I know the fam has already read some of this text in an email I sent so just skip to the pictures if you want.
Well wow, that was one of the greatest trips ever. Things for work there went very well and it was just totally crazy great to see the outstanding people of Chile again and even better to be there with Kristi. I arrived on a Sunday morning, changed clothes in the airport bathroom and headed straight to one of the old wards I served in, El Sembrador. I walked in just as they were getting ready to start sacrament and it was SO great to see those great people again. Some of those I was blessed to teach were as strong as can be, attending the temple regularly and moving forward with great strength. And some were not there…. During priesthood, they talked about visiting the less actives together and I asked if Kristi and I could come join them and bring them to the homes of those I taught. So as soon as Kristi got off the plane on Friday morning we headed straight to the people. We had such a great experience visiting all of them. We shared our testimonies and were right back in the work. We also visited some that I had seen on Sunday so that they could meet Kristi.
Here I am in front of the Sembrador chapel
And here we are 8 years ago in front of the same chapel (they painted it since then)
Rodolfo, Mirta, and family. Look closely and you'll see them in the baptism picture above
Isabel, her son Alexis, his wife Marcia and their two kids (we had the privilege of teaching Isabel and her son Alexis baptized her just before leaving on a mission. then we got to teach his girlfriend Marcia who was baptized while he was on the mission. they are sealed in the temple)
Sonia. We felt prompted to stop and speak with her on the street one day and she is as solid as a rock. always going to the temple. she gave us some sweet pictures.
Sonia's baptism almost 9 years ago (she's the in the picture above)
The "blocks" in Sembrador area. these were pretty rough neighborhoods filled with beautiful bright eyed people.
Our apartment in Sembrador
Jorge, Pati and family.
It was so cool throughout the trip because each day as we’d drive to a new area, Kristi and I would read my mission journal so when we’d get to a home, Kristi would already know all about them. And in the case of some who are less active, we could bring those experiences to their rememberance and share some things they had said. The spirit was with us and it was just so cool.
On Saturday we headed down south to Santa Cruz where we stayed in that awesome little hotel that we stayed at when some of yall were there. The sweet lady at the desk upgraded us to a sweet and after checking in we headed over to Peralillo. Wow! What a great time we had seeing some of the members and converts there. There was one man named Luis that my companion and I had met with who was coming back to church at the time. It was neat because Kristi and I had just read in my journal where I wrote what a great man Luis is and that I felt he had a special and powerful spirit and that I believed he’d be a powerful leader in Peralillo one day, and turns out he was just called as the branch president a couple weeks ago. It was so good to see him and others and to take Kristi to the places we used to walk. We had completos in the same spot we always used to as missionaries. That wine district is just SO beautiful!
The famous empenadas in Roncagua that we always loved so much
Louis Olguin, the new branch president in Peralillo
Hermana Ramirez and fam (RS president in Perilillo)
Our apartment in Pealillo
We were especially determined to find the Cierra family before we left because they had moved about 5 years ago and I lost contact with them (a family that was sealed in the temple the last day I was in Chile with Mom, Dad, Tal, Eli, and Charity there along with of course other members of the ward). So on Sunday we visited Progresso, the ward I served in where the Cierra family was baptized and again it was so great to reunite with great members and converts that I worked with. The bishop was our ward mission leader when I was there and he asked that I share my testimony which I was grateful for. After the meeting, we asked about the Cierra family and if anyone had contact with them. Some of the members said they have a phone number but had left it at home. We had to catch another ward (Quimey ward) before church got out for them so we asked the member if they could get the phone number and we’d go to the other ward and come right back to get it. We arrived at the Quimey ward and I walked into the door, turned to my right and there was none other than Paola!! (the mom of the Cierra family). And then up walks her son! It was so cool! A bit confusing at first because I was expecting to see people from the other ward so my mind was like “wow, I know this person so well but who is it??. Then suddenly it all came together and BAM! There we were talking to each other again. We were all so excited. Andres, the now 19 year old son is the executive secretary in the ward and is preparing for a mission this summer. Andres the dad and Jorge were not there because they had been sick that morning so we scheduled a time to come to their home later.
That visit to their home was SO special. We laughed so much together and got to learn the story of how the parents met and go to tell them our story. We learned that Paola (the mother) was there that first day we came when we thought we were just teaching Andres, she was just hiding so we had some good laughs about that. You can just feel the spirit in their house. They are a STRONG family. All serving in the church; one son preparing for a mission and the other attending seminary every day. I thought that the fact that Andres the teen asked if we could sing called to serve together and he and his 14 year old brother sang with all their might together with their parents and us was a pretty good indicator of where they stand spiritually. I was SO impressed with them. When I suggested we make predictions on where the mission call will be to, Andres liked the idea but said with all the sincerity of his heart, “it doesn’t matter to me where the Lord sends me,” wherever it is I will serve with my heart. All because one day 9 years ago the companion I was on splits with and I misunderstood directions with my broken Spanish, showed up at the wrong door and Andres asked why they call us Mormons. Wow.
At each home, Kristi would share her testimony and I’d translate. Then at this last visit with the Cierra family, she shared some of her testimony in Spanish and then in English and it wouldn’t have mattered what language she was speaking because the spirit just filled the room as the tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. It was an incredibly powerful moment.
Baptism of the Cierra Fuentes family 9 years ago
The Cierra Fuentes family now
It was just indescribable to sit there side by side with Kristi in these same little homes with such good humble people. I served in some very poor areas but as a missionary and now as a family it feels SO bright in those tin roofed homes.
And here is a bunch more pictures that I thought fellow missionaries would enjoy seeing:
Outside our apartment by the temple
With the doorman of that apartment who used to greet us with a cool handshake each night (Elder Koplin had taught him a funny handshake)
Hot momma in front of the temple
Entrance to the office
Plaza de Armas where we would take the new missionaries to make contacts right after landing in Chile. So many great memories there!
I just love this girl with all my heart
In front of the mission home
In front of the mission home 7 years ago with President Bennett, Elder Koplin, Elder Miller, and Elder Kern
President Bennett's office. Boy howdy did we have some great power packed meetings in that room.
Living room in the mission home where I sat waiting for my first mission president interview
The back yard of the mission home where we met our trainers and introduced trainers to trainees each time new missionaries arrived
The front room of the mission home where we had amazingly powerful zone leader meetings
This is where I got hit by a car on my bike. I was cruising right along that sidewalk with my companion behind me and a truck came out of that gate and WHAM! i ended up in the middle of the road on my back and was totally fine!
Here's the guy that hit me. That dent was from my leg. looking at this picture I'm realizing how miraculous it was that I don't even remember a bruise on my leg.
The Pheiffer family from Quimey ward
A sweet true chilean completo. Kristi loved these things too!
Our apartment in Progresso (my first area)
Samuel, Miriam, and Carolina
Ana, Pilar and Ana's other boy born after we left
Apartment in Quimey
The pizza place in San Bernardo where we met for a zone lunch on September 11th and saw on the screen there the twin towers burning. We were told to go straight home and stay until we heard from the office. crazy time.
YMCA in San Bernardo where we'd play basketball on Preparation day
