Calama, Ovalle and San Antonio and another despida

This last week flew by!  We had a 130 people here from Calama which is 20 hours by bus north or a 3 hour plane ride.  Some came by both modes of transportation.  It was a special week because of them.  I served in Calama in 1970.  I have people that I baptized that still live there and some friends I met when I visited in 2008.  I was in charge of a couple of their 7 4 hour baptismal times over 4 days.  They came with 40 youth and generally 12 to 14 men to help with the baptisms.  They brought family names to do their own baptisms for their ancestors.  When I told the group that I worked in Calama as a young missionary, they were very surprised.  Even more so when I told them at that time there were only about 35 members coming to the church.  I got to know the stake president President Acuna pretty well.  They were a very reverent group and very organized.  Here are just a couple of pictures of them.

This Saturday I saw 2 people that I knew as young people in Chile in 1969-70.  One Sister Diccter was 10 when I knew her family in Ovalle.  She and I looked at each other's names and knew exactly who each other was.  What a nice treat.  Another was Marcela Zapata from San Antonio.  I actually have been in her home with Gary and Debbie Davis.  It was great to give big abrazos(hugs) and kisses to them.  In Chile you greet everyone with hugs and kisses for the sisters and hugs for the brothers.  That made for a very nice Saturday in the temple.

This Saturday our dear friend Debbie Davis arrived to join her husband Gary in Chile.  They are very close friends and while they are not on official missions for the church, they are very active with the church here in the Pocurro ward.  The four of us went to visit our dear friend Soledad Acevedo.  Her husband Rodolfo passed away earlier this year.  So it was good to be in her home and have lunch.  She is a wonderful cook and we enjoyed the visit.  She has costume business in her home and she does pretty well.

Debbie Davis and Charles Acevedo

Millie Layman, Soledad Acevedo, Gary and Debbie Davis and Charles Acevedo

Soledad and Millie looking at costumes

Millie Layman, Soledad Acevedo, Debbie Davis

Monday ended with a "Despedida" going away dinner for Elder and Sister Welch of Mountain Home Idaho.  He has been the Chile area Doctor for the last 18 months.  They are wonderful people and he is a good Doctor.  Didn't even feel his flu shots!!

Dr. Welch

Sister Welch

Yes if you look closely you will notice they are in their 70's.  What a wonderful example to us all of service and love.  They truly loved the people of Chile.

We had a treat as well at this dinner.  President Larry Corbridge, South America South Area President came and shared with us some of his "Cowboy Poetry".  He is in the quorom of the 70 and he is really quite a gifted writer and poetry reader.  Just like the cowboy poetry people I have heard.  It was one of the many highlights of the evening.

President Larry Corbridge reading his poetry

President Larry Corbridge preparing his poems to read

The rest of the evening was alot of visiting which was great.  The missionary couples are fast becoming our good friends.

So I must say I was a little homesick today as it rained and was cloudy.  Just a nice day in Seattle!  We get a new missionary couple next Saturday, the Pardos from Canada.  It will be fun to get to know a new couple.  We are happy here in Chile.  Every once in a while we use the Slingbox Daryl has at his house.  Hallmark movies are still good.