Fred and Candy Bertrong depedida...They are going home

One of the heart warming events here in the mission field is when a missionary couple is getting ready to return home from the mission field.  We as a group have a going away party for them and then at the end they speak to us.  It generally is very heartfelt their comments.  Tonight was no exception.  Fred and Candy Berthrong are from Utah and are converts.  He was a nuclear scientist.  Both very smart and engaging.  They have worked as Humanitarian missionaries for the last 18 months for the country of Chile.  We have enjoyed their conversations as they have been very enlightening and fun.  We will miss them.  I am attaching a group picture from August of 2012 to contrast the group of April 2013.  It has changed a bit.  We had lots of food and good conversation.

L-R Fred and Candy Berthrong, Sister Perry, Sister Memott, Sister Onate, Sister Bowler
2nd row Elder Dalton, President Allred, Sister Allred, Sister Dalton, Brother Perry, Sally and Jay Karren, Sister Mikesell and Elder Mikesell, Elder and Sister Mason, Elder and Sister Graham, Van and Millie Layman, Joe Bowler, Rik and Sister Lee, Art and Ardith Hayden, Pepe and Pelusa Pardo, Perry and Frances Roberts

Sitting L-R Sally and Jay Karren, Candy Berthrong, Sister and Brother Perry, President and Sister Allred

2nd Row Van and Millie Layman, Vaun Mikesell, Lance Willis, Karl Turley, Art Hayden, Pepe Pardo, Perry Roberts, R.K. Udall and Sister Udall, Richard and Norma Graham, Elder and Sister Gilbert

Back Row Sister Mikesell, Margie Willis, Edie Turley, Pelusa Pardo, Frances Roberts, Sandra Thompson

Fred and Candy Berthrong and Van and Millie Layman

Fred and Candy Berthrong and Millie Layman

Candy Berthrong and Millie Layman a tender moment

Fred Berthrong speaking to us

 

Candy Berthrong speaking to us

Fred and Candy Berthrong

Let's Eat

Weclome to the Turleys, Happy Birthday Hermana Hernandez and Thanks Soledad Villanueva Acevedo!

It seems that time is flying by and I don't always take time to document the great experiences we are having here in Santiago.  After the Bowlers went home, Millie was wondering if she would have another friend to replace her.  Well how bout 2 friends.  Margie Willis arrived in January and now Edie Turley has arrived.  Millie actually went to high school with her.  Edie was 2 years ahead of her in school.  So we had a welcome dinner on the second floor of the hospedaje for them.  We had a fun time.  They are from Eager, Arizona and he is a retired school teacher.

L-R Sister Jimenez, Pardo, Willis, Onate, Fuentealba, Gardella, Hayden, Layman Seated Roberts, Turley

Millie and Ardith

All the sisters!

L-R Hermano Turley, Gardella, Pardo, Jimenez, Roberts, Layman, Willis, Hayden, Fuenteabla

Lance Willis and Karl Turley

Art and Ardith Hayden and Pelusa and Pepe Pardo

President Julio Otay and Elena Otay Temple President and Matron

Elder Karl Turley giving his testimony

 



 

We had the privlege to go to Soledad Villanueva Acevedo's home to have dinner on Sunday.  I knew Soledad as a 14 year old in Calama Chile and I knew her husband Rodolfo Acevedo as an 18 year old in San Antonio, Chile.  We have been friends ever since our first visit in 1999.  Rodolfo passed away in January of 2012 after a long life of service in the church.  Soledad is going to Las Vegas, Nevada next week for 6 months to visit her daughter Brenda, son in law Clint and their 4 kids.  Toby Acevedo and his wife Soledad and their son Tommy and Charles Acevedo were there as well.  We really love them! 

 

 

L-R Charles, Soledad, Toby, Soledad

 

L-R Charles, Soledad, Toby, Soledad

 

Tommy Acevedo

 

L-R Charles, Millie, Soledad, Toby, Soledad

Van, Millie, Soledad, Toby Soledad

Van, Millie, Soledad, Toby, Charles

Van, Millie, Soledad, Toby, Charles

Millie and Soledad sisters in the pre-existence along with Debbie Davis

 

 

 

 

When we were at the Hard Rock Cafe the sister missionaries told us that Sister Hernandez had a birthday the next Wednesday so I asked her what her favorite desert was.  She said cheesecake.  So I arranged to have one delivered from a bakery I frequent.  She was thrilled as you can see from the party they had for her.

 

Sister Hernandez, Sister Torrez holding cheesecake, Sister Araujo

Sister Hernandez

Sister Berthrong, Hernandez, Torrez, Graham, Udall, Brother Graham and Udall

Sister from Bolivia visiting,  Berthrong, Hernandez, Torrez, Graham, Udall, Brother Graham and Udall

 



Of course Millie and I couldn't attend because we were at the temple.  Just a few of things we are doing here in Santiago.  We are happy serving the Lord in His Holy House.  We really don't look forward to saying good-bye to this country, people and temple.  But it will a sweet homecoming seeing our children and grandchildren including 2 new ones.  Just found out that friends of ours from Hermiston Mark and Alicia Bell have their call to the Phillipines going in July.  We have several friends currently serving.  I know that it is a blessing for all our families





Sister Missionaries of the Pocuro ward

We have really enjoyed getting to know the sister missionaries assigned to our Pocuro ward.  Currently the missionaries are Sister Gonzalez, Uruguay, Sister Araujo, Peru, Sister Hernandez, not sure, and Sister Torres, Peru.

They all live accross the street with Elder and Sister Berthrong below them and Elder and Sister Udall above them.  They both say that giggling and laughter can be heard at all times of the day and night.  We had occasion to take them to the Hard Rock Cafe here in Santiago.  They called and said they had no dinner appt for that day and could we feed them.  In the background I could hear Sister Torrez say, ask them if they could go to the Hard Rock like we had done with Sister Gonzalez and Sister Rineheart.  So we had a good time as always.  Here are a few pictures

Sister Araujo, Sister Gonzalez, Sister Torrez, Sister Hernandez and Millie

 Sister Araujo and Sister Gonzalez

 All of us

  

 All of us again

 Ready to play the drums

 

 Sister Torrez and Sister Hernandez a little ice cream

 Al Ataque for these sisters

 

Millie not having ice cream

This and that

Living in a foreign country now 1 year has been an interesting experience.  While our life here has been rewarding in so many ways, it also has its challenges.  Dealing with another culture and mindset each and every day you realize how much your American upbringing is so different.  Especially in the temple, the way of doing things is far different than in say Seattle.  That is part of the growth Millie and I have had to embrace.  Still a work in progress for us!

Our street Pedro de Validivia goes about 1 mile in one direction and 1 mile in another.  Within that we do all our shopping, walking, going to church and any other thing we might do. There are weeks we hardly are a 20 minute walk away from our apartment.  Good news is that Costanera Center mall is like being at South Center in Seattle.  So going there makes feel like we are at home.

When you walk you have to continually have your eyes on the ground as sidewalks are so uneven and chalk full of potential ways to fall down.  So far only once for me and none for Millie.  One of our friends here when jogging took a header and had to have stitches.

We want everyone to know how much we love keeping up on facebook, email, skype etc.  We love the pictures.  Our grandkids pictures are what really keep us going each and everyday.  I can honestly say that I never knew how much I would miss them.  Thank you Nellie for keeping us up on Reagan's progress.  She is so cute.  And of course all the others as well.

We are starting into fall and winter.  I keep thinking that it should be football season but a few months away.  I will try harder to keep you apprised of our activites but we find ourselves sometimes a little lax in documenting our time here in the mission.  We are looking forward to having a new couple come to the temple in 2 weeks time.  The Turleys are from Eager, Arizona and Millie went to high school with Edie Turley.  So should be fun to have them come.

This is Millie, her hairdresser Daniel, and Ida Murphy

Millie and Margie Willis at Los Dominicos

Lance and Margie Willis and Van and Millie Layman at old Chilean mission home Alcantara 360

Lance and Margie Willis at Los Dominicos