With Every Call Comes a Release

It doesn't seem possible that tomorrow Millie and I return to our home in Seattle!  But return we will.  How do you sum up 17 months of your life?  I think I can with a few.  So many blessings have come from serving with the love of my life Millie Layman.  We could have never envisioned how much we have enjoyed being together working in the Santiago Chile Temple.  Our lives have been enriched by the missionary couples we have served with.  The Chilean brothers and sisters we have served with.  The Argentine brothers and sisters that come from Mendoza and the Saade's that come from Southern Argentina.  We have started to understand the love Our Heavenly Father has for all His Children. 

The week has been filled with Despedidas (good byes).  The missionary couples were so warm and loving.  The have helped us so much each Monday night at Family Home Evening. 

Richard and Norma Graham and Millie and Van Layman both going home

Pepe and Pelusa Pardo, Eduardo and Soledad Rojas, Millie and Van Layman.

 

I wonder who danced the Cueca of that group?  Not the Layman's.  Thanks to Pardos and Rojas' it made the night very special. Plus the Chilean brothers and sisters sang "Dos Tierras Tengo".  It was very hard to keep the tears back.  Well it can be said that we didn't.

 

Then this last week in the temple saying good-bye each and every day to a different group of temple workers.  It has been heart wrenching really.  We never thought it would be this hard.  We cried every day at the temple and on the way home.  We were released by President Otay on Wednesday night August 28th.  It was very emotional as we have grown so close to he and his wife. 

 

The Wednesday morning shift traditionally has a dinner after their shift ends on the Wednesday before the temple closes for 2 weeks for maintenance.  They additionally took advantage of having a despedida for us.  It was fun and so hard to say good-bye to them.

 

Sister Elsa Espinoza

Sister Ava Avaria

Elena and Gerardo Cabezas

Pelusa and Pepe Pardo

 

Millie and Van Layman with Gifts from the group and the Pardos

Millie Layman, Ricardo and Sylvia Ruiz, and Van Layman

Millie Layman and Carol Valdez

Millie Layman and Sister Veliz

Margarita Soto and Millie Layman

The group eating!

 

 

 

 Then on Thursday we repeated the exercise.  More food and an even bigger program.  3 different Cuecas, several individual songs, individual poem recitations and readings.  It was a little long but we enjoyed every minute.

Millie Layman and Violeta Labra

Back Row L-R Maritza Araneda, Pepe Pardo, Monica Solis, Luisa Morales,Violeta Labra, Clara Berrios, Elsa Espinoza, Virginia Cuevas, Melania Urrea, Tomas Cantiallna, Fernando Bravo, Lutgardo Veliz, Front Row L-R Pelusa Pardo, Millie Layman, Van Layman, Rosa Castillo, Rosa Valdes, Jose Vergara

Monica Solis, Violeta Labra, Virginia Cuevas, Luisa Morales

Melania Urrea

Maritza Araneda

Virgina Cuevas

Tomas Cantiallna, Fernando Bravo, Lutgardo Veliz, Juan Valle

Jose Vergara

Monica Solis

Melania Urrea and Virginia Cuevas

 

 



So as we come to a close of our mission. I thank Elder David Swalberg and Elder Leroy Berry profoundly for being patient with the Layman family in 1963.  For the many people along the way that influenced my youth to stay active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and come to know and love service in the Kingdom of God.  I know the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth thru the prophet Joseph Smith. The priesthood of Jesus was restored by Peter, James and John and John the Baptist.  And therefore the keys of the kingdom are on the earth today.  There is a prophet on the earth today.  His name is Thomas S Monson.  I believe the Bible is the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.  I know the Book of Mormon was translated from gold plates and is the word of God for us today in the latter days.  I am grateful we have 141 operating temples on the earth scattered throughout the world.  Where we can seal families as eternal families and make eternal covenants with Our Heavenly Father. I love my 6 children and their spouses and spouses to be.  Millie and I are proud grandparents to 8 grandchildren and they bless our lives so much.  We pray we are returning with honor just as Rachel, Daryl, Philip and Heather did.

 

So with these words I close this missionary blog.  Thank you Heavenly Father for the blessings you shower on Millie and I each and every day.

 

Pretty lazy, Another Despedida and sister missionaries

As can be noted Millie and I have really slowed down in posting on this blog.  No excuses really just been busy and to be honest we come home each day really tired!!  We have had some sweet days in the temple.  From MTC missionaries to missionaries going home and of course Chileans melting our hearts with how loving they are.  Trying as well but then as we have thought about it probably not too different from the patrons in the Seattle temple.  They just come from along way from Santiago many times.  Today was no different.  Youth for baptisms from Copiapo, Chile which is about 10 hours north by bus.  Then from Osorno, Chile down south about 14 hours by bus or 2 plus hours by plane.  A family from Concepcion, Chile 7 hours south.  They come and stay at the hospedaje on the 2nd floor with donations as the charge.  A sealing of a family today.  The 2 sons looked like 12 and 14 or 15.  A big smile on their faces coming out of the sealing room.

We had a despedida for the Fuenteablas, Gardellas and sister Onate.  It was fun.  But very sad to say goodbye to Rina Onate.  Millie especially has become very close to her.  She will return home to Concepcion, Chile to her son and family.  Millie and I made a picture book for her at Kodak here.  She was very pleased. 

Rina talking to the group

Millie with Sister Raquel Hernandez of the Pocuro Ward

 

We had the sister missionaries over for dinner.  They are such neat young ladies and great missionaries.  The Pocuro ward is a very affluent ward and baptisms are hard to come by but they have had  3 or 4 which shows what such hard workers they are.  And they eat a lot of food!  I of course ordered cheesecake for Sister Torrez. I always hope that my son and daughter would have been treated this way had they been in the same situation.

Sister Shafer, Torrez, Araujo, Altamirano and Millie

 

We feel we are so blessed to be with the sister missionaries.  They are very powerful teachers and always leave a good spirit in our apartment.