On October 31 many Americans celebrate Halloween or All Hallows Eve. In Old English ‘all hallows’ means ‘the feast of the Saints.’ In Chile, November 1 is the National holiday of All Saints Day (or All Hallows Day). It is a commemoration day for all Catholic saints, particularly those who have no special feast day of their own. Some Chileans will attend church; some will put flowers on their loved ones’ graves; others will spend the day gathering with family enjoying sandwiches and the popular springtime drink Mote con Huesillos. It is often sold at street stands or vendor carts. It is a nonalcoholic beverage consisting of a sweet clear nectar-like liquid made with dried peaches cooked in sugar, water, and cinnamon. When cooled it is mixed with fresh cooked husked wheat. We haven’t found any yet but are keeping our eyes open.
IQUIQUE
One of our humanitarian projects that was approved last week is in Iquique. Since the beginning of the year, up to 200 migrants have entered northern Chile each day. Most of them are Venezuelans fleeing economic instability and political turmoil in their home country. The Chilean government has set up the city of Iquique as a transitional covid testing and quarantine site. We have partnered with the Ministry of Interior and Public Security of Chile and the Pullman Bus company to care for and transport refugees to family members in the Santiago area. Our project will provide the means to hire the bus company to transport 480 people during the next few weeks to reunite them with family in Santiago. Mattresses, blankets, diapers, masks, personal hygiene kits, and water will supply refugees with vital supplies while they await transportation.
ESCUELA ESPECIAL de NARARENO
This week we were able to make an onsite visit to “Escuela Especial” in a suburb of Santiago. This possible project is a school for children with special needs located in a low-income section of the city. The directors took us on a tour of the school. The students and faculty were warm and welcoming. Their goal is to integrate students into society and to help them be self-sufficient by focusing on practical life skills. As we discussed the needs of the school, we observed students practicing math skills, tending vegetables in the greenhouse and a cooking class that presented us with a chocolate covered dulce de leche cookie treat they had made. Students bring the ingredients from home and take their finished products back to their home to share with family. We left this warm encounter filled spiritually and physically.
DATE NIGHT
For our Friday night date, we just started walking and found a lovely sidewalk café that served us a wonderful meal. Hopefully, all this walking will balance out this delicious food.
METRO
When we need a car, we can check one out to go on project visits, the rest of the time it’s travel by foot, bus, or metro. Not having a car is an interesting adjustment. We did try out the metro for the first time this week and are converts. It is clean, efficient and fast and can get us around most of Santiago.
When we arrived at church this morning only the front door was unlocked. Our temperatures were taken and we were given a post-it note with a number written on it. We were #81 and #82. The capacity in the chapel is 86 and then you go to an overflow room. Guess we will need to be a little earlier to church from now on. We barely made it in the chapel! We do not sing the hymns, we just listen to piano music played by young men in our ward. The sacrament bread is served in sacrament cups with a separate tray for the used cups.
It is a requirement that temperatures be taken before entering any store, restaurant, or public building. And masks are mandatory upon stepping out of our apartment. Restaurants require a mobility pass to enter. That is basically proof of vaccination. There are long lines outside each store as occupancy is limited according to the size of the store.
SPIRITUAL STRUGGLES & INSIGHTS
- We have felt great compassion and empathy for young elders and sisters during the last two weeks. We have been adjusting to a new culture and language with our favorite companions (each other) and we have the freedom to come home from the office and turn on the TV (not the TV we are used to -no Great British Bake Off- but TV nonetheless.) We have new respect for our sons and all young people especially those who served during the time when contact with home was limited.
- Serving missions together after retirement has always been a lifetime goal of ours. In an effort to explain to our grandchildren why we are serving we came up with 4 reasons. On down days it has been good to remember why we are here. We thought we would share them with you. Why are we serving a mission?
- For God. We believe it is a call from our Heavenly Father through a living prophet to serve His children.
- For Others. We have been blessed with so much. It feels like time to give back and contribute to the world in a new and meaningful way.
- For Our Children & Grandchildren. We want to set an example of service. We recognize how much we were blessed from our own parents’ full time missionary service. We want those same blessings for our children and grandchildren. We pray everyday that the blessings given for our service will be consecrated to them.
- For Ourselves. We wanted to challenge ourselves and get out of our comfort zones. Mission accomplished! In reading the Book of Mormon this week (a book of scripture that we believe is another testament of Jesus Christ.) I found a note I had made in Alma 20 by Robert Line from his book Understanding God’s Time. “Quite often what we want or righteously desire is actually what the Lord wants. He just has a different way of orchestrating events than we sometimes initially contemplate. I call this The Middoni Principle. Why would the Lord tell Ammon to go to Middoni and not to visit Lamoni’s father if they end up encountering him anyway? Perhaps the Lord was considering the best way to convert the king. Perhaps being away from the security of home was precisely what King Lamoni’s faith needed in order to have a change of heart…. Perhaps it was more effective to show the king the great love Ammon had for his son in the wilderness. Sometimes the Lord gets our attention by taking us out of our comfort zones…”
That spoke to our hearts. Heavenly Father has our attention!
As we adjust to this new missionary life, we want you to know that we are doing well, getting more acclimated each week, feeling the love of the Chilean people and the love of the Lord each day as we strive to serve Him and some of His children here in South America.
With love, Elder and Sister Lamb (aka Ed & Debbie, Mom & Dad, Pop Pop & Tu Tu)
Lambs in Central Europe 