Nov 21 We are in Santiago

 Monday November 15, 2021

We were waiting to get the Covid test kits that we had ordered.  We needed to take the test on Tuesday morning to complete the application to enter Chile.  No kits came.  

Tuesday November 16, 2021

Covid test day.  We asked Sister Bowers the mission nurse for a ride to get the test kit. We went to Bluffdale to get it and then on to Provo to pick up some perscriptions. On the way back we filled the tube with spit and dropped it off at the test facility. 

Wednesday November 17, 2021

We got our Covid test results so we could fill out our Declaration Jurada which took about 4 hours.  This all had to be done before we could fly on Thursday morning.  It all worked out in the end but was stressful as we didn't have visibility of how things were progressing.  We went to the top floor of the Joseph Smith building and got our last look at the temple construction.  

Melissa and Bob

In the afternoon we took the metro to Jordan to pick up some medication we had a hard time locating. We were off the beaten track and had to take a bus from the metro to another stop and then catch an Uber to the pharmacy. While waiting there I thought about my friend Melissa who had introduced Jeff and I before we dated. I knew she lived in the area so I tried her number. She answered and was as excited to come see us as we were to see her. Her husband Bob and she came and took us to the pharmacy, then to their darling home for dinner, and then all the way back to Salt Lake City center where our apartment was. Jeff and I felt like it was a tender mercy from the Lord that they rescued us late in the evening so we did not have to take public transportation back on lines we were not familiar with. And most of all we so enjoyed catching up with her and her family.

Thursday November 18, 2021 

We got up about 5:30am and rode an UberXL to the airport.  XL means it has room for 6 people.  We had 6 suitcases and 2 people.  The airport was calm and we got onto our flight with no issues.  We flew to Houston and had about a 7 hour layover.  Then boarded a Dreamliner headed for Santiago.  It is about a 10 hour flight without any excitement. 

Friday November 19, 2021

We arrived in  Santiago about 9:30 AM.  It took a good hour to get out of the airport as we had to get a Covid test and go through immigration.  The airport was well set up to do it but there were 2 planes from the States arriving about the same time. Pres Simpson, his wife and the Esmiols were there to take us and the 16 young missionaries to our quarantines. 

This is the view straight out our windows looking east at Cerro San Cristobal. It is a big hill in a nice big park. There is a beautiful Virgin Mary Statue and sanctuary at the top.

This is looking to the north east out of our window.  The Andes are hiding behind the white clouds. Our office building is about dead center of the picture, a 2 story cream colored building with a red roof.  

We got to our apartment, unpacked, got the internet working and started cleaning. They had stocked the kitchen as we couldn't leave to buy groceries. 

Saturday November 20, 2021

We are in quarantine so I slept in.  Jackie worked hard cleaning the apartment.  It has fresh paint and floors but the bathrooms and kitchen and windows needed cleaning.  About 10pm Hermana Luz paid us a visit. She is the mission  secretary and has been doing double or triple duty so she is thrilled that we are here.  We were talking in the doorway since we are quarantined. The phone rang and we ignored it then it rang again, it was the building manager saying he had complaints from our neighbors that we were talking too loud causing their dog to bark. So our first full day in the apartment and we caused a problem.  Hna Luz is from Columbia and is very excited about life.   

Sunday November 21, 2021 

It is election day in Chile so church services were limited today.  We watched on Zoom but really couldn't understand anything as they wore masks and the sound quality was poor. Then we had a phone call with President Simpson(our leader).  He wants us to focus on getting apartments ready for the next group young missionaries coming December 14. That means getting 10 more apartments fixed up and stocked with everything they need.  We have oour work cut out for us!!

November 14 Salt Lake City Apartment

 We had flight plans for Santiago last Wednesday but our Covid vaccination confirmation hadn't arrived.  We were moved to an apartment in Salt Lake City while we wait for our confirmation.  We now have our confirmation and flight plans for this Thursday November 18th.  It has been a good time in Salt Lake. This is our apartment. 

This is the view of the Salt Lake Temple from our apartment.  It is undergoing  a major renovation that will take several more years to complete.  They are updating it to with stand a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. 

Tootie and her family came to Salt Lake for Jennifer Pickup's wedding.  Manuel is a student at Ensign College that is nearby. It is hard to recognize the temple with all the scaffolding on it.  

We went to Jennifer Pickups reception last night.  All the Pickup kids and most spouses and grandkids were there.  A couple of the Cheney girls and Lauren Neilson were there as well. 

We were able to see Shawn(Tooties husband) and Linnie our youngest grand daugher as well. We miss them already so it was nice to see them.  

We walked up to the Capitol building. It isn't far from our apartment.  I am not sure what is happening with my mouth. 

We want to go to the Salt Lake City Cemetery.  My great great great grandma and great great grandma are buried there.  Taylor Lee from Jackies family is also buried there.

We witnessed the first through 4th days of the tearing down of the North Visitors Center. The whole reconstruction of Temple Square will take about 4 more years. A garden for meditation will replace the North Visitors Center. These are historical times in SLC, as important as when the Temple was first built.

November 7 Departure delayed

 In order to enter Chile we need to have our Covid Vaccine validated by the Chilean government.  We started the process 2 weeks ago and it can take up to a month.  We are hoping to be delayed another week as Tootie and family are coming to Salt Lake City later this week. We finished our training and now I am studying Spanish.  I am a slow learner.  Jackie has stayed fluent in Spanish so I have a good coach.  

Here is a picture of the hardest part of leaving home for 18 months.  This is all the kids and grandkids with the addition of Aunt Nan and Uncle James.   John and Kate are in the picture below.  There will be a big change with the little ones in the next 18 months. 

This is a picture from one of the recent movies about Christ. I really like it.  He is smiling and with friends.  That is the way I envision his life on earth.  I know he suffered as well but I hope that he was smiling most of the time. 

This beautiful oak is golden from fall weather. It has been dawned 

                               with lights and looks magnificent in the evening. We are calling it the tree of life.

We met up with a few of our Dominican Friends,

David Mercado and Sons Isaac and Hannel

And Daniel Perez

It is always a joy to visit friends we have not seen for a long time and wonder when we will have the                                                                          privilege again.

                               

                                      A light fixture at MTC; Jeff enjoying his new camera!!!

 

Chelsea Lybbert Mahuika's Aunt and Uncle heading to San Bernadino.

We toured the grounds of the Provo city Center Temple. It was rebuilt from tabernacle to Temple after a 2010 fire destroyed all but the shell of the building.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVoZ_5kGhqc . You can watch a video of it here. If it is too long move ahead to 3 min 15 seconds. It is inspiring to see                                                                  old becoming new.