Heading into the office on Monday morning following a week of travel is always overwhelming. The follow-up from the visits and ceremonies and all the waiting emails that come while we are gone loom large. It takes us a week to prepare to travel and at least a week after we get home to catch up.
SEWING
(Hermana Lamb speaking) I spent Monday afternoon with the sewing group that makes items to donate to the COANQUIEM (burn rehab center) store to sell. It was a small group this month that included a sweet woman named Virginia. She attends our church congregation and I have been wanting to get to know her. She is 94 and very outspoken during Sunday School and Relief Society meetings (our women’s organization). She sits on the front row at church so she can hear. She walks several blocks to get to church. Although I cannot understand everything she says, I can sense her wit, her strength of character, and her love for the Savior. She thought I understood Spanish, so she kept talking to me wanting me to translate for Hermana Lindquist. She is a character- just a delight. She is also a careful, excellent seamstress. She took several pencil cases home to sew.
SPIRITUAL LIFT
On Tuesday morning we attended an in-person devotional with Elder Christensen, the South America South Area President. He is in Chile for a prolonged stay. Then after a day in the office we attended our usual 5:00 p.m. session at the temple- it is alway a sweet reprieve. It is dark now when we come out of the temple. It feels cold here because of the humidity. When we get back to our apartment each evening, we eat dinner on the couch in front our little space heater.
SUPPER
We were invited to have lunch with Brother Daniel Almeida who is visiting from Buenos Aires. He is the DTA (director of temporal affairs) and gave us good counsel and direction concerning our humanitarian projects.
STREET SCENES
SAN ANTONIO
We visited rural health posts in San Antonio to see firsthand their need for updated dental equipment. Notice the dentist is wearing a coat because it is so cold in the office.
SHOPPING
Then on to Vina del Mar to buy playground equipment for a preschool. The delivery took us ‘over the river and through the woods.’
Then back to Santiago to buy washers and dryers for a homeless shelter. Thankfully, those will be delivered by the store. Our church credit card does not work online so if our buyer does not have a pre-certified vendor to order from directly, we go in person to buy the items.
STRIKE NUMBER 3
We have tried for months to see the changing of the guard at the palace in Santiago. The first time we went we were there on the wrong day (it happens every other day-on odd days some months and even days on other months) The second time we tried we were an hour late because daylight savings time it is at 9:00 a.m. instead of 10:00 a.m. So, we had plotted it out on the calendar and invited the Santiago North senior missionaries to join us. On Saturday morning we headed out for our ‘third time’s the charm’ trip to La Moneda Palace to see the changing of the guard. As we pulled up the band was coming around the corner and we thought, “Yes! Finally!” But guess what – it was El Dia del Patrimonio (Heritage Day) so the changing of the guard had been an hour earlier at 8:00 a.m. instead of 9:00 a.m. What we were seeing was the tail end of the ceremony as they were leaving! We tried to make the best of the situation, so we stood in the long line to tour the palace. When we got to the front an actual passport was required, not just the copy we carried so we toured Banco Estado instead.
There was a festive atmosphere surrounding the Palace on Dia del Patrimonio!
SMORGASBORD SPREAD
The best part of the morning was brunch back at our apartment. Elder Lamb made homemade English muffins for our eggs benedict. Our family calls them ‘pillows of heaven.’
Chileans love sopaipillas. The yellow color comes from squash giving them a wonderful flavor. They typically are served with pebre – a sort of salsa. Elder Lamb decided to make some for us.
We send our love from Santiago!
Abrazos, Élder y Hermana Lamb, (aka Ed & Debbie, Mom & Dad, Pop Pop & Tu Tu)
Lambs in Central Europe 