A slow week in the temple but a great Sunday!

This week was our 7th week here in Santiago and we are getting used to the country and what we are here to do.  There were not very many patrons that came to the temple this week.  And another problem this week was the lack of workers on Friday and Saturday morning.  President Otay, the temple president, started calling brethren that weren't there like they should be to see where they were.  I got the feeling he was not happy.  But the work of the Lord goes on and we accomplished what we wanted to.  It just took a little longer than normal.

Millie and I are starting really grow close to some of the workers from Chile.  A young couple who work are brother and sister Rojas.  She works Thursday night and he works Saturday morning.  He is a shift coordinator so I get my assignments from him.  He is about 25.  Really sharp and is very good working with people.  Reminds me of my 2 sons Philip and Adam.  In the same situation, they would win the hearts of the people.

This Sunday morning we got up and left at 8:30 A.M. to go to church.  A taxi ride to the Parque Bustamante subway station.  Then get off at the Barrancas station 40 minutes later.  Where we got on the bus J01 that let us off in front of the church in Pudahuel.  We met Roberto and Claudia Castillo and their 2 children Alicia and Laura for church.  Their ward is pretty big for here.  They had about 130 people there.  To our surprise, Brother and Sister Martin who work in the temple are in that ward.  What makes them special to me is that my first companion in the mission field Mike Dalton baptized sister Martin. 

Millie and Sister Martin

Brother and Sister Martin

They served 6 years in the temple presidency previously and now continue as workers.

Millie and Claudia Castillo in Relief Society

Laura Angelica Castillo 3 months old

Van and Millie Layman, Claudia, Alicia, Roberto, Laura Castillo

We then went to their house for dinner and to see Sister Baschman, Claudia's mother.  I baptized Claudia's mother and father 43 years ago.  She is now 74 and in final months of her life.  She has Alzheimer's and is very feeble.  It was touching to watch the care her 21 and 13 year old granddaughters gave their grandmother.  Roberto and Claudia care for her along with an in home nurse during the week.  I have such fond memories of her family. 

Proud father Roberto and Laura

Millie getting pretend Grandma time!

Alicia is a cut up!

More pretend Grandma time!

Claudia feeding her mother.

Star of the show Laura

Today is Monday our preparation day.  Wash clothes, go to the grocery store, clean the apartment etc.  Nothing too exciting.  There are people already here waiting to get into the hospedaje(rooms for them to stay in) which is on the 2nd floor.  They can get in at 5:00 P.M.  They are from Calama 27 hour bus ride from here.  I served there as a missionary and in visiting with some of them there is a possibility that one of my baptisms Aniceto Perez will be coming.  I saw him in 2008 when I visited Calama.  So we will be busier than normal during the week in the morning at least. 

The Bowlers and us are planning to go on a tour of the northern desert during the month of August.  You can look at it on Chiletraveltours.com/Atacama Desert 5 days 4 nights.  I hope we can do it.  Money always plays a part.  Also one of destinations is 14,000 feet high so we would have to take altitude sickness pills.

Time for Family Home Evening with the other 10 couples here on Temple square(at least the Santiago Temple Square).