Preach my Gospel.  They had 3 go thru the temple for the first time this past week.  Such a thrill to be with them.

I have a had cold this weekend, so Millie and I have pretty much taken it easy so I can get better by tomorrow.  I think it is working.

We are so glad to be able to talk with all of you via phone or skype.  It really buoys us up to be able to do that.  The gospel is true and blesses all of our lives.

We received 2 letters this week.  One from our empty nester home evening group and 1 from Julie Ann Little.  Her wedding invitation.  1 arrived via pouch and the other directly to the Santiago East Mission Address.  So nice to know they got here!!