SCHEDULE
Last week included ONE round trip airplane flight to Puerto Montt, TWO ferry crossings to the islands of Chiloe and Lemuy, THREE road trips, FIVE school kit ceremonies, and EIGHT new project visits.
SIGHTS WE SAW ALONG THE WAY
Hay trucks and cows grazing outside of Puerto Montt
STILT HOUSES OF CASTRO
As we drove into Castro, we stopped to take a picture of the stilt houses, and a lady walking by invited us to have dinner in one of them that evening. She works in one that is now a restaurant. We would have taken her up on her offer if we had not already been invited to dinner by the branch president.
SUNDAY DINNERS
Last Sunday we had dinner in the home of the Sanchez family in Castro on the island of Chiloe. This branch president has a young family. His wife had prepared a delicious salmon dinner for us with rosemary potatoes and a salad with a peach tart for dessert. It was so kind of them after a long day of church meetings to have in their home for a rather late dinner. They lived in a remote part of Castro, out in the country on a steep gravel road.
This Sunday we had the four sister missionaries who serve in our ward boundaries in Santiago to our home for dinner. They are a delight.
SERENDIPITOUS SIGHTINGS
Last month on our visit to the island of Chiloe we saw four of the sixteen wooden churches that are UNESCO World Heritage sites. (See Feb 27, 2022 post) On this trip, we unexpectedly drove by four more on our travels.
SCHOOL KIT DELIVERY CEREMONIES
Two delivery ceremonies were held down south in Puerto Varas and in Puqueldón this week where 630 school kits were delivered to 14 different rural schools. We were able to visit one-a school in Detif. We had a wonderful morning with the children.
This school is located at the southern tip of Lemuy Island which required an airplane flight, two ferry crossings, and hours of driving to reach. We saw lots of cows and sheep grazing right on the side of the road. At one point the road followed a very narrow part of the island with water on both sides. We could see muscle traps in the water. The view of the Michimahuida volcano was stunning.
Three school kits ceremonies were held this week, four hours south of Santiago in the rural outskirts of Talca. 430 kits were donated to three different schools. We were able to attend one ceremony in Chequen at Escuela Santa Marta.
TACOS en TALCA
A taco in Chile is a traffic jam and often in our travels, we are caught behind them. On this trip, we managed to get stuck behind a very long “taco” due to an apple truck accident.
SEARCHING FOR PROJECTS
While still on Lemuy Island we met with Puqueldon CESFAM to talk about the needs of their rural health clinic outposts.
On Chiloe Island in the city of Castro, President Sanchez had three more appointments arranged for us with the municipality of Castro, a primary school, and the indigenous community leaders of Williche. We look forward to receiving their solicitude.
The communications director for southern Chile, Lientur Vergara who was responsible for finding schools to donate kits to, traveled with us and President Sanchez. We stopped briefly for a pick-me-up during our busy day.
After returning to Santiago, we met with a youth orchestra director who is requesting additional instruments for the program they have for young people in vulnerable neighborhoods between the ages of 8-18 to receive free music lessons and participate in the orchestra.
That same morning, we met with the Salvation Army to discuss the possibility of a donation to a shelter they run in Valparaiso. And then on to a Bomberos Station in El Monte. These volunteer firemen need new uniforms and lockers to store them in. Rats are nibbling on their current uniforms.
SPECIAL FRIENDS
We spent Saturday with the three other senior couples in the Santiago East mission (Lindquists, Crocketts, and Gammons). We drove an hour up a canyon to San Jose de Maipo. This is a weekend getaway for locals from Santiago. We had lunch at a charming restaurant called Casa Bosque. Élder and Sister Crockett return home in two weeks. We will miss them!
SANTIAGO ARTISANS
We ordered a nativity from a local ceramicist before Christmas and were able to pick it up yesterday. While in the market we watched a craftsman carving wood pictures.
SILLY STREET ENTERTAINERS
We see some new kind of street entertainment every week!
STRENGTH FROM ABOVE
We enjoy our busy, busy weeks and at the same time feel stretched very thin at times. It helps to remember whose work we are about and who we rely on for strength, perspective, and increased capacity. Corrie Tenboom once said, “The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for his almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love.” We love Him and His son Jesus Christ, and we love all of you.
With love, Elder y Hermana Lamb, (aka Ed & Debbie, Mom & Dad, Pop Pop & Tu Tu)
Lambs in Central Europe 